Big Finish - Eldred must die!

The latest release from the Big Finish monthly release range is Eldred must Die! by Marc Platt and directed by Ken Bentley.

A simple stroll on a beach becomes a desperate battle to prevent an old foe taking over the earth as the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Turlough and Tegan take on the crystalline maniac Eldrad who first appeared in The Hand of Fear. The silicon based life form from the planet Kastria is slowly taking over any humans it comes into contact with and the Doctor is running out of time.

By a coincidence of timing this was next up on my iPod playlist after The Cradle of the Snake, which was perhaps unfortunate  There are certain similarities in the stories about old villains who are slowly taking over the Doctor and his companions, so it felt like I was listening to a repeat. The usual tropes of the companions wandering off and getting into trouble, along with the same old suspicions about Turlough's character meant this one didn't really stand out for me.

As ever the cast were excellent and there was some pleasant music and sound design to make it a reasonably easy listen. I didn't have any major problems with Platt's script or Bentley's direction, I just wanted something a bit different. I will have to add Eldrad must Die! to the list of Big Finish releases that might deserve a re-listen if I can find the time.

For the moment it gets 2.5 out of 5 deadly crystals. Next up will be some short stories for the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa in The Demons of Red Lodge.