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Medicinal Purposes

Doctor Who: The Big Finish Audio Adventures #60
Paul Clarke

Big Finish's recent spate of Doctor Who audios written by writers new to the company have been something of a mixed bag, and 'Medicinal Purposes' is an example of a story with a decent premise, but which ultimately degenerates into a mess. The case of Burke and Hare is perfect material for a Doctor Who story, and writer Robert Ross clearly enjoys recreating the period for the audio medium, but despite the past success of Big Finish with historical stories, Ross instead opts for a "pseudo-historical" with an over-the-top and exaggerated time meddler interfering with history to fairly dull effect. In fact the main problem with 'Medicinal Purposes' is that, to me, it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be.

Ross is apparently one of the foremost experts on British comedy, and as a result there is a vein of black humour running through 'Medicinal Purposes' that occasionally throws up some genuinely moments of wit, especially in the banter between the Doctor and Evelyn. Lines such as Evelyn's response to the Doctor's question, "Have you noticed anything?", which is, "Yes, you've talking to yourself for the last five minutes" work well due to the performances of the actors, as does the scene in which the Doctor gets amusingly flustered when propositioned by a prostitute and calls to Evelyn to rescue him. Evelyn's indignation when the Doctor tells her he was worried that she might be the unidentified "old woman" that Burke and Hare are known to have killed is another example. Such wit is not limited to the regulars; when Hare grimly notes, "Time for another murder, and it ain't going to be a pleasant one" it prompts the question, "I thought you enjoyed them?" to which he angrily retorts, "There's no crime in that!"

The problem is, 'Medicinal Purposes' veers uneasily from such grim humour to genuinely horrifying scenes in a way that just doesn't quite sit comfortably. The opening scene is a case in point, as it starts with a raucous whore talking to herself in expository fashion, which may or not meant to be amusing but is so utterly cliché ridden that it certainly can't be taken seriously and it clashes oddly with David Darlington's atmospheric incidental score. Her subsequent scream as Hare pulls out a knife however is delivered so convincingly that it is quite chilling, and throughout the story Burke and Hare both sound genuinely nasty in a way that makes the comedic element oddly distasteful. It is this uneven juxtaposition of comedy and horror that undermines 'Medicinal Purposes' from the start, and yet it isn't as though the two can't be blended successfully. To use an example from Big Finish's own output, Robert Shearman achieved a successful combination in 'The Holy Terror', but 'Medicinal Purposes' lurches from one the other in a way that feels crass. The difference perhaps is that in 'The Holy Terror', the characters were deliberately clichéd and the humour arose out of the stereotypical nature of the villainy perpetrated throughout, whereas here Ross tries to create (or recreate in the case of Burke and Hare) some realistically evil people and then expects the listener to be amused by them. Which leads me neatly to the villain of the piece.

Veteran actor Leslie Phillips puts in a superb performance as Doctor Robert Knox, which is a bit of a waste as the character is rubbish. In contrast to the realistically unpleasant Burke and Hare, Knox is a bog-standard gloating megalomaniac with a unnecessarily convoluted and faintly ridiculous plan. Ross sets out to make him thoroughly unlikable, and as one might expect of the character type he's arrogant, smarmy, patronizing, and generally unpleasant. He dismisses the poor throughout, and generally talks about his own intellect whenever he can, in a way that smacks of short hand for Evil. As with the plot in general however, Knox's character is a contrast between unpleasant behaviour and off-kilter humour, the latter manifesting as a generic eccentricity that is typified by the scene in which, expecting the Doctor to arrive and anticipating their meeting, he suddenly decides, "Canapés! I must have canapés!" before promptly setting off in his TARDIS to obtain some. His dialogue throughout is astoundingly bad, including such self-aware villainous lines as, "But there are so many heroes, don't you find, Doctor. Evil is more fun; we get all the best lines." Knox's over-the-top arrogance is only punctured at the end of the story when the Doctor tells Jamie, "Shake hands with the man who made you famous!" and the virus thus infects Knox whilst the Doctor has lured him out of the safety of his time bubble. Knox briefly becomes a convincing character as he retreats, snarling, to his TARDIS and leaves in search of a cure, leaving things open for a return appearance that the character really doesn't deserve.

