I think it is fair to say that I despise specters, ghosts, the supernatural, and otherwise otherworldly that isn’t explained with in-world logic. That is why I can’t get behind Star Trek: Discovery‘s first season, which requires you also being on copious amounts of drugs. Episode three of new-Who, “The Unquiet Dead” is a perfect example of my… lack of interest. It is a good episode, something that sells the series to a few who are more mythically inclined than I am. However, I just don’t love it like I do “Rose,” “Aliens of London” & “World War Three,” or “Dalek.”

Even in more modern series, such as “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” from series 12, I’m simply not jumping up and licking the screen. As I was saying in the recent review of “The Impossible Astronaut” and “Day Of The Moon”, things like an accent can put me off of what is a fairly standard Doctor Who episode. The expressiveness of some accents can add a little too much to something that requires subtlety. When you are trying to get across how horrible a monster is in 40-50 minutes, that subtlety can go out the window, accent or not.

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor is the latest Big Finish episode I want to cover following two separate Dalek-based episodes. It is very much the example I’ve been setting up, something of ghostly proportions haunting and threatening the world. I will say off the bat, my complaints still encompass the weak characters referencing each other (or objects) so we know who they are and what is in the room. Though extend that complaint a little further than that. In fact, it is the first few moments and the villain, that jumps out at you as a little bit of that crap end of Doctor Who. I mean crap in that charming way Who does.

You see, I actually like Lanyon Moor more than I would if we’d have seen it in the show. I think that’s for two reasons. I think trying to bring ghostly beings to life and have actors play off of them is a tricky job for one. I also believe the timing works in its favor. In a time before now, Doctor Who would run multipart episodes over several weeks, making the total run time of stories more comparable with Big Finish’s range rather than the modern version of Doctor Who‘s TV series. That extra time with characters and the world is giving us a better understanding for which I think the supernatural episodes require more than others.

I think it gives you time to embed yourself in the world. It tends to be a little more like a book, such as Paul Cornell’s Human Nature. The grand and spectacular ending of world-shattering proportions still falls a little flat with something I could only describe as a conclusion. Neither wrapping up the story well or poorly, it just is there to do a thing and get out. It is comparable to the tension between professor Morgan and the Doctor; it is there to get us to the next point without getting in the way too much. It is a hurdle to jump that’s no higher than a speed bump, to clumsily put it.

Though I’ve brought up Morgan, so I might as well bring up Katherine Sally “Kate” Lethbridge-Stewert’s dad, or Archibald Hamish Lethbridge-Stewart‘s grandson, Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart: The Brigadier! Oh Yes! Even without watching copious amounts of Classic-Who, there is no denying Nicholas Courtney’s mark on the series by introducing UNIT to the world. He made his last on-screen appearance in “Battlefield,” and sadly passed in 2011 before series 6 got underway, with a brilliant little tribute to the oldest man’s oldest friend. That’s what he was, a friend and a proper one in a sea of quick-to-fire young people dealing with the otherworldly.

You can hear it from his first words; Nicholas Courtney never missed a step and fell back into the role as Brigadier like a comfy pair of slippers. It is a warm feeling when the Doctor and Alistair get in a room together, especially for the first meeting of a new incarnation. If you want to call it fan service, go right ahead! How many times have we seen the Daleks creep out of the smoke and start killing indiscriminately, or the stomp of Cybermen coming around a corner? It is fun to see an old friend that is going to challenge the Doctor when he needs it. That is exactly what he is and he has earned a moment of appreciation.

I’m going to say it again because it feels like something that needs to be said, especially because this was prior to the Scream of the Shalka series. It was an animated series of six episodes starring Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, Sophie Okonedo (Liz X) as the companion, Derek Jacobi as the Master, and a young uncredited actor called “David Tennant.” I wonder what happened to that young lad? Scream of the Shalka was a dreadfully underproduced Flash-animation with Grant not really getting it off the bat. It came with sound design that was just a CD of cats moaning, and a BBC that didn’t care. Did I mention this was 2003? Three years following The Spectre of Lanyon Moor and two before “Rose.”

That’s why the busy and messy cabin feeling on the Moor, the cramped and reflective stone walled fogou, and the open-air stillness of the moor is something that needs to be praised. I shouldn’t have to say this, but it is realized simply from listening and a script with a few well places lines. That’s what makes Big Finish great. The feeling that not only are you listening in on a few conversations over 2-hours, but you are in the room with everyone. You are right in the middle as Alistair talks to the Doctor and Mrs. Moynihan shuffles past with coffee for Morgan. You sit with a table in front of you that is covered in paper, computers, and artifacts. It is a world to lose yourself in.

While we’re on things already covered, we might as well talk about Dr. Smythe. Far less abrasive is the relationship between her and the Doctor, working as a typical new series companion would. She is using her skill-set and knowledge to advance the plot along with her capture in a damsel-like state later on. She’s always inquisitive. She is going to ask the questions if the Doctor doesn’t, and that’s brilliant to have when some companions just don’t. She has a point in the plot, at least greater than only being captured in an aristocrat’s sex dungeon. 

I guess we should get to the Tregannans Sancreda and Scryfan, the villains and brothers. One brother claims to set about the world’s destruction. Don’t worry, the Dungeons and Dragons–talk will be done in a minute, Sancreda is left behind after an archaeological dig many many years ago. Throughout time Sancreda has attacked and demented humans on Lanyon Moor. It has happened long enough to create mythology to the place. Later on, he teams up with humans who will do things he can’t. Honestly, I don’t think highly of either of them, and it is a typical mythic/ghostly story.

When neither of them are around and they are being built up, I think they are alright. It gives them the mystery and a hint of something darker going on. Then we get to the psionic, almost Destroy All Humans-like powers that allow Sancreda to control people. It gets to be a little… meh. It moves the plot along, but at the same time, I’m just not the type to enjoy magic-related things, at least as much as Alexx does. That’s where I know I’m probably the only one convulsing away from the episode. It is something I just don’t like. It is a similar situation to people who react with displeasure at the pseudo-historical episodes.

“I thought you said you didn’t hate this one?” I don’t hate it. Sure the plot is going through the motions and we’re getting typical Who things, but it is done well. This episode is more than commendable from a middle-of-the-road Doctor Who-episode in a format where something could go oh so wrong. I think it is the chemistry of our leads, with the supporting cast making some headroom for themselves to stand up straight too. That little addition of everyone’s favorite soldier that is still in the game (unofficially) helps. It also helps that he is still good friends with the Doctor and they are picking up where they left off, along with Evelyn not missing a step.

Is it the best? Well, no. Though, if we’re honest I might only think so highly of this one because Red Dawn, the preceding chronological story, is the second story with Peri. I’d have watched several Chibnall episodes and enjoyed them after having to endure Nicola Bryant’s faux-American accent for two hours. Great characters, great sound design, and great acting from our main three, all elevate the rather simple story. Obviously it isn’t a bad episode, just something that would be in the middle of the series of the show and on a tight budget. Something made much better solely by great characters, actors, and chemistry.

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Big Finish Dr Who "The Spectre of Lanyon Moor"

£2.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart.
• Brilliant chemistry between three leads.
• Not saying much: Better sound design than Scream of the Shalka.

Cons

• It's just a fine story, nothing more.