Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75301 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio CD

Customer Reviews

I'd settle for them all being as good as this!
Another Big Finish audio featuring Sylvester McCoy's Seventh incarnation of the nomadic Timelord and his young travelling companions Ace and Hex. The Settling is a historical drama that takes place in Seventeenth Century Ireland during the siege of Drogheda and features Oliver Cromwell, just as he is about to conquer the country in his role as Lord Protector.
The story really focuses on the inevitability of history and it is Hex's turn to learn this bitter lesson. Philip Olivier excels as Hex whilst Sylvester McCoy produces one of his best ever performances as the Timelord.

Oliver's army is on their way...
The 7th Doctor, Ace and Hex get caught up in Oliver Cromwell's Irish campaign in this pure Doctor Who historical. A fairly slow and sombre piece, the story is told in extended flashbacks, with Hex's bitter lesson of the inevitability of history being the main thrust. Unfortunately however, while it may all be new for Hex, for long-time Doctor Who fans the whole `history cannot be rewritten' lesson is a very old one, and despite a charismatic performance from Clive Mantle as Oliver Cromwell `The Settling' never really breaks enough new ground to be particularly interesting. Make no mistake, `The Settling' is by no means a bad play: it's a fairly decent solid historical outing, but it just lacks the vital inspiration to raise it beyond the average Doctor Who story. Reasonable enough for fans of the genre, but not exactly essential.

One of the best audioplays from this period of Big Finish.
True historical Doctor Who stories are rare, and those featuring Sylvester McCoy far rarer. How fantastic then to have this example of historical Who at its best. The interplay between Hex and Ace has truly refreshed the character of the latter. Oliver Cromwell is a very interesting three dimensional character of the type rarely seen on tv. And the Doctor gets to be a Doctor! One of the best audioplays from this period of Big Finish, presented in a lovely digipack.