'You can't even exterminate your way out of a tomato'

The first time I tried listening to this I'd only heard a couple of the Bernice Summerfield stories and didn't have much of a clue what was going on. There were lots of characters and events I knew nothing of, so I went back to the first audio and have now caught up.

There is there is a bit of an info dump at the start; having followed the audios but not the novels etc. it does mean there are holes in my knowledge, and this 'The story so Far...' bit doesn't help that much, or at least not as much as it should.

Here we find the that Fifth Axis have taken over the Braxiatel Collection, and one of the masterminds behind it is Benny's father! Since he doesn't seem to know her, something is amiss. Can Benny overcome the occupation, save her father and get back to her baby Peter?

The fact is that is this adventure didn't do much for me. It was in starting part two that I began to really struggle - having to go back and relisten because I wasn't taking it in (much like the first time of listening). It feels like an epic end of series finale, and perhaps if you've followed all the Benny media maybe it does. Suddenly switching to narration is a bit confusing, I thought perhaps Benny was detailing events having skipped to a later part of the tale only to find we're still where we were. Though Brax, Jason and Adrian, I'm more familier with, Bev Tarrant I don't know much of, so I have nothing invested in her. Isaac - Bennys father, and Ms Jones - again I don't know much about and feel disconnected. The Daleks don't feature that much and its disappointing. Suddenly there is something I can connect with, understand and find a foothold in the adventure, but they have a couple of brief moments and that's it. So to name the story with Daleks in the title, and barely feature them leaves you feeling cheated.

There are some good moments and interesting ideas in this, but as a follower of the Benny audio's this fails to satisfy.

Bernice Summerfield

#4.04. Death and the Daleks ~ 10/10

◆ An Introduction

The Braxiatel Collection is occupied by a load of jumped up fascists, Benny is about to have a traumatic reunion… and an old enemy has been manipulating events from behind the scenes.

Time to conclude the “Monster Season” with a special two hour long epic!

◆ Publisher’s Summary

The Braxiatel Collection has been occupied by the Fifth Axis, led by a figure from Bernice's past.

As Bernice's friends rise up to end the occupation, Bernice embarks on a desperate rescue mission, to somewhere she last went long ago.

Braxiatel confronts his destiny, Jason risks all for his love, and lives are shattered and lost, as the battle of the Braxiatel Collection reaches its epic conclusion.

Our heroes will live free or die…

◆ Prof. Bernice Summerfield

‘Death and the Daleks’ unites the entire family of this range for one action packed romp. Despite being such a crowded story, Lisa Bowerman still delivers a fantastic performance!

Benny took a long time to come round to any idea of resistance, because she had Peter to think of in all the chaos. She’s shocked to see the controller of the Fifth Axis is her father – whatever they’ve done to him, and wherever they are keeping him, she swears that she will find him. Benny can almost believe that her father would create a band of space fascists to conquer the galaxy, if he thought the cause were just. She’s not Jason’s girlfriend, and she was the one who picked him. Benny can’t believe that her father is being held on the planet Heaven; the place where she met the Doctor and Ace. She has the great idea to plan an archaeology trip in order to blag her way to Heaven. She’s settled into motherhood with ease, and she’s utterly heartbroken at the thought of leaving Peter again. After discovering the Daleks and rescuing her father, she’s so distraught that she just leaves the archaeology team on Heaven to die… lucky that Isaac is a great dad, and happy to comfort his daughter (it’s criminal that we never got another audio with Benny and Isaac). Benny sweetly admits that, once all this is over, she wants to be with Jason again… and I was over the moon when she said that, and got a little bit tearful!

◆ Jason Kane

Stephen Fewell has returned in this release, and honestly gives one of his greatest performances.

In the artificial fat suit, everyone thinks Jason is a fattened up collaborator, and that’s how he likes it. When Benny refers to herself as his wife, he’s clearly getting his hopes up that they might be getting back together (it’s rather sweet). I really love that Jason sets aside his differences with Adrian during the battle, and it’s good to know that they’ll be getting along from now on… they hope. They do start making friendly jabs at each other in the bar at the end of the story, but it’s clearly from a place of respect.

◆ Adrian Wall

Harry Myers does a marvellous job with the material in ‘Death and the Daleks’.

Adrian has been locked up in a prison camp by the occupational forces. Just as the Collection Resistance Group is about to storm the armoury… our favourite canine turns up with the Killoran branch of the liberation (and they’ve certainly got a bone to pick with the occupational forces). Seconds before the resistance are about to have a confrontation with the Daleks… and Adrian is busy considering what interior design improvements he can make to Irving’s TARDIS console room!

◆ Bev Tarrant

Louise Faulkner’s introduction to this range was a little underwhelming, but she finally gets a chance to shine in this adventure.

Bev has only been on the Collection for a couple of weeks, and already finds herself caught up in an occupation and being tortured. Don’t worry though, as everybody’s favourite “Demented Ping-Pong Ball” has come to the rescue (thank you, Joseph)! Being inside Brax’s TARDIS brings back memories for Bev, and she wonders why the Time Lords don’t rule the universe with technology like that. Once the occupation is over, Bev actually gets a bit of a promotion – being turned into Irving’s personal assistant.

◆ Irving Braxiatel (Brax of Dellah)

Miles Richardson does a terrific job in this adventure.