It doesn't help the story that Knox's motivation is rather ill formed. It becomes clear at the end of Episode One that this is not a typical historical, when we find that nobody has heard of Burke, and by the end of Episode Two we learn that Knox's house is a TARDIS. This suggests that 'Medicinal Purposes' is going to be about a time meddler trying to interfere with history for his own ends, which wouldn't exactly have been original but would probably have just about worked. In Episode Three however we learn that he really is a doctor, and is helping an alien race by using the time loop, or bubble or whatever manner of temporal anomaly he's trapped part of Edinburgh in as a big laboratory in which to try and find a cure for the virus that is killing them. An amoral scientist exploiting a period of history for his own ends isn't exactly original either, although the fact that he is motivated by a desire for profit has potential. Ross uses this premise to portray Knox as an utter bastard, the Doctor noting, "Knox doesn't understand time at all. He's a profiteer standing on the shoulders of giants" and Knox himself casually dismissing his use of human guinea pigs with a certain amount of glee, such as when he announces, "Mary's fate is sealed alas. It was sealed the moment I gave her the virus." But Ross complicates the issue by giving Knox a sadistic streak, as he gleefully orders Mary's death, describing her as a harlot, and deliberately takes Burke's place in history, which he claims is "a stroke of genius." All of which creates the impression of muddled motivation and an attempt to create a non-specifically evil villain, as a result of which Knox's actions seems more like a random collection of unpleasant acts rather than anything approaching a plan. In a clumsy twist, we find that his established plan has itself changed, since his experiment isn't working, due to the large quantities of whiskey consumed by the locals, which protect them against the virus he's trying to cure. Which suggests to me that he could have suggested to his alien customers that ethanol will protect them against their affliction, but instead, for reasons unclear to me, Ross' script explains that Knox's experiments have failed. As a result of which, Knox has instead opened his experiment up as a "theatre of the grotesque" for paying customers concealed in a "time gallery", advertising it as "The Burke and Hare experience." All of which leads to suspect that Ross thought up numerous motivations for his villain when he was writing 'Medicinal Purposes' and unwisely decided to cram them all into a single story.

'Medicinal Purposes' does at least boast some decent lines, such as when we learn that Knox is a human who bought a second hand TARDIS on Gribon (thus, incidentally, tying into Big Finish's Gallifrey spin-off series). Realizing this, the Doctor contemptuously tells him, "You're no Time Lord, no alien force - you're a human. It's that distinct lack of humanity that gives you away." Knox aside, Ross also proves capable of writing decent characterisation and Hare is a good example. Whilst he's still body snatching rather than actually committing murder, Hare defends his work by saying that he has to put food on the table, and that the loss of his children hardened him, and it is a matter-of-fact justification that it is easy to believe he has thinks excuses his actions. The ill-fated Mary Patterson also works very well, thanks to small details such as her matter-of-fact attitude towards being a prostitute, and a great scene in Episode Two when she is talking to Evelyn and shows that while she may be poorly educated, she isn't stupid. Her constant rudeness towards Hare however, proves to be extremely unwise. Daft Jamie is also an effective character, a sympathetic and likeable fellow who quickly comes to trust the Doctor. The Doctor is very kind to Jamie, who is obviously bullied regularly, and tells him, "I used to know a Jamie… it's an honourable name" and Jamie's happy response to such consideration is quite touching. It helps that the guest cast is first-rate; Tenth Doctor David Tennant is superb as Jamie, and makes him sound utterly devastated when he finds Mary dead. Glenna Morrison is also very good as Mary, as is Kevin O'Leary as Burke, but despite the presence of Leslie Phillips, Tom Farrelly quietly steals the show with an astoundingly convincing performance as Hare.

