Tom Baker ran into a fire and suffered terrible burns… but what state will he be in when the bandages are removed?

The answer, as everyone pretty much knows by now (and there’s a pretty big clue on the cover) is that somehow he has trans-mog-rified into Colin Baker! As with regeneration on Doctor Who, the mechanics of this aren’t really up for discussion – Baker’s End isn’t exactly run on scientific principles (or even logical ones!) so, like the inhabitants of Happenstance, we simply have to accept it.

In many ways, this is something of a regeneration story: the new Baker has to work out who and what he is, and how he fits into the situation around him. Misdeeds and malfeasance abound as ever, and the annoying Derek Tits seems to be at its heart. Are there vampires in Happenstance? Does the thickly accented nurse have something to hide? Er… Guess!

Sensibly, Paul Magrs hasn’t written the character as Colin Baker playing Tom Baker (bar a few moments where he “slips” back in persona). Baker T.’s “Tom” was an exaggerated version of himself (honest!) and Baker C.’s “Colin” works best when elements of his public persona are magnified. That comes out in various ways that are fun to discover as the story goes on, and Colin shows the same ability as Tom to deal with the lunacies going on around him.

It was a brave decision to continue the series, but the last half hour of this release in particular shows that you can change the first name of the Baker, but the inherent madness of Baker’s End continues unabated.

Verdict: He’s the new Baker, whether you like it or not – and by the end, I suspect you will. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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