Millions of years ago, the noble Ice Warriors fled to Deimos, moon of Mars, hoping to sit out the radioactive death throes of their home planet. When the TARDIS lands on Deimos, the Doctor discovers that the Warriors’ ancient catacombs are now a popular stop for space tourists.
But the Martian dynasties are more than history, and the Warriors are far from extinct. It’s not for nothing that ‘Deimos’ is the ancient word for ‘dread’…
DEIMOS
The appeal of the Ice Warriors has always fascinated me: here’s a race of aliens that made four appearances in the classic series, but none in the final fifteen seasons and none since Doctor Who returned to television. And yet they’re exceedingly popular in secondary media: they’ve made several appearances in the various novel ranges and now, with Jonathan Morris’ “Deimos,” have appeared with every audio Doctor for Big Finish. Don’t mistake this for an exercise in box-ticking, however: this is an excellent production, easily Big Finish’s best Ice Warrior story to date.
Ice Warrior civilization has never interested me – it’s mostly honor-bound science fiction cliché – so it’s possible I enjoyed “Deimos” so much because it eschews almost all of it. Granted, this is only the first of two parts, but the Ice Warriors themselves are as shallow as they’ve been since the ‘60s, operating with a single-minded determination to reclaim their ancestral home from human colonists. Yes, the Doctor makes his usual attempts to reason with them, but it’s pointless – they’re not even interested in talking. Nicholas Briggs plays them with a more vicious edge than usual, and his performance is just one of a group of excellent turns.
I don’t usually discuss the cast early on in a review, but director Barnaby Edwards has an all-star team with which to work. Paul McGann is on top form from the start, easily communicating the sense of desperation permeating most of the running time and selling his apparent death at the end of part 1 rather convincingly. This is the first time Niky Wardley has been billed as a regular and presented on the cover – due, I presume, to Big Finish’s secrecy over who won the companion auditions in “Situation Vacant” – and she gets a lot to do, including a first crack at “I think the Doctor’s dead!” acting familiar to all Doctor Who companions. It’ll be interesting to see how she reacts to the apparent return of Lucie in the conclusion, especially given their unknowing confrontation in “The Book of Kells.” The supporting cast is headlined by David Warner, quietly commanding as ever as the wonderfully-named Professor Boston Schooner. Nicky Henson, another Big Finish veteran, steals most of his scenes as Gregson, which is a shame for Tracy-Ann Oberman – her hard-assed Temperance Finch would steal them otherwise! Lastly, Nick Wilton and Susan Brown bring a much-needed human element to the story as delightful tourist couple Harold and Margaret.
Let’s be clear: “Deimos” is hardly what one would call thoughtful. It’s very action-oriented, and apart from Harold and Margaret, virtually everything that happens serves to drive the plot forward. But Morris’s script is delivered at such a cracking pace that this focus works: much like “Army of Ghosts,” what starts as an amusing mystery rapidly becomes an intense action thriller that doesn’t let up until a stunning cliffhanger that leaves the listener wanting more. Edwards’ direction is worthy of note: this frantic pace is unusual for Big Finish, which usually prefers a more languid approach even in the shorter McGann stories. Howard Carter’s sound design convinces even as his score adds to the atmosphere of the piece.
Overall, this review feels rushed for two reasons: first, there’s not a great deal to discuss about “Deimos;” second, I’m anxious to hear the second part! I realize, given BF’s history of letdowns after strong starts, that I may be setting myself up for disappointment, but I wouldn’t be a Doctor Who fan if stuff like this didn’t get my heart racing.
Recommended.
8/10