Written by Big Finish newcomer Jody Houser, The Ideal Quarry continues The Master’s Monsters boxset adventures with another story about the thrill of the hunt.

Marooned on an alien world, this story finds The Master once again in the crosshairs of a vicious hunter named Sir Fang. This time, however, he’s brought a friend with him: disgraced Sontaran Vegg.

To make his journey more interesting, the Master has decided to take on a travelling companion – disgraced Sontaran Vegg, who is keen to get home for his execution. But soon the Master and his escort are marooned on a world where they are not the only hunters. In fact, they are the quarry…

Big Finish Synopsis

Changing the more serious tone set in the previous story, The Craft of Corruption, the latest adventure starring Sacha Dhawan’s Spy Master is a much more comedic affair. In an attempt to stave off boredom, The Master decides that his travels would be much better off in the company of a disgraced and trigger-happy Sontaran who wants nothing more than to make a return trip for his execution on Sontar.

Indeed, as a result of this new pairing, the episode gets off to a great start. The dynamic between The Master and Sontaran Vegg is a joy to listen to. Coupling Vegg’s straightforward nature with The Master’s deceitfulness and words often dripping with sarcasm creates plenty of memorable moments and one-liners. Although it is clear from the outset where their relationship is headed by the end of the story, Houser’s writing for the characters nevertheless makes it an engaging journey.

As the plot progresses, and The Master and Vegg become the title’s titular quarry, the story goes from strength to strength. Under the mysterious Sir Florencia Fang’s hunt, the Spy Master’s character traits are placed front and centre.

Despite being marked for death, the Master shows a sickening level of unbridled joy towards the situation. Throughout these scenes, you can hear the thrill he gets from turning the tables on Fang. From every word uttered to every audio cue, his excitement is palpable, as he uses the resources available to defeat her and sadistically strip her of every facet of her defence before killing her.

Moreover, the segments set around the hunt do well to realise The Master’s growing disdain for his temporary companion, Vegg. As they navigate Fang’s many different traps, it’s Vegg’s adherence to the Sontar code of honour that earns him an unfortunate audience with The Master’s shorter-than-normal penchant for boredom. In true villainous fashion, this concludes with Vegg’s death, as well as everyone else involved with the hunt.