Sword of Orion [AUDIO/2001.2.26]

★★★☆☆

  Whereas the Eighth Doctor of Storm Warning was a larger-than-life, enthuastic spirit barely containing his joy for life and the universe, Sword of Orion's Eight is a much silkier, whispery individual that relishes the air of mystery surrounding his persona. It's an interesting contrast, and it's a pity that some people didn't find this slight change in personality to their liking; Paul McGann seems to perform this more elusive, serpentine role with plenty of spirit. 

  I know I rag on about Nicholas Briggs' writing tendencies (if I had to compare any Big Finish writer to Eric Saward, it'd be him) and his almost uniform tropes and structure, but I have always said that Sword of Orion is a solid adventure. What it lacks in romanticism and lyrical dialogue, it makes up for in palpable atmosphere and body horror (though not to the extent that it'd be considered inappropriate). The first two parts of Sword Orion — in particular the first — are genuinely strong stuff, setting the bleak and grimy future stage aptly with its scavengers, seedy street stalls and creaking spaceship interiors. Adapting stories from the unofficial Audio Visuals series was an idea that was bound to happen, and I still think it was a good idea; AV had some creative concepts under its belt, and the Orion system and their androids were ripe for the picking. Sword of Orion in general is a good AV audio drama to adapt, and the enhanced audio effects and more seasoned direction and performances make this a riveting experience. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  In all honesty, I have a certain amount of fondness for Sword of Orion. Yet again, this is a case of nostalgia having a hand, since the first Eighth Doctor run from Big Finish's monthly range kept my boring life exciting all those years ago when I could only afford those four stories. I used to listen to this over and over, and got chills from the way Nicholas Briggs used the Cybermen sparingly for most of its runtime. Here's proof that these silver cyborgs are terrific when used to create a sense of dread and unease, instead of being portrayed as generic warmongers.