"Bloodtide"
by Jonathan Morris

The Sixth Doctor has taken Evelyn Smythe to the Galapagos Islands, where they meet a young Charles Darwin who's only just beginning to challenge what he's been taught about the origins of life. More intriguingly, in a nearby settlement, there are tales of prisoners being sent to the gaolhouse but never returning. And a certain prehistoric race of reptiles has reemerged, after hundreds of years in hiding beneath the surface...

Jonathan Morris is on scriptwriting duty for this story, Bloodtide, which is the first appearance of the Silurians in a Big Finish audio play. And after their disappointing encounter with the Daleks, the adventures of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn are back on fine form.

Episode One pretty much delivers the perfect Doctor Who set-up: brilliant in terms of pace, plotting, and characterisation, also boasting an excellent cliffhanger. After that phenomenal start, things don't quite reach the same heights again, but the story remains enjoyable throughout and will hold most listeners' interest. There are also a few unexpectedly dark and gruesome moments, which elevate Bloodtide above more traditional and mundane fare.

The Silurians really do take centre-stage here, which is great to see. Rather than just taking an old monster off the shelf and utilising them in a derivative way, Morris has made a conscious effort to develop the race and add something new. For example, he takes the long-established idea that the Silurians inhabited Earth before humans did, and then adds the extra twist of a Silurian scientist being responsible for the creation of the human race. We also see the return of the Myrka, which was infamously poorly-realised on screen, but is now a fearsome and powerful threat in the audio medium.

Needless to say, both Colin Baker and Maggie Stables are excellent as the two principal characters. Baker shines in particular, continuing to peel back the layers of his Doctor, and developing him into a multi-faceted and much more sympathetic incarnation. He's bouncy and excited when he introduces Evelyn to Charles Darwin, he's loud and forthright when he objects to the behaviour of Governor Lawson, he's compassionate and caring when he chases after Greta, and he has the odd moment of biting wit - we honestly see a lot more of who the Sixth Doctor is in this individual story than we did in all of his television serials combined.

All the guest cast are good (slightly dodgy accents aside), but Miles Richardson is by far the best, playing the role of Darwin. He really sells the character's conflict and confusion, giving a believable and powerful performance. By encountering him early in his life, we get a slightly different perspective on the man, which is something reminiscent of the post-2005 series' tradition of "celebrity historicals", and works equally well here.

The setting of the Galapagos Islands could easily have resulted in some pretty generic sound design, but Alistair Lock has gone to great lengths to give the environment a very unique feel with his fantastic soundscape. The backdrop for the story is clearly defined, and very individual, which makes this story that bit more impressive.

Good stuff, then, all things considered. There's a slight drop in quality after the opening episode, but the story as a whole is very, very strong indeed. The pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn Smythe continues to produce consistently excellent stuff - Bloodtide is a brilliant adventure.