The Alchemists [AUDIO/2013.8.?]

★★★☆☆

  Lisa Bowerman, our very own Bernice Summerfield, has proved time and time again that she's fantastic as a director. There are so many of her directorial works in the Companion Chronicles range to check out, but if you ever want to experience just how good she is with setting up an atmosphere by use of sound design and such, look no further than The Alchemists.

  Susan Foreman was never the best-treated companion in the TV show. Despite her unique relationship to the Doctor as his granddaughter as well as sparse allusions to vaguely psychic abilities, she never strayed far from being that one shrill screamer, a young girl the adults have to keep taking care of. It's obvious from Carole Ann Ford's Big Finish work that she had so much more to give, and The Alchemists is a good example of that. Ever wondered how Susan would fare in an alien, hostile world without her grandfather? Why, she's just as resourceful as any time-faring Gallifreyan! Here she is, collecting clues and following leads, observing aspects of human culture with curiosity and a smart amount of fear in equal measure. She even manages to be cunning, thinking on her feet at the very climax in order to save both herself and the Doctor from the brink of being forced to change history. It's a nice touch by Ian Potter to retain some of the naivete of hers, while giving her a much more active role in the proceedings; it makes for a generally more interesting character to listen to.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  I've said this once and I'll say it again, these Companion Chronicles are one of Big Finish's crowning achievements. Companions who were previously little more than a relic of bygone times are given a chance to shine and thrive, and I'm so glad that Carole Ann Ford was afforded the chance to take on the mantle of Susan again. In the ever-expanding mythos of Doctor Who, that young Gallifreyan girl who tagged along with her grandfather still inhabits a unique corner of the story. It's great that she has stories like these under her belt now.

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