A Great Darkness is spreading over E-Space. Entropy increases. In search of a last exit to anywhere, the TARDIS arrives on the power-less planet of Apollyon, where the scientist Pallister guards the only way out – a mysterious portal. But the portal needs power to open, and the only power Pallister can draw on is the energy contained within the molecular bonds of all living tissue…
The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough soon learn that neither Pallister nor his ally, the space pirate Captain Branarack, will stop at murder to ensure their escape. But they’re not the only menace on Apollyon. The Sandmen are coming – creatures that live on the life force; that live on death.
Death is the only way out into N-Space. Death, or sacrifice.
But whose death?
Whose sacrifice?
THE ENTROPY PLAGUE
As the end credits rolled on Jonathan Morris’ “The Entropy Plague,” the final story in the latest Peter Davison trilogy from Big Finish, I sat motionless, stunned by what I had just heard. Two high-quality stories in a row in the monthly range? A conclusion to a story arc that wasn’t bungled in some way? All true, and genuinely rewarding as a result, even in spite of some minor flaws.
To begin with – and this isn’t a spoiler if you’ve been paying attention, plus it’s revealed in the first five minutes – this is the final story for the older Nyssa introduced all the way back in “Cobwebs.” Morris does well to structure the story around the journey rather than around a twist at the conclusion, because otherwise it would be quite predictable. That Nyssa makes a self-sacrificial decision at the expense of her own happiness is par for the course, really, but Sarah Sutton plays it to the hilt, investing her performance with the kind of emotion I wish we could have seen on television. And of course she gets into an argument with the Doctor over who gets to be marooned in E-Space – it’s almost sadly humorous, but juxtaposed against the calculating nature of Pallister (Robert Duncan) it really works.
As mentioned above, the story is told in flashback, opening with the Doctor visiting Nyssa’s son to tell him of his mother’s fate. Each episode is told by a different character, concluding with Nyssa writing an unsent letter about the final part. The brief instances of narration in the first three episode jar with the tone, if only because verbal narratives don’t sound like prose, but the style works exceptionally well in the final episode. It’s also interesting to see the story from each character’s perspective, though this is put to best use in the second episode where Nyssa and Tegan meet the Doctor without knowing the extent of his plans. The fourth episode also presents a couple of scenes that Nyssa wasn’t present for, but this is hardly noticeable and ultimately forgivable. Overall, Morris’ decision to tell the story this way is a great one – it gives everyone in a crowded TARDIS something to do and it adds drama to what could have been a lesser tale told by conventional means. We need more Doctor Who stories in this style, quite frankly.
The atmosphere of “The Entropy Plague” might just be its best feature. Set on a dying world inside a dying universe, the characters can do little more than await the inevitable, with apocalyptic imagery present throughout. There is a true sense of hopelessness and chaos pervading the script, and the Doctor’s lack of solutions and seeming willingness to compromise on his moral principles only adds to the feeling. All credit to director Ken Bentley and sound designer Andy Hardwick for their work here, which is first-rate – parts of this story are harrowing, even nerve-wracking, something not commonly found in Big Finish Doctor Who releases of late. The villains, such as they are, fare less well – Pallister is a great character, but the pirates and their leader Branarack (John Voce) are straight out of the Big Book of Stock Characters. At least they actually use extras to voice the pirate band – I was waiting to cringe at yet another “Everyone! Come with me!” but it never came. The Sandmen, creepy as they are, are also unnecessary – they largely seem to be there to instill panic and pad out the story to four episodes.
Overall, “The Entropy Plague” is another successful release, and a great conclusion to both the E-Space trilogy and the second story of Nyssa. Admittedly it’s hard to be upset about her departure, since we all know we’ll be hearing more stories from Sarah Sutton, but within the fiction this is executed quite well. Is this a sign that the monthly range is finally lifting itself from its recent doldrums? We can but hope.
Highly recommended.
8/10