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Two millennia ago, the galaxy was devastated by a terrible
catastrophe. Could it be that Kalendorf's determination to
rid the galaxy of both factions of Daleks brought about the
destruction of everything...?
The device of telling the story via archaeological evidence
uncovered 2,000 years later is an interesting one, though
not unique. Similar things have been done in science fiction
before - on Babylon 5 for instance. But it does add
a note of finality to events, by setting a segment of the
story in a time when we know all our favourite characters
will be long since dead. It's a bit of a downer, but it still
leaves things open for possible future development.
As
this chapter of this epic saga draws to a close, and so too
does the saga itself. If there are to be any further Doctor-less
Dalek adventures from Big Finish, they certainly won't revolve
around the characters of Suz (Sarah Mowat), Alby (Mark McDonnell),
or Kalendorf (Gareth Thomas). That fact is made pretty obvious
by events in the story, but it is also spelt out on the bonus
behind-the-scenes CD, which is included free with this instalment.
This
extra disc also reveals some production secrets, interviews
the major stars, and contains a suite of Nicholas Briggs'
incidental music. We learn, for example, that poor Mark McDonnell
didn't get the pleasure of snogging Sarah Mowat for real during
the making of Chapter Three - the appropriate sounds were
created by the actress kissing her own arm!
In
case you hadn't already noticed, the Emperor's connection
with Susan Mendes is rather similar to the bond that was established
between the Supreme Dalek and the little girl in Remembrance
of the Daleks (an aspect that was realised better in Ben
Aaronovitch's novelisation than on TV). This relationship
is exploited to the full in this concluding instalment.
I'm
rather glad that writer/director Briggs has decided to end
the series now, rather than allow it to become stale. I shall
miss his cast of characters, but then there's nothing to prevent
me from digging out the CDs and listening to them all over
again.
Richard
McGinlay
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