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Big Finishing Move: ‘Doctor Who: Return to Telos’

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Greetings and welcome back to Big Finishing Move! Computer issues have kept me away for the last few weeks but I took the time away to recharge my batteries so I could deliver the goods when I did return. In case you are new to this, this is the section of the site where I, your humble servant gives a listen to the audio offerings of Big Finish and lets you know if it is worth you time or if your coin is better served purchasing the fancy bacon this week. On this go around we are here to take on the final installment of The Fourth Doctor Adventures for 2015, Return to Telos. So is this entry entertainment for the brain or totally lame!?! Read on!

TARDIS TEAM: The Fourth Doctor, Leela, and K9 Mark 1

Life isn’t so great if you’re the Doctor right now, not only has he seen the beautiful planet Krelos be conquered by the Cybermen, but those metal monstrosities have taken over K9 who in turn has kidnapped our heroes and stole control of the TARDIS which it is now on the way to the dreaded planet Telos, to the Tomb  of the Cybermen.

The seed of this story was planted by Frazer Hines, Hines had it in his mind that a fight between Jamie and Leela would be a really cool thing to do as they were the main two warrior/hunter characters in all of Who. This idea made it to Nick Briggs and helped inspire this tale. I won’t give away about the twos’ possible confrontation here other than to say that Frazier Hines does appear as Jamie in the story.

Perhaps I am a broken record at this point, but once again the standout performances go to out two leads, Tom Baker and Louise Jameson. They are such a well oiled machine byt his point that it doesn’t matter if you pair them in something good or in dreck, they are going to shine. Special note should also be given to Michael Cochrane as Geralk, a character just exudes happiness and charm as well as to  Frazer Hines who on top of bring young Jamie back to life has the task of standing in for his dearly departed friend, Patrick Troughton in the role of the Second Doctor.

One of the few downsides to telling stories that are in the past of any long standing character is that there are times you are going to be limited in what you can do in continuity. One of the easier things with this is that Doctor Who as a franchise has always played it fast and loose when it comes to continuity and both the fans and creators have come to embrace this. Even with that however, there are pieces of the puzzle you don’t touch, things and stories you just don’t meddle with as they are bits that form the cornerstones of this franchise, and Tomb of the Cybermen is one of them. By trying to tie into that story directly this story had almost no legs of its own to stand on and the reset ending became a necessity. The story teases big things, but it doesn’t have any juice to pull them off. The day is saved, but not in any way that means anything or helps us understand our characters any better. The saddest bit as this puppy has a rather sweet and charming ending, full of genuine warmth and mirth, but I can’t in good conscience recommend a story just for that. Snatch it up if you you feel the need to, but don’t worry about missing anything special if you decide to opt out.

Purchase Doctor Who: Return to Telos Here:

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Come back next time for:

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And then to see the Doctor face doom:

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Not that Doom, this one:

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See you then.

In the mood for even more audio goodies? Well, it looks like we just may have something for you. We here at One of Us have our own audio drama series Infinite Variations, and this is also the home of the spin-off from The Intergalactic Nemesis, the one and only  Salt!

Check out my previous reviews:

Phantasmagoria, The Fearmonger, The Light At The End, The Spectre of Lanyon Moor, Storm Warning, Blood of the Daleks, The Chimes of Midnight, Seasons of Fear, The King of Sontar, White Ghosts, Dark Eyes II, The Crooked Man, Project: Twilight, The Evil One, The Harvest, The Last Of The Colophon, The Council Of Nicaea, Destroy The Infinite,  Afterlife, The Abandoned, Zygon Hunt, Revenge Of The Swarm, Philip Hinchcliffe Presents Box Set, Dark Eyes 3, Mask of Tragedy, The Fourth Doctor By Gareth Roberts, The Exxilions, The Darkness of Glass, Dark Eyes IV, Requiem for the Rocket Men, Signs And Wonders, Death Match, Suburban Hell, The Burning Prince, The Cloisters of Terror, The Acheron Pulse, The Fate of Krelos, The Shadow Heart