Doctor Who review: The Lure of the Nomad (Sixth Doctor audio)
By James Aggas
In the latest monthly Doctor Who audio, the Sixth Doctor and his new companion Mathew encounter a mysterious vessel and a deadly evil in The Lure of the Nomad!
The Lure of the Nomad is a great start to the current Sixth Doctor trilogy. In some ways, it’s a very straightforward sci-fi mystery. But there’s also more to it than meets the eye.
For a start, we’re introduced to a brand new companion: space pilot Mathew Sharpe. A good-natured but also bold person, it’s easy to see why the Doctor enjoys traveling with him.
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George Sear gives us a great performance and helps make Mathew a very likable new character. He also has great chemistry and banter with Colin Baker’s Doctor, which is definitely a bonus.
However, one character that’s definitely far less likable is Eric Drazen. A man who purely enjoys making money, (something that he’s very good at,) he doesn’t put much value in human life unless it’s his own. He’s also arrogant, selfish and almost completely loathsome.
However, he’s also very funny to listen to. It helps that he’s played by Matthew Holness, who’s had previous experience of playing arrogant yet hilarious characters before. (If you haven’t seen the British spoof series Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, do so right now. You won’t regret it.)
The Sixth Doctor encounters a mysterious vessel with his new companion Mathew in The Lure of the Nomad.
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
Humor and darkness
Overall, The Lure of the Nomad is full of very well-written characters. Many of them are very funny, but they’re also complex, too. Particularly since some characters have sides to them that you don’t expect. In fact, even the Doctor is surprised by some of the actions that others take.
It’s aided by a very strong script by Matthew J Elliot. With this story, he’s able to give us a great mix of excellent humor, with strong darkness and even some shocking moments.
In fact, The Lure of the Nomad might have one of the best cliffhangers in a long time. This is because it’s built up so wonderfully and pays off in a big way.
The Lure of the Nomad is a very enjoyable story. It’s also a great way of kicking off the latest Sixth Doctor season. In fact, you might find yourself listening to it a second time not long after, which is always a great sign for a great audio story. Let’s hope the remaining two stories in the season are also as strong.
Next: Review: The Lost Dimension book one (comic)
Have you listened to The Lure of the Nomad? What did you make of it? Did the story surprise you? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.