The Marian Conspiracy
The Marian Conspiracy was a massive leap forward for Big Finish. Not only is it the first time they tried to do a true historical story, it is also has the honour of introducing the first audio-only companion in Evelyn Smythe.
There is something about those early days of Big Finish that makes their stories so invigorating. They might be simpler than the complex arcs of modern episodes, but they are deliciously darker and feel like they come straight for the era. While the producers do say they try to keep the stories close to the feel of the old stories, none have been as close as the first dozen or so audios. The Marian Conspiracy has quite similar feel to this.
To start the plot is astonishingly simple to last four episodes. The Doctor’s new friend is being removed from time and he must go into the past to find out why. Having no alien threat or foreign invasion, it’s hard to see just what kept this episode so entertaining throughout its running time. I can’t lay a finger on why and I don’t think I ever will. The closest I could see is the close connection that begins to develop between the characters. The Doctor and the Queen are two characters that become so close they could almost be companions. The mystery about who the last character actually is becomes the driving force behind most of the first part, the shock revelation being one of the best reveals of any character in any story I have heard in all my years of being a Big Finish fan. It’s the reason I haven’t spoiled it here. As part 2 begins, the Doctor grows close to her, and it is this which makes me so fond of the story.
Now I come to the then new companion. When I began to play this I forgot that this was an introduction story for Evelyn, I have followed her story from Bloodtide until A Death in the Family a few years ago, so I knew how the story turned out. However, what I didn’t realise is how their relationship began so quickly. In no time at all, they both seemed like firm friends. Her older age than most companions has made her wiser to the world, but she still has a naivety about her that most companions of her era did. On top of this, the way Colin Baker and Maggie Stables perform together is more like a married couple without any bickering. It is like they have known each other for years and have grown fond over time, except it happens in a matter of minutes. What made this nice was it being a story where neither companion nor Doctor knew each other.
The two most recent examples of this (Mary Shelley and Flip) knew their time traveller before their first four part adventure, which takes some of the fun out of it. Out of all the companion introduction stories I have heard or can remember, I have to say this is one of the top few, and I think will stay there. Not many relationships start with a pure historical and no monsters.
Overall, I would have to recommend this whole-heartedly. It is truly one to be heard by everyone. The companion is brilliant, the story just as good and the cliff-hangers even better. I have never been so shocked by one as I was at the end of part 3, it was fantastic! After this, I cannot wait to hear their next story, featuring the return of the Brigadier!
There is something about those early days of Big Finish that makes their stories so invigorating. They might be simpler than the complex arcs of modern episodes, but they are deliciously darker and feel like they come straight for the era. While the producers do say they try to keep the stories close to the feel of the old stories, none have been as close as the first dozen or so audios. The Marian Conspiracy has quite similar feel to this.
To start the plot is astonishingly simple to last four episodes. The Doctor’s new friend is being removed from time and he must go into the past to find out why. Having no alien threat or foreign invasion, it’s hard to see just what kept this episode so entertaining throughout its running time. I can’t lay a finger on why and I don’t think I ever will. The closest I could see is the close connection that begins to develop between the characters. The Doctor and the Queen are two characters that become so close they could almost be companions. The mystery about who the last character actually is becomes the driving force behind most of the first part, the shock revelation being one of the best reveals of any character in any story I have heard in all my years of being a Big Finish fan. It’s the reason I haven’t spoiled it here. As part 2 begins, the Doctor grows close to her, and it is this which makes me so fond of the story.
Now I come to the then new companion. When I began to play this I forgot that this was an introduction story for Evelyn, I have followed her story from Bloodtide until A Death in the Family a few years ago, so I knew how the story turned out. However, what I didn’t realise is how their relationship began so quickly. In no time at all, they both seemed like firm friends. Her older age than most companions has made her wiser to the world, but she still has a naivety about her that most companions of her era did. On top of this, the way Colin Baker and Maggie Stables perform together is more like a married couple without any bickering. It is like they have known each other for years and have grown fond over time, except it happens in a matter of minutes. What made this nice was it being a story where neither companion nor Doctor knew each other.
The two most recent examples of this (Mary Shelley and Flip) knew their time traveller before their first four part adventure, which takes some of the fun out of it. Out of all the companion introduction stories I have heard or can remember, I have to say this is one of the top few, and I think will stay there. Not many relationships start with a pure historical and no monsters.
Overall, I would have to recommend this whole-heartedly. It is truly one to be heard by everyone. The companion is brilliant, the story just as good and the cliff-hangers even better. I have never been so shocked by one as I was at the end of part 3, it was fantastic! After this, I cannot wait to hear their next story, featuring the return of the Brigadier!