The Tertiary Console Room: Review - Dalek Empire III - Chapter One

"Did you know there probably isn't a soul in this galaxy whose life hasn't been in some way been tainted by the Daleks?"

Despite Nicholas Briggs' assertion at the conclusion of Dalek War that it marked the end of the Dalek Empire story, a third series always seemed a distinct possibility. In the accompanying documentary to Dalek War - Chapter Four producer Jason Haigh-Ellery mooted the idea of an anthology series centred around the events of the series whereas the denouement of the story itself saw a desperate Siy Tarkov rushing back to the hub of the Galactic Union to warn them that the Daleks had returned two thousand years after Kalendorf and Susan Mendes believe they had destroyed them forever in the apocalyptic Great Catastrophe.

This ending in particular offered an obvious and promising route to continue the story, and it's not surprising that it is this period that forms the basis of Dalek Empire III. The first chapter, The Exterminators, is essentially a new beginning with a plethora of new characters which gives Briggs the chance to explore the society that has struggled to survive in the wake of the devastation caused by the events of Dalek War. But a very precisely written opening shows that it isn't quite that simple as a mixture of scenes from Dalek War - Chapter Four are replayed with new material that changes our perspective of those events. This means we get an insight into Suz's thoughts as she instigated her destruction of the Daleks as well as insight into Tarkov's fate. Both of these create an immediate sense of intrigue that begins to draw the listener into the drama, raising many questions such as what exactly did Suz discover? What caused the plague that infected Tarkov and his crew? And perhaps most importantly, just what are the Daleks up to this time?

As The Exterminators is merely the opening salvo in the new conflict that is Dalek Empire III, a story that promises to be broader and deeper than its predecessors due to being told over six releases rather than the typical four, answers are not immediately forthcoming and as Briggs is painting on a wider canvas there is far less urgency to the drama than the opening episodes of the past. Briggs takes his time to establish character and setting more considerately, which given that it is shaped by the events of the previous series is a wise move as it makes this story very accessible. Boldly, Briggs keeps the focus predominantly on the Graxis Wardens and chooses to keep some of his other leading characters back, meaning that security chief Selestru and his agent Galanar feature in supporting roles akin to the way Kalendorf hardly featured in Invasion Of The Daleks.

Previous Dalek Empire series haven't dealt much with the issue of universal politics but with The Exterminators Briggs probes the idea and foundations of the recovering universe but mixes in the divisive factor of a contagious plague that has divided the infected outer worlds (the Confederation of Border Planets or as they're otherwise known, the Borderers) and the Galactic Union. The introduction of the plague brings conflict but also intrigue because it is this issue that alerts Selestru to the potential threat of the Daleks, who are acting in a most unexpected manner towards finding a cure for this disease. Although subverting the listener's expectations of the Daleks is something that Briggs and Big Finish generally have done several times in the recent past, here it is done in such a manner that it casts suspicion upon their motivation, which almost surely has more to it than it appears.

The Wardens turn out to be ecologists, working to preserve one of the few areas of the Galactic Union where the environment is still capable of flourishing, a fact which makes them unlikely heroes but that is something they share with Briggs' old Dalek Empire protagonists. His method of introducing their situation is simple but ingenious as new recruit Kaymee Arnod joins their ranks. Her freshness and inquisitorial nature allows Briggs to sketch out the personalities of the other Wardens and how they cope under pressure plausibly both for the benefit of Kaymee and the listener. The positioning of the Wardens as almost intermediaries between the various political factions is interesting as it heightens the sense that the Galactic Union are faceless bureaucrats (ably demonstrated by the fact that really only their security chief Selestru features here) while their perception of the Borderers makes them seem shifty and suspicious - which isn't surprising given who Carneill is working with. This central focus on the Wardens means that the picture of the society the listener derives is not as balanced as it could be, but this is probably symptomatic of Briggs' approach to the story's greater scope.

As with much of Briggs' recent work, there is an element of non-linearity within the narrative which manifests itself here in the first scene with Suz where she reflects upon her battle with the Daleks and Galanar's asides which seem to have no context within the course of the drama. This technique allowed Briggs to cunningly foreshadow elements of the Dalek War series, pushing the drama in one direction while in actuality allowing the true context to give the scene a completely different perspective when revealed. These tantalising hints serve their purpose by giving the listener just enough information to formulate their own theories without giving anything away...

