|
|
| PLANET
SF HOME | DOCTOR
WHO HOME | BIG FINISH AUDIOS
| 8TH DOCTOR NOVELS | EPISODES
| MISC REVIEWS |
||
|
|
The conclusion to "DEATH TO THE DALEKS!" was something few listeners could have expected, and the aftermath sees Gareth Thomas' Kalendorf assume a greater role in the action than before. Another character who becomes more involved is Teresa Gallagher's Mirana, while Mark McDonnell's Alby Brook spends the time getting drunk and eating pickled onions. The stage is therefore set for the conclusion to the DALEK EMPIRE mini-series, although since there's a DALEK EMPIRE II in the works, clearly it's not going to be the end for the dreaded pepperpots. With Suz dead, Kalendorf finds himself as leader of the rebellion, not exactly the role he wanted, but he'll do it anyway. Gareth Thomas' role has been building up nicely, and here his performance is a good as ever. At the start of the series, I was sceptical of his guest star status, but over the course of the four installments, he has fully justified it. Teresa Gallagher's Mirana entered the story relatively late, but here she gets a decent chunk of the action, and she's also good. Suz's death robs Alby of his motivation since the Dalek invasion and the true nature of Joyce Gibb's narrator is finally revealed, which also helps explain why her narration referred to Suz in both the first and third person. Storywise, there's a lot going on. The events of "DEATH TO THE DALEKS!" are replayed, and we learn more about what was actually going on. Meanwhile, a couple of Daleks are hoping to slip into the Lopra system without being spotted... Nick Briggs' sound design and music have been a highlight throughout the series, and they're well up to standard here. The Daleks now have a fourth voice, as Robert Lock joins Briggs, Alistair Lock and Steven Allen, which adds to the sense that there's a lot of them about. Briggs' script is also good. The mystery of Project Infinity is finally explained, and fortunately he manages to make it sound plausible and not the stream of technobabble that it could have been. The mere fact that there is a sequel in the works means that PROJECT INFINITY doesn't provide a final end to the DALEK EMPIRE series, but what stands as the conclusion certainly works as one, rather than merely a lead-in to another series of adventures. Overall, DALEK EMPIRE has shown that the Daleks are more than capable of surviving on their own, and not just as yet another enemy for the Doctor to defeat. Let's hope the sequel is as good. BACK TO THE TOP |
DALEK
EMPIRE |
