Time Out of Mind

"Someone tried to make sure we'd never want to come back to your world again."

Writer: Jody Houser
Format: Comic Strip
Released: November-December 2019
Printed in: Thirteenth Doctor Holiday Special

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Whirling through time and space, the Doctor and her friends – Yaz, Ryan and Graham – took some time off from thwarting nefarious alien plots to enjoy some well-earned leisure time. But theme parks on distant planets aren't always what they seem, and the gang were soon saving victims of a crooked carnival con. Everything is right in the universe again – or so they think...

The Doctor and friends gain an unexpected ally. Together they must stop Mr. Henderson – but who exactly is he? And what is he really up to?

Verdict

Time Out of Mind was a very good little story to continue the Titan comic strip adventures of the Thirteenth Doctor and her gang. I refuse to accept that the story is simply titled 'Holiday Special' as listed on TARDISWiki, so I'll go with the title of the graphic novel that this adventure comprises because it's just not ridiculous. It does seem awfully strange that a two-part Christmas comic strip wouldn't get a specific name, but that didn't take away from the quality of what was in the pages. I was a big fan of how this story used Meet the Fam! as it was able to incorporate the free comic strip from Free Comic Book Day whilst also making the overall story completely accessible for those readers who may not have been able to get their hands on it. That's always an important aspect when it comes to using previous stories. The idea that the whole comic strip may not actually be true events in Doctor Who becomes quite fascinating and just a lovely and weird anomaly in Doctor Who comic strips. Hearing all of the different memories Team TARDIS had about the events at the theme park were interesting and I liked that it quickly provided them with something to fix. The characterisation of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor was excellent throughout and I really loved the panels with no speech towards the end where she sneakily made her way to fix things. Great stuff. The use of Christmas in the story seemed to come a little bit out of nowhere and the reactions of the team when they met Mr Henderson were terrific. He looked an awfully lot like Santa Claus, except that name should not be mentioned in his vicinity! I wasn't too sure of the use of Santa Claus being a myth because surely there are going to be so many young readers for a comic strip and this might have them questioning whether Santa Claus actually is real. They should never be pushed into that question and I felt the same way about Last Christmas. What I did like was how Christmas and the notion of the North Pole with Santa being there with his elves was turned into a scheme of slave labour! I enjoyed that and it was done in a relatively subtle way which worked tremendously well. I was a big fan of that. Baxter was an enjoyable character and I liked how he was quite fearful of Mr Henderson because the Doctor and co had been here before and lost. That was quite powerful to know that they'd tried to stop him before, but somehow he'd got the upper hand and implanted them all with false memories overriding what really happened. Finding out that Mr Henderson was actually Krampus was a good development and seemed right. The true form appearance seemed quite resemblant of a cross between a Minotaur and the Nimon which was good and I was shocked that Henderson was actually a mistress. Baxter turning out to be the reveal of the cliffhanger wasn't quite as good or impactful as it perhaps should have been. I thought the companions also got a little lost in this one with them largely being in a jail cell or the TARDIS, but that didn't have an adverse effect as it let the Doctor shine in a wonderful way. The conclusion was quite strange and quick given that they'd already lost once before, but that didn't take away my enjoyment. Overall, a very good comic strip story!

Rating: 8/10

God Among Us: Eye of the Storm

"It looks like the end of world."

Writer: David Llewellyn
Format: Audio
Released: February 2019
Series: Torchwood 6.08

Featuring: Captain Jack, Yvonne, Mr Colchester, Tyler, Ng

Synopsis

An alien power station is sending out waves of lethal energy, people are turning to stone and the water levels are rising.

As Torchwood set out on a desperate mission, God takes tea with someone who has been playing a very long game.

