The Broken Crown [AUDIO/2011.10.6]

★★★☆☆

  Hey, at least it isn't as boring as Tsar Wars.

  The Broken Crown is a pretty satisfying continuation of the Serpent Crest saga, transporting the Doctor and Mrs. Wibbsey to a sleepy English village, The two characters from Tsar Wars that crash-landed have forgotten their memories, and one of them hides his face by wearing paper bags, and the paper bag kid is probably the most entertaining character out of the whole lot (for some reason, Tom Baker sounds like he's on autopilot mode for Serpent Crest... but again, I've only just started the saga, maybe he becomes more energised afterwards). I would like to point out, first of all, that I reallly did enjoy this one -- but it's very much one of those stopgap releases that are less a story in its own right and more a cog in a machine, a part of a multi-section epic of sorts. Then again, it's a really entertaining stopgap release, so I don't have too many complaints. I mean, it's got a dragon and an egg of immense power, so how boring can it truly be? Really sad, though, when I have comparatively little to talk about in a Dr. Who review. The Broken Crown seems content to just exist, to act as a bridge between releases, and I don't normally expect that from someone which such boundless imagination as Paul Magrs.