A Quick Guide to Big Finish Classic Who- Mrs Constance Clarke

Brief Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to the Big Finish audio adventures of Constance Clarke, a companion of the Sixth Doctor. It covers her introduction, key stories, character traits, and the overall quality of her audio series.

• Constance's character is a resourceful and intelligent woman from World War II, who brings a unique perspective to the Doctor's adventures.
• The video highlights standout stories like "Shield of the Jotunn" and notes the mixed reception of others, such as "Absolute Power" and "The Eleven."
• It also touches on production details, such as casting choices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recording processes.

Introduction to Constance Clarke

The video introduces Constance Clarke, a companion of the Sixth Doctor in the Big Finish audio series. Unlike TV series, Big Finish stories jump around the Doctor's timeline, so the guide is organized by companion for clarity. Constance is played by Miranda Raison, a prolific actress who also played other roles in Doctor Who. Raison became a companion because she asked to be one, leading to the creation of Constance specifically for her.

Constance's Background and Debut

Constance's background is detailed: born in colonial Malawi in the early 20th century, she later joined the Women's Royal Naval Service during World War II and worked at Bletchley Park. Her debut story was "The End of the Line" from "The Last Adventure," which was released before her chronological first story, "Crisscross," due to scheduling issues. Despite this, "Crisscross" was written after listening to "The Last Adventure".

Crisscross Story Analysis

"Crisscross" is described as a story of two halves: the first half is set in Bletchley Park during World War II, involving codebreaking and espionage, while the second half features radio wave aliens called the Chadri. The Nazi villain from the first half surprisingly teams up with the heroes against the aliens. The story ends with the Nazi villain being captured but promised safety on British soil before being disposed of at sea. The Doctor's presence at Bletchley Park is explained by a broken TARDIS and attempts to lay low, though his eccentric behavior raises suspicions.

Planet of the Rani Story Analysis

Constance's second appearance is in "Planet of the Rani," featuring a new incarnation of the Rani played by Siobhan Redmond. The video notes the covers for Constance's stories often depict her in a state of happy surprise, which contrasts with her character. In this story, Constance acts as the Doctor's secretary and uncovers a summons to a galactic prison where the Rani is held. The Rani has been imprisoned for almost 100 years and has since become the governor, plotting to return to her home world, Migos. The story includes elements of Indian culture, as Rani means queen and Raj means king in Hindi. Constance becomes the Rani's companion by accident and is later turned into a cyber cockroach. The story is described as a funhouse mirror version of a typical Doctor Who story, but is considered bland overall.

Shield of the Jotunn Story Analysis

"Shield of the Jotunn" is a significant improvement, set in Arizona where a billionaire is trying to fix climate change. The story involves a Viking burial mound, a mysterious shield, and the emergence of frost giants. The video avoids spoilers due to the story's many twists and large-scale finale. The story is written by Ian Edginton, who captures the Sixth Doctor's character well. The story shines when dealing with the fast but firm friendship between Six and Constance. The cast is mostly American, though they sound like middle-class Brits pretending to be grizzled 1890s gold prospectors. Constance translates a Viking runic inscription, and the story is praised for its handling of the translation.

Order of the Daleks Story Analysis

"Order of the Daleks" is considered underwhelming and generic. The story involves monks and Daleks, with the Daleks infiltrating the monks. Despite being generic, the story has some fantastic imagery, such as still-living Daleks being kept alive in alien cow stomachs. Constance meets a stained glass Dalek, unaware of its true nature, leading to a comical scene. The video notes that Constance is usually one of the Doctor's smarter companions, except when written by Mike Tucker.

Absolute Power Story Analysis

"Absolute Power" is a story set on a desert alien planet with mysterious inscriptions and the dead coming back to life. The video expresses discomfort with some of the story's choices, including a vaguely Arab-sounding character falling in love with a blonde English traveler. Constance translates the inscriptions, and the Doctor watches a film introducing the company funding the archaeological dig. The main human antagonist is described as insufferable. The story ends with Constance asking the Doctor to take her home, back to the war.

Colony of Fear Story Analysis

"Colony of Fear" involves the Doctor and Constance arriving on a planet where the locals are having trouble with intelligent, malevolent wasp-looking things called the Txan. A character named Taros, who traveled with the Second Doctor, is found in stasis. The Sixth Doctor doesn't remember Taros, which is attributed to amnesia or memory wiping. The story is praised for its temporal shenanigans and body horror.

The Eleven Story Analysis

Constance appears with the Sixth Doctor in a miniseries called "The Eleven." The Eleven is a Time Lord with regenerative dissonance, meaning his previous personalities remain active in his mind. The Eleven is played by Mark Bonnar, who makes every personality feel and sound different. The video expresses disappointment with the storyline, which is set on a single planet and involves the Eleven taking over the planet. Despite the storyline's flaws, Mark Bonnar's performance is praised. Constance gets a good subplot in the third story, "Elevation," where she starts generating extra minds of her own.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The video concludes that "The Eleven" is a good character with a great concept but a bad box set. It recommends "Crisscross" and "Shield of the Jotunn" as good stories to get a taste of Constance. The video also mentions that the team-up with Flip is the Sixth Doctor's strongest run since Evelyn.