The Eye of the Scorpion [AUDIO/2001.9.17]

★★★★☆

  Ancient Egypt is brought to life with such polish and charm. The Doctor and Peri get to be active participants of the story and bounce off onoe another beautifully. Erimem is a new companion who works so well with the TARDIS duo and has a fascinating backstory. The central narrative is riveting, adventurous and mystifying. Was there any question? I have always thought The Eye of the Scorpion to be one of the most impressive introduction adventures to Big Finish original companions, and a darn great Dr. Who story in general.

  1999's The Mummy is written all over this audio drama, and it's a beautiful thing. Adventure of the highest order is called for, and Iain McLaughlin creates an intricate race against time with mysterious alien forces treated as curses from the gods, secret tunnels and pathways, and the wide, wide desert playing host to battles and tense chariot chases. In the midst of all this entertaining madness is Peter Davison giving one hell of a performance as the Fifth Doctor, embodying a youthful and experienced time traveller intent on saving his friend and doing the right thing. I also maintain that one of Big Finish's greatest achievements is almost single-handedly having improved Peri Brown's reputation tenfold, and this story is a good showcase of how she works so well on audio. Nicola Bryant is having a ball working alongside Davison, as well as developing an instant chemistry with pharaoh-never-to-be Erimem actor Caroline Morris. She gets to explore harems, act as the unwilling spy of a villainous force and be the de facto hero while the Doctor fights poisoning. 

  Erimem is, still to this day, one of Big Finish's most fascinating original characters. Hers is a life of such hardship and loss, and Morris really must be given credit (though she has not a single speck of Egyptian in her blood) for giving the young pharaoh such a palpable human element. She isn't pretentious or holier-than-thou; she's a young woman looking for friends, who is nonetheless as wise and physically capable as one would expect from a ruler of Egypt's two kingdoms. She's the icing on the top of an already scrumptious cake, and she is the final piece of the puzzle in creating one of the most delightful TARDIS teams. If you're looking for a genuinely gripping historical adventure full of magical sci-fi and danger, The Eye of the Scorpion is the audio drama for you. It's been my first revisit in years, and it's just as amazing as it always was.