DOCTOR WHO: PROJECT TWILIGHT

By: Arnold T. Blumberg
Date: Friday, September 14, 2001

The Dusk casino has a terrible secret, and we ain't talking mob corruption or skimming either. No, there's something truly sinister lurking underneath this temple of sin, and it's far more dangerous than any blackjack bet or watered down drink. There are humanoid beings who live among us and yet suffer from peculiar afflictions light sensitivity, aversion to running water, lack of a reflection and they seem to be milling around the Dusk in alarmingly large numbers. There's a government project that may be the cause of a plague soon to descend upon the human race, and a mysterious enforcer who's determined to put an end to all of it before it's too late. But is his cure deadlier than the disease? Drop the Sixth Doctor and Dr. Evelyn Smythe into the mix, and you have a catastrophe waiting to happen just what we're hoping for!

Just before the conclusion of Episode 3, the Doctor berates himself for being a "stupid, stupid, stupid Time Lord," and as with everything else he does in this tale, you'll find that self evaluation arriving a bit too late. Rarely has the Doctor been as obtuse he completely ignores all of the red flags staring him in the face and is shocked to learn the identity of the creatures behind all the sinister goings-on (while listeners will be able to piece everything together by halfway through Episode 1), and to top it off, he even deliberately aids the enemy and is then surprised when he's doublecrossed by a being who represents everything that his people considered evil and insidious. This is not the Doctor I know, and you too may find yourself yelling at the car radio (or stereo) and aiding the Doctor in his self-flaggelation. Despite Colin Baker's sturdy performance (he can't go wrong even with the worst material, and this isn't all that bad), his incarnation suffers a major loss of dignity here.


Yet, although the plot is transparent and the Doctor a bit of a fool, the production is up to the usual standards and the guest stars are top-notch. This may in fact be one of the most disturbing and brutal Big Finish installments ever one torturous scene involving a young girl and a rather over-zealous gangster may have you cringing in your seat...but stick with it, because revenge can be very sweet indeed. The atmosphere is suitably morose and the entire adventure has a very slick sound, successfully hiding many of the holes in the uneven plot.

Faults aside, followers of the Big Finish series who have quickly warmed to the Sixth Doctor/Evelyn Smythe team, as played to perfection by Baker and Maggie Stables, will be delighted to have another go with them immediately after the last release, BLOODTIDE. This is the first time that a Doctor/companion combination has starred in two consecutive audio dramas, however, and some might be a bit disappointed at the lack of variety it's been many months since a Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) adventure, for example. They should be consoled by the fact that these two performers are at the peak of their abilities. There's also something irresistably charming about this mellower Sixth Doctor finding such enthusiasm for something as simple as take-out Chinese food in the midst of all the carnage. It's the simple things in life, and a Time Lord should appreciate that better than anyone.

DOCTOR WHO: PROJECT TWILIGHT

Grade: B

Format: Audio Drama, 2 CDs, approx. 110 minutes

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Maggie Stables (Evelyn Smythe), Rupert Booth (Dr. William Abberton), Holly De Jong (Amelia Doory), Rob Dixon (Reggie Mead), Rosie Cavaliero (Cassie), Stephen Chance (Nimrod)

Writer: Cavan Scott and Mark Wright

Director: Gary Russell

Publisher: Big Finish Productions

Price: $24.99