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TARDIS Guide

Overview

Released

Monday, August 7, 2000

Written by

Stephen Cole

Runtime

137 minutes

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Self-destruct

Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!)

Dalek Empire

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Etra Prime, Archetryx, Gallifrey, The Panopticon

Synopsis

When the planet Archetryx is threatened by a Dalek assault squad, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn become embroiled in an ever-deepening mystery. What has become of President Romana, missing for twenty years? What lurks in the vast gravity wells of Archetryx? What is the secret of the ancient element the Daleks are synthesising — and how does Gallifrey feature in their plans?

The Doctor finds that if his oldest enemies cannot conquer the universe they will watch it go up in flames...

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11 reviews

In the olden times Dalaks vs Timelords might have been a novel idea but this story is trying way too hard to be a visual spectacle. It’s way too convoluted and action packed, full of gunfights and battles that's really hard to capture in audio format - to the point this kind of becomes hard to listen to. The idea of a planet being stolen, Romana being captured, and Gallifrey being invaded are great but most of these are lost in the inconsistent tone and bizarre pacing


Allowableman2

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A bit of a slog to get through - repetitive, and not much joy or enjoyment.

However, I do have to give it for its ambition, which does feel commendable, and does a little to help. Additionally, Romana and the duo of Evelyne and the Sixth Doctor is as great as always, which again, makes it a lot better than it could have been.


joeymapes21

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This review contains spoilers!

Eis aqui uma nítida tentativa com tamanho esforço da BIG FINISH em apresentar sua primeira peça antológica, épica e pesada entregando um enredo de perigo em alto escala. Infelizmente Stephen Cole não conseguiu transmitir toda a proposta se escorando em vários clichês vistos em inúmeras histórias Daleks com direito a doses exageradas de ação que na maioria dos casos prejudicam bastante a experiencia do ouvinte, as repetições de cenas de batalha unidas a uma poluição sonora caótica dos efeitos especiais se tornam um fator desgastante durante toda uma jornada de 2 horas. Sua narrativa dinâmica falha trazendo confusão e uma falsa sensação de inconsistência que no fim acaba caindo em outras repetições que não adicionam nada de interessante ou que incline sua história para outros caminhos, fica evidente a tentativa do escritor em enriquecer mais seus minutos e trazer toda uma atmosfera de “Esse vai ser o fim do Universo” “O céu está caindo”, tudo parece agir de forma frenética, bagunçada com pouco senso de organização por parte da escrita, lembrando até mesmo alguns casos vistos em episódio do New Who. Mesmo diante de muitos deslizes, The Apocalypse Element ainda é um pouco sustentado por alguns de seus detalhes, ganchos e conceitos importantes de continuidade que merecem ser destacados como pontos positivos – Temos a primeira invasão dos Daleks em Gallifrey um sonho antigo Whovian de Time Lords Vs Daleks se realizando servindo até mesmo como protótipo da Guerra do Tempo, a Colisão dos planetas serve como um belo gancho para a série o spin-off “Gallifrey”, e claro a ponte feita para Romana II em “Nerveland” (áudio do 8° Doctor) que além de ter sido escrava dos Daleks por longos e árduos 20 anos, esse é o evento que revela seu novo posto como Presidente de Gallifrey. Embora careça de profundidade em seus detalhes, The Apocalypse Element consegue entregar um enredo regular ficando um pouco longe de uma avaliação negativa seu maior erro foi repetir mal uma velha receita de enredo Dalek manjada que só serviu para tirar brilho de sua história e ofuscou seus detalhes importantes.

