On their mission to explore the Mariana Trench at the very bottom of the ocean, the deepest and most inhospitable place on Earth, the crew of the deep sea vehicle Erebus make an unusual and startling discovery: a battered blue police box.  As the Doctor, Romana and K9 join them on their journey, the submariners soon discover that the TARDIS is not the only unusual find lurking on the sea floor.

Jonathan Morris was previously responsible for the second “season” premiere, “The Auntie Matter”, so I was a little worried when I saw that he was the writer for this particular adventure.  I was also a little disappointed to discover that there was yet another side venture, instead of a return to the overarching Conglomerate story.  Some elements kept me from getting too upset about it, but in the end, this is still one of the weaker efforts of the run.

One of the minor issues with this time period is that The Doctor and Romana are supposed to be on the run from the Black Guardian, using a Randomizer in the TARDIS controls to keep their whereabouts unknown.  All the returns to Earth force this to be addressed within the story, which amounts to The Doctor admitting that he’s turning it off and controlling their destination.  We know that the Black Guardian doesn’t catch up with The Doctor during the rest of the Fourth Doctor era (at least in the actual series), so it all seems like what it is: a way to get around an inconvenient previously established plot element.

Let me balance that with some of the good: the atmospheric sound effects and score work for this undersea adventure, setting a tone that is well-maintained throughout the narrative.  It makes for a very nice listening experience, as one is drawn into the claustrophobic setting by the sound design.  Also, Alice Krige does a very capable job in the role of Dr. Sawyer.  (Though I admit, I was a bit more taken with Terri’s tantalizing accent!)

Unfortunately, there were a number of story elements that didn’t quite work for me.  Right from the start, the tale is heavy on exposition, and much of it doesn’t seem organic to any of the conversation.  Not only that, but the crew of the Erebus doesn’t seem to know key details about the capabilities of their vessel, which undercuts the notion that they are experts on the cutting edge of their field.

I wasn’t convinced that the aliens in this situation were a massive threat to the human race (as they so often turn out to be).  Yes, they were experimenting on ways to “upgrade” humans, from their point of view, but it didn’t exactly seem like they were going to be getting around to the rest of humanity anytime soon.  Focusing on the immediate threat to the characters in the story would have been enough.

While it was explained in the story well enough, some of the underwater antics felt overdone and more than a little hard to accept.  Not to mention that it all leads to a close call on the part of The Doctor, which felt artificially dire and out of proportion for the story itself.  We know The Doctor, Romana, and K9 all survive, so wouldn’t it make sense to put some of the guest cast in jeopardy instead?

In the end, it’s not a terrible story, and the sound design and solid cast make up for a lot of the plotting woes.  But it is one of the weaker stories in the “season”.  Thankfully, the final two installments definitely return to the overarching Conglomerate saga and Nicholas Briggs, both of which I prefer!

Released: May 2013
Price: $8.99 (download version)
Acquisition method: Big Finish website