Big Finish
The Fifth Doctor and his companions face death at a funeral. Will they be able to solve the mystery of the Serpent in the Silver Mask?
This year’s Fifth Doctor trilogy comes to a close with Serpent in the Silver Mask. The previous two stories, Kingdom of Lies and Ghost Walk, were very different and yet equally strong stories. How does this last entry measure up?
Really well, as it turns out. Serpent in the Silver Mask is an unusual mix of murder mystery and comedy. It’s not as farcical as Kingdom of Lies, but there’s a great deal of humor throughout. Writer David Llewellyn clearly had a lot of fun with this story.
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And he’s not the only one. The cast also got to have fun, too. Particularly Samuel West, who’s given the rather challenging task of playing an entire family. All the members of the Mazzini Family are really colorful characters. West does a great job at making each and every one of them unique and distinctive.
It’s not surprising that Samuel West was cast in all of these roles. Not only is he a very strong actor, but he’s appeared in numerous Big Finish productions before. Notably, he played Morbius in Eighth Doctor story The Vengeance of Morbius, and Mr. Song in The Diary of River Song: Series One. Getting him to play all members of a family in one story must be a challenge, but considering his previous work, it’s definitely easy to see why he was cast. He more than lives up to it.
Murder mystery
Going back to the writing, David Llewellyn has written a really intriguing whodunit with this story. There are a number of clues and red herrings, and it’s a mystery that will keep you guessing. The solution is unusual, but it’s also set up rather well and pays off in a satisfying way.
It’s also great to hear the Fifth Doctor in the role of detective in this one. Considering how smart and intelligent the Doctor is, it’s not surprising that the role of detective suits him really well.
There are a few scenes when you really get to hear his thought processes and deductions. It’s interesting getting a look at the way the Doctor thinks.
Still, considering people are dying around him, he has way too much fun sometimes. And even when he works out the solution, it’s a while before he reveals what the solution is, to the frustration of both his companions and the audience.
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Serpent in the Silver Mask is a satisfying way of wrapping up this year’s Fifth Doctor trilogy. It’s a great mix of murder mystery, science-fiction and comedy. There are a number of strong performances from the cast, and David Llewellyn has written a very clever script. A strong end to a strong season.