The Apocalypse Element [AUDIO/2000.8.7]

★★★★☆

  These early Big Finish Dalek stories have one major drawback, and it's that the role of the Daleks was often shared between Nicholas Briggs (who is a fantastic Dalek voice) and Alistair Lock (whose Dalek voice gives me a massive headache). I honestly appreciate the variety, since I think Dr. Who thrives on its abundance... but Lock's shouting voice put through a ring modulator genuinely impedes my engagement with the audio dramas it's in. Thank gosh they more or less got rid of that option in later years.

  I bring this up because for the longest time, that was my one big stumbling block to enjoying The Apocalypse Element -- and I had no idea why until fairly recently. Listening to the early Big Finish Dalek stories has made me realise just how much it helped to have Briggs' dependable Dalek voice being in a story instead of Lock's, and unerstanding that has helped me look (or rather, listen) past that element for the most part and enjoy the rest of the adventure as is. This is a stunning piece of work, one that decides to ditch the comedy and light-hearted fluff for once and strip down, galvanise Dr. Who into a cut-throat action thriller. With its explosive action, relentless body count and touches of gore & body horror, I am reminded most of James Cameron's Aliens; at the end of the day it's more action than thriller, but it's still a riveting piece of work. Nicholas Briggs directs the hell out of this, and Colin Baker gives his all as well. He's well and fully on the Big Finish hype train at this point and sounds utterly comfortable with the direction the company's taking with the Sixth Doctor, which I always like hearing. Evelyn's almost too sweet and caring for such a relentless adventure, but she (un)surprisingly ends up becoming the key to the Daleks' defeat, and Maggie Stables is as wonderful as always. Special shoutout to Lalla Ward here as well; it's her first time back and she sounds revved up, excited for more as she takes the material fully seriously. I think the more serious and heavy Who stories depend a lot on the actors' commitments to the script, and with a cast of such calibre fully believing in Stephen Cole's tale, the end result becomes quite the fun and confident experience. This is a story about Daleks ravaging planets, pulling out eyes, invading Gallifrey and using the Crystals of Doom to hatch a devestating plan against the universe. There's plenty of gunfire, gruesome deaths and an imprisoned President Romana trying to stop an intergalactic political catastrophe while fighting against the clock for survival. As action-oriented story concepts go, it rarely gets better than this. I'd be so bold as to say The Apocalypse Element is a must-listen for Big Finish newcomers, as ont only is it one of the acknowledged key inciting incidents of the Last Great Time War, it's also just a bloody confident slice of audio drama that runs through smoothly like butter. Well, butter with a nasty kick to it anyway, considering Lock's Dalek voice. You win some, you lose some.