Written by Stewart Pringle Lauren Mooneyr

Starring Tim Treloar & Katy Manning

Originally released : October 2024

Listened to: October 2024

Context: as I am no writing some random thoughts about my Big Finish listening it may be quite tricky to keep up with the reviews as I listen to so many! I am very fortunate to be in a position to afford all the monthly releases I am interested in (i.e. most of them!) and I am also very fortunate as to work at home a lot, do lots of long exercise sessions on the Peloton bike and the concept 2 rowing machine, as well as gardening, cleaning the loos, general Dadmin ….all accompanied by listening to Dr Who Audio Dramas! Its a small pleasure but I love it, and keeps my happy, contented and sane!

THE REVIEW

What I thought: there is something very indulgent about these big third doctor adventure boxsets, a bit like a lovely, unhurried soak in a soapy bath. The stories have a whole 6 episodes to tell the story, to lavish time and depth to the characters and to explore multiple ideas over the course of the story. This starts in an intriguing creepy Victorian house on a strorm world then off we go to Mondas, then into the very creep Quintessence and a lovely final scene with Jo and the Doctor talking in the Tardis. Lots of fun and body horror in-between! Loved this one!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Daleks (only looses a half as occasionally the voice of Arthur was a very similar to the Third Doctor..I confess might be more my advancing and increasingly inaccurate hearing though)

What I felt: entertained, and loved the Pepperdine family…Mondasian Cybermen as creepy as ever, my favourite cybes!

What am I left thinking?

• Where are Jo Jones and the 3rd Doctor going to head next
• Whether they will ever tangle with the Master? That would be so good

Memorable bits

• Horrible Cybermats/rats eating Jo’s dog!
• The Quintessence itself
• The notion that, ultimately, the cyber philosophy of the Cybermen might be right in the end!