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A review by kmccubbin
Doctor Who: The Apocalypse Element by Stephen Cole
2.0
Ok, let's get the nerdy stuff out of the way... This story marks the return of the wonderful Lalla Ward as Romana. Yay! This story tells of the event that starts the Time War so often referenced in the new series. Neat! This is the second of the Dalek Empire saga which eventually spins-off into a separate audio series. Useful! This explains why the Doctor is NOT half human. Nobody cares anymore. This is the third of the Sixth Doctor's adventures with Evelyn Smythe, and they are adorable. Awww!
I don't much care for splody Dalek stories. Like the Cybermen, when it gets all splody, they are reduced to being generic militaristic bad guys. There's not much to them anymore. That said, their plan in this story is surprisingly complex and, well, for a while, splody is pretty fun. But then the story commits three narrative no-nos that I just can't truck with anymore. They introduce a magic wand (the gems), they forklift the techno babble like they need it to breathe and they bend over backwards, irrationally, to explain a small bit of continuity (Eye of Rassilon/Doctor doesn't have a human mother). Eventually the consistent battery from these clunky devices wears away at the fun you thought you were having and it turns, a little, into a headache.
I don't much care for splody Dalek stories. Like the Cybermen, when it gets all splody, they are reduced to being generic militaristic bad guys. There's not much to them anymore. That said, their plan in this story is surprisingly complex and, well, for a while, splody is pretty fun. But then the story commits three narrative no-nos that I just can't truck with anymore. They introduce a magic wand (the gems), they forklift the techno babble like they need it to breathe and they bend over backwards, irrationally, to explain a small bit of continuity (Eye of Rassilon/Doctor doesn't have a human mother). Eventually the consistent battery from these clunky devices wears away at the fun you thought you were having and it turns, a little, into a headache.