Black Hole is an Early Adventures story that has been on my personal backlog for a while. Originally thinking of keeping it on ice for an eventual completionist listen of the series, I found myself hankering for an older Big Finish title, and boy was I glad I chose this one.

On a research station near a black hole, time keeps standing still. Investigating the phenomenon, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria discover a power far greater than any of the monsters that have challenged them on their travels… The Doctor’s own people.

With the safety of thousands balancing out the need to flee, and a policeman from his home planet working at his side, the Doctor reluctantly finds himself involved in a race against time.

But nothing is ever as simple as it appears. And if you can use the Doctor’s compassion against him, you have the makings of a perfect trap…

Big Finish Synopsis

Representing Guerrier’s second foray into the Early Adventures, his story introduces the 2^nd Doctor to a new, fresh version of the rogue Time Lord known as The Monk. A classic 60s sci-fi story, something which Guerrier has previous form in, it’s part tense mystery and part timey-wimey shenanigans that makes for a spectacular two-hour listen.

From the outset, Guerrier sets out his path to success with this story by playing heavily into its narration. Narrated by the late, great David Warner, Guerrier’s language is descriptive yet sharply focused only on what needs to be said. As a result, what could be a slow-going slog turns to work in his favour. His style is innately immersive, drawing listeners into his world, which can be seen as clear as day. It’s clear that this comes from his understanding of the important distinction between what needs to be acted out and what needs to be described to the listener, whether that be the ins-and-outs of a futuristic version of a 60s computer or the type of scene that plays out when a crowd of people undergo the time-slowing effects of a black hole.

Once Guerrier creates these engrossing environments, he continues to enrapture listeners with a mystery that has a believable threat to the Doctor. This story’s vision of The Monk is outwardly antagonistic but still manages to keep this jovial immaturity about him. His plan to bring merciless warriors through a black hole, although thwarted by The Doctor, is both intriguing and intricate. To make his plans a reality, he preys on The Doctor’s bond with his companions and his fear of Time Lord society, which showcases that he can manipulate just as well as any other long-term villain. However, he himself doesn’t engage in any of the mass murdering, which pits him apart from other rogue Time Lords such as The Master or The Rani. These distinctions are what make The Monk stand out from the crowd of Time Lord villains and what make his stories often feel fresher than any of the others.

To a lesser extent, Guerrier also creates a great side character in Constable Pavo. Not quite an antagonist, she still represents something that The Doctor fears: Time Lord justice. Onboard the station to arrest The Monk, The Doctor builds an unsteady alliance with her throughout the story. Although she ends up letting The Doctor and his companions go by the end of the story, she still bolsters a part of The Doctor’s personality and reactions that are only really seen during the War Games.

Despite all its strong elements, even a story as strong as this one doesn’t manage to make its way to the end unscathed. During the final part, the story introduces a race of vicious warrior dog-people known as ‘The Seeth’. Although they are meant to play a large role in a future human war, they’re one-note villains during their appearance who do little more than kill the occupants of the space station.