All of which brings me to the regulars, and perhaps my biggest criticism about 'Medicinal Purposes'. With the Doctor and Evelyn's relationship back to normal after 'Arrangements for War', it is immediately subjected to potential strain again, as the Doctor enthuses about not only meeting a pair of infamous murderers, but also plans on congratulating them on their work. The Doctor's ability to see the bigger picture is well established in Doctor Who, and I can easily accept his matter-of-fact approach to Burke and Hare's role in history. When he wonders, "Does the possibility exist that ten or fifteen murders result in thousands of lives extended and one of those extended lives goes on to improve things even more, that there's a justification, historically speaking?" and Evelyn incredulously asks, "You condone it?" his reply is "No! No, but I accept it", which I don't have an issue with. What I do have an issue with is his excitement at meeting Burke and Hare, and greeting the latter with "Well done, and keep up the good work"; the scale may be different, but it's akin to congratulating Hitler on the achievements of the Third Reich because his scientists did some sterling work on rocket design. The Doctor's argument that, "The universe does not break down into good guys and bad guys" might well be valid, but stabbing people to death is not something that he ought to be congratulating, whatever the long-term benefits for medical scientists. Ross also gives him the clumsy line, "The Devil makes work for idle hands, but who's to say what's good and evil? Hare has his place", and yet when he finds that Knox is interfering in history, he pronounces, "People are dying for no good reason and I can't have that." Except that he doesn't actually know at that point what Knox is up to, so how does he know, precisely, that Knox isn't acting for the greater good in the same way that he seems to accept that Burke and Hare are? Evelyn's line, "Not like the Doctor I know and love" pretty much summarizes this problem

'Medicinal Purposes' ends with the Doctor repaying Daft Jamie's trust in him by delivering him to the fate that history has prescribed for him; it's a depressing moment, but one that is in keeping with the need to keep time on its proper course. The Doctor sadly tells Evelyn, "Jamie's got what he always wanted. A place in history, and a place in people's hearts" and notes, "Evil will go on. Whatever I do, evil will go on", a sentiment that would sit a lot easier if he hadn't been treating Burke and Hare in much the same way that Doctor Who fans might treat Tom Baker at a convention. Ultimately, when the Doctor tells one of the grave robbers, "I can't say it's been a pleasure Hare, but it's certainly been an experience" I find that it sums up the experience of listening to 'Medicinal Purposes'.

Richard Radcliffe

The audio from 2004 I was looking forward to the most! Burke and Hare, bodysnatching, graveyards, bygone Edinburgh, 6th Doctor, Evelyn, ladies of the night, Scottish folklore and things that go bump in the night!

I have just finished a rather sordid book about Edinburgh, which I probably unconsciously picked up in preparation for Medicinal Purposes. Close and Deadly outlines lots of murders committed near Edinburgh City Centre in the last 100 years. Fascinating book too, full of detective wranglings and extreme behaviour. A dark book it definitely is, totally strange and frightening what man can do to his fellow man - and what emotions drive them to do so. It ' s a fascinating area of interest, if rather morbid. I don ' t suppose it was that much of a jump from that factual book to this folklore inspired tale. I was ready to explore the dark alleyways and tombs where these notorious body-snatching criminals operated.

From the off I was in Edinburgh. I have visited the great city on numerous occasions, and I love it. I find it very easy to transfer myself to years gone by, in such a place. Edinburgh lives off its History more than most - and Big Finish recreate this very well. Maybe also I was so familiar with the era, and was picking up previous knowledge. Whatever - I was there - and the Audio experience was all the richer for it.

The 6th Doctor and Evelyn are now officially my favourite TARDIS team. It takes real brilliance to knock the 4th Doctor and Sarah-Jane off their pinnacle - but Colin Baker and Maggie Stables have now done just that. I would be quite happy if most of every years audio output featured them - I would love Big Finish to do like they did with the 8th Doctor a few years ago, and have the first 6 months of the year devoted to just them - but it ain ' t gonna happen - and I ' m just happy they continue to notch up story after story. Five years on from her debut Evelyn is still with us - and may she continue to dazzle us many years in the future, with her wonderful personality and charm.

