The Emperor of Eternity

Companion Chronicles #4.8

Released: 9 March 2010

Listened: 9/29/20

Another Companion Chronicle, read again by Deborah Watling. Frazer Hines is the guest star, but unusually, he’s just playing Jamie, not the Doctor. (This is an early recording, so Frazer’s expertise at playing the Doctor hadn’t been established yet.) As a result, the Doctor is absent for a large chunk of the story, and unusually quiet even when he’s present. It’s a true historical, set in China at the beginning of the Qin dynasty. There are omens and prophecy, strict caste rules, assassination plots, and lots and lots of disguises and hidden identities. Victoria isn’t an action girl this time, but with no monsters, she’s not reduced to screaming in terror either. Instead, the focus is on her compassion and capacity for forgiveness, as she mentions she’s even forgiven the Daleks who killed her father. (I’m not sure she had any reason to do that, but it’s consistent.) The depiction of ancient China seems consistent, as far as I can tell, with detailed descriptions of the Imperial palace, including the Terracotta Warriors. This isn’t the strongest pure historical, but it’s not bad. This is the last appearance of Deborah Watling in this project. She may not have done much for Big Finish, but I’m grateful for what she did, and she seems to have enjoyed it.