Unlike the other spin-off CD releases that Big Finish has issued, Dalek Empire has always been a serial drama with each release continuing from the previous one to tell a single epic adventure, rather than a number of individual stories that when taken together have an overriding storyline (such as the Sarah Jane Smith series or the recent Gallifrey one, despite the latter being oddly labelled as individual chapters). Therefore The Exterminators is the initial part of a story that will ultimately last approximately six to seven hours and is primarily concerned with establishing character and the groundwork for the remainder of the drama to come. Despite this, Briggs does include some action sequences with Kaymee's descent back down to earth with a bump being particularly memorable while the presence of a solitary Dalek on Graxis being prepared to exterminate both its unusually adaptive primitive inhabitants and the Wardens should they get in its way providing the first indication that the Daleks' have their own agenda again.

This cautious approach to introducing the nature of the storyline extends to the Daleks with Briggs uncharacteristically restrained in how he deploys them. In the past he's often used them as a blunt instrument, plunging them instantly into the fray and letting the human characters react to the Daleks presence, but here they are a far more secretive force that remain couched in the shadows until the very end. This has the effect of shielding their purpose so while by the end of this chapter, we have a good idea of what they are up to but little clue as to why. Briggs uses this tactic to create tension as the listener, unlike most of the characters in the drama, knows the destructive force of the Daleks and their propensity for annihilation and the question of when it is revealed becomes only a matter of time.

Given that the Dalek Empire plays have typically focused on a small group facing overriding odds against an epic backdrop, the immense size of the credited cast for The Exterminators is rather disturbing as the prospect of successfully introducing over twenty characters (most of whom are new) and giving them some semblance of depth in just over seventy minutes seems incredibly slim. Bizarrely, it appears to be a list of credits for the whole series as a number of actors do not appear here and of those who Briggs does concentrate upon, it is Fray Saxton and Kaymee who come to the fore most significantly.

Ishia Bennison soon establishes Saxton as the tough but fair leader of the Wardens, someone who can recognise the beauty of Graxis but knows that hard work is needed to maintain it - an ideology which reveals itself as impatience towards those who hesitate in their duties. Bennison is particularly good at bringing out the suggestion of the script that Saxton knows more about her new recruit than she's letting on. But the star performer is without a doubt Laura Rees as Kaymee, who injects just the right of nervous energy into her performance to endear the character to the listener rather than irritate them as might have happened with a lesser actress. As well as being very likeable, Rees' performance also boasts some intricate subtly as Kaymee nonchalantly recognises the signals of the approaching spacecraft, whereas the more experienced Wardens of Saxton and Culver do not, hinting at a mysterious background as the reasoning given as justification is sufficiently vague enough to not quite ring true.

William Gaunt's distinguished tones add an air of authority to the production with his determined but dignified Galactic Union security chief, Georgi Selestru. He speaks with such power and feeling about his desire to be proved wrong about the potential danger the Daleks pose that his character is laid bare in that he's prepared to suffer a lifetime of humiliation in order to preserve the Galactic Union's safety, which is a testament to the strength of his belief in their cause. Despite being credited first, David Tennant features little as Galanar and when he does he's portrayed in very enigmatic and ambiguous terms. Galanar's role seems to be as Selestru's secret weapon, an agent so cunning and devious that he can achieve the results without exposing the security group to any unnecessary risk. The script gives little hints about who Galanar is, but Selestru's trust with him seems to draw from a common incident in their past and it'll be interesting to hear what that was as Briggs teases more out of these characters in future instalments. Of the remainder of the cast, the returning Steven Elder shines as Tarkov who is awoken form cryogenic suspension suffering from the side-effects of the NFS disease that is sweeping through the Border worlds while Peter Forbes gives sterling support as warden Dan Culver.

As ever with Dalek Empire, Briggs is in control of the post production work and music and he successfully goes for a very filmic atmosphere, with the sound design effectively conveying the nature of the environments well whilst his score accentuates the mood of the drama perfectly. Pleasingly, the dark and ominous theme from Dalek War is retained - it still resonates powerfully and eclipses all the pretenders to retain its position as the finest and most memorable of all Big Finish's original series themes.

The Exterminators is an efficient script from Briggs that balances the need of establishing new characters and circumstances with the desire to create intrigue that proves very appealing without being too heavy-handed about tipping the way forward. But as it is very much an introductory piece, it lacks the conflict of morality that the previous Dalek Empire sequences have provided so bountifully and if this third series is to match them this is something that must develop sooner rather than later through highlighting the characters' motivation more clearly. Although in a serial drama such as this, the best a writer can hope for in the first chapter is to establish the scenario and characters in a sufficiently absorbing manner that makes the listener want to continue with the journey and with The Exterminators, Briggs achieves this effortlessly.

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