The guest cast here is above average. Leslie Phillips shines from the production, like the great trouper he is. Quite a coup for Big Finish to acquire such a legend in his own right. His character here is terrific. Throughout the first few episodes the question remained who Robert Knox actually was, and through skilful storytelling the answer continued to just elude the listener - thus making the revelation surprising. He ' s ably supported by Kevin O ' Leary and Tom Farrelly as Burke and Hare. Hare undoubtedly has the meatier role, but both are excellent. Also a special mention for daft Jamie himself David Tennant. He gives much gravitas to a delightful, yet ultimately tragic character.

Medicinal Purposes was never intended to be a vastly different Doctor Who story - one that pushed the boundaries of what DW can be. It ' s not an envelope stretching story, but the contents are essentially pure Doctor Who - of a traditional bent that I adore. It ' s dependable story-telling - and Robert Ross deserves plaudits for that.

What will I remember most from Medicinal Purposes? Probably the interplay between Knox and the Doctor. The Doctors enthusiasm for Burke and Hare also stands out - revealing a rather morbid personality trait of the Doctor. There ' s also the drip, drip, drip of the Edinburgh underground tunnels. Those are the things that will stay with me - and when I listen to it again those will definitely stand out again.

What could have been better? I expected more scenes in graveyards, substantiating the tremendous cover image. Some dissections would have been interesting too - but here I will stop for fear readers will consider me a strange death loving freak!

I have been mightily impressed with this years Big Finish output. It ' s not as left field as last years experimental releases - but I think rather more dependable. This Edinburgh adventure is one of the best. 9/10

Sarah Hadley

For several years now, I have always seen a sixth Doctor and Evelyn story as a 'special event.' Good Davison, McCoy, and even McGann stories come and go, but for some reason, I think the quality level of the stories with CB and Maggie Stables has been almost completely constant since 2001. The last two releases weren't encouraging at first - after all, I wasn't at all sure "Project: Lazarus" could improve on the very standard and dismissible "Project: Twilight" - but even there, everything came out all right. With a nice, untouched historical concept and an intriguing cover, how could "Medicinal Purposes" go wrong?

Well, in all honesty, it's not so much that it went wrong, it's that it didn't go anywhere particularly right. Big Finishes have an odd tendency to fall into one of two very obvious traps: either they cram too much into four episodes, or too little. This story definitely falls in the latter, and somewhat preferable category (there's nothing I hate more than a pure assault on the ears, like "The Apocalypse Element"). This might have been a perfectly engaging two- or even three-part story. As a standard four-episode release, however, it just stands there in the mud. The Doctor and Evelyn show up and investigate, and then they investigate, and then they investigate some more…

The two regulars are delightful as usual, although some of the Doctor's characterization was never explained to my satisfaction. Yes, I can see how, in the grand scheme of things, he would be impressed by Burke and Hare's medical contributions - but I have never seen the Doctor condone murder, for this or any other reason. There are ways this could have been explained, especially when you consider the more detached nature of the sixth Doctor and the problems Evelyn has been having with that lately, but it simply never gels.

In fact, a lot of the major plot points simply feel rushed; the whole thing about Jamie's flu is very sudden indeed, and the "Jekyll and Hyde" reveal is almost out of a bad fan audio drama. Worse, the villain's identity is telegraphed, hinted at, and even referenced in the dialogue, when suddenly - surprise! - the audience is left to discover he's an entirely new, and rather confusing character. It's like "Roof of the World" all over again, though not quite as ridiculous. It's just…disappointing.

And that really sums up "Medicinal Purposes": disappointment. Although the cast is certainly right - Leslie Phillips and Glenna Morrison are particularly capable - I never felt like I wanted to stay and learn more about these characters. I wanted the Doctor and Evelyn to go on and do something, preferably something halfway interesting, with more than a few thrown-together concepts and a tangential link or two to their recent emotional arc. So, Big Finish, for next time - won't you please give the best Doctor/companion team you've got a script that actually feels like it's been developed properly?

