A little bit of a departure from the previous episodes. A planet with slave miners, but what are they digging for?

Of course Missy is behind it; the slaves are digging for her, but there are monsters, a rebellion and the planet seems to be the inside of an animal.

It does show the evil side of Missy, unlike the first three episode where she’s been more disruptive and meddlesome. Work the slave until they die and then get more - it is an interesting place to be as a listener. You are kind of rooting for Missy, but also the slaves.

To begin with I did wonder where this story was going. Its mostly told from the slaves point of view, its not much of a spoiler, there are clones, and some unanswered questions that you need to bear with, but it all works out in the end.

I do have to give a shout out for Michelle Gomez’s accents in this series she’s brilliant at them and its very entertaining.

Shockingly dark. I love the deranged tone, and the deranged lead performance, of this entire series so far.

In the crowded field of excellent actors who have taken up the mantle of The Master, Michelle Gomez manages to stand out and bring something unforgettable to the role. There’s a strange terror embedded in not knowing how Gomez will perform the next line. It’s an unpredictably that just feels evil.

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

"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.