Missy’s plans are coming together – as long as a rebellion doesn’t gain too much traction…

Jonathan Morris’ finale for this first box set – given the cliffhanger, there’s got to be more! – picks up from lines said about the Master to the effect that he would delay an execution to pull the wings off a fly. In this incarnation particularly, the renegade Time Lord can get very easily bored, and it’s no real surprise (especially after you hear the rebel leader speak for the first time) as to what Missy gets up to to keep herself amused.

The rebellion, and the nature of those involved in it, is neatly thought through, and there are some blackly humorous moments scattered throughout. Joe Kraemer has a lot of fun with the musical score – Missy playing Barry Manilow, no less (yes, I know it’s the Chopin prelude that forms the start of the Manilow song, but the idea of Missy and Manilow is more appealing) – and the sound design by Kraemer and Josh Arakelian is very varied and all-encompassing.

One of the most fascinating parts of Big Finish’s expansion of the Doctor Who mythos has been the way in which they’ve handled the character of the Master – from the early days, with Geoffrey Beevers’ incarnation right the way to Missy and the War Master now – and this set maintains a consistent tonal level entirely appropriate to the incarnation in question.

Verdict: Missy continues to weave her magic. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order Series One from Big Finish