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"Belly of the Beast: A Villain's Perspective"

Belly of the Beast wraps up the first Missy set with a grand and chaotic finale that ties together elements from the preceding stories. The opening sequences echo the tone and energy of A Spoonful of Mayhem, delivering a fast-paced, high-stakes narrative. Here, Missy is orchestrating a mining operation fueled by slave labor, with hints of rebellion simmering beneath the surface. The setup feels reminiscent of a classic Third Doctor story—but with the villain in the spotlight.

The story thrives on the mystery of Missy’s true motives. As the slaves uncover her hidden secrets, the tension builds and the puzzle slowly comes together. This perspective shift offers a refreshing look at the kind of nefarious schemes you’d expect from Missy, played to wicked perfection by Michelle Gomez.

While the story maintains a strong atmosphere and brisk pacing, it can be somewhat convoluted, making it challenging to follow at times. However, the intrigue of Missy’s plan and the added stakes of a rebellion keep the listener engaged.

The arrival of monsters in the second half ups the tension and adds a layer of danger to the unfolding drama. The narrative becomes even more entertaining when it turns into a multi-Missy story, allowing Gomez to flex her acting chops as multiple versions of the character interact and clash.

📝 Verdict: 7/10

Belly of the Beast is a fitting conclusion to the set, blending chaos, humor, and villainy in a way only Missy can. Despite some messy storytelling, the clever twists, tense atmosphere, and multi-Missy antics make for an enjoyablefinale.

A suitably batty story for Missy. This one concerns a group of clones who the Doctor's arch nemesis enslaves inside a giant stone beast, and it's exactly as manic as you'd expect from this character. This audio really does a good job at conveying the Master's more manipulative side, as she makes a number of dark and calculative moves regarding the clones who decide to rebel against her rule.