The Next Life [AUDIO/2004.12.?]

★★★☆☆

  Quite remarkable how The Next Life gives the impression of maintaining a level of ambition and imagination when it really isn't as mind-bogglingly avant garde as it wants us to think. That's one of the reasons I like it, by the way -- if a six-parter can keep me on my toes by throwing ideas upon ideas over my head (often using dialogue scenes to offer us interesting tidbits and stories about this Divergent universe), it means that it was fun... to me, anyway. Heck, you have Daphne Ashbrook and Paul Darrow dishing out casually chilling and captivating performances, and you expect me to be generally negative about The Next Life? You don't know me that well, do you?

  Well, I suppose I should explain a bit more. Yes, this audio drama feels a bit like that preacher uncle you have at the family function droning on and on about the New Testament, but he occasionally downs another pint and tells the story in a more interesting way! I'm not going to pretend that The Next Life doesn't have dry parts, but it's mostly very entertaining (either through its sheer insane ideas regarding the genesis of the Eutermesan faith or the goofy nature of some of the scenes; Paul McGann plays the goofy Time Lord so effortlessly). Moments to look out for? Charley and C'rozz are subjected to projections about their past and are wooed with the prospect of "going back", so to speak, under the cruelty of the Kro'ka and Rassilon. Speaking of, I absolutely love Don Warrington as Rassilon; he can play the omnipotent wise historical figure, the power-hungry and cruel despot, and the comic relief at the very end of the adventure. 

  It's all very endearing, really. The Next Life is a bit of a hasty attempt to clear all the Divergent Universe stuff up for a "clean slate" in preparation for the advent of Christopher Eccleston's Series 1, but it tries so hard to do everything right while also not forgetting to entertain the listeners every chance it gets, and it more or less works! Zagreus, the Divergence, Rassilon, the Church of the Foundation... everything... laid out alongside with an individual explanation that may or may not for you depending on how you've been taking the Divergent Universe saga so far; I find it so cute, in a Gary Russell sort of way. He's always bringing fresh ideas to the table, with varying excitement factors and originality (I must say that the bold ideas of The Next Life aren't his most out-there concepts in any stretch of the imagination), but I respect the hustle. Regardless of how much I enjoyed the arc, Paul McGann and India Fisher honestly cannot sound more excited to drop the entire direction and mane a U-turn to the normal monthly range adventures they've been having. I'm pretty sure they weren't acting in part 6. Good stuff, The Next Life!