 | Doctor Who Big Finish- Bloodtide |
Bloodtide
Written by Jonathan Morris
Released July 2001
In an attempt to surprise his new companion Evelyn, the Doctor lands the TARDIS on the Galapagos Islands as the famed scientist Charles Darwin struggles to develop his theory of evolution. However, he has arrived just as a race of Silurians have been revived from their long hibernation. Just as Darwin's theory on the origins of the human race are imagined, its fate hangs in the balance.
The Silurians, a creation of Malcolm Hulke are one of the classic monsters of the 70's, brought back in 1984's Warriors of the Deep and again in 2010's two-part adventure The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood. A brilliant race of reptiles that predate the human race, the Silurians remain one of the more inspired 'monsters' of the classic Doctor Who program. in the past they have been portrayed as a sophisticated if practical people, possessing an awesome technology hampered by xenophobia and a particular hatred of the humans that they once treated as pets. Bloodtide takes that relationship a step further by establishing that humans weren't just pets for the Silururians, they were also food.
I have previously noted that the pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn is a fortunate one. They are so alike that it is comical yet the relationship between Colin Baker and Maggie Stables provides a modicum of comedy and drama. These two characters seem very real to the listener and move through the adventure displaying a wealth of cunning and emotion.
Bloodtide has gotten some stick from fans of the classic program as it borrows heavily from the eponymous Silurians (1970). I don't really see that many similarities, but if you are going to borrow from any classic story, you can do worse than Hulke's Silurians. In Bloodtide, the ruling power of the islands, Governor Lawson, has made a deal with the Silurians as a way to get rid of undesirable members of his society. To the Doctor's horror, he discovers that they are being held in a larder as food. A brief preface establishes that Tulok, a member of the Silurian race, was cut off from their society for his outlandish ideas regarding the genetic manipulation of the 'hairless apes' in order to make them herd themselves, and be a better source of food.
Revived in a world over-ridden by humanity, Tulok strikes up a deal with Governor Lawson to meet their shared interest. However, the outcast Tulok has greater ambitions that are nothing short of complete and total domination of the planet, putting humanity back in its place, just as he had arranged it.
Artist Lee Sullivan's drawing for Bloodtide from Doctor Who Magazine
Bloodtide is a brilliant story that uses a classic monster in an inspired way. The addition of Charles Darwin to an adventure involving a race of reptilian beings that escaped the confines of history is clever enough but introducing the concept of humanity as a genetically designed food-source is so smart that it is stupefying. The Silurians retain their regal dignity tempered with a savage edge that has long made them a favorite amongst fans. Colin Baker is obviously reveling in the script that provides philosophical debates and monster attacks alike.
The adventure has several elements that I view as essential for classic Doctor Who ranging from historical and literate influences as well as fantastical elements. Warriors of the Deep failed to capture the dignity and power of the Silurians, depicting them instead as a bog-standard alien race of baddies intent on destruction. The modern BBC Wales program took a different approach and ended up giving an impression of the Silurians that bordered on Star Trek, a boring culture of people in rubber costumes. Bloodtide sticks to the basics laid out by Hulke and comes out the winner in my opinion, as the Silurians in this audio adventure are a complicated race with incredible intelligence and a brutally pragmatic view of life.
A charming and intense adventure, I thoroughly enjoyed this Big Finish Production and heartily recommend it to fans of the original Doctor Who series.
Doctor Who – Bloodtide can be purchased at local retailers such as Mike's Comics and online from Big Finish.
Read other Big Finish reviews at the Daily P.O.P. here.
 | WordPress.com | Thanks for flying with WordPress! |
Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://subscribe.wordpress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment