The Monthly Adventures #058 - “The Harvest" by Dan Abnett

The Monthly Adventures are famous for a lot of things; they’re famous for introducing some of the best stories, for redeeming some of Who’s most hated characters and for debuting a number of all time great writers for the show. But I think the thing they’re most famous for may be their companions. From fan favourite history tutor Evelyn Smythe to foundational edwardian adventuress Charley Pollard, there is no shortage of incredible companions introduced by the Main Range. But I think that, for me, they’ve never done better than one Thomas Hector Schofield. Maybe it’s just my bias towards Seven and Ace as a TARDIS team, but Hex has grown to be one my absolute favourite companions with a consistently stellar performance from Philip Olivier and an endlessly endearing personality boosting him up my ranks. Now, an all time great companion should have an all time great introduction, so how does Hex’s debut fare?

Something strange is going on in St. Gart’s Hospital. People disappear and whole floors are closed to the public. When a friend of staff nurse Hex dies on the operating table, he decides to look further into the mysteries surrounding his work, and discovers the terrible and deadly world of the Doctor.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

First things first, Hex is amazing. Olivier is effortlessly charismatic and likeable, instantly making sweet staff nurse Hex one of the most endearing characters Big Finish has come up with. Not only that, but his chemistry with Sophie Aldred immediately makes itself known and they pretty much become an unflappable duo in their very first scene together. Hex is easily my favourite part of this story but that’s not to say the rest isn’t some good quality Doctor Who. For one, I loved the hospital setting and all the shady backroom experiments happening there. Plus, the subtle introduction of high tech sci-fi appliances was a nice way to establish the near-future time period. The story itself is incredibly fast and fun, moving at a million miles an hour but never feeling rushed. It’s a pretty gritty story that has the cadence of a light action flick, with explosions and chase sequences, all incredibly dynamically put together by excellent sound design. This feels a lot like a spy movie in how it’s set up, with tons of espionage and sneaking around deserted government facilities, all tinged with some light political commentary. It’s not the greatest story ever told but it’s very Doctor Who and is certainly a good time. As for our cast, besides our main trio, there are very few named characters but I did really like Mark’s presence as a much needed comic relief who still felt incredibly genuine in his portrayal; like, this is the epitome of a work buddy you go for 5 O’clock drinks with. Also, although I usually gloss over a story’s score, this is easily one of David Darlington’s best; Darlington is a very omnipresent force in these early stories, with a very distinctive, computerised musical style that I think really works here. The themes of technology and sacrifices for science are reflected in the very techno bleeps and bloops of the soundtrack, which also greatly improve a good number of the action sequences.

However, I don’t believe The Harvest to be a particularly memorable story. Sure, it introduces Hex but beyond there isn’t much that’s particularly unique or stand-out. For one, I keep going back and forth on the inclusion of the Cybermen. As for the twist revealing their involvement, I have no opinion because I think at this point everybody (including me) goes into The Harvest knowing they’re the main antagonists; other than Hex, it’s what this story is known for. I love the idea of linking medical horror with the Cybermen because in the end, that’s just what they are - originally thought up by a doctor fearing advances in biomechanical surgery - but this is not a particularly great execution of the idea. All conversions are done off screen and never do we really see the Cybermen before their turn into mindless drones. I find this a lot less impactful than it could’ve been and in the end, World Enough and Time has done the concept a thousand times better since. As for our other antagonists, neither feel particularly special. There’s some novelty in the spineless Dr. Farrer who’s willing to cut up surgery patients but not living people for his experiments but he kind of takes the back bench towards the end and hasn’t much impact on the plot. As for callous security officer Garnier, he just feels to me like a dull and generic tough guy without much depth who is easily and predictably overcome by rampaging cybermen in a somewhat rushed third act. In fact, that whole section is a let down from what came before, the pace falling apart slightly and once again downplaying its impact by having none of the action front and centre. Plus, the day is saved with a convenient kill switch that Dr. Farrer implemented for some reason.

Overall, The Harvest was a thoroughly fine affair with the significant advantage of introducing one of Big Finish’s best characters. It’s another addition to the ever growing pile of disappointing cyberman stories that just so happens to have a sleek and action-packed air to it. The chemistry between our three leads is immediately apparent but, though it is certainly not boring, the story could use some work here and there.

7/10

Pros:

+ Fantastic introduction to Hex

+ Really interesting and unique setting

+ Great, brisk and action-packed pace

+ Mark was some much needed comic relief

+ One of David Darlington’s best scores

Cons:

- The secondary antagonists were nothing special

- The cybermen felt underused

- The third act was underwhelming