Here is a clear attempt with a great effort from BIG FINISH in presenting its first anthological piece, epic and heavy, delivering a plot of high-scale danger. Unfortunately, Stephen Cole did not manage to convey the whole proposal, leaning on several clichés seen in countless Dalek stories, with excessive doses of action that in most cases greatly harm the listener's experience. The repetitions of battle scenes combined with a chaotic noise pollution from the special effects become a tiring factor during a whole 2-hour journey. Its dynamic narrative fails, bringing confusion and a false sense of inconsistency which in the end falls into other repetitions that do not add anything interesting or incline its story towards other paths. It is evident the writer's attempt to enrich his minutes and bring a whole atmosphere of “This is going to be the end of the Universe,” “The sky is falling” – everything seems to act in a frenetic, messy way with little sense of organization by the writing, even reminiscent of some instances seen in an episode of the New Who. Despite many slips, The Apocalypse Element is still somewhat sustained by some of its details, hooks, and important continuity concepts that deserve to be highlighted as positive points – We have the first invasion of the Daleks in Gallifrey, a long-time Whovian dream of Time Lords Vs Daleks realizing even serving as a prototype of the Time War, the collision of the planets serves as a beautiful hook for the series and the spin-off “Gallifrey”, and of course the bridge made for Romana II in “Nerveland” (audio of the 8th Doctor) who, having been enslaved by the Daleks for long and arduous 20 years, this is the event that reveals her new position as President of Gallifrey. Although lacking depth in its details, The Apocalypse Element manages to deliver a regular plot staying slightly away from a negative evaluation – its biggest mistake was to poorly repeat an old and well-known Dalek plot recipe that only served to dull the shine of its story and overshadow its important details.

(Translation generated by AI, so mistakes are possible).


KnuppMello

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It’s been a while since I listen to that one, but from what I can recall, I really dig this one. Having Romana here is lovely, she and six have such an interesting dynamic, Evelyn is as lovely as ever.
This one was one that had a much bigger scale, some may say a bit too ambitious, but I appreciate that BF early on this did this already. That said, it can get messy very quickly. That also being said: It has Romana, which makes it go higher if it didn’t have her.
Overall a flawed Story, that I still enjoy.


RandomJoke

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This review contains spoilers!

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

“The Apocalypse Element: A Chaotic but Ambitious Dalek Epic”

Stephen Cole's The Apocalypse Element ambitiously expands the Dalek Empire arc, plunging the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn into a sprawling tale of Gallifreyan politics, Dalek schemes, and interstellar peril. With high stakes, explosive action, and the return of a fan-favourite character, this audio drama has all the makings of a major event.

The opening is strong, immediately throwing listeners into the chaos of missing planets, strange spatial phenomena, and Gallifreyan intrigue. The tension builds effectively in the first installment, aided by Evelyn's relatable, comedic perspective as she struggles to comprehend the futuristic world around her. Her wandering off into trouble feels consistent with her character, though it sidelines her somewhat compared to previous stories.

The story’s scope is undeniably ambitious, with Dalek attacks, gravity wells, and galaxy-spanning danger. The concept of gravity wells is particularly imaginative and works surprisingly well in the audio format. However, the sheer amount of action and rapid pacing can make the story difficult to follow at times. Action sequences, while dramatic, occasionally lack clarity, and the dense plot risks overwhelming the listener.

Colin Baker delivers a more subdued performance as the Doctor, playing his role with a careful intensity that fits the story’s high stakes. Maggie Stables as Evelyn takes a bit of a backseat in this outing, partly to make room for the return of Lalla Ward as Romana II.

Romana’s return is a highlight, with Ward effortlessly stepping back into the role and commanding attention in every scene. This story gives her a strong and powerful presence, reminding listeners why she remains one of the most beloved companions in Doctor Who history. Unfortunately, other characters, including Vansell and the Lord President, fail to leave much of an impression, blending too much into the background.

The cliffhanger at the end of Part 1, with Dalek mutants attacking the Doctor and Trinket, stands out as one of the more effective and memorable moments of early Big Finish. However, the story's overall length—each part running over 30 minutes—does lead to some pacing issues, particularly in the middle sections.

While The Apocalypse Element lays the groundwork for future storylines, including the Gallifrey series and the larger Dalek Empire arc, it struggles to fully capitalise on its potential in the audio format. The scale and spectacle of the story might have been better served in a visual medium, as the dense narrative sometimes feels overlong and cumbersome.

📝Verdict: 7/10

For fans of the Daleks, Romana, and high-stakes Gallifreyan drama, this story offers much to enjoy. However, its sprawling ambition and chaotic execution may leave some listeners feeling overwhelmed. Despite its flaws, The Apocalypse Element remains an important and memorable chapter in the early Big Finish catalogue.


MrColdStream

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Quotes

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TRINKETT: Well, personnel restrictions do apply to Time Lords too. You've placed us in a difficult position, Delegate Doctor.

DOCTOR: For which I cannot apologise enough, so I shan't even start. Now, tell me, Monitor Trinkett, have you noticed anything untoward in this sector of space recently?

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