Lawrence Conquest

Grave robbing is a suitably macabre theme for Doctor Who, so I guess it’s inevitable that the Doctor’s path would eventually cross that of Burke and Hare. Even the Doctor seems oddly pleased with the idea of meeting them, no doubt so he can name-drop them at the next opportune moment (and there was us thinking he made half of them up!), and this is the cause of a fair amount of friction between himself and Evelyn early on. The alien nature of the Doctor has often been commented on – by Colin Baker himself among others – and so his admiration here for a pair of murderers in this regard is suitably off key, but unfortunately it also seems to be wholly against the Doctor’s usual morality. Yes, by murdering people Burke and Hare may have inadvertently helped further medical science (slightly), but one could say the same (more so in fact) for the experiments carried out on concentration camp prisoners by the Nazi’s, and I cant see the Doctor shaking Hitler’s hands and thanking him for keeping up the good work. It’s an interesting moral debate – but it clashes so badly with the Doctor’s usual viewpoint on the sanctity of life that it becomes jarring.

At the heart of Medicinal Purposes is one fantastic idea that similarly touches on murky issues of morality: vivisection. The transposing of the vivisection argument from animals to humans by having a race of aliens experimenting on humanity to find a cure for a disease is a nice science fiction trick, and a similar one to that used by Robert Holmes when addressing meat eating in the Two Doctors. Unfortunately however, the execution of the play is such that what should be the play’s central theme is skirted around, and ultimately ditched in favour of the rather passé idea that the villain of the piece is merely providing some time-travelling grand guignol theatre for alien viewers. It’s a real disappointment, and while the play is still fairly interesting, you cant help but feel a little cheated that the author has missed the juicy meat of the piece for some stylish but ultimately empty gothic scenes.

Leslie Phillips obviously stands out as the villainous Doctor Knox, but while snaring a talent like Phillips is a big coup for Big Finish and it’s always a delight to hear this actor, Doctor Knox himself comes across as a rather overly vain and mustachio-twirling villain, and I’m not sure that linking the story into the Gallifrey mini-series is a great idea. The play is blessed with a number of very distinctive performances, and while it must be said that David Tennant’s Daft Jamie sounds so daft that he’s actually very annoying, at least it fits the character brief. Evelyn on the other hand doesn’t have a good outing – no fault of Maggie Stables, but for an historian Evelyn is mind-numbingly slow on the uptake, and worse the character gets virtually nothing to do throughout the play apart from wag chins with the Doctor.

All in all Medicinal Purposes is a strange release – while there’s much to admire in it’s audacious building of a story around the literal phrase – ‘ a wee drop of whiskey to keep out the cold’ – the execution is frequently clumsy. Not a bad little play, but I cant help thinking this was a missed opportunity…

John Hoyle

By now we've come to expect something extra special from the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn stories, not least due to the always exceptional performances given by the regulars. However, when a story falls slightly below par it becomes immediately very obvious. Sadly, in the case of Medicinal Purposes, this is exactly what has happened.

The first episode opens in the usual exciting way. The banter between the two regulars is as endearing as ever and more proof that this is perhaps the greatest TARDIS team since Tom and Sarah Jane. The mood of the piece is evident from the word go. Dark alleyways, sordid brothels/bars and mysterious vanishments are in abundance here. It is perhaps this atmosphere that is the most memorable part of the production. The episode's cliffhanger too is utterly intriguing and bodes well for the rest of the adventure.

Which is where everything falls apart. The main question on the audience's lips is, of course, just what is going on? However, explanations are not very forthcoming, or rather they are too verbose, contradictory and unexciting. At first, it appears we have a meddling time lord, in the manner of the monk of the early Hartnells, doing his best to change history. Then, this is set aside for another explanation; a man with a stolen TARDIS is trying to find an antedote for a virus which is wiping out a race of unseen aliens, and is using Edinburgh as a guinea pig. Then, THIS explanation is discarded for yet another even more confusing one, that the man, only referred to as Dr Knox, is in fact within a peepshow, similar to that of the Carnival of Monsters' scope, and is replaying the events of 1827 to an unseen alien race.

