The Death Collectors

Main Range #109

Released: June 2008

Listened: 2/27/21

This solo story has a bunch of death in it, but not necessarily a bunch of dying...except there’s some of that too. There’s a planet full of “Decay,” a microorganism that causes death to whatever it touches, the Dar Traders, beings who trade in death, who first appeared in “The Darkening Eye,” and a scientist researching the Decay in the hopes of curing death. It’s a three-part story, and starts with the action already underway, but it’s trying to feel creepy and atmospheric, so it feels a bit draggy. It’s not the best story to listen to while you’re exercising (which is what I did). The Doctor is pretty maudlin again, musing about his death, and seemingly willing to give up in a sacrifice play. He also mentions his personal relationship with Death, presumably from the novels. On top of which, there’s some snippets of Madame Butterfly, which is what’s playing in the operating theater when he actually does die in the TV Movie. The whole thing is trying to come across as portentous, and doesn’t quite succeed. The Dar Traders never appear again after this, and maybe there’s a good reason for that.