Big Finish Reviews+ The Dalek Protocol by Matt Rabjohns

 

I have a confession to make. A guilty pleasure story for me has always been Death to the Daleks. I think that the story never gets its due. It was Jon Pertwee’s most brilliant Dalek story to me. And one can readily tell from the scripting of The Dalek Protocol that Nicholas Briggs obviously loves Death to the Daleks too. And I don’t blame him. Everything about The Dalek Protocol oozes memories of Death to the Daleks, and in a good and nostalgic way. 

I also have another confession to make. I am a huge fan of Jane Slavin. Particularly as her character Anya Kingdom. To me she is just the perfect character. Well, perfect in the entertainment sense anyway. She travelled with the Doctor for a while and she became a firm favourite newcomer companion for me in the Big Finish range. And yet it was saddening that she turned out to not be completely trustworthy. But I am glad in this new story it is plain to tell she is seeking for redemption. And that for me is awesome because I’d love to see her character come full circle and be accepted and trusted by the Doctor again. 

I like how Nick has played with time in the telling of the story, in that its set after Anya has left the TARDIS for her, but for the Doctor he has not met her yet. So she has to resort to hiding her face from him and masking her voice so he never finds out who she is. It is also great that Jane has some very quiet and touching scenes with Louise Jameson, where they both find out more about their futures and pasts in a really impacting way. It ends the story off on such a melancholy yet sober note. 

One also has to mention the excellent performance of Joe Sims as Mark Seven. It is great to see a character once lost in the annals of time being first used in The Daleks the Destroyers, which was written by Dalek creator Terry Nation when he hoped to interest the Americans in a programme with the Daleks. This sadly fell through, but Big Finish had the very wise and awesome brain to know that the Destroyers deserved to be heard. And the play was made with Joe and Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom. Joe’s performance as the disturbed and controlled android is excellent. He makes you feel extremely sorry for his mental state that has been brought about through his brainwashing by the Daleks. 

The realisation of the Exxilons too is fantastic and pitch perfect. Jez Fielder’s Gislen is a brilliant and conflicted portrayal. A weary and hardened Exxilon who has learnt that no human is to be trusted. He shares some great verbal slanging matches with Tom and Louise. And it is extra special to hear Nick Briggs do brilliantly at resurrecting the character of Bellal, oh so brilliantly originally portrayed by the wonderful Arnold Yarrow in Death to the Daleks. And thankfully Bellal is still as level headed and kind hearted as ever, and it felt like a warm familiar hug to hear talking again in this story. 

The sound design too lovingly and brilliantly pays tribute to Death to the Daleks again. The pulsing sound of the beacon of the Exxilon city is great to hear again. It always was part of the awesome sound designs that made Death to the Daleks the hit for me that it still is. 

And again, Nick Briggs displays his considerable talents by not only voicing the dreaded Daleks once more, but also the Earth Mission leader Barnard too. He is irascible and snappy, and Nick is flawless in his delivery as this great character. 

Anna Mitchum’s character Ellasi too is also greatly memorable. And she makes for a great companion to Anya. My only problem with her character at all is she is not in the story enough.  This story already is lighting up to become one of my favourite stories with the metal pepper pots from Skaro. That is what I love about Big Finish, every single time they bring out a new Dalek story it never fails to hit the spot with me. I’ve yet to find a single disappointing Dalek story with Big Finish. I wish I could only say the same thing for the modern era of the show’s Dalek efforts, they pale in comparison to stories such as this from Big Finish. 

At the core of the story too, as ever, is the immensely enjoyable rapport between Tom Baker and Louise Jameson. I love particularly the opening scenes of the story where Leela playfully teases the Doctor along with K9 in tow! I love these sorts of scenes, where for at least a little while the TARDIS crew are at ease in the ship and just having a really good time. These scenes just make the stories even more special for me. The camaraderie oozes from the earphones and for this fan is such an immense joy to listen and grin and often laugh to. The resolution of this story too also had me grinning with amusement too. 

The Dalek Protocol then, in total summation: OK, if I am 100% clearly honest may not actually bring anything majorly new to the Dalek scene of things. But what it is, is a brilliantly entertaining and fast flowing romp that for me ticks every single box easily and superbly. Just makes me keen as mustard for the next riveting Big Finish Dalek saga….