Verdict

Eye of the Storm concluded the second boxset of God Among Us in an excellent way! It was a very strong conclusion whilst setting things up for the final instalment and it was only right that we began with God and the Committee. The poem about rain was very apt and quite timely for my personal position as the storms have been causing absolute havoc in my local area lately with football and transport badly impacted. Andy being on a call out and thinking his case was one for Torchwood was a lovely moment of nostalgia and reminded me fondly of the first two series. Some wonderful times. The passengers on board a Mermaid Tours ship being turned to stone was an intriguing way to start and I liked finding out that it was a former Sorvix power plant that turned them that way. It had been shaken by the awful recent weather and there was now a threat of meltdown which obviously wasn’t good. Torchwood’s plan was a relatively simple one in that they hoped to decontaminate and neutralise it before meltdown was realised. Norton’s suggestion of using the Lens was good continuity for the boxset and it could be used to displace the meltdown blast into the Rift. Jack and Norton pairing up whilst Colchester and Ng did the same created a good dynamic on the old but tech-heavy submersible. That was a lot of fun and it also left Yvonne and Tyler back at the Hub and they made a very good pairing. Yvonne’s call to keep the nuclear ship stationed at Newport to remain that way was excellent and she was able to show off a bit to the newest Torchwood member. God and the Committee Leader talking made for terrific scenes and I enjoyed that the latter knew Torchwood were coming but he wanted to watch the storm alone. He was very calm about all that was happening and that made him a good villain. I must admit that I haven’t been a huge fan of Norton since his arrival at the end of the last boxset but I did like his question to Jack asking how many times he’d drowned. It was quite harrowing to know Jack had lost count. Norton’s joking about a seal animal was just tiresome though and reminded me of why I disliked him. Colchester’s restlessness waiting for the energy levels to drop 10% to enter safely was amusing, especially with Ng’s sarcastic response detailing exactly why Jack and Norton were talking so long to drain the residual energy. The sudden move of Norton to trap Jack in the concentration filter was brilliant and made a decent amount of sense in that the immortal one could just absorb the energy. The harking back to Flight 405 was fantastic and Yvonne’s noticing of the pilot’s suit similarity came full circle which was very nice. Norton believing that it was Jack who had put the plane into the time loop was unexpected and I couldn’t quite understand his rationale. His efforts to escape were commendable as he’d used the Lens to hijack Yvonne’s projection effort of retrieving Ianto from the past. He’d waited sixty years and come the long way around and now he would serve his purpose for the Committee. Jack’s reaction to norton bringing up the Committee was excellent and he had a really strong episode. The reactor failing provided a lot of excitement and I was delighted to hear Colchester ignore Yvonne’s order to remain outside whilst things were getting critical. A real punch the air moment. Ng finding Captain Jack in a bad way after his energy absorption heroics was interesting because he was still alive, but very much immobile. Colchester round Norton at the reactor which was great and he asked a very valid question of wanting to know where and when the explosion would be diverted to through the Rift. Norton only provided a vague answer which Colchester would have none of. The conflict between the team was very strong in this episode which was sublime and I liked that Tyler began questioning Yvonne when she ignored Ng’s plea call. She spilled all of how she had been working for this moment for the last decade in hiding and that it was a long-standing plan. She offered Tyler life if he stood with her which showed that she was very much evil. Colchester finally deciding he’d had enough of Norton was a brilliant moment with him pointing a gun at the old Torchwood agent. He couldn’t believe that both the submersible and the Lens surviving was a mere coincidence. The concept of the Committee wanting control of the Rift was magnificent and something I was very much on board with. That tied in nicely with their insistence on price and cost. Norton using a remote shock pad on Colchester placed when he wanted his bloody brow mopped was a bit strange, but it was quickly forgotten with the excitement that came as a huge energy release from the Rift occurred. The shockwaves resulting heading south into the seabed rather than the Rift was a good development as Norton had been lied to. The energy was heading to the planet’s core would tear it apart and that was a marvellous threat. The scenes with God and the Committee continuing were fascinating and I liked how the former questioned whether humanity suffering was what was wanted. The continued mentions of faith are great too. Norton knowing he had been played was good and he’d prepared for it which was admittedly admirable. He knew where to release the Rift energy that he’d divert to its intended destination and then he was gone. Things were literally reaching nuclear and it all seemed too late for Mr Colchester. He was going to die for the second time in nine episodes! He accepted that all was lost and didn’t want anyone coming for him. He believed his goodbye would and should be permanent this time and he was so sorry for Colin to have to lose him all over again. But there was Jack to attempt the save! There was a huge amount of excitement which makes for a great story. The discussion with God and the Committee continued to interest me and I loved that the former was pleased that love had seemingly triumphed. The Committee Leader was just laughing because he wondered about the cost. That’s all that mattered. Tyler being oblivious to Yvonne’s true intentions was a bit rubbish because I thought he was better than that. The wide impact kept worsening as a big earthquake occurred - in Cardiff! - from the aftershock of the power station. Tsunami was next on the agenda! Torchwood couldn’t do much about that. Yvonne recalling that she’d promised to do nothing if things went wrong was interesting as it just didn’t seem like her despite her true evil intentions. God being sad about the impending tsunami hitting Cardiff was interesting and I’m intrigued to discover her true purpose and intentions. It was all planned, but it wasn’t the doing of the Committee after all. Intriguing. Tyler managing to convince Yvonne to act was good and she didn’t mess about in hacking into Cardiff’s old air raid sirens and initiating an evacuation procedure. By this point in the audio I was off the train and walking through the capital and I’m sure I spotted one. Yvonne planned to open the Rift as wide as it could but Cardiff would still be obliterated. God was now at the mercy of the Committee and the line about the act of God was just sublime. This was the cost and I loved it. Tyler and Yvonne were trapped in the Hub at Cardiff Bay as the tsunami approached. Yvonne again claimed that she’d done her duty, but what was it all for? Things look ravaged heading into the finale. The post-credit scene with Norton arriving back on Flight 405. He trapped himself in the loop all along which I thought was quite apt. Overall, an excellent conclusion to what was a very strong second boxset!

