First of all, I very obviously really enjoyed this. It portrays, quite terrifyingly, the lengths that somebody would go in order to protect those that they love, especially with how Braxiatel was still fearing over another attack on his loved ones by the likes of the Fifth Axis. I think this serves as a very interesting conclusion to Braxiatel’s time on the Collection too, as well as several of the threads laid out in the previous six seasons of the early Benny stuff. Very solid stuff from Joseph Lidster, which is hardly unexpected, and one where the extremely dark ending actually feels justified, rather than slightly cheap shock value. It genuinely shows how terrifying and manipulative Braxiatel is, and how it then causes his self-imposed departure from his Collection.

I mean, I don’t actually care for Jason very much, I think he’s portrayed as very irresponsible and just a relatively unlikable character, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Being manipulated into using a Gallifreyan artefact that would allow him to control an army of Cybermen in order to protect the Collection is just insane, especially with the way Braxiatel was just going to leave him down in that control room abandoned and rotting.

I do hope that Braxiatel is able to return to audio one day, but god damn his early Big Finish stuff truly does make him out to be one depraved and horrible man.