probably the most average dalek outing ive listened to, its just. There, honestly

Seria de um bem danado para as futuras histórias Daleks seguirem os exemplos de The Mutant Phase e The Genocide Machine que fogem do convencional evitando os clichês e desenrolares previsíveis – O Doutor e Nyssa voltam para a Terra no século 22 dominada pelos Daleks com poucos humanos sobreviventes. Um vírus altamente danoso começa a assombrar os vilões podendo custar até mesmo a existência de sua espécie, chamado “A Fase Mutante” ou se preferir “O Estado Mutante” é o suficiente para as criaturas aprisionarem o Doutor e sua TARDIS em um corredor temporal o forçando a ajuda-los. Isso faz com que os Daleks se tornam uma peça muito mais interessante estando totalmente vulneráveis, deixa aqueles clichês de lado que na maioria das vezes envolve um plano de dominação em alta escala ou uma arma destruidora de planetas - Sim de fato talvez essa história deveria ter uma minutagem menor como muitos criticam, mesmo com isso o que preenche esse meio tempo (que poderia ser cortado), acaba sendo satisfatório e muito benéfico para o desenvolvimento e envolvimento dos ouvintes com os personagens secundários que de meros NPCs (podemos dizer assim haha) Ptolem e Ganatus crescem de forma absurda no enredo. [⚠ SPOILERS] O conceito das “vespas assassinas” são bem sacadas com uma explicação bem convincente, devido à mutação geneticamente modificada os enxames se tornaram letais, uma ameaça até mesmo para uma raça superior e poderosa, os Daleks, o que faz sentido o tempo altera coisas já estabelecidas, e infelizmente já tivemos vários casos de vírus dominando uma raça “”superior””, se pesarmos bem é algo que poderia facilmente ter sido visto como algo bastante ridículo, mas felizmente a ideia é muito bem reproduzida trazendo desenrolares sólidos seguindo uma ótima estrutura convencendo seu ouvinte a aceita-la. [⚠ FIM DE SPOILERS] Mas infelizmente The Mutant Phase não se mostrou indiferente de suas histórias anteriores (The Land Of The Dead e Winter For The Adept), apresentando o mesmo diagnostico de desandar em um certo momento... Isso porque, em sua última parte Nicholas Briggs causa enormes confusões bem timey wimey envolvendo paradoxos, corredores temporais, paradoxos interrompendo anomalias temporais e bla bla...uma confusão danada que requer muita atenção. Mas no meio disso tudo o que me chamou mais atenção nesse bloco final, foi quando questionado por Nyssa, o Doutor explica de uma forma esquisitíssima que essa situação se difere a da Morte do Adric no que se disse em voltar no tempo para salva-lo, sinceramente eu não entendi foi nada. No geral The Mutant Phase é o que mais desejo para as futuras histórias Daleks, menos “pega pega Dalek” e mais conceitos e formas diferentes de incluírem os saleiros em tramas realmente instigantes.

This audio had all the markings of something I wasn't going to enjoy.  It is a script by Nicholas Briggs, which usually means it is a story I'm either going to really love or really hate.  It's part of the Dalek Empire storyline which in general I haven't connected with much at all.  In fact, The Mutant Phase is the only chapter of that loose arc I've actually very much enjoyed so far.  And it is generally not very well liked among the fan community.

Yet I found myself enjoying every part of The Mutant Phase and happily following along through the adventure.  It felt like a story that very much kept the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa active and engaged with the events at hand.  I really liked how the Daleks reacted from this genetic disease of sorts spreading through them.  I thought it was well done and fun how they were panicking about this but not really willing to seek out help, either.  We don't often see these villains on the back foot like this - at a distinct disadvantage and in a fairly weak position.  It was very well done on the whole, leaving it the strongest aspect of the audio.

I mostly liked how it was all resolved through a paradox, to a degree, although that part is also where Mutant Phase is at its weakest - being an entertaining enough novelty while also being a little overblown and this still being early for Big Finish to rely this much on sound effects in resolving the plot.  Still, I did enjoy it, and would definitely recommend The Mutant Phase.

