Big Finish Audio “Quick Review”
Synopsis: Tracking a nexus point in time, the Doctor meets Dr Evelyn Smythe, a history lecturer whose own history seems to be rapidly vanishing. The Doctor must travel back to Tudor times to stabilize the nexus and save Evelyn’s life. But there he meets the Queen of England and must use all his skills of diplomacy to avoid ending up on the headman’s block…
It’s no secret that the exploits of the sixth Doctor in the form of the original TV series were met with mixed reviews. Many felt that the show was on its last legs at the time, and a few higher ups over at the BBC seemed keen on axing the show forever. When I got into watching a lot of the classic stories, I really liked how Colin Baker played the Doctor despite his costume and the somewhat rough scripts he was sometimes handed. As I’ve stated before these Big Finish audio dramas are where Colin seems to be at his best as the Doctor. I would even say that his episodes are usually among my favorite.
This episode at hand, The Marion Conspiracy, is one of the better ones of this line up to this point, as it contains a few things that really set it apart: the introduction of a NEW companion, a historical timeframe, and time travel consequences. The plot follows The Doctor and a history teacher named Evelyn Smythe as they try to figure out why Evelyn is seemingly being written out of time. This dynamic is usually one of my favorites as I love when The Doctor takes in a companion that is a bit older and has wide-eyed enthusiasm AND wisdom; I think that’s why I liked Wilf so much in the last few David Tennant seasons.
The story follows The Doctor and Evelyn as they travel back to Tudor times to figure out exactly what Evelyn is disappearing from existence. There are a few misunderstandings where they both assume that they are in Elizabethan England when in fact they are at the court of Queen Mary. They both get embroiled in a plot to kill Mary and ultimately try to stop it. All in all, this was a very good audio drama, and is one of the better ones that I’ve listened to so far. The acting, plot, and pure historical awesomeness, all click in such a way to make me the most happy.
click here to listen to a trailer
My rating 4 out of 5
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I remember listening to “The Marian Conspiracy” and thinking to myself that if Colin Baker had gotten scrips even half as good as this when he had been on televisions, he would be remembered as one of the best Doctors ever. It’s a superb story, and shows just what great work Baker is capable of doing with the role.