SEASON 01 EPISODE 02 - THE SPECTRE OF LANYON MOOR REVIEW
Alright here we go! Second episode of the “first season”. Technically there are no seasons on Big Finish but I equally sorted the Evelyn stories into 3x7 episodes aka 3 seasons. Today we are having some fun on Earth with a familiar face and even some aliens show up. Enjoy!
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED!
In a desolate Cornish landscape littered with relics of prehistoric man, the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn uncover a catalogue of mysteries.
What is the secret of the fogou? Can the moor be haunted by a demonic host of imps? And what is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart doing in Pengriffen?
Teaming up with his old friend, the Doctor realises that an ancient conflict is nearing its conclusion — and Lanyon Moor is set to be the final battleground.
Part One (36:02) & Two (31:14)
The beginning of the episode started weird like two aliens go beep boop boom and I couldn’t take it seriously because the other alien’s “scream” was way too funny to me.
“Scryfaaaan, YOU DESERTEEED MEEEE!”
Seems like we are back on modern day Earth and by the way the Doctor and Evelyn talk I can assume they have been travelling together for a while now. So at first they don’t really know where they are but soon enough they find a lady who’s walking/catching her dogs so they are definitely 100% sure on Earth. They obviously go and investigate a little in the nearby fogou and they find some strange pebbles. Goes into my pebble collection-
Anyways they get hushed out by a guy and they get to the big base. Reunion! Weird fun fact but my first introduction for the Brigadier was in Minuet in Hell and I absolutely hated that they kept avoiding each other for the entire run of the story. Anywho they reunite here so the story is absolutely better already.
So they get their introductions and stuff and they get investigating even more because the Doctor suspects that there is something wrong going around here. Evelyn (who still hasn’t had breakfast) and the Doctor get separated and Evelyn investigates in the Griffin Manor. Evelyn mainly investigates historical books of the place and most importantly folklore which is very interesting because not a lot of Doctor Who stories tell stories about folklore.
Meanwhile the Doctor and the Brigadier are thinking of going down and deeper the fogou but oops anyone who went down was reported to go cocoa crazy and supposedly there is more folklore talking about pixie’s and fairies and they also call the place “The Pixie’s Hole”. EXCUSE ME WHAT. That’s a name I never thought I would hear in a Doctor Who story. Anyways it’s not like this would stop them. Evelyn is trying to go home and we learn that this professor in this Manor is some kind of spy or at least EVIL and Evelyn is no good for “them”.
Evelyn is still trying to get home and runs into a girl who likes walking a lot but oh no spaghetti and those creatures mentioned above appear. I’m sure nothing bad happens to- HOLY SHIT THEY KILLED THE GIRL. But I liked her :((( So Evelyn rushes the ■■■■ away and she really needs a break. The Doctor tells her that pebble in her purse saved her technically and then they explain why is alien, who is alien, how is alien and I just love Evelyn’s response so much.
“BUT IT’S JUST A PEBBLE WITH A HOLE IN IT!”
That’s honestly me with Doctor Who and its shenanigans that happen during every story as much as I love the sci-fi I think for the most part I love people interacting with THE sci-fi and mixing this genre with other elements of story writing.
There is also a great scene with this other old man professor and the Doctor arguing about the legitimacy of the whole situation like a freaking girl just died but sure it’s time to argue. The Doctor shuts him down so damn good like my god I don’t think it was necessary to go that far. The Doctor then goes and helps Evelyn go to sleep but (this scene is also lovely) Evelyn convinces the Doctor to apologise to the professor and try to see his view of point. My god. I already love Evelyn and this is only the second episode of the first season.
So Phillip who is like a student archaeologist who wants to be something else- like wants to have a doctorate? I don’t really remember what I know is they are very sneaky and they are just gonna break into the Griffin Manor at night because they know something is up. Like the hell. Like what. I’m telling y’all… THIS. IS. A. BAD. IDEA. Whatever they go and break in and then get separated so Evelyn goes alone and oopsie daisy it’s that weird professor guy again aaaand Evelyn is captured yooheee-
The Doctor meanwhile tries to gather materials and ummm where is the TARDIS? Well who needs the TARDIS when you get the Doctor so he has a new idea, a more risky idea, a more dangerous idea and it’s about racing head-to-head with these alien creatures so he makes some sort of device that attaches to his head and says it’s gonna be painful but don’t switch it off Brigadier.
So Evelyn is captured, the big baddie is having a breakdown or sorta. Not too sure what he is trying to do but he gained like some mind power or control ability because there is a spectre in this area that allows his mind to use. So he breaks then unbreaks a window. How powerful then ■■■■■■■ THREATENS EVELYN TO BOIL HER EYES OUT. EXCUSE WHAT IN THE NANI NOW??? We went from interesting to dark in a second. This is where the story ends with this freaking cliffhanger. My mind just exploded. I really want to continue listening but I only do 1 hour of Doccy Who per day because I am a babeh boiiii.
I don’t have a lot to say for closure just that I noticed a pattern for Evelyn having like mini companions during these adventures. First with William and now with Phillip and they are all were student aged people. I really love this so far because it offers kind of a fresh opening for characterisation about how Evelyn actually thinks about people around him like younger people and I tend to grow more and more fond of her the more I “see” her on screen. I feel I will also “boil” my eyes out with tears by the time I reach the end of this character arc.
Part Three (28:02) & Four (31:40)
So where were we? Right so this story is going dark with its threats but anyways the Doctor does his little experiment and I assume that causes the professor’s mind sucking machine to go numb so Evelyn doesn’t die but gets thrown into a… cage made of glass? Weirdest shit you can have in your mansion. The Doctor nearly dies though if the Brigadier doesn’t turn the machine off BUT the Doctor gets some readings and can tell that the sources are from the Moor which is a weird coincidence.
Evelyn eventually escapes by guess how… she breaks the glass woooaaah wild move. Anyways we have this dog lady again who manipulates a lady into going to a closed down area and stealing something and also she just becomes so freaking rude. Poor museum lady. We also get information that this dog lady is either under the influence of this green little guy or she is genuinely just evil and dumb.
Soooo Evelyn escapes and goes back to the Institute where she meets Phillip again and guess what’s the first thing they do… THEY GO FREAKING BACK TO THE MANSION.
Well obviously terrible idea and she gets TRAPPED again and plot twist Phillip is evil…ish? Well I had an itch in the back of my mind that this would happen but did not expect it to happen so soon. So what I finally start to see is this guy tries to take over the world by mind magic and shit because he is evil I think- but at least Phillip tries to get Evelyn out but nope- she knows too much, she has to die.
Meanwhile Evelyn gets closed this tiny little green or blue alien thingy bazingy realises that he is missing one stuff from his plan so he obviously goes and finds it himself. Also he faces the professor and kills him AND Phillip for using his spectre for power. Like nooooo Phillip, my boy. I guess he did kinda deserve it… okay not really.
Back in the Institute the Doctor can’t find Evelyn and Professor Morgan returns from the Moor even though the Doctor said do not attempt to go there. So him and the Doctor separate while the Brigadier stays here. The Doctor confronts the dog lady who does an uno move and pulls a gun out and Professor Morgan goes to the Mansion which is now empty and get Evelyn out.
Now everyone is together and oh my god Professor Morgan was actually the sussy arse alien (alright sorry I will stop… eventually). Actually I was quite surprised he didn’t make it and I was more surprised that everyone ■■■■■■■ died from the supporting cast like holy shit this whole story was a massacre and that was kinda the point. Dog lady gets brutally murdered by her own ■■■■■■■ dogs. They literally eat her piece by piece like my god and we learn that this alien baddie wants massive revenge but we also realise BIG PLOT TWIST INCOMING that his brother was dead all along and he killed him!
So now he wants revenge on Earth but the Brigadier clever and the alien ends exploding himself. The End :)))) Don’t you love violence in my Doccy Who? But okay I actually quite a lot to say about this one.
Theme of the episode
Probably one of my main problems that it had an interesting premise with folklore and alien combination and I feel like it doesn’t have a satisfying ending to it like I guess it’s explained by the alien suffered 80000 years on Earth? But I would have enjoyed something more about folklore but maybe there was a proper explanation I just didn’t get it. Other problem was that the Brigadier literally did nothing in this whole story up until the end where he saves the day (which I liked a lot).
Conclusion
I genuinely did not expect everyone to die in this story like damn that was cold. I also liked the connection between dog lady and alien guy because they were both deserted and fuelled by rage but both were unredeemable characters and also problematic because I did NOT feel any empathy for the dog lady but still her death was brutal. What I can say is that the humans might have been more selfish and evil in this whole story than that alien. Finally, Evelyn being a better replacement for the 14th Doctor and Donna combo- why am I bringing this up? The ending just tells me that Evelyn actually brings the normal and the supernatural together. You could travel together with the Doctor while you are enjoying life, having dinner, having some reunions and I really love her for that. Overall very enjoyable story with a couple of interesting elements to say the least 7/10
Finally some sad news. I did say I organised the Evelyn stories into 3 seasons containing 7 episodes each… and well this means I do actually want to gather all the Evelyn stories physically so I’m gonna stop this journey now and continue next year in January BUT I am NOT going to do another poll but I am going to swap around and start the Eighth and Charley arc or at least do the first 2 seasons and then continue the rest next year. So take care and I will see ya soon!
NEXT UP: The Apocalypse Element (See ya in January)