There are multiple little things with this story that makes me feel like, despite the wonderful portrayal of Liz Shaw by the late Caroline John, despite the Third Doctor's first substantial meeting with the Cybermen, "The Blue Tooth" is unfortunately nowhere near essential.

You can tell (negatively) that this is an early entry into the range, the way it squeezes four parts into such a short span feels almost comedic. As soon as I got nicely settled and interested something, suddenly the episode would end. The attempt is noble, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't end up working, actively putting me off the story. Having to hear the theme tune a grand total of eight times in just over an hour is at least excessive, if not entirely aggravating like it was for me. I acknowledge that I could have skipped it, yes, but that doesn't defeat the fact that it kept entirely disengaging me from the narrative as whole.

Sad that Liz herself has little to engagement with the actual resolution of the situation. It's confusing, for a story that seems to center itself so deep to the character, there is actually very little done with her. What we do receive of her more personal side is lovely, definitely something there that begs to be tapped into, some nice, weighty substance, yet the story seems content to gallivant around more of the Doctor's shenanigans.

In succeeding to feel like a story of Season Seven, it repeats that season's biggest flaw: the misuse of Liz Shaw.

I didn't quite get what I wanted from this one. I was very much looking forward to having the companions back, specifically Sara Kingdom, and found each of them- Ian, Steven, Sara, and Polly- had something actively have something to do. Nyssa is also there, sticking out like a sore thumb, a clear afterthought. The Companion Chronicles, where most of these characters had previously resided, are typically far more laid back in approach, so the change of pace was ultimately refreshing. Not an inherently substantial release, however.

This is not surprising, don't get me wrong. I knew it was just an hour, I knew it was originally an exclusive, it wouldn't make any sense cut off anything too important from the general audience, yet find myself yearning for something more. There's nothing to really blame for that, aside from circumstance.

Special note goes to the late William Russell, who, from what I've experienced, gives one of his best performances on audio. He seems so genuinely ecstatic to be playing the part of Ian, it's infectious.

A quaint little exploration of Ace, told by Sophie Aldred herself. Succeeds massively in terms of character, but, sadly, falls rather short in regard to actual narrative. Wish it didn’t feel the need to have one at all, really. Would’ve felt more cohesive. Like I said, the character work here felt rewarding enough.

Aldred's narration in the audiobook is remarkably professional. Don't personally like the approach myself, kind of dry to me. Loved her character voices, though.

A harmless bit of fluff, turned noir. Good popcorn listening; something to put on the background and not entirely pay attention to. I'd say I enjoyed my time, all in all. Does that make it objectively good? Not really.

Solidifies Sara Kingdom as one of thee Classic Who divas, she is an absolute badass. I mean, c'mon now. Carrying on from "Home Truths", Jean Marsh continues to devour the nonexistent scenery, leaving zero crumbs, zero plate, zero anything. If this were solely comprised of her sections, it'd be a five out of five.

However.

It would not be an understatement to say that Robert almost entirely ruins the experience for me. Every bit involving him, every break in Sara's narrative, I find incredibly boring and out of place. The cliffhanger to the first episode, for example, was incredibly rushed, jarring. Went by so fast I was genuinely confused. Would've been a good, even great idea on it's own (given actual time to develop), but was molded with the narrative in a way that hindered all it's collective parts. I can look past it, but only barely.

Massively appealing. Sara Kingdom, plus a ghost story, equals a matchmade in heaven. Literally.

This story has a certain reputation among listeners, but it's a very valid one, seeing as the concept is well-realized, the writing is sharp, and Jean Marsh's return is fabulous. A powerhouse performance, no notes. I heavily doubt this would be anywhere near as remembered if she didn't give it her all, taking what would have already been a good story to unmissable, all-time classic levels.

A glum, rather bleak story in terms of realization. Not too dark in terms of subject matter, but the artificial atmosphere created clings like a fog, dampening all that it encompasses into murky shades of gray. Though intriguing, the difference in tone between this and it's fluffier peers is extremely pronounced. I found it polarizing. Stuck through initial growing pains for the characters, but come the final part, I must admit that I found myself enraptured by the scenery "The Harvest" had laid before me.