13.05.2022

Entertaining enough, but mostly just fills the space. You're not bored listening to this, but there's nothing to hold onto and savor really. A perfectly fine 3/5 story. Not the worst Dalek outing.

MR 015: The Mutant Phase

😴 😴 🛌 💤

Wha... what was that? Oh there was an audio here? Oh right. Uh... Daleks have a mutation that makes them into scary flying killers. More than they already are anyway. The Daleks and Thals are working together to try to stop the mutation at its source which turns out to be a wasp stinging a badly damaged Dalek during the Dalek Invasion of Earth.

It's wild to me, though, that this audio is the follow up to Holy Terror, the BEST audio so far, an absolute masterpiece. And then this one comes along and is dull as hell. The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa continue to be pretty boring here. Nyssa retains some of her combative personality with the Doctor from her previous audios, which is nice, but it's all so bland and formulaic.

The mutant phase itself is an interesting concept, but it quickly gets subverted in favor of a "changing time bad" story which then changes into a "paradox" story. The Doctor says "fate, never heard of it," which is a cool line... except for the fact that he constantly argues in favor of maintaining history as he remembers it in history books. So he absolutely does believe in fate.

The paradox is just as uninteresting as the rest of the plot around it. The Dalek Emperor went back in time with them to stop the mutant phase, but his using the pesticide to kill the wasp is what triggers the mutation. Because the Daleks had already identified it and were going to get rid of it themselves. Or something. Honestly, I checked out a long time ago.

I think, at this point, BF is kind of floundering with both the Fifth Doctor and the Daleks. The Fifth Doctor himself is hard to make interesting, clearly. They had an interesting story in Winter for the Adept, but not becasue of the Doctor or Nyssa. And their Dalek stories thus far have been pretty dull and formulaic. They don't really know yet what to do with them, I think. They don't have the Time War to play with either. We'll see if that trend continues.

The Monthly Adventures #015 - "The Mutant Phase" by Nicholas Briggs

Going off one of the most unique and fascinating stories I’ve ever experienced, I was not happy to see I was going into yet another instalment of the utter thrillride that is the Dalek Empire quadrilogy, now penned by Nick Briggs himself, who did just such a stand up job on his last script. I’ve listened to The Mutant Phase before and when I did, I remember liking some ideas in it, but finding the story and characters all together lacking. Listening to it again, I can say I was very, very much right the first time around, The Mutant Phase is another very dull story, although, I can certainly say it does try.

Chasing a strange fluctuation in the vortex, the Doctor and Nyssa find themselves stranded in a universe ravaged by the Mutant Phase, a genetic disease that turns Daleks into insectoid abominations

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

As is common for these Dalek Empire stories, there isn’t a whole lot to talk about with The Mutant Phase, it’s not as bog-standard as its two predecessors but it certainly doesn’t do well at filling its time. I’d actually call this the best of the quadrilogy so far because I actually quite liked what it was going for, the idea of it is genuinely really interesting. A parasitic wasp has caused a genetic fault in the Daleks that has resulted in a mutation that leaves the pepperpots as ravenous, unstoppable beasts, which has caused history to change and the universe to end. The mutant phase is a terrifying force to be reckoned with for one thing but I also like the sci-fi angle of the paradox; I always love when Doctor Who utilises its concept as a time travel show to create a conundrum. Mainly I just admire this story - The Genocide Machine and The Apocalypse Element were both so generic I could barely keep my focus up but The Mutant Phase actually has a good idea behind it, and I really can’t fault it for that. Other positives? I don't know, a lot of this story is just fine. The acting's fine. The sound design's fine. A lot of it's fine.

However, there are some major places where it slips up. The script is too long and too boring, none of the characters are memorable in any respect, the narrative is a mess. It jumps location about three times in the first two parts, changing characters along with settings and it makes the plot both jarring and underdeveloped. Eventually, all this meandering leads to an incredibly convoluted ending that feels as messy as Briggs’ previous work. So, the paradox began when the Dalek Emperor hidden in the body of a human scientist (doesn’t really make sense for a Dalek to willingly do this, given the whole superior species mantra and all plus the scientist never has a hint of acting like a Dalek, even after the reveal of his true identity, I’m off topic now) convinces the Daleks in the past to use a pesticide to kill the mutant phase, which would end up not working when, if he had left it alone, they would’ve successfully removed the parasite. This is not explained clearly enough and when the credits rolled, I was just left confused. Briggs’ strong suit is not in the exposition that’s for sure.

The Mutant Phase is one of the weird stories where I just feel like half of it was missing; I am certain more happened than I remember because I recall so little going on and it’s two hours in length, so I must be forgetting the finer details. I’m getting very tired of these dull as anything Dalek stories, even if this one entertained a good idea.

5/10

Pros:

+ The idea of the Mutant Phase is a very interesting concept

+ The paradoxical storytelling was a nice touch of sci-fi

+ Tried something new and I can admire it for that

Cons:

- Extremely forgettable sidecast

- Jumps from plot thread to plot thread too quickly

- Convoluted and overwritten ending

- The Emperor didn’t act like a dalek at any point

- Overly drawn out

The Mutant Phase was one of the best free gifts given away with Doctor Who Adventures (the children's Doctor Who magazine) back when I was a child. Of course, it was also released separately from the magazine through Big Finish as a slightly longer version (the DWA take is cut down) but it was a nice change from the free notebooks and pens.

The Mutant Phase sees the Doctor (Peter Davison) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) find themselves trapped in a time corridor where they find out the Daleks are mutating into something due to an infection. Meanwhile, they find themselves at the mercy of some dangerous wasps who have been made more aggressive by a pesticide chemical.

One of the things I like about this serial is the decision by writer Nicholas Briggs to have the companion (in this case Nyssa) be infected by the illness/mutation of the serial. She actually becomes infected pretty early on, when she is stung by a wasp in the 42nd century. It's a great move by Nicholas Briggs as it raises the personal stakes for the Doctor and eliminates the problem of 'Oh, the Doctor and his companion will always be safe because it's not the main series'. I wish TV Doctor Who would put the Doctor and his companion into peril like this; whilst I love the main series, there are very rare examples where it feels as though the companion is in as much danger as the supporting cast.

It's also nice to see the Daleks infected by the Mutant Phase. It's great to hear these powerful, booming hate machines become weak and vulnerable towards what is basically a disease. In fact, you almost feel sorry for them - especially when it makes the Daleks basically mindless. We're too used to seeing the Daleks as being the powerful evil species they are so its nice for it to be stripped back to reveal what the Daleks would be like if they weren't in control.

It's amazing how Nicholas Briggs manages to achieve different voices with the Daleks and the Dalek Emperor too. The Dalek Emperor sounds has a much more booming and God-like voice compared to the more robotic metallic Dalek voices. It's the same with the new series too; you never feel like you're just watching or listening to another Dalek with the Dalek Emperor but he has his own distinguishable voice despite being voiced by the same person.

The great thing with these audio dramas is that the main cast never sound like the actual age they are now. It's like listening to a lost classic series serial. Peter Davison sounds perfect as his Doctor despite now being in his 50s when this was recorded and Sarah Sutton doesn't sound any older either (this was recorded in the early 2000s) even though two decades had passed since she was in the show with Peter Davison. You would never convince the audience on TV that they are in their 30s and 20s but on audio on the other hand it's harder to believe they were in their 50s and 40s here.

Overall, The Mutant Phase is a magnificent Doctor Who audio drama and one that any Whovian should listen to whether they have listened to Big Finish before or not. It features incredible performances from Nicholas Briggs, Sarah Sutton and Peter Davison, the latter which convince you they are much younger than their ages at the time of recording. I do wonder how it went down at the time with other kids who bought Doctor Who Adventures though. Did they dismiss it because it was audio or did they give it a go and find they actually enjoyed it? I'm really not sure.