Eventually, one begins to lose interest. The story just runs on the spot, with the Doctor going to and from Dr Knox's house and the pub, each time being given a different explanation. There appears to be little logic in the plotting with the climax being simply, the Doctor and Evelyn taking Daft Jamie in the TARDIS and thus saving the day (with only a fleeting explanation as to why). In fact, by the end of the adventure, one is totally bewildered as to what has actually happened.

On the upside, performances are incredible. Leslie Phillips' Dr Knox is an utterly delightful adversary. He could be playing the monk, for all his laid back pomposity! As with last month's Roof of the World and the Yeti, Big Finish could easily have slotted the monk into this story, having had him regenerate. Dr Knox is a man Big Finish should definitely re-use. He was certainly the best thing about Medicinal Purposes.

The story's final moments too, are lovely and almost tear jerking. They illustrate entirely how far the Doctor and Evelyn have come. They now both accept that the people they meet must one day die, and that there is little they can do about it.

On balance, the first episode of Medicinal Purposes is classic Dr Who of old, but the atmosphere alone cannot sustain four episodes, despite an amazing villain. The plot is just too insoluble and lacking in incident. Yes, for a writer new to Big Finish, this is an admirable effort, but is not up to the usual excellent standard the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn have become used to.

This short run of past Doctor stories has been a definite breath of fresh air after the continuity heavy Eight Doctor series, but perhaps using completely new writers all the time, was a mistake on the part of producer Gary Russell, as evidently the quality of recent releases has fluctuated quite considerably of late and this run of PDAs was rather important for those who do not follow the EDAs, in keeping faith in Big Finish.

Joe Ford

By the end of episode two I was convinced I wasn’t going to like this but something bizarre happened in the last two episodes that turned it around for me. I still have to admit however it is strange just how little the Doctor and Evelyn actually achieve in the story and you only realise this at the end because the story whizzes by so entertainingly. It’s not a Big Finish classic by any means but it does have enough charm to sail you through 130 minutes.

Medicinal Purposes has convinced me that the sixth Doctor and Evelyn are the most frightening characters to grace a Doctor Who story. Their development and continuing story has been steady and understandable, in recent adventures they have had some huge obstacles to overcome, namely death and how it stalks their adventures. Evelyn had huge troubles trying to deal with the death of Jem the cabin boy in Doctor Who and the Pirates and Cassie’s murder in Project: Lazarus (indeed both scenes are about as gripping as Doctor Who as a straight drama comes) and the Doctor has shared in her uselessness as Princess Christina and her boyfriend (both of whom he has befriended) are pointlessly killed at the climax of Arrangements of War. It appears that both characters have had an epiphany, realising that some deaths ARE for the greater good.

And that’s what frightens me. What ever happened to the Doctor who laughs in the face of certainty and thrives on unpredictability? When the sixth Doctor arrives in Edinburgh during the infamous Burke and Hare bodysnatching period he not only wants to shake hands with the men who brutally slaughtered people to make a quick buck but also attempts to justify their actions in the context of the web of time and the good it will do to medical science! To hear him so calmly rationalise murder is genuinely scary, far scarier than anything else in the story. Evelyn hasn’t let her compassion slip entirely but still gave me the odd shiver…especially when they take Jaime back to be the right time and place in time for his murder. She whispers, “I think I finally get it…” People are just historical characters in the story, their story playing out pre-set…and I cannot remember the Doctor every being quite so ready to police the web of time to this extent. The only time he threatens to spoil its grand design is when he wants to stop Dr Knox’s obnoxious plans.

