Empire Of The Racnoss.

Its that feeling I get from time to time. Poor Peter Davison having to follow Tom Baker in the role of the greatest adventurer of our time. It never really goes away for me, the departure of Tom Baker as The Doctor being such a seismic event in my, then, young life. Here he is again, following Mister Baker, in the second story of this box-set. So the clever people at Big Finish handle the transition in the best possible way by giving him a cracking story he can really get his teeth into while still remaining true in characterization terms, as his Doctor. In fact his interpretations of the Doctor's sweeter nature, his almost trusting innocence in the face of ravenous evil is a nicely judged counter point to his enemies and their viscous plans which practically drip spider saliva.
             I have always thought that the Racnoss Queen as she appeared in the Runaway Bride ( oh the memory of happier days and happy holidays.) was an astonishing triumph of of costuming married to prosthetics. Her first appearance was a startling revelation and to this day I cannot see Sarah Parrish buried under that hideous make-up. In this story they have managed to recreate the rasping cringey quality of the Racnoss. Like a bunch of wicked Dickensian Arachnids. It was an old BBC drama trick, projecting archetypes using class inspired performances and this one for me is pitch perfect. This always innocent incarnation of The Doctor is unable to grasp how devious and cruel the Racnoss are as a species. That these enormous spider gods are driven by a voracious hunger that practically defines them as a race. Almost everything they do is motivated by hunger of some shape or form.
             Even Tolkien's great spiders, which the always war like Orcs rode into battle, were marked by a similar characteristic. The relationship with everyone they ever allied themselves with breaking down as these great omnivores ate not only their enemies but their allies also. Even giving birth was a hugely dangerous experience as their off-spring were born starving. Baby Racnoss  almost always devoured whoever sired them. Art imitating life.
              It is a spider's web of a tale. Twisty turny as well as timey-whimey.
              Classic Doctor, new expression.