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

Previous Story: Winter for the Adept

A generic but otherwise solid Dalek story. It's a sequel to The Dalek Invasion of Earth. I like that in this story, the Daleks are vulnerable and actually need the Doctor's help. Nicholas Briggs does an excellent performance of the Dalek Emperor and makes him feel like a tangible threat.

The Dalek Emperor taking human form is a neat idea, executed well. I found the rules of time travel a bit muddled in this story, I'm still not sure exactly what events were being changed and why that really matters or what that will impact in the future. At the very least this story wasn't at all boring, the action was great and not difficult to follow and the mutated Daleks were a fairly large threat that really upped the stakes.

5 and Nyssa are a TARDIS team with a lot of potential that just isn't realised here. I'm not sure why Big Finish seem so afraid to expand on their dynamic as it could be really interesting. That coupled with the fact that we haven't really had any stand-out stories with this team so far is a real shame.

Next Story: Primeval

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

"The Mutant Phase: A Familiar but Uneven Dalek Adventure"

The Mutant Phase, the third release in Big Finish’s Dalek Empire arc, revisits a classic era of Doctor Who with its mix of time travel, viral threats, and morally fraught decisions. As a remake of a 90s Audio Visuals story, it seeks to build on its predecessor while serving as a sequel to The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Unfortunately, it struggles to fully realise its potential, hindered by a reliance on recycled concepts and a meandering midsection.

The story begins with promise, evoking a nostalgic Dalek Invasion of Earth vibe as the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa arrive in a devastated future Earth. Nicholas Briggs crafts an intriguing mystery surrounding the Daleks’ plight, introducing the titular Mutant Phase virus, a threat that jeopardises even their own survival. This setup teases a morally complex story, where the Doctor faces a potential Genesis of the Daleks dilemma.

However, the script falters as it progresses. The middle episodes lack momentum, bogged down by convoluted ideas and an overabundance of callbacks to earlier Dalek stories. While the Mutant Phase virus concept is compelling, it feels derivative of David Whitaker's The Evil of the Daleks, and the narrative struggles to offer a fresh perspective. The result is a story that feels like a patchwork of familiar tropes rather than a cohesive and original tale.

Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton deliver solid performances, though their dynamic as the Doctor and Nyssa remains underwhelming. Nyssa’s storyline—centred on her being stung early on—feels stretched and ultimately inconsequential, diminishing her role in the narrative.

Mark Gatiss stands out as Karl Hendryk, bringing energy and gravitas to the role despite a strong accent that may divide listeners. Nicholas Briggs impresses as the Dalek Emperor, whose human-embodied form is an intriguing if slightly absurd concept. While the Daleks’ presence remains strong throughout, their menace is undermined by the increasingly muddled plot in the later episodes.

On the technical side, the sound design effectively conveys a ravaged Earth and tense atmosphere, though the story lacks the chaotic energy of The Apocalypse Element or the emotional stakes of The Genocide Machine. The pacing falters in the second act, but the climax regains some urgency as the Doctor attempts to prevent the Dalek Emperor from rewriting history.

📝Verdict: 6/10

Ultimately, The Mutant Phase is a serviceable Dalek story with some intriguing ideas but fails to rise above its influences. While it has moments of tension and nostalgia, the uneven pacing and reliance on recycled concepts leave it feeling like a missed opportunity. For fans of the Fifth Doctor and Dalek lore, it offers some enjoyment, but it lacks the spark to make it a standout entry in the Dalek Empire arc.

Random Observations:

• This story features a Commander Ganatus and a Starship Dyoni, both named after characters from The Daleks.
• We also find references to the TARDIS jumping time tracks (The Space Museum) and activating the HADS (The Krotons; Wild Blue Yonder).