Braxiatel travels through time, and knows how time should go. He chose the location for the Collection because he knew it was safe and always would be. He’s rather afraid that he is becoming used to house arrest, and is seemingly just ordering his guards to bring in cups of tea for him and any guests. His life nowadays seems to be just torture and interior design! He realises that he’s been played by the Daleks, after Isaac ends up possessed by Dalek programming and hands them over to the demented pepper-pots. Shockingly… Irving completely loses his cool and nearly beats the living daylights out of the Admiral (I think this is the first time I’ve ever truly heard the Doctor’s cool-as-a-cucumber elder brother flip his lid)! Brax whispers to himself several times throughout this adventure, which at first seems like cryptic claptrap (“Time, that’s what I’m playing for”) but we know he isn’t the mysterious and kind man he appears to be from the mind wipe he gave Jason back in ‘The Mirror Effect’… and Brax’s manipulation is going to be exposed sooner than you may believe.

◆ Story Recap

The Braxiatel Collection was constructed on asteroid KS-159 for a reason – it was meant to be completely safe throughout all eras of time. Irving knew that, because he’s from Gallifrey, and he’s travelled through time… so an invasion by a jumped-up group of xenophobic fascists was more than a little unexpected.

The Collection has been under the occupation of the Fifth Axis for a few weeks now, but most people are doing their bit to aid the resistance movement – Jason has been attempting to build mercenary forces off-world, in order to deliver a killing blow when the time comes. Bev Tarrant is being tortured by an agent of the Axis that just so happens to be romancing Clarissa Jones (the Collection’s former Head of Administration). Adrian and the other aliens are being treat as slave labour by the Axis, and they’re all about to be shipped off-world. Then there is Braxiatel, who is currently under “house arrest” in his office, as the high-ups of the Fifth Axis attempt to gain control of his time technology.

As for Benny, she’s about to get a rude awakening… as her father is being used by the Daleks as their battle computer, and as the puppet leader of the Fifth Axis!

◆ Seeking Clarissa Jones

Paul Cornell takes advantage of the extended runtime to do something much grander and more explosive than we’re perhaps used to in this range: the focus on action throughout ‘Death and the Daleks’ is simply fantastic.

The idea of what Benny and her crew believed to be their one safe haven being invaded is such a juicy one, and the whole family is along for the ride too! The Braxiatel Collection has become an unhappy place during the occupation, because the Fifth Axis are essentially space Nazis attempting to enforce their ideology on the people of the Collection – most of whom are academics, too well educated to become collaborators… but that doesn’t stop some people.

Clarissa Jones previously only appeared in BigFinish’s range of ‘Bernice Summerfield’ novels, but I found her subplot in this adventure really fascinating. She fell in love with a member of the Fifth Axis and entered into a romantic relationship with him, which unsurprisingly means she’s been branded a collaborator by the people she once believed to be her friends; she clearly wants to help them, but is conflicted because of her feelings for Moskof. For Ms Jones, the occupation really isn’t a black or white situation.

◆ Conquest via Proxy

It transpires that the Daleks are the power fuelling the Fifth Axis, using them to unknowingly distribute their own ideals throughout the cosmos: they’re essentially trying to conquer the universe via proxy.

This is a fascinating idea, so it saddens me that both the title and artwork for this adventure spoil who the enemies are. The reveal of the Dalek on Heaven could’ve been an amazing surprise, because their involvement is hidden so well up until that point.

◆ Sound Design

There are some incredibly peaceful scenes throughout this adventure, which makes it all the more impactful when the soundscape kicks into high gear and decides to bombard you with action set-pieces! Excellent work from David Darlington.

Tweeting birds in the gardens of the Collection, as Benny begins to recount what happened in the final days of the Axis Occupation. A blaring alarm in the Fifth Axis’ communication room. Braxiatel’s office contains a roaring fire and a ticking grandfather clock, as classical music plays in the background. Flowing water in the Collection’s grand gardens. Howling winds at the labour camps where Adrian and his people are being put to work. The planet Heaven is gorgeously peaceful on the surface; with native birds cawing in the distance and a nearby stream trickling away (many would call it paradise). Thirty minutes into the adventure and chaos erupts, as the uprising finally kicks into high gear at the Collection; with an explosion killing three Axis members. The voice of the Daleks genuinely made me jump when they first appeared, accompanied by that thrumming metallic heartbeat you hear in any of their ships. Masses of explosions, as the Daleks start firing rockets at the ship carrying Benny, Jason and Isaac. The battle between the Collection Resistance Group and the Fifth Axis is absolutely magnificent; alarms blaring on all sides and laser fire being exchanged between the opposing sides. The wonderful sound of Brax’s TARDIS materialising in the heat of battle.

◆ Music

‘Death and the Daleks’ features an excellent score. It really helps sell the atmosphere of fear and suspicion present during the occupation.

It’s also worth mentioning that this adventure is the last time we’re going to be hearing the original theme tune for the range. We get a sneak preview of the replacement during the end credits, and it sounds excellent – very Metroid-esque.

◆ Conclusion

“The battle for the Braxiatel Collection begins tonight!”

The Fifth Axis have been this background presence since the second series of the range, and they’ve been rapidly gaining power. Now asteroid KS-159 has been invaded, but Benny and her gang will make sure the occupation is a short one.

‘Death and the Daleks’ really feels like an epic finale that we’ve been building up to for several seasons; the stakes are as high as they can go, and the Daleks are using a human fascist group to spread their own ideals through the cosmos.

It’s also worth mentioning how amazing it is to hear the entire Collection family in action – Jason assists Benny in liberating her father from being a Dalek Battle Computer, Bev is the power behind the resistance movement, Adrian is being forced into slave labour, and Irving is being interrogated because the Axis want his TARDIS! There’s action and drama, and it’s just a sheer epic.