Doctor Who Review: ‘Cold Fusion’ (Fifth and Seventh Doctor Audio)
By James Aggas
The Fifth and Seventh Doctors meet in the audio adventure, ‘Cold Fusion’. (Credit: Big Finish)
The Fifth Doctor confronts both his past and his future, in the audio adaptation of the popular Doctor Who nineties novel, ‘Cold Fusion’.
I’m going to be honest, I really meant to review Cold Fusion months ago. There are some releases that easily stick out as being special, and a multi-Doctor story with Five and Seven looked very special indeed. Unfortunately, due to other commitments, I never quite got around to writing that review when it was released last year. And that’s a shame, because I cannot stress enough just how brilliant this story is.
Based on the 1996 novel of the same name, and adapted by the original writer, Lance Parkin, Cold Fusion has always been a popular choice for fans of the novels. I’ve never read it personally, but after listening to this, I’d certainly love the chance to. It’s not just that it includes two Doctors in the story that makes it so special. It’s also how it explores some major mythology.
A True Epic
This isn’t the first novel from the nineties that Big Finish have adapted. There have been many other popular stories, including Love & War, All-Consuming Fire and Damaged Goods. Usually, because even at the relatively small length of three-hundred pages, these novels covered a wealth of plot, a number of characters or plot elements would be cut for a two-hour adaptation.
Cold Fusion, however, is different. It’s one of very, very few six-part stories that Big Finish have made. That’s three hours long. As I’ve said, it’s rare for them to make a single story with that length, but when you start listening to Cold Fusion, it soon becomes very clear why it needs that extra hour.
First, there’s the huge cast of characters. It’s not just two Doctors that this story features. It also includes companions for the both of them. The Fifth Doctor is currently travelling with Nyssa, Tegan and Adric from his first season. Meanwhile, the Seventh is travelling with Roz and Chris from the novels. That’s seven major characters already, and that’s just the regulars!
A Fifth Doctor Story (With Seven)
Having said that, what’s interesting here is that Seven himself doesn’t show up a lot. He has a huge impact on the story, but he’s very carefully working behind the scenes, most of the time. This is something that actually works in Seven’s favour, as his Doctor usually delights in making grand plans and schemes. It makes sense that he would both help and hinder his former self from the shadows.
So instead of the later Doctor being the “current” perspective, it’s actually Five’s. And I need to stress that this is really a Fifth Doctor story, more than anything. From the tone, to the focus, to even the music – not just the theme, but the incidental music too – everything is used to make this firmly a story of the Fifth Doctor’s era.
It’s quite an interesting take, seeing things from this perspective. For once, the story of multiple Doctors isn’t just told for nostalgia. It actually provides a glimpse of what the Doctor thinks of his own future. Especially how completely different these two Doctors are. Five is idealistic with a strong moral core. Seven, on the other hand, tends to see things in a “bigger picture” kind of way. It’s quite the contrast, especially when compared to when Five met Ten in the mini-episode Time Crash.
The cover to the original novel of ‘Cold Fusion’. (Credit: Virgin Books)
Origins
However, there’s a lot more to Cold Fusion than two Doctors. As I’ve mentioned, this story covers a great deal of Time Lord mythology, too. In fact, it’s pretty central to it. Not just the early history of Gallifrey, but it even provides a big glimpse into the possible origins of the Doctor himself.
I really loved how such a glimpse was handled in the story. Whenever it comes to the Doctor’s origins, there is a danger of revealing too much and ruining the mystery of the character. While I want to see a great deal revealed about major events such as the Time War, the earliest days of the Doctor should remain as shrouded in mystery as possible.
However, Cold Fusion does it exactly right. Without going into too much detail, it reveals a little bit more about the Doctor’s past, but it does it in such a way as to raise a lot more questions than answers. In fact, overall, it adds a lot more to the mystery of the character than ruins it.
Recommendations
Would I recommend this story to everyone? Honestly, I think that to get the most out of it, it does help to have a good idea about the characters of both Doctors and their companions. Not that I’m saying you need to watch and listen to every single one of their stories to enjoy this one. Just that one or two stories could make you appreciate the characters and their interactions with each other better.
For Seven, Roz and Chris, I strongly recommend the audio adaptation Damaged Goods. Another story that I simply adore, the original novel was the first Doctor Who story written by Russel T. Davies. It’s a great stand-alone listen, and the adaptation even includes some nice little references to the modern era.
For Five? Earthshock, definitely Earthshock. A major TV story of the Classic Series, it features Five’s team of companions in this story, while also changing things forever. It also adds some real impact to the scene when Seven meets Adric. I’ve got to admit, while Seven’s reaction was subtle, it was emotional to listen to.
Cold Fusion is easily a favourite of mine. As much as I love the audios, there are very few that I re-listen to, on account of there being so many. Despite its epic length, however, I’ve listened to Cold Fusion three times since it’s release. It is honestly one of the best multi-Doctor stories ever made. No, more than that: it’s probably one of the best releases that Big Finish have done. Highly recommended.
Next: The Ice Warriors: A History