Loups-Garoux [AUDIO/2001.5.21]

★★★★☆

  Marc Platt, always the poetic. He just knows how to write a bloodthirsty and cunning werewolf character, and it certainly helps that Nicky Henson's performance is as strong as it is. His tale of werewolves, their hierarchy and conflicts, their desires and emotions, is beautiful in a way Doctor Who rarely is; in a way, this is much more fantasy than science-fiction. I can understand that some people are put off by the concept of the piece, but the fact of the matter is... Loups-Garoux is a stunning work on all fronts.

  Peter Davison and Mark Strickson are obviously much more comfortable with each other and the audio format this time around, and their confidence bleeds through the microphone. The Fifth Doctor is compassionate, commanding, and ever the old man in a young man's body. Turlough is tetchy, a tiny bit stuck-up, but he always enjoys a good carnival and he is much more tender-hearted than he lets on. Their rapport is aided by a superb group of supporting characters: the merchant's daughter that hides a lupine secret, a scheming doctor that plays on both sides of the field in the name of science, a werewolf that has lived since the dawn of time, and a girl who is the eyes and ears of the forest. Everyone is so well-written, so richly written and performed. 

  Alistair Lock is a genius, and that's a fact and not a point of debate. He's often provided some of the best music for Big Finish, but he truly goes above and beyond in this one. I happen to have the Music from the Fifth Doctor Adventures CD with the score for Loups-Garoux included, and I listen to the tracks religiously. From the beautiful guitar leitmotif to the immersive soundscape of Rio, to the rising orchestral climax of Part 3... this, to me, is one of Doctor Who's best scores in any medium. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  I don't have many complaints, and I almost don't even want to talk about them. Part 3 may contain a bit of padding, but it's made up by one of Big Finish's most suspenseful cliffhangers. Loups-Garoux is a tale of werewolves and love, heritage and war, in a beautifully constructed world where the fantastical is just another aspect of life, and it's glorious.