When the Doctor lands on Refiloe, he’s not impressed. In fact, he doesn’t intend to stay, but someone has decided that the TARDIS has made her final flight. Someone whose future depends on the Doctor’s death.
When the Doctor lands on Refiloe, he’s not impressed. In fact, he doesn’t intend to stay, but someone has decided that the TARDIS has made her final flight. Someone whose future depends on the Doctor’s death.
HER FINAL FLIGHT
For their 2004 subscriber-only release, Big Finish turned to their open submission pile, selecting Julian Shortman’s Her Final Flight for release as a two-part story. In comparison with its predecessor, The Maltese Penguin, Her Final Flight is much more “important” — it’s a serious story with far-reaching effects — but ultimately it features the same level of quality.
As I stated in my review of The Last, a story which heavily features a “virtual” reality which is either erased or reset by play’s end cannot focus upon events within that reality for dramatic effect. Many have accused Shortman of making this mistake, but wisely the dramatic focus of his story is not upon the inhabitants of Refiloe, nor even the fate of Peri. Her Final Flight focuses instead upon the Doctor, examining his reactions under certain stimuli. Indeed, the virtual reality is intentionally unbelievable: it’s a stock Doctor Who plot, complete with a ranting, villainous high priest and a cautiously supportive layman. Yes, it’s obvious that this is a VR world, but to my mind that information only adds to the drama.
Unfortunately, there is no dramatic satisfaction provided by the script. We know that a mysterious Agent has hired Rashaa to torture the Doctor to breaking point and drive him to suicide, but we never find out why. Indeed, it’s debatable whether or not we truly see the Doctor at breaking point. When the Doctor escapes the influence of the implant, he resolves the plot within five minutes through the use of an obvious trick. And, of course, the ending requires a sequel, something which becomes annoying when no such thing has been announced.
The actors, though, play this to the hilt. We get to see the full range from Colin Baker, as the Doctor is confronted with a dying population, the prospect of regaining a lost companion and then losing her again, and a seeming inability to control events. This is a powerful performance, and it’s difficult not to react strongly to Baker’s acting — yet again, I ask you, why couldn’t we have seen this on television?
Nicola Bryant returns as Peri, teaming up with the sixth Doctor for the first time since all the way back in …ish. Of course, she’s not real, so this play doesn’t provide an actual explanation of her life post-Trial, but her jaded future self is believable and well-played by Bryant. She and Baker show a fine chemistry, something seen briefly in the first segment of The Trial of a Time Lord — though I must say the vomiting was a bit gratuitous.
Conrad Westmaas takes some time off from his regular role as C’rizz to play Damus the high priest, and he’s nothing short of amazing. Yes, he’s reading canned lines in a clichéd voice, but he goes so over the top that it’s impossible not to enjoy his performance. Heather Tracy is also over the top, but unfortunately her role doesn’t call for the same thing. Jonathan Owen nicely fills the role of Hamiyun, while Steven Bugdale turns in a sinister performance as the Agent that’s just crying out for a return appearance.
David Darlington’s sound design is first-rate, providing bizarre electronic effects that overwhelm the senses at the right times: the breakdown of the TARDIS is quite convincing, for example. His music, too, is more intense than is normal for a BF release, but the play is made all the better because of it. Despite a fairly quick pace, the play could perhaps have been tightened up even more — 75+ minutes for two parts is getting excessive — but Gary Russell seems to have done a fine job directing in any case.
Overall, Her Final Flight proves to be a worthwhile release. Some unfortunate decisions were made with regard to the conclusion, but the ideas contained within are very solid. This would probably be worth purchasing; as a giveaway it’d be hard not to recommend.
6/10