Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating ****

Cast: Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, Philip Olivier, Maggie O’Neill, Amy Pemberton, John Standing, Blake Ritson, Gus Brown, Tim Treloar, Elizabeth Bennett.

The final part of the latest Sylvester McCoy Doctor trilogy sees the real villain of the piece make his deadliest and fatal move in Gods and Monsters.

The latest three-part series by Big Finish sees Mike Maddox finish an extraordinary story line on a stunning high and with the supposed loss of a companion, something that the television version and the audio series don’t do that often but both of whom now have taken the bold step to give the faithful listeners and viewers something to ponder over.

Gods and Monsters also sees the return of a terrifying enemy of the Doctor the first time since the original series was cancelled in 1989. Fenric may not have been everybody’s favourite antagonistic elder God but he was very important to the Doctor and of course Ace. It was the initial television show that showed how Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, was a pawn in the long game by Fenric and how in the end no matter what the Doctor was able to do was enough to prevent the cycle of Ace’s background and loathing of her mother.

Gods and Monsters neatly taps in the idea of continuing cycles and the three-part series as a whole has been an enjoyable if somewhat Doctor-light narrative. Trilogies work better if the audience doesn’t see the writer’s sleight of hand in the ongoing progress of the story-line and this problem is exacerbated when there are three different writers involved in the process. Ideas can become muddled, lost in repeated telephone calls and the overall effect can be one of muddied unfulfilled integrity. In Mike Maddox, Matt Fitton (Black and White) and Protect and Survive (Jonathon Morris), Big Finish was able to utilise three extremely good writers to produce one of the best stand alone trilogies that the makers have had the honour of doing.

The big picture may not have been seen at the start, there was no inkling that like a game of chess, there was to be many manoeuvres, many pawn sacrificed before the real game plan came into sight and for that the Executive Producer, Nicholas Briggs, should be congratulated for keeping an overall eye on the board and also director Ken Bentley for keeping the story lines tight and without parodying the original series.

The addition of John Standing as Fenric was an excellent touch as his menacing malice was enough to add gravitas to the audio play. It is a shame that John Standing doesn’t get meaty roles like this more often as he preyed upon Hex, (Philip Olivier) and his long sought after Ace it was possible to hear the unrivalled joy in his voice as he taunted and cajoled the four humans and the biggest pawn of them all, The Doctor into his bidding.

It takes some character to make the doctor realise in amongst the schemes, back-handers and subterfuge that he is not the most important piece on the board, not even a relatively minor one who can help capture the king, in this case it was really an overall team effort but at what cost to one of the players?

Gods and Monsters is an excellent end to a remarkable trilogy.

Gods and Monsters is available from Worlds Apart on Lime Street.

Ian D. Hall