Rating: 9/10

God Among Us: Another Man's Shoes

"Trading bodies is not an everyday occurrence."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: February 2019

Series: Torchwood 6.07

Featuring: Captain Jack, Yvonne, Mr Colchester, Tyler, Ng, Andy

Synopsis

Yvonne wakes up in Andy's body – and both have difficult days ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Norton's making himself very much at home in Tyler's body, much to Tyler's alarm, and Ng is worried she knows what's going on.

Someone's playing a terrible trick on Torchwood. But who will win?

Verdict

Another Man’s Shoes was another terrific audio adventure to continue the second instalment of God Among Us along very nicely. The story initially starting with Ng wondering why Tyler was screaming at 6am hit home for me as I was literally on the train at that time and I really felt like screaming as well! I was intrigued by what had happened to Tyler with his new voice and thinking he was taller, but then we found out it was actually Norton in his body! Well, I was immediately intrigued and then we found out that Andy and Yvonne had too traded bodies which was a superb dynamic. It didn’t stop there though as Captain Jack and Mr Colchester had also swapped! This was going to be a lot of fun and whilst it was a little harder to keep track of who was who given the lack of visuals, it was still so much fun. It didn’t happen to anybody else in Cardiff like had been the case throughout the past two series of Torchwood. The team had been targeted and I thought that was exciting. There couldn’t be a better day to get them either as Andy particularly had a job performance review for the incident in The Empty Hand where he shot an unarmed refugee under the influence of Ro-Jedda. I thought that was good continuity so the idea of Yvonne taking the performance review for him was pretty amusing. I was impressed with a number of the main cast in this one in how they took on the character that had swapped bodies with theirs. It sounded like they had a lot of fun. Andy wouldn’t just sit around worrying about Yvonne taking his review, he’d go to the Hub and command Torchwood. Well, he’d at least try. His confronting of Ng for the past and what she did to Gwen was nice because of how close Andy was with Cooper and I have to say she is definitely being missed despite the high quality of this sixth series. Tyler and Norton being in a clothes shop and taking the impulsive decision to essentially shag themselves as they were in another body was quite mindblowing but I was hardly surprised. Inviting Jay for a threesome after they were done was quite something though! Norton was beyond full of energy. Mrs Davenport conducting Andy’s review was good and Yvonne certainly got things off on the wrong foot and all she desired was a yes to ensure Andy didn’t get dismissed. She didn’t get that so quickly went about giving Davenport a dose of retcon which was very amusing. Ng had a very interesting episode with hearing the enigmatic signal which meant she had to leave the Hub alone. She had to ask if it was time and seemed confused which I liked and what we later got was wonderful. The humour that came with Norton being introduced to Tinder was very funny and he didn’t mess around with getting Tyler’s body around the block. The day of body swap also had impact because it was Colin’s birthday and Colchester had big plans that Jack would now have to try and carry out. Colchester had booked a reservation at Antonio’s despite the waiting list of weeks. The scene where Jack was denied a table and talked up Colchester’s voice in a threatening way was just glorious. The humour that came when he found the table had been booked under Colin’s name was glorious. A real episode highlight. Tyler wanting to find his phone ended up with Andy using some Torchwood software in an iffy way to interrupt Norton’s latest sexual exploit. I really liked the shift in having Andy, as Yvonne, be called by the Committee and a meeting was planned for an hour’s time. My eyes lit up when this element of the story took place. Yvonne continuing to be pushy with Davenport and using her last retcon to try and push her into passing the rest for Andy was very good. I thought it was lovely that Colchester wanted to experience Colin’s birthday with him after all he’d planned, but there was a weird moment after Colchester emerged as Jack. Despite it almost seeming like Colchester wanted Colin to reschedule events and have Jack stