Klein's Story [AUDIO/2010.2.18]

★★★★★

  One of the finest one-parter Big Finish adventures out there (if not the finest, although I'd say Autumn and Urgent Calls are much closer to my heart), Klein's Story is an ingenious idea that fills in the gap -- answers the question, so to speak -- brought to attention by Colditz, of the world Klein came from and how she got control of the TARDIS in the first place. It's not the bleakest story out there, but it does bring you that particular sense of dread that only a handful of Dr. Who stories can, where the evil, bad option is considered the norm. In Klein's reality, the Nazis have won World War II, Ace has been shot and the Doctor's committed suicide to enact his masterplan. Paul McGann's presence is a surprise that's very much welcome; not only does he fit the narrative like a glove, his performance is razor-sharp. As the story requires, he's given an air of complete mystery and it works so well with McGann, it's almost like listening to some of his earliest Big Finish stuff. Tracey Childs acts her heart out, of course, and her fury over the realisation that her entire plan was yet another manipulation ploy from the Doctor is a harrowing one; both Childs and Sylvester McCoy (who has an understandably minimal role in this one-parter) are fantastic here. Klein's Story is one of my all-time favourites, I reckon -- a cold, clinical and utterly angry piece of work that takes no prisoners, and a daring look into just how manipulative the Doctor can be.