The Monthly Adventures #045 - “Project: Lazarus" by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright

It’s the second instalment of the Forge Arc that begins to bear its ugly underbelly. Project: Lazarus marks Cavan Scott and Mark Wright’s sudden veer into melodrama, going from the dark, depressing and brilliant Project: Twilight to three stumbles of the world’s strangest Bond film, full of camp villains and ridiculous set pieces. This’ll be the trend for the rest of this arc and, unfortunately, the rest of this duo’s scripts, excluding a couple I haven’t listened to yet, culminating in the aggressively bombastic Project: Destiny. But we have a long, long way to go until then, and for now, we have Nimrod’s next big plan to contend with.

Finally having a cure to the Twilight Virus, the Doctor returns to Norway to cure Cassandra Schofield of her infliction. But a bug in the TARDIS lands them years too late, where they find the situation to have escalated and the Forge to have taken control.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

I think this is probably the first direct sequel of the Main Range, so how about we begin by recapping. The story opens back in Norway, with the Doctor and Evelyn trying to find Cassie Schofield and cure her of the twilight virus. Instantly, another dark setting with vampires running about in it, seems like the natural follow-up to Project: Twilight, but strangely enough, it isn’t. There are some distinctly disturbing moments in Project: Lazarus, sure, but for the most part, this takes a much different, much stranger cadence. It’s more a schlocky spy-caper than anything, with cartoonish secret organisations and dream logic thought up by an over-imaginative child. I don’t hate it per say (and it will get a whole lot worse in later stories) but it’s a weird departure from its predecessor. The whole thing is very over the top, which makes it strange when it suddenly decides to drop some of Big Finish’s best character work so far on you. The end to Part Two is absolutely the highlight of the story and what it chooses to do with Evelyn is just sublime. The raw emotion and humanity with which Scott and Wright portray Evelyn is probably the best execution of her character as of now, though it will be perfected in Arrangements for War, and I think it makes for the best part of Project: Lazarus. The fallout from Cassie’s murder is easily some of the best acting I’ve seen out of the Main Range, it made an average scene one of the greatest. As for the story, I have my issues with it but I do have to say the choice for it to switch to a Seventh Doctor story halfway through is inspired, that it is a really fun idea that I think they handle well. And of course, multi-doctor shenanigans are always a good time, even if it’s technically not multi-doctor. But at the end of the day, it’s fun. That’s Project: Lazarus’ greatest attribute, it’s a fun story. Not amazing by any means, hell, I think good can be a stretch at points, but you won’t be bored and you won’t be let down, it’s Doctor Who’s action adventure, quick and fast and in the end, enjoyable.

And yet, Project: Lazarus is one of those stories that is fun to experience but not great to analyse. For one, I think the plot, whilst novel, is messy. The story being split into two is a fun idea but I don’t think it’s executed well, since neither half is long enough for the story to be impactful; they both go so quickly. The first half especially, since Part One feels like an entirely different audio, set in Norway running around with a cryptid hunter. And then there’s the melodrama; look, you can be as self-aware as you like but acknowledging bad writing doesn’t make it better, and it doesn’t make this script any less melodramatic. The dialogue especially is awful, ripped directly from some low-budget 80s action movie, full of one-liners and completely unnatural sentences that no human would ever say. It’s not excruciatingly bad but it takes a lot of tension out of the more climactic scenes. And then there’s the logic, which is just insulting half the time. Cassie breaking out of deep rooted mind control because Evelyn shouted at her about her son for two minutes. Or the Doctor clone for some reason being able to mimic voices for plot convenience. And back to that whole brainwashing thing, I hate it when a story tries to kill a character, or does a twist reveal that they’re working for the opposite side, and then only go halfway with it. Like here, the Doctor’s mistake can’t have pushed Cassie into the manipulations of Nimrod. No, she had to be mind controlled. Wouldn’t it hit harder if she actually was taken in by the Forge?

All in all, Project: Lazarus was disappointing. Not terrible - it was an enjoyable listen - but it’s simply messy. Bad logic and an underworked story with some genuinely admirable things hidden in there. It’s also somewhat of a disappointment as a follow up to Project: Twilight. I’ve seen worse, but I’ve seen much better.

6/10

Pros:

+ Evelyn’s best episode yet, with a fantastic performance from Maggie Stables

+ Ending to Part 2 is utterly traumatic

+ Great multi-doctor shenanigans in second half

+ At the end of the day, incredibly fun

Cons:

- Incredibly messy story that never finds time to settle

- Dialogue is completely ridiculous

- Runs with the same logic as a below-average spy caper

I prefer this one over its former Entry (Project Twilight) it still suffers from some of the same Problems, such as its Nature of being graphic at times, that said it's much less prevalent here. I really enjoyed the 7 Part of this Story, is it perfect? Not at all. But the whole Idea of the Clone Doctor is quite a fun one, which is used rather well, even if it's a bit stupid. The former Part with 6 and Evelyn still does put this Audio down for me.

A very messy Audio with some great Things to it, but still I can't really call myself a Fan of it.

📝9/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

A TALE OF TWO DOCTORS: VAMPIRES, THE FORGE, AND TWISTS IN TIME

Big Finish follows Project: Twilight with Project: Lazarus, a dark and complex multi-Doctor story by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright. This gripping adventure sees the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn on a vampire hunt, reuniting with Cassie, the woman they left behind in Norway, to offer her a cure for the vampire virus. However, they soon find themselves entangled in a sinister plot involving vampiric murders, scientific experimentation, and the mysterious Forge organisation.

A Grim Start:

Part 1 sets the stage with chilling ease, establishing the atmosphere and reintroducing key players like the manipulative Nimrod and the tragic Cassie. By Part 2, the focus shifts to the Forge’s experiments—using alien DNA to enable vampires to stun rather than kill their victims. While the Doctor investigates the Forge’s dark plans, Evelyn reconnects with Cassie, whose transformation into a vampire has made her bitter and angry. Evelyn’s own heart condition is a subtle yet poignant reminder of her vulnerability, adding layers to her character.

The tension escalates dramatically when the Doctor is lured into a trap—Nimrod needs Time Lord regeneration knowledge for his experiments. In one harrowing scene, the Doctor endures immense pain as part of Nimrod's attempts to force him to regenerate. The conclusion of Part 2 is both shocking and sombre, as Cassie sacrifices herself to save the Doctor and Evelyn, leading to a gut-wrenching moment where Evelyn is left weeping alone in the TARDIS.

A Twist in Time:

Part 3 introduces an unexpected twist: the Seventh Doctor arrives at the Forge, only to discover the Sixth Doctor working for the organisation as their scientific advisor. This unusual take on a multi-Doctor story is fascinating. The Seventh Doctor is appalled by his predecessor’s apparent betrayal, while Six insists he’s trying to reform the Forge and prevent an invasion of Earth (an oddly underdeveloped subplot).

The tension between the two incarnations is palpable, with Baker delivering a strikingly different performance. His version of Six is cowardly and conniving, raising doubts about his true identity. The reveal in Part 4—that this “Doctor” is a genetically engineered clone, one of many—adds a surreal and thrilling layer to the narrative. McCoy also excels as the Seventh Doctor, unleashing his manipulative side while uncovering the truth about his predecessor’s replacement.

Dramatic Climax and Themes:

The final act pulls together the narrative threads as Nimrod faces rebellion from his own organisation, with the Forge itself turning against him. While the techno-babble in the second half dilutes some of the earlier drama, the contrasting approaches of the two Doctors in dealing with the Huldrans keep the tension alive. The mystery of Evelyn’s whereabouts adds intrigue, though it frustratingly remains unresolved.

Cassie’s arc is the story’s emotional heart. Rose Cavaliero shines as the now-vengeful Cassie (or Artemis), exploring her anger, newfound power, and tragic brainwashing to forget her son. Her journey raises weighty questions about the consequences of the Doctor’s actions.

The supporting cast is a mixed bag. Stephen Chance commands attention as Nimrod, particularly in his confrontations with Baker and McCoy, while the Forge scientists are more one-dimensional, though Dr Crumpton’s rebellion against Nimrod adds a spark. Vidar Magnussen is memorable as Professor Harket, capturing the essence of scientific passion rooted in folklore, but his early death in Part 1 feels like a missed opportunity.

Atmosphere and Sound:

The Norwegian setting, with its dark, wintry November backdrop, builds a chilling and eerie atmosphere, perfectly complemented by the dramatic score and stellar sound design. These elements heighten the story’s most intense moments, keeping listeners on edge throughout.

Final Thoughts:

Project: Lazarus is an ambitious, thought-provoking tale that expertly weaves character drama with political intrigue and moral dilemmas. While its complex narrative occasionally stumbles, it offers a bold and compelling continuation of the Forge saga. The performances, particularly from Baker, Stables, and Cavaliero, elevate the story, delivering both emotional depth and gripping tension.

A daring, multi-layered story that challenges its characters—and its audience—with haunting themes and clever twists.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• Finland and Sweden are mentioned in passing - this makes me happy!

The second half of this story is one of Colin Baker’s finest performances. He brings so much terror and emotion to his role as the cloned Doctor. It’s a beautiful *not quite* multi-Doctor story that outshines every other BF multi-Doctor story I’ve heard (even Cold Fusion). A proper plot to get their teeth stuck into (even if you work out pretty quickly that something is up with 6th Doctor).

On that note - Big Finish has dreamed up few images more abhorrent than vats full of failed Colin Baker clones. Yuck! Imagine them all in their coats.

Sylvester wins runner up prize for best performance - he is on stellar form as the sleuth of the episode, working out what has gone wrong with his predecessor and The Forge.

The first half of this story, and the whole of it’s predecessor ‘Project: Twilight’ were interesting but less exceptional for me. In their defense I am not at all a fan of vampire stories and Evelyn and the 6th Doctor bring more than enough to the table with their character moments. We’re left on a bit of a cliffhanger regarding Evelyn’s health - I can’t wait to see how this unfolds!

Very enjoyable story, or should that be stories given the fact there is very much a split in the middle. I really liked the previous Forge story, so to follow it on was great. Evelyn's revelation with Cassie was so sad, and I knew something like this was coming there had been hints, I just hope she tells the Doctor. Some great moments for her, and the Doctor in this. The second part of the story is not as good, but it is still good! I enjoyed the twist, unfortunately I did manage to get this spoiled but it was fairly obvious something was amiss. Overall, a really solid MR story!