Big Finish Audio Plays: Medicinal Purposes - Robert Ross
Who_Daily Link: < a href="http://persiflage-1.livejournal.com/145955.html"> Medicinal Purposes - Robert Ross reviewed by < lj user=persiflage_1>
I really liked the idea of Six and Evelyn meeting Burke and Hare, the two men responsible for the Westport Murders in early 19th Century Edinburgh, and I thought this was going to be a really interesting historical story. Instead, it's a pseudo-historical: Ross introduces an alien who meddles with Time and poisons the inhabitants for entertainment purposes while posing as the real life Dr Robert Knox, and as a result the story seems muddled and less interesting than it might otherwise have been.
In fact, the only thing that really saves this audio is that Robert Knox is voiced deliciously by Leslie Phillips (who's best known to many Brits for his suave, seductive voice in various comedy films), and the part of Daft Jamie (one of the victims of Burke and Hare) is voiced by David Tennant. The Sixth Doctor displays a fair bit of affection for the young Scot, and makes it quite clear to the listener, if not Evelyn or Jamie, that he's remembering a certain other young Scottish lad named Jamie whom he once knew. I think this worked beautifully - Colin Baker's performance here is nicely understated, and follows on from a short discussion with Evelyn about how the TARDIS is his one true constant companion, since everyone else (including his own people) always lets him down (in the sense of finding their own paths to walk, not in a drastic "Oh my god, you've nearly destroyed two Universes!" sense). There's a hint of gentle melancholy in Six's remarks, but none of that "Woe is me for I'm the Last of the Time Lords" emo and angst that New Who gives us - and it works far better (and more subtly) at conveying how bittersweet it is to the long-lived Time Lord to have mortal, human companions on his travels.
So yes, bit of a mixed reaction to this one. The character stuff for Six, Evelyn and Jamie is nicely done, but the plot itself was a disappointment.
I really liked the idea of Six and Evelyn meeting Burke and Hare, the two men responsible for the Westport Murders in early 19th Century Edinburgh, and I thought this was going to be a really interesting historical story. Instead, it's a pseudo-historical: Ross introduces an alien who meddles with Time and poisons the inhabitants for entertainment purposes while posing as the real life Dr Robert Knox, and as a result the story seems muddled and less interesting than it might otherwise have been.
In fact, the only thing that really saves this audio is that Robert Knox is voiced deliciously by Leslie Phillips (who's best known to many Brits for his suave, seductive voice in various comedy films), and the part of Daft Jamie (one of the victims of Burke and Hare) is voiced by David Tennant. The Sixth Doctor displays a fair bit of affection for the young Scot, and makes it quite clear to the listener, if not Evelyn or Jamie, that he's remembering a certain other young Scottish lad named Jamie whom he once knew. I think this worked beautifully - Colin Baker's performance here is nicely understated, and follows on from a short discussion with Evelyn about how the TARDIS is his one true constant companion, since everyone else (including his own people) always lets him down (in the sense of finding their own paths to walk, not in a drastic "Oh my god, you've nearly destroyed two Universes!" sense). There's a hint of gentle melancholy in Six's remarks, but none of that "Woe is me for I'm the Last of the Time Lords" emo and angst that New Who gives us - and it works far better (and more subtly) at conveying how bittersweet it is to the long-lived Time Lord to have mortal, human companions on his travels.
So yes, bit of a mixed reaction to this one. The character stuff for Six, Evelyn and Jamie is nicely done, but the plot itself was a disappointment.