The Eighth Piece / The Doomsday Chronometer [AUDIO/2016.9.22]

★★★★☆

  Doom Coalition 3 in general has a drive to it, an unmistakable energy that grabs the listener from beginning to end. The previous two boxsets had this too, yes, but in a lesser degree; even with the detour that is Absent Friends, this third installment feels focused and brimming with the most impossible and wonderful ideas. Out of the works of Matt Fitton and John Dorney, this collaboration is definitely one of their peaks.

  With this two-parter, we get a boatload of setup and information about the Doom Coalition saga: the coalition and its members, the big MacGuffin (the doomsday clock that'll destroy the universe, obviously), the part River Song plays into all of this, and a new, previous incarnation of the Eleven. It's both a blessing and a pity that the Nine is overall a more interesting villan than his successor twice over, but one can hardly fault John Heffernan for bringing his all, now can one? He's barely in this story as the main player is his predecessor, the Eight, but I thought I should at least write something about his soon-to-be success in the long run.

  Ken Bentley's direction is extraordinary in this one, almost to the point where it becomes the best thing about The Eighth Piece / The Doomsday Chronometer; from the bustling streets of contemporary Italy to 15th century Prague, the chittering and clanking clockwork (one of my favorite sounds ever) of the Solvers and the ever-entrancing sound of regeneration... they're absolute music to my ears. There's no stopping Paul McGann at this point, and Alex Kingston seems to be loving her time as a gun-wielding nun with the "psychic wimple" face of Rita Hayworth. Even with the massive dumps of information, Matt Fitton impresses by making his two-parter a long, winding journey full of fun moments and even more fun characters. It's a well-made homage to Steven Moffat's style of storytelling, and it fits so well with the bridgegap function the Eighth Doctor's adventures now act as between the classic and new series.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  First Absent Friends, now this? There is an argument to be had that Doom Coalition 3 is the audio equivalent of the latter half of Series 4; everything is cranked up to maximum and everyone is as engaged as they'll ever be. Exciting ideas are brimming underneath the surface, and the pace is calm when it needs to and lightning fast when it's called for. An incredibly satisfying experience, this.