The first story of 2008 sees the Doctor encounter a familiar planet and species. January stories always tend to be a bit of a weak story or that might just be how I interpret them. The Bride of Peladon is first story to be written by Barnaby Edwards. Edwards has directed countless stories over the last few years and seems to have taken the Gary Russell quota since he left in early 2007. It is also the first story to be set on Peladon since the 1974 story The Monster of Peladon. As you start to listen to it you get a feeling that it very much in line with the previous Peladon stories but with a modern twist. The first episode set up the story quite well as it shows that Pandora is coming to Peladon for a arranged marriage which doesn't go down well as Beldonia doesn't want Earth involved as she fears it will end badly. I like it when the Doctor sung that rhyme which the Third Doctor used in The Curse of Peladon, I felt it was a nice nod to the TV series. It’s good when they nod to the past but you can over do it but thankfully Big Finish seems to know where to draw the line. There was also a reference to the previous but one story Son of the Dragon. Also in the second episode of this story there was the classic idea that the Ice Warrior was up to no good was very much belonging to Curse. It soon becomes apparent that Zixlyr is there to kill those responsible for the death of a fellow Ice Warrior called Alyxlir.
It would have been nice if the name of Zekmed had been revealed earlier than when it was (episode 4). It also only in Episode 4 that it really starts to pick up. Its classic who, episode 1 sets up the story with locations and characters with episodes 2 and 3 setting up the actual plot of the story with the final part just meant for action. I wondered whether the Sutekh that the voice refereed to was the same Sutekh from Pyramids of Mars. If it is then it was suggest that the voice has huge powers. It was made blatantly obvious who we were expected to believe was responsible for the death and that been Beladonia. It was clearly an attempt to make you believe that but everyone who has watched any murder mystery drama will know that it is not necessarily the person who is made out to be the murderer.
Peter Davison was very good in this story as he seemed to be to be in his prime Nicola Bryant (Peri) was very good in this story as she was set with Zixlyr and they worked very well in try to find out what really happened to Alyxlir which made Peri to be a brave and intelligent companion which she never seemed to be in the TV adventures. Phyllida Law was very good as Beldonia because her voice was very deep at times and it gave an impression of what spirits she was powered by. Yasmin Bannerman who is one of the few people to have appeared in both Doctor Who and Torchwood is very good in this story as Pandora (she appeared in End of the World in 2005 and also the They Keep Killing Suzie episode of Torchwood in 2006). She is very vocal in the fact that she doesn't like being involved in an arranged marriage but is also sensitive in what Pelleas's feelings. Her death was very unexpected and also very sad.
The thought that the moment that Zixlyr gave his life to destroy Zekmed was a very sad one and also surprising because when you think of Ice Warriors, noble and sacrificing are not words you would describe them. Also when it seemed like Erimem was going to give her life I thought that she was going to leave the Doctor but thankfully that didn't happen. But just when I thought that the Doctor, Peri & Erimem were going to leave in the TARDIS the rug was pulled from beneath me and Erimem did decide to leave. This was a really sad moment and the feelings that Peri was going through was just like what I felt because I thought that the character of Erimem was well written and enjoyable. The Doctor's silence was subtle but it didn't mean that the Doctor wasn't sad that Erimem was leaving because we all know that he was. The way that Erimem went was quite a logical and a nice exit for a character that had developed quite well in the seven years since she made her debut. The departure of Erimem had been suggested in Son of the Dragon but it seemed that it was just being delayed and not used as a simple plot diversion.
As has already been mentioned this is the first story to be written by Barnaby Edwards and what he has done is write a script that has intrigue and a fast enough pace that builds up to a thrilling end. The Bride of Peladon is a well written story with good characters and a good pace to it. The departure had been teased since Son of the Dragon and in The Mind’s Eye you thought it might happen but the fact that it did come still came as quite a shock but hopefully that doesn't mean that it will be the last time we hear from her. Barnaby Edwards has contributed quite a lot over the years for Big Finish as a Director and other administrative roles but in his first writing project it was a nice story and here’s hoping that he pens more stories. Also I would like the have more stories set on Peladon, it’s a planet that hasn’t really been explored a great deal except maybe in books but I think that they could return to it and do a series of adventures there. Fingers Crossed.
It would have been nice if the name of Zekmed had been revealed earlier than when it was (episode 4). It also only in Episode 4 that it really starts to pick up. Its classic who, episode 1 sets up the story with locations and characters with episodes 2 and 3 setting up the actual plot of the story with the final part just meant for action. I wondered whether the Sutekh that the voice refereed to was the same Sutekh from Pyramids of Mars. If it is then it was suggest that the voice has huge powers. It was made blatantly obvious who we were expected to believe was responsible for the death and that been Beladonia. It was clearly an attempt to make you believe that but everyone who has watched any murder mystery drama will know that it is not necessarily the person who is made out to be the murderer.
Peter Davison was very good in this story as he seemed to be to be in his prime Nicola Bryant (Peri) was very good in this story as she was set with Zixlyr and they worked very well in try to find out what really happened to Alyxlir which made Peri to be a brave and intelligent companion which she never seemed to be in the TV adventures. Phyllida Law was very good as Beldonia because her voice was very deep at times and it gave an impression of what spirits she was powered by. Yasmin Bannerman who is one of the few people to have appeared in both Doctor Who and Torchwood is very good in this story as Pandora (she appeared in End of the World in 2005 and also the They Keep Killing Suzie episode of Torchwood in 2006). She is very vocal in the fact that she doesn't like being involved in an arranged marriage but is also sensitive in what Pelleas's feelings. Her death was very unexpected and also very sad.
The thought that the moment that Zixlyr gave his life to destroy Zekmed was a very sad one and also surprising because when you think of Ice Warriors, noble and sacrificing are not words you would describe them. Also when it seemed like Erimem was going to give her life I thought that she was going to leave the Doctor but thankfully that didn't happen. But just when I thought that the Doctor, Peri & Erimem were going to leave in the TARDIS the rug was pulled from beneath me and Erimem did decide to leave. This was a really sad moment and the feelings that Peri was going through was just like what I felt because I thought that the character of Erimem was well written and enjoyable. The Doctor's silence was subtle but it didn't mean that the Doctor wasn't sad that Erimem was leaving because we all know that he was. The way that Erimem went was quite a logical and a nice exit for a character that had developed quite well in the seven years since she made her debut. The departure of Erimem had been suggested in Son of the Dragon but it seemed that it was just being delayed and not used as a simple plot diversion.
As has already been mentioned this is the first story to be written by Barnaby Edwards and what he has done is write a script that has intrigue and a fast enough pace that builds up to a thrilling end. The Bride of Peladon is a well written story with good characters and a good pace to it. The departure had been teased since Son of the Dragon and in The Mind’s Eye you thought it might happen but the fact that it did come still came as quite a shock but hopefully that doesn't mean that it will be the last time we hear from her. Barnaby Edwards has contributed quite a lot over the years for Big Finish as a Director and other administrative roles but in his first writing project it was a nice story and here’s hoping that he pens more stories. Also I would like the have more stories set on Peladon, it’s a planet that hasn’t really been explored a great deal except maybe in books but I think that they could return to it and do a series of adventures there. Fingers Crossed.
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