| Review:- Primitive religion meets space opera in a bloody tragedy on Talderun... The story kicks off with the Doctor busy at the infamous Garazone Bazaar, which at least gives Erimem a reason for them to head to Nekromanteia later on. What they find there is a dealth cult of witches guarding an ancient Relic whose power source has drawn greedy eyes from across space, ruthlessly seeking new sources of energy... At heart, the story is a basic exploration of the evils of greed. Ruthless company boss Wendle Marr has set his stock on the all-important Alpha Project, and for that he needs the Relic - and if he has to side with the witches and lose most of his fleet, that's a price he's willing to pay. At one remove, Shara has used his knowledge of science to become immortal in a moment, but at the cost of needing the witches to protect his remains in perpetuity, or else the planet will collapse, and the galaxy soon after - and if wars happen and people die as a result of the witches' protection, so be it. The Earth archivist, Yal Rom, is interested only in securing the Relic for his company, so it can be studies and understood in isolation - and if an eco-system crumbles as a result, that's too bad. Even the roguish Commander Harlon (oh, wonder who he's named after?) is more driven by the greed for what Marr's seeking than the need to protect his family or do his job. Into this chaos come the Doctor, Peri and Erimem, none of whom are that greedy, it seems, driven more by simple curiosity and then survival. The Doctor trusts Harlon enough to leave Erimem at his mercy, and her enough to cope with what he might do to her (or try to). Peri trusts Yal Rom when she fears the Doctor is dead, and is sorry when the witches punish him for stealing the Relic. Erimem proves quite tough, justifying the Doctor's naive faith, and helps Peri cope when Yal Rom dies. It turns out that the most important member of the TARDIS crew is the cat, Antranak, who proves a new focus for the missing Relic. The rather scatty conclusion is best shown when Marr and Harlon finally get a face-to-face confrontation, and the latter's clearer business sense inspires Marr's associate Tallis to switch sides. On the strength of the late Glyn Owen's performance, I'd have to say I agree with the choice. Sometimes guest stars in these dramas can disappoint (Simon Williams here struggles to make anything of the cretinous Shara), but Owen shines in what I assume must have been one of his last jobs. Light years better than he was in The Power Of Kroll, he makes Harlon likeable even though he often acts in quite horrid ways. His double-act with Cochrane compares with that of Marr and Tallis, but in a warmer, more down-to-earth way. Perhaps the only other thing to say about this play is that I find it has a reputation as one of the worst adventures Big Finish have produced in this range, which I have to say I feel is a little unkind. Whilst perhaps a little straightforward and derivative, it does entertain, and though the pointless drama of the Doctor's beheading is reset in a dumb fashion, the overall drama flows quite agreeably. |
| NEKROMANTEIA by Austen Atkinson |
| Story 41 Synopsis: At the Garazone Market, Erimem becomes interested in a small carving relating to a place called Nekromanteia, and when the Doctor needs them to leave in a hurry, he accepts her wish to visit it. The TARDIS experiences time distortion and lands on Talderun, inside a crashed spaceship, the result of a fierce battle. They meet Harlon, commander of another ship who assumes they are mistreating the corpses of his fellow soldiers. Erimem is shot. In the confusion, Harlon has Erimem and the Doctor transmatted to his ship, whilst Peri is caught by the local witches, and prepared to be a sacrifice. She is rescued by Yal Rom, an archivist looking for a mystic Relic to take back to Earth. Harlon has been sent here by his boss, Wendle Marr, to also recover the Relic, which is part of a secret Alpha Project. The Doctor gets the recovered Erimem to cause a diversion, and he heads down to meet the witches, but they behead him. Rom and Peri stage an attack that rescues Erimem and her cat, Antranak. Marr presses Harlon for information, but Harlon tires of the threats, drawing Marr toward the planet. The Doctor finds himself a guest in a fantasy afterlife, of local god Shara, whom the witches protect. His bones are the Relic, and keep the energy converter on the surface in balance, allowing him immortality as an idea. Rom gets Peri and Erimem to help transmat the Relic to his ship, throwing the planet out of balance. Shara agrees to send the Doctor back in time to before his death, so he can stop the destruction. But Marr believes Rom's ship is in league with Harlon and he blasts it out of the sky. On the planet's surface, Harlon realises the extent of Marr's plan, and his association with the witches and lust for immortality. Marr's aide, Tallis, turns against her boss, killing him and putting Harlon in as his replacement. They leave. The Doctor needs to find a substitute to take the place of the Relic, and plans to sacrifice himself. But Antranak takes the decision, and balance is restored. Relieved, the Doctor gets Peri and Erimem back to the TARDIS, but is dismayed at the prospect of a replacement cat... |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |