The Monster of Montmartre [AUDIO/2015.3.2]

★★★★☆

  In my mind, not only is this the best installment of the Dark Eyes series without question, it's also possibly the only truly worthy love letter/successor to The Evil of the Daleks. Let me explain.

  Evil of the Daleks is a superb Dalek tale, and its iconic quality comes from its twisted imagery and its perverse nature. Every moment of that serial feels like we're watching something we're not supposed to, like the Doctor is creating something abhorrent and wrong. The Monster of Montmartre evokes such emotions with depictions of the rich feasting and exploiting, indulging their most secret desires against a backdrop of Paris going to high hell, and they mix perfectly with the similarly obscene experiments of the Dalek Time Controller. Creating a clone of itself in the form of a human woman, "marrying" her and making her into a Dalek herself... I wonder what Matt Fitton was on when he came up with the story, but I'm glad the inspiration came to him. This is a superb Dalek adventure, and a superb showcase of the Eighth Doctor. He always works wonders in the midst of a romantic and decadent setting, and the party halls of Montmartre provide just these conditions for him to stand out amongst the crowd. Paul McGann seems to be made of pure energy here, outwitting Dalek Time Controllers and showing sympathy for a lovelorn artiste who almost turns into a Dalek. How can you not get with the atmosphere of this tale, especially when the music is as sublime as it is? How can you not love a Dalek adventure full of horrifying imagery, sick and twisted humour, perfume and wine? I'd listen to this on its own, away from the rest of the Dark Eyes saga, any time of the day.