The Monthly Adventures #011 - "The Apocalypse Element" by Stephen Cole

The Monthly Adventures’ Dalek Empire Arc was strange for many reasons. Four audios that are mostly unrelated connected via their focus on the titular kingdom of nazi pepperpots was characterised by slow and uninventive stories that have already demonstrated the extent of their quality with utter atrocity that was The Genocide Machine. The Apocalypse Element is probably the most well-known of these four stories purely because it involves Gallifrey and has been retroactively tied into the Time War. It’s got Time Lords, it’s got Daleks, and it’s got the powerhouse TARDIS team of Six and Evelyn in the middle of it all, so surely there is no way it could possibly disappoint. Somehow, Stephen Cole found a way for it to disappoint.

Unintentionally wrapped up in the Dalek invasion of the planet Archtryx, the Doctor and Evelyn uncover a decades old plot including the kidnapping of an old friend and a plan to destroy the entire universe as we know it.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

I have listened to The Apocalypse Element twice now, having finished my second listen just a few hours ago. Before writing this review, I had to look up the plot to remind myself of what had happened. You could not pay me to tell you what transpired in The Apocalypse Element, you also could not pay me to tell you a single character’s name besides our recurring cast members. You may notice the length of this review and how short it is; I assure you, this is every thought I have on The Apocalypse Element. Romana was a great inclusion, she’s one of my favourite companions and every story that has her is better because of it (I should really get around to listening to Gallifrey one day). This being one of the opening battles of the Time War is a really cool piece of lore and it’s the type of thing I go to Doctor Who for: some neat worldbuilding plus some added context for later stories. Unfortunately, past these elements, I can not remember anything that happened.

I really can’t express this enough, I feel it’s physically impossible for this story to hold my attention. The Daleks were mining an element that could, somehow, blow up the universe when ignited - I think. That is pretty much all I can recall. Not only is the premise lacking a lot of originality, so is pretty much everything else. Evelyn is written particularly poorly here - she’s sidelined for a lot of the story (I can’t actually remember anything she does) but I do recall her acting like a feckless old grandmother, constantly stopping in the middle of a crisis to compliment people’s jewellery. This is not only against Evelyn’s established character, it just feels insulting towards one of the best companions. The Daleks are at their worst too. I always find an issue with Dalek stories where there are thousands of them crushing a planet, because they feel too big to be an understandable entity, they just become a force without character and, by extension, threat. We need little intimate moments of pain and suffering to really show off their evil, but we just don’t get it. And then there’s this story’s biggest sin: it’s really, really boring. When the second part ended, I legitimately thought it was the end of the audio and audibly groaned when I realised I was only half way through. It’s bloated, padded and fills this space with nothing interesting; the dialogue is boring, the Daleks are unoriginal, it boasts no interesting ideas, and I think that’s the most a Doctor Who story can fail at, feeling generic and dull.

You may call this an unfair review since I can’t actually remember most of what I’m evaluating but since I listened to this literally earlier today, I think it’s fair to call The Apocalypse Element a complete misfire.

4/10

Pros:

+ Romana was a wonderful inclusion in the story

+ Loved the lore it introduced and its historical place in the show

Cons:

- Evelyn is incredibly wasted and acts constantly out of character.

- One of the most forgettable stories I’ve ever listened to

- The Daleks are simply too massive to feel threatening

- Drags on for two parts too long

I did not care for this audio much at all. Sure, it makes an interesting sort of prelude to Time War content, I guess, but otherwise it just feels like a waste. A waste of Evelyn Smythe, who felt like such a strong companion in her initial appearances, a waste of Romana's return, a waste of the Daleks, and a waste of the Time Lords. Even the sound effects got annoying after a while. Not a fun audio, definitely not something I would like to revisit any time soon, and overall a bit of a disappointment, even by early Big Finish standards. That being said, it very much feels like something the company would be able to polish more in the future.

I do appreciate its role in Who history though, and this is an early yet great prototype to the great voice acting of Nicholas Briggs for the Daleks, which I definitely think is a bright spot here in an otherwise very skippable audio.

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.

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.

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

Middle of the road Dalek slop. The only redeeming factor in this story is that it has the return of Lalla Ward as Romana II. Even then she doesn't reunite with the Doctor until a good deal into the story. Maggie Stables is doing fantastically as Evelyn and I found the bit where she did the Dalek impression funny. Colin Baker is trying his best to salvage this story and it says a lot about him that even in as boring a snooze-fest as this he's putting in a really strong performance.

Aside from the excellent lead cast, this story has nothing going for it. The Daleks are as simple and one-dimensional as ever. Their grating voices are not suited to the audio medium whatsoever and for some reason Stephen Cole thinks we need a 20 second action sequence that we can't even see that consists of nothing but Dalek lasers firing and exploding things. That kind of action simply doesn't work, especially without any dialogue throughout the entire thing to atleast tell you what's going on.

It's a shame 6 and Evelyn have had a dud only 3 stories into their run. I really hope this story ends up being an exception.

Next Story: Bloodtide