MR223 Zaltys (spoilers)

its after 4 to doomsday... the ubancans are mentioned

'Capacity'?

I'd rather we had a bit of an Adric splurge - we've thirteen 5th Doctor and Peri audios and only six 5th Doctor and Adric so I'd expect we'd see things evened up a bit before more Peri. Or some 5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough S21 ones as we've not had any of them.

If you ever get the chance to say that to Janet... DON'T.

Sure. Why not?

It's not like that era of Doctor Who has been over-visited, plus these three Season 19 MR stories were very good. So anything from that season, pre-Earthshock of course, is fine be me.

Well I thought this was excellent and definitely my favorite of this trilogy. For one thing it was quite intense and even a bit scary (especially the parts with Tegan). Every once and awhile a side character really stands out to me and I just really loved the psychic wolf alien quite a bit (although on the cover he looks a bit more like Chewbacca than a wolf).

Some great villains and even a nice message about judging people because of their race or aliens in this case (I even liked that the story showed that the Doctor wasn't free of prejudice).


All in all this was a very entertaining release. I will say that I was wondering about the previous story when the Doctor came across this group. I mean I know we've had other "vampire stories" but will we ever hear that particular story. It sounds like it was a 3rd Doctor w/ Jo story.


Finally as for when this story was placed I would think close to Earth Shock giving Adric's prophetic words at the end but Adric thinking the Doctor wouldn't come back for him makes it seem that this story should be placed even earlier.


edit: Actually listening to the extras I am confused if the Wolf I liked was named Perrault or Gevaudan. I know that doesn't say much for me saying I loved him. I am bad with names.  

The biggest problem with Zaltys is that it makes me look like crazy Big Finish fanboy because every month I’m proclaiming the newest release as “The Best Fifth Doctor story yet!”

But this may be the best Fifth Doctor story yet.

We get great characterization for everybody in the beginning. Tegan has Adric wrapped around her little finger. The long simmering tension between them comes to a boil. #Tedric (Okay, okay, I’m just kidding about this, but I think it’s a fun alternate take on their relationship.)

Some great dialogue early on: “No, I just always appreciate it when you’re quiet.” Ha! Someone call the ambulance. Tegan just got seriously burned! Even the most mundane exchanges reveal a lot of character. (“Just follow the direction of the barrel.”, “A large percentage of this planet’s population is talking about you.”, “I don’t want to get into a war of the swots.”, “Have you ever tried to get somewhere by going in the wrong direction?” “Only Heathrow airport.” Heh heh.)

During his run on television, I never warmed to the Fifth Doctor. Prior to listening to his stories by Big Finish, I would have gone so far as to say that he was *fundamentally* flawed as a character, and nothing could make him interesting without altering him to an extent that you changed his nature. I’ve come around, of course, but this is a story that’s very good in capturing the voice of the Doctor of that era, but in a much more vital and dynamic way. They distill him down to his essence, find the parts that work and emphasize those.

The episode end cliffhangers were unusually good. I think this should serve as the template for the end of episode cliffhanger in every story. There’s no tension in menacing the Doctor, but a powerful reveal that changes your understanding of the story? THAT keeps me coming back for more!

Splitting up the party worked. Everyone had a chance to shine. This is how you deal with a crowded TARDIS!

Tegan seemed tough in a way she hadn’t before. In the series, she often struck me as childishly obstinate. Someone would say something, so Tegan would say the opposite. I know that’s not what they were going for and I know I’m not being entirely fair, but that’s how she came across to me a lot of the time. It never seemed like a principled stance as it does here.

I thought that they were referencing Mags from the Greatest Show in the Galaxy with the wolf-man at first, but I guess not. It does seem odd that they repeated the mistake of that episode. (Vulpine refers to foxes, whereas lupine refers to wolves). Also, it’s a little thing, but it’s nice to have a gay character in a Doctor Who story.

I predicted most of the twists, but not all of them. I love being surprised.

A twisted ankle when running down a corridor?! If I didn’t know I was listening to Doctor Who, this certainly would have clued me in! And wolfy calls it out. Just great!

Clarimonde was a pretty great villain.

Part of the reason I like a crowded TARDIS is that the more people there are, the more relationships there are between them. Similarly, I like really like idea of the different groups of adversaries with their disparate goals, and how they interacted and how everything came together. Just an outstanding story.

What I mean is not having it be the same each year. Maybe do them bi-yearly and do something else in between.

I'd alternate between A,N&T and T&T for a few years now.

This is the issue with only 1 trilogy a year and so many companion possibilities

In The Contingency Club, Tegan makes reference to the Doctor never getting her back to Heathrow and that they'd probably end up in the 17th Century again. So post-The Visitation I guess. 

Just checked - she says "We're probably back in the middle of the 17th century plague again". So yeah, not as early S19 as thought upthread.