Doctor Who‘s sixtieth anniversary extravaganza from Big Finish continues with The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50, the fifth instalment in the eight-part Once and Future saga. This is a great little story, giving us some nice (and, most importantly of all, not forced like in some of the previous stories) character pairings and an interesting, if simple, plot.
This story sees the First Doctor (Stephen Noonan) arrive in a version of Victorian London overrun by the Martians from H.G. Wells‘ The War of the Worlds, before he suddenly regenerates into David Tennant‘s Tenth Doctor. Soon, the Doctor, alongside the Paternoster Gang, discovers the force behind this strange situation… Missy!
The chemistry between David Tennant and Michelle Gomez is the highlight of this release, the two actors putting in some of their best Big Finish performances here, each clearly spurred on by the presence of the other. We’ve never really seen Gomez interact with a Doctor who isn’t Peter Capaldi, nor Tennant with a Master who isn’t Derek Jacobi or John Simm, so it’s great to hear the two together here. Tennant’s Doctor is much more hostile towards Missy than Capaldi’s was, while Gomez’s Master is far more playful and flirtatious than those Tennant faced on TV, making for a really fresh-feeling dynamic.
Similarly great are the Tenth Doctor’s interactions with the Paternoster Gang. His relationship with them much like Smith and Capaldi’s on TV, but it’s great to hear these characters together nonetheless and leaves me excited to hear the Gang meet the Eighth Doctor later this year. Less well-served by the script is Hannah Genesius‘s Jessamy Moore who, while well-performed, feels a bit like a spare part in terms of contributing to the plot. Nevertheless, she’s a compelling character who interacts well with the Doctor and the Paternoster Gang.
Despite the great character interactions, this story isn’t perfect. There’s no denying that the actual storyline of this release is very simplistic, and, resolved in a matter of moments, ends up being a little anticlimactic. The titular Martians aren’t that much of a presence either, which is a shame because it’s a great idea to have Wells’ fictional creations crash into reality like this. This means that, although the character combinations here are the best in Once and Future so far, The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 doesn’t quite stand up to the more tightly-plotted Artist at the End of Time and A Genius for War.
Overall, though, this is a strong story which gives us a truly excellent Doctor-Master pairing in Tennant and Gomez and some good material for the Paternoster Gang. Recommended.
The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 is available on CD or download from http://www.bigfinish.com
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