Empire of the Racnoss [AUDIO/2017.7.27]

★★★☆☆

  An hour of pretty decent fun -- nothing more, nothing less. Empire of the Racnoss is a breezy hour; you're not going to find any big stumbling block that'll break your immersion or fun, and at the same time, you're probably not going to find anything thoroughly profound about this adventure. Scott Handcock obviously had an idea about which side of the Racnoss to highlight, and it's their societal structure, particularly in their ruling class society. No, it's not like we get a crazy amount of Racnoss politics (which is a shame, as I think it would make for a far more interesting story... but probably one which would need an extra CD), but what we do get is a Medea-inspired tragedy of empresses and their emperors, plots to steal their children from each other while trying to outstab each other's backs. It's such a joy to listen to Peter Davison's Doctor struggle through this power play, desperate to save not just his own life, but those of two other Time Lords' as well. I feel like Barnaby Edwards got just the right runtime for Handcock's script, because I don't think this has a scene I thought was too long or too short; it's no surprise this is very well paced, coming from such a seasoned director as Edwards is. Empire of the Racnoss is what I'd call 'harmless fun', quite literally... unless you've got a thing against the Racnoss. I mean, Adjoa Andoh delivers a fantastic performance, so maybe that'll convince you to give this one a go?