Dominion [AUDIO/2012.10.23]

★★★☆☆

  Dominion (or UNIT: Dominion, as I had called it for many years) has one big problem, and it's a problem that I often talk about with many other Doctor Who adventures of its kind. Ready for this? Here goes: it doesn't come close to realising its own massive potential. There are so many avenues of possibility for a faux Doctor that turns out to be a new incarnation of the Master, for world-ending scenarios and for an exploration of the complex dynamic between Elizabeth Klein and the Seventh Doctor -- and apart from giant explosions and alternate dimensions (which are, don't get me wrong, very entertaining), we don't get too much of the truly out-there and ambitious. I suppose presenting a new incarnation of the Master is ambitious, though. Alex Macqueen is a genuine revelation, and with the benefit of ten years' hindsight, it's safe to say that he's one of my favourite Masters. So much glee for his terrible actions and yet so much sophistication in his words and plans -- Macqueen's is an utterly unique take on the Time Lord, and it's hard not to be swept away by the actor's charisma.

  I'm not really sure on whether or not Dominion deserved its four-hour runtime, but it's still an entertaining time -- and with such a length, it's a minor miracle. Credit where it's due, Nicholas Briggs and Jason Arnopp wove a coherent thread of events and brought about a fan-favourite character (again, the Macqueen Master). The regulars are fine as always, though I'm not entirely convinced Beth Chalmers works well with Sylvester McCoy, and Klein continues to be one of Big Finish's most fascinating original characters. It's a shame she didn't interact more with the Doctor, but I suppose we were soon going to get exactly that with the second Klein trilogy in the monthly range. There's plenty of action, some cool concepts and monsters (the Skyheads, for example -- another Big Finish original race I'd love to see come back someday), and satisfying character moments. It's the full package deal for fans of Briggs' writing style, and even a cautious detractor like I can wholeheartedly admit that it's fun.