Exotron: On a distant colony of Earth, the Doctor and Peri get caught in a conflict between carnivorous aliens and giant robots.
Urban Myths: In an expensive restaurant somewhere on Earth, three gourmets plan their evening. First item on the menu: the death of the Doctor.
EXOTRON
Paul Sutton’s two previous scripts for the main range, “Arrangements for War” and “Thicker than Water,” were among the best releases in Big Finish history primarily because of Sutton’s masterful characterizations. Yet neither the McGann release “No More Lies” nor this one, “Exotron” approach the heights of their predecessors. Why? I fear the conclusion is simple: neither play is afforded the length for Sutton to properly flesh out and explore his characters, and the plots — which were never Sutton’s strength — are forced to center stage.
One needs look no further than the central guest characters of “Exotron” to see this effect in action. The conflict arises from Major Taylor’s (John Duttine) need to reconcile with his ex-wife Paula (Isla Blair), and the emotional trauma he has been experiencing since their separation. The problem, though, is that we never see enough of these characters together to get a sense of their relationship or how it progressed to the current state. Instead, we’re told about it secondhand — and in character pieces such as this, it’s vital that the audience be shown, not told. What we’re left with is forced, somewhat unnatural emotion, culminating in the final goodbyes between Paula and Christian (Richard Earl) that just aren’t adequately supported by the rest of the play.
It doesn’t help that the plot is particularly clichéd, even for Doctor Who. We’ve got the planet’s dominant life form, the Farakosh, whose behaviors are erratic and who are considered a dangerous threat by the leader of the terraformers… yep, they’re actually sentient and intelligent. There are strange telepathic effects being generated on the planet… yep, the Farakosh are telepathic, too, and adversely affected. Indeed, there isn’t a single major plot development that isn’t significantly signposted — and this would be perfectly fine if the characterization was allowed to breathe and develop naturally. It isn’t, and the whole play seems awkward and forced. There’s not much more to say, as, while none of the elements are flawed, none of them provide any more than perfunctory interest. And, while this isn’t Sutton’s fault, did we really need two consecutive plays about giant robots on colony planets? I was waiting for an Exotron to yell “PRIORITY INFORMATION!”
Fortunately, the regular characters give “Exotron” the jolt of energy it so urgently requires. Peter Davison is in rare form, much more “breathless” and enthusiastic than usual, and given some great lines when we’re allowed rare glimpses into his thought processes. This is a pre-Erimem play, and Nicola Bryant plays Peri with every bit of energy we saw from her in “Planet of Fire” and “The Caves of Androzani” — this TARDIS thing is still new to her, and she’s clearly having the time of her life. She’s even allowed to show off some botanical knowledge! The supporting cast is very strong as well, especially John Duttine, who makes Taylor’s internal conflict heartbreakingly apparent even above the surprisingly sketchy script. Blair’s performance is solid as well, presenting a strong, believable character who only breaks down at the very end. And special mention to Nick Brimble, whose Shreeni is the traditional honorable-yet-doomed enlisted man, and who gives his character a surprising amount of pathos.
The production, from Gareth Jenkins and Andy Hardwick, is generally solid. Jenkins’ design, however, doesn’t communicate much about the size or shape of the Exotrons or the Farakosh, but that’s more a fault of the script — but the sounds the Farakosh make are truly unfortunate, sounding like someone moaning awkwardly into a microphone. And while Hardwick’s music is appropriate and well-written, it is far too loud in places, literally obscuring the dialogue in parts of episode 1 — this is a serious mistake. Despite the other flaws, director Barnaby Edwards displays his usual understanding of pacing as well as his usual excellent work with his actors.
Despite the negative tone of this review, there’s really very little wrong with “Exotron.” It’s a very standard Doctor Who story lacking the usual brilliant character work we’ve come to expect from Sutton. And while the performances pull it above average, it’s still generally disappointing — maybe Sutton just needs four parts and two hours to be successful?
Eh.
6/10
URBAN MYTHS
With 44 years of Doctor Who stories, you’d think the Rashomon-inspired technique of re-telling a story from several different perspectives would have been tried before. Yet, to my knowledge, the first time it pops up is here, “Urban Myths,” the one-part bonus story attached to “Exotron.” Paul Sutton writes a fun script, in which three Gallifreyan CIA members (Steven Wickham, Douglas Hodge, and Nicola Lloyd) sit in a restaurant and debate executing the Doctor for committing horrible atrocities. As the meal progresses, their recollections of the story grow more and more accurate, until they realize the Doctor acted heroically and saved the day. Simple stuff, but it allows for a delightful flashback sequence in which Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant get to act like cold-blooded killers, retrieving a rocket launcher from the “TARDIS armory” under the console! The resolution is neat, and the final joke is hilarious — overall, this is very good. But I have to ask, yet again, did Hodge really need to play his role as a comedy American? This keeps happening, and it’s never funny. Regardless, an entertaining release, and one the cast obviously enjoyed recording — and one that asks more virus-related questions, leading towards… something, anyway.
7/10
The “Exotron”/”Urban Myths” CDs also contain interviews with John Duttine, Nicola Bryant, Isla Blair, Claire Wyatt, and Richard Earl. The first disc contains a bizarre extra in which Nicholas Briggs provides real-time narration of his daily journey to work. Thrill! as he gets stuck in the entryway because nobody knows how to let him inside.