Vampire of the Mind

Main Range #212

Released: 9 May 2016

Listened: 5/29/20

This is yet another of the Five-Six-Seven trilogies, this one the sequel to “And You Will Obey Me.” The Doctor is alone, once again trying to visit an old friend, who turns out to be in trouble, and picks up a pseudo-companion, this one brighter and more capable than usual. It’s set roughly in “the present,” but there’s a lot of references to the 70s UNIT and the Delgado Master, circa “The Mind of Evil.” This Master, though, is the Alex MacQueen version, but not as he normally is. This time he’s much more subdued, and quite a bit more cruel. There’s a reason for that, which is implied to be post-regenerative trauma, but you’ll need the third part for the rest of the story. The actual plot isn’t all that much, really; the Master is making scientists into zombies, but with an ulterior motive. The Doctor seems to have slid back just a bit in his growth, because he’s still very arrogant, given to bluster, and rather heedless of the people around him. The secondary characters are quite good, capable and with real personalities. It’s a perfectly decent story, but definitely a middle part.