With The Dalek Gambit, a direct sequel to The Movellan Manoeuvre, Big Finish (or so it seems) brings down the curtain on Counter Measures. And this time it’s final. Probably. It was fun, but was it any more. I’ll give my thoughts…

The Dalek Gambit

If Counter Measures is to come to an end, writer Roland Moore gives them a fitting Dalek related send off. In fact he evokes Remembrance of the Daleks so much so there’s even a fight with a Dalek in a laboratory!

In my review of The Movellan Manoeuvre I felt the story was too much a comic strip on audio — this story started off badly in that direction. Spoiler: at the start the team has moments to live before a bomb explodes. Good job Rachel took a course in bombs… cue music and a lucky escape not out of place in the old Batman and Robin camp TV series.

The plot does tend to snap between scenes, work Lady Clare in and tries to give all the characters something to do. In reality this is about Gilmore and Rachel. He is infatuated but can’t manage to tell her — she knows (we believe) but isn’t minded to make anything happen. Through Daleks, bombs, Movellans, transmats and noble sacrifice, the truth is Ian Gilmore has wasted 15+ years pining (Counter Measures dating is no more accurate a task than UNIT).

This brings me to my other gripe — where is UNIT? Unless the UNIT dating means they haven’t happened (yet Counter Measures uses the Post Office Tower), they are a glaring absence. We know the Yeti have been and gone, so where is Lethbridge-Stewart? Yes, I know the licence, but it’s a narrative gap.

The story ends in victory at a cost. A line is drawn and we say our farewells. Of course a few loose ends do remain. Just in case.

Counter Measures overall

As I’ve said before I like this series but it lost its identity badly when it jumped to the ’70s and recent boxsets haven’t helped it’s identity.

Still, it’s always good to spend some quality time with Sir Toby, Gilmore, Alison and Rachel, and The Dalek Gambit is no exception