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Recap: Big Finish Doctor Who 058 The Harvest
The first story in the Cybermen arc, followed by "The Reaping" and "The Gathering".

This episode introduced new companion Hex Schofield, played by Philip Olivier.

Thomas Hector "Hex" Schofield, a young London nurse in 2021, comes into work on his birthday and finds out that a mate of his is in A&E. Although he's usually got a strong stomach, Hex isn't used yet to seeing people he actually knows being cut open, and he has to take a moment to step outside. His friend Dr. Mark Mathias tells him to take it easy — they'll go out drinking later to celebrate Hex' birthday and take their mind off of things. Mark has taken the liberty of inviting every single cute girl he knows in the hospital, telling them all that Hex fancies them.

One of those cute hospital girls, Ace (undercover in HR), tries to get to know Hex a bit better, but the two soon find themselves being chased by an 8-foot-tall brute and escaping on Hex' motorcycle. He drops Ace off at Totter's Lane (now a car park), gets a bit suspicious and follows her into the TARDIS, where the Seventh Doctor explains that they're on a mission to uncover some misuse of alien tech.

Meanwhile, the hospital is running a mysterious "C-program", in which a man is given flesh and organs and feelings for the first time, which leaves him looking grotesque but feeling amazing.

Hex is in way over his head, but he agrees to help the two out and get them into the hospital morgue. While the Doctor hacks the universal hospital security System, Hex and Ace convince Dr. Mathias (who is hung over and an idiot) to let them into the morgue to look for some "files". They're a bit disturbed when the morgue doesn't have any data on Hex' dead mate from the previous day. It is, however, full of Cybermen.

Seven confronts the doctors in charge, who reveal that they're scavenging tech from a crashed Cybermen shapeship and using it to create perfect astronauts who would never need to eat, breathe or entertain themselves. They're funded by the European government in an attempt to keep up in the global space race and the budding colonisation of the moon and surrounding space. In return for the Cyberman xenotech, they've agreed to grant the crash survivors a flesh body and the abiility to feel. Which, the now half-organic Cyberleader claims, is what the Cybermen really want.

The Doctor is almost inclined to believe that story, partly because he's still wrecked with guilt over his role in the survival of the Mondas people. He does try to explain to the doctors that converting humans into Cybermen is a very bad idea. They don't listen, and inevitably, the Cybermen themselves turn out to be lying as well: although they do crave flesh and emotion for strategic purposes, they don't exactly intend to settle down peacefully. But since humans don't yet have the technology to keep the organs harvested from the dead (including Hex' dead friend) alive inside Cybermen bodies, the Cybermen crew soon expire. One swiftly halted attempt at cutting open Ace for spare parts later, all the Cybermen, organic or otherwise, break down.

Hex makes sure that Dr. Mathias (who got shot during that whole ordeal and conveniently develops amnesia) will be alright until the emergency team arrives. He says goodbye and rushes after Ace and the Doctor, fully aware that he's got no idea what he's getting into, but excited to find out.

To Be Continued.


Big Finish Doctor Who 049 MasterRecap/Big Finish Doctor WhoBig Finish Doctor Who 067 Dreamtime

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