And THAT’S what I love about Colin Baker’s Doctor, there is always so much more to learn about him. Even when I don’t always like him (and there have been other times…his murderous behaviour in The Twin Dilemma, his viscous verbal assault on Evelyn in The Apocalypse Element) he constantly keeps me on my toes. His mood swings are pendulous, from one extreme to the other and this story goes some way to redressing that spiky, dangerous side that some have commented has been lacking since Big Finish have softened him up. And he plays the part so damn well, with each line uttered with conviction, even the aforementioned ‘death is acceptable’ speech has a ring of truth about it when spoken by Colin Baker. His jubilant sense of humour that has emerged in these audios is out in strength in this story and he shares too many memorable moments with Evelyn throughout. They remain the cream of the crop in these CDs of Big Finish, no matter how terrifying they are.

And isn’t it fabulous how snappy they are with each other again? The Doctor and Evelyn were always willing to go head to head in an argument and all their recent angst left them all cuddly and sickly sweet but this a return to the rocky relationship from before, the best of friends of course but locking horns when they think they have a genuine point to make.

The story itself was not exactly what I was expecting by the delightful trailer (“No one can shout when the Doctor’s about…!”), which led me to believe it would be a gothic delight. Whilst there are shadings of horror this is a science fiction story through and through and even the simplest of atmospherics (fog, murders) have a complex SF explanation. Doctor Who and bodysnatching is a great idea for a story but instead of concentrating on the human side of this atrocity the story opts for a more universal approach, gutting the story (and the period of history) of some of its terror. When it is revealed that the whole sorry affair in just a medical experiment/entertainment time loop I have to say I never saw that coming! Whilst you do get attached to some of the characters they never seem quite as important as the plot that is unfolding around them and that is a shame, I guess we’ve had too many tales where we get close to potential victims of circumstance.

What does impress in the use of Leslie Phillips, for once a Big Finish guest actor who lives up to the promise of the hype. As the slimy Dr Knox Phillips creates a memorable character for the Doctor to battle, one who always seems one step ahead. His grotesque attempts at justification it his murderous acts provide some discomforting moments and his gentle mocking of the Doctor’s arrogance (and the arrogance of his people) is superb. Misdirection is afoot and for a while I was convinced this was an old character returning (brr…after last years affair with continuity I was almost fearing the worst) but the script goes one better, having you certain it is a particular foe and pulling the rug under your feet by revealing he is no such thing. Knox is vicious, hilarious and downright scary…he makes a fantastic Doctor Who bad guy.

Glenna Morrison and David Tennant both put in excellent performances as Mary and Daft Jaime and do a superb job of appealing to our sympathies. I love it when Doctor Who flirts with authentic historical characters and Medicinal Purposes goes some way to explaining these were just ordinary people caught up in some pretty extraordinary circumstances. I especially enjoyed the Doctor’s relationship with Jaime and his casual reminiscing of his old companion; it was very sweet how he took the boy under his wing. A shame he had to lead him back to his death at the climax. Mary’s attempts to get the Doctor’s trousers around his ankles and show him a good time in the early scenes were hilarious, possibly the rudest landing the TARDIS has ever made!

I wanted Medicinal Purposes to be an absolute cracker but it falls a bit short of that, there is nothing al all wrong with the direction from Gary Russell (which is urgent and entertaining) or the score from David Darlington (which has lashing of gothic overtones) but it still didn’t quite have the atmosphere I was expecting by the deliciously disturbing cover. Like Robert Ross said in DWM, it is an old style romp, the sort Doctor Who does so well with lots of humour and silliness to balance the darker aspects. I guess I wanted a From Hell type story, a chilling straight drama that deals with a historical curiosity with unrelenting horror…and instead I got a fun Doctor Who story. I shouldn’t moan I suppose, that is the name on the cover.

Give it a listen; the last two episodes will shock at just how many twists and turn this type of story can have. I don’t want to say Big Finish is running on autopilot again but after an impressive run of stories the last two releases have fallen short of the reputation the company had started to improve on again.

The Eighth Doctor up next…after last season should I be scared?