In the distant past of Nyssa’s homeworld of Traken, the Fifth Doctor desperately tries to save his companion from a deadly disease.
In the distant past of Nyssa’s homeworld of Traken, the Fifth Doctor desperately tries to save his companion from a deadly disease.
PRIMEVAL
It was only in doing the research for this review that I discovered that Primeval was supposed to be another surprise story. For whatever reason, I knew long before I heard it the first time that the story marked a return to Traken, and this seemed so obvious to me that I was always confused about what twist author Lance Parkin was talking about in his notes. However, with the confusion explained, I found Primeval pleasantly surprising — the first time I’d heard it, I found it lacking, but the second time around it proved itself to be a very solid outing for the fifth Doctor.
I have to say, first off, that the moral ambiguity that many have praised in Primeval isn’t particularly interesting. Johnny Byrne’s Traken, though somewhat clumsily assembled, was an honest-to-goodness fairy tale land where evil turned to stone and everyone was happy. Granted, one of the characters succumbed to corruption, but this was due to an outside influence gaining access to the planet. In Primeval, Parkin deconstructs the idea of a utopia (his words) by showing that it’s only a “utopia” because it’s populated by intolerant, insular fundamentalists who don’t let other people in. Not that this is poorly-executed, because it’s very well done, but the “they’re really just flawed people like everyone else” angle feels very uninspired.
That being said, Parkin’s recreation of Traken in the past is excellent. All the elements are there without the production ever sounding indulgent — this could easily be listened to without ever having seen The Keeper of Traken and this is one of the play’s greatest strengths. Kwundaar is an excellent creation as well — it’s difficult for Doctor Who to provide an honest look at the divine, and often the “actually he’s just a really powerful alien” explanation is annoying, but here it fits the tone perfectly. I admit, though, to being unsure about what other similar powers have been released into the universe — The Inside Story claims this line refers to the Season 20 bad guys, but that seems wrong to me. Overall, the script is plotted very well — using the Doctor’s curiosity to defeat him is a time-honored tradition held up well by Kwundaar — and marked with one of the best cliffhangers in the range at the end of part 1.
Peter Davison, for the third out of three times in 2001, provides an excellent performance. While he was subdued in Loups-Garoux, and an action hero in The Eye of the Scorpion, here he is every inch the moral crusader, raging against the obvious injustices of both Traken society and Kwundaar’s cult while simultaneously fighting for his companion’s life. Davison has remarkable range, especially for a man whose voice isn’t the most variable, and it’s shown to the fullest here.
Sarah Sutton is equally impressive as Nyssa — here she gets to run through a series of emotions, being sick in one scene, defiant in another, and playful in still more. It’s difficult to give depth to a character so devoted to science and reason, but returning Nyssa to her home planet allows her to let loose somewhat.
The supporting performances are excellent. Stephen Greif stands out as Kwundaar, taking a typically evil villain and injecting the character with all sorts of depth without ever resorting to clichéd ranting and raving. Susan Penhaligon is good as Shayla, playing a familiar character type well, while Billy Miller and Romy Tennant turn in fine performances as Narthex and Anona. I didn’t even notice Miller doubling up as the captain — good job there.
After the questionable outing of Colditz, the production values are once again up to par, with Gareth Jenkins providing some very unique work. I found Kwundaar’s voice to be very effective, while the background effects added a fine sense of realism. One complaint, though — whether it was down to production or acting, I can’t say, but oftentimes the screaming heard in the background of certain scenes just sounded hilarious to me. Maybe I’m just demented, but this didn’t come over well. Russell Stone’s score is his best yet, giving memorable and effective themes for almost every situation. And, of course, there’s Gary Russell’s direction — he should be saluted for generating the performances he got.
Primeval is a successful outing for Big Finish. While not as innovative as it perhaps could have been, Lance Parkin’s script makes up for any thematic deficiencies with solid plotting and an exceptional grasp of the characters. Add to that some excellent design work and you’ve got another winner.
Recommended.
8/10