Doctor Who: The Third Doctor Adventures: The Quintessence from Big Finish Review

From 1970 to 1974, the suave, enigmatic, and technologically-minded Third Doctor graced our screens. During his era, Jon Pertwee came toe-to-toe with some of Doctor Who’s most revered foes: The Autons, The Master, The Sea Devils, The Daleks, and so many more dastardly villains who tried and failed to beat our dashing hero.

Finally, however, one deadly nemesis is noticeably missing from the roster: The Cybermen.

It astounds me that Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor never managed to come face to face with the Cybermen (The Five Doctors aside) and I can’t help but feel they missed a trick by not having the visual of Pertwee’s Doctor releasing some of his favourite Venusian Aikido moves on an unsuspecting Cyberman!

Luckily for us though, Big Finish have risen to the challenge and has already given us two fantastic adventures for our listening pleasure in the form of The Tyrants of Logic by Marc Platt and Scourge of The Cybermen by Simon Guerrier. Fast forward to October 2024 and it’s time for The Third Doctor and Jo Jones to battle with our favourite men in metal once more in the latest instalment of The Third Doctor Adventures: The Quintessence.

Synopsis

“The Doctor and Jo Jones arrive at ‘Always’, a Victorian manor house perched impossibly on the distant storm-world of Nethara Reach. Greeted by the peculiar Pepperdines, a couple frantic with worry about their ailing daughter, they discover terrible secrets hiding within the panelled walls and gruesome oil paintings. Secrets that will bring the Doctor face to face with one of his most ancient and implacable enemies and put his relationship with Jo to the ultimate test.”

Espoused couple Lauren Mooney and Stuart Pringle pen a spectacular script and altogether different angle on the third doctor adventures we’ve heard thus far. Given their mutual love for the gothic genre, it’s no surprise that after a spooky cryptic dream telling them to “come and find me” The Doctor and Jo find themselves landing on Nethara Reach, a desolate planet inhabited only by an eerie Victorian manor house and a rather confused family. What follows is a dark and tragic tale of misplaced trust and a bitter fight for survival.

It’s a rather small cast for the story, with supporting characters Arthur, Lucy and Emmeline Pepperdine played by Chris Larkin, Emily Joyce & Felicity Cant respectively, and Drexel played by Gary Turner all relishing the roles they’ve been given. Nicholas Briggs is back under the modulator giving a spine-chilling performance of the Mondasian Cybermen.

Tim Treloar returns to the role passed down to him by the late great Jon Pertwee and proves he just keeps going from strength to strength, bringing this time a much more reluctant, and almost worried side to The Third Doctor which is a stark contrast to the gung-ho, cheeky Third Doctor we’re used to.

The star performance, however, must go to Katy Manning and her rendition of a present-day Jo Jones. The previous boxset gave us a reintroduction of the sager and well-travelled Jo Jones stumbling across ‘her’ Doctor again whilst the pair were both out investigating, thus giving Jo the chance to travel the universe once more. This older and wiser Jo proves to be a great foil to The Third Doctor and is a real contrast to the wide-eyed, ever-hopeful Jo Grant that we’re so used to.

The emotional range that Katy Manning delivers here is pure joy to listen to. From the raw emotions of the recent passing of her husband Cliff to the maternal love that Manning imbues when befriending and comforting Emily, the debilitated child of the Pepperdines.

Mooney and Pringle deliver a much darker and harrowing Cyberman story than we have heard (or seen) as of late. The gut-wrenching realisation that her misguided father Arthur, has slowly been transforming poor Emily Pepperdine into a Mondasian Cyberman is a real tug on the heartstrings especially as he truly thought he was saving his child from suffering. This is heightened by the excellent use of the ring modulator and the different strengths they have used to convey Emily’s transformation over the story.

The Quintessence feels like a distinctly different style of story than we’ve come to expect from The Third Doctor Adventures, feeling much more at home in the modern era than in the golden 70s. This, however, is no bad thing, it offers a refreshing change of pace to long-time listeners of the range and a familiarity to any newcomers to the audio drama world of Doctor Who who may have only primarily watched the modern era.

In closing

In The Quintessence, future Pip and Jane Baker in the making; Mooney and Pringle, push the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect from a Third Doctor adventure, blending gothic horror with deep emotional depth and taking the Doctor and Jo into darker territory than ever before. The performances are outstanding, particularly from Katy Manning, who continues to breathe new life into Jo Jones, while the tragic transformation of Emily adds a harrowing layer to the story. The sound design by Benji Clifford is excellent and captures the unsettling and bleak nature of the story.

This blend of modern and classic Doctor Who elements creates a gripping and atmospheric tale that’s sure to captivate both long-time fans and newcomers alike. A must-listen for anyone seeking an emotional, chilling, and unforgettable Cyberman story. I would go as far as to say that this is my favourite Cyberman story Big Finish has produced, doing what I thought was impossible in surpassing Spare Parts to the top spot.

My score: 10/10

Doctor Who: The Quintessence is available now, priced from £18.99 on the Big Finish website.

What are your thoughts on The Quintessence? Let us know by commenting down below, through the socials or by joining our awesome free discord server where we chat all things Doctor Who on a daily basis.