As the worm turns

(special thanks to Big Finish for providing me with a review copy!)

The legend dates back to Roman times, at least: a great White Worm, as wide as a man, slithers out of the rocks of the Dark Peak Gap to take animals, sometimes even children, for its food.

When the Doctor and Leela arrive in the wilds of Derbyshire, only to get caught up in the hunt for a missing girl, they soon discover that the legend of the Worm is very much alive – even now, in 1979.

Worse still, it seems that the Doctor isn’t the only renegade Time Lord on the trail of this deadly and mysterious Worm…

Starring: Tom Baker (The Doctor), Louise Jameson (Leela), Geoffrey Beevers (The Master), Michael Cochrane (Colonel Spindleton), Rachael Stirling (Demesne Furze), John Banks (Carswell/Mercenary), Becci Gemmell (Julie), Mark Field (John)

Ah, the Master returns at long last to Big Finish. He’s been back before in a couple audios, but this time he’s up against the 4th Doctor! This is excellent, since previously they’d only appeared together in “The Deadly Assassin” and then again in “The Keeper of Traken.” Both of those appearances were great, and the stories were excellent! How does this one measure up?

Extremely well. The Master’s presence here contributes nicely to the story and helps it come off as more than just another, “Hey, look who the villain is this month!” story. He’s very well utilized in this story, and Beevers does an excellent job stepping back into the role. Jameson and Baker are their usual excellent selves as well.

The only real complaint I have about this story isn’t a complaint so much as it is a warning: be aware that it’s part one of a multipart story. If you’re the sort of person who dislikes waiting (hi, Rob!), you might want to hold off until next month when you can purchase the next part and listen to both. But for the rest of us, check this one out as soon as you can! It’s really good, and at $9, what’s not to like?