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1. Styre on May 8, 2016 at 12:52 AM

   I.D.

   For its first twenty-three seasons, with one exception, Doctor Who completely avoided the three-episode serial format, yet frequently used serials of two, four, five, six, or seven episodes. This was odd, considering the natural usefulness of the three-part structure (matching the three-act drama), and considering just how well some of the later three-parters (“Ghost Light,” “Survival”) worked. And so, as part of the relaunch, Big Finish decided to return to this format, with monthly releases containing both three-part and one-part stories. The first of these, “I.D.,” (released with “Urgent Calls”) came from Eddie Robson, writer of “Memory Lane” and three of the eight BBC7 McGann plays.

   The ideas on display here are fascinating. Robson’s script, as implied by the title, inquires about the nature of identity. This is done through the use of the concept of “personality surgery,” where an individual’s brain can be modified to remove unwanted personal characteristics. Individuals can also have their brain patterns mapped onto other individuals, and essentially “take control” of their bodies. The conflict here is obvious, but interesting: do our physical characteristics define us if our minds can be wholly transplanted? Furthermore, look at the title without punctuation, and you see “id,” the simplest Freudian center of desire. No surprise, then, that the regressive mutants express themselves through a primal, angry rage that the villains are trying to remove.

   Yet the problem with “I.D.” is one that arises with many Big Finish plays: all of these ideas are on the table and none are adequately explored. Robson’s script carefully uses the first two episodes to set up the conflict, menacing the characters with the Scandroids and maneuvering everyone into place for the big revelations. Yet with all the body-swapping and identity-copying and fighting and problem-solving left to do, there’s no time to discuss the ideas, save for a few throwaway comments made in the heat of conflict. Indeed, episode 3 seems incredibly cluttered, with a much different pace from the first two and a potentially confusing series of events. Fortunately, the strong opening episodes carry the play.

   Colin Baker flies solo here for the first time in quite a while, and gives an excellent performance. His Doctor is challenged at every opportunity and yet never yields the (deserved) moral high ground — and he gets some great lines, such as the “When did you take charge?” “Oh, some time ago, didn’t you notice?” exchange. Sarah Griffiths returns to Doctor Who and gives an interesting performance as Bridge, the officer with a surgically-removed conscience. Gyles Brandreth is delightful as the many forms of Dr. Marriott, though I have to say I wasn’t impressed with Helen Atkinson Wood’s turn as Tevez. Special commendation for David Dobson, whose voices for the Scandroids are equal parts intimidating and hilarious.

   The production of “I.D.” is excellent. Steve Foxon’s sound design is some of the best I’ve heard in a while, imparting suitable weight to the Scandroids as well as making the mutants-pound-on-the-door sound impressively frightening. His music serves primarily as transitional material between scenes. And while the pace changes between episode 2 and episode 3, it remains consistent within each episode — John Ainsworth’s direction is a vast improvement over “Renaissance of the Daleks.”

   Overall, “I.D.” is a solid Doctor Who story with some great ideas that degenerates into a basic action runaround by the conclusion. It’s not revolutionary, and it could have been better, but it’s well worth hearing regardless.

   7/10

   URGENT CALLS

   It’s the first of the one-part Doctor Who stories from Big Finish, it’s the first of the so-called “Virus Strand” of stories, and it’s surprisingly good to boot. Author Eddie Robson presents us with what is essentially a two-hander, consisting entirely of phone conversations between the Doctor and Lauren (Kate Brown). I love the central concept — a “virus” that engineers wrong telephone numbers that lead to fortuitous coincidences is one of those audacious things that you only see in Doctor Who — and I love how Robson delivers this from Lauren’s perspective, allowing us to see the Doctor without the usual enforced familiarity. There’s little “drama” involved, but Robson builds Lauren into a likeable, sympathetic character who’s a joy to hear. By the time the play concludes, we’re left feeling true sympathy for a woman we didn’t know 30 minutes before — and we’re also left asking questions about this virus and wondering when we’re going to see it again. The central performances are excellent, the sound design and direction are masterful (convincing telephone conversations aren’t easy to create), and Steve Foxon’s incidental music is impressive as well. It’s slight, yes, but even if it’s not a classic it’s still well worth hearing. I’d certainly consider the first 3/1 release from Big Finish a success.

   8/10

   The “I.D.”/”Urgent Calls” release also contains bonus interviews: the first disc features a delightfully insane talk with Gyles Brandreth, and the second contains more pertinent conversation with Helen Atkinson Wood, Brandreth again, Sarah Griffiths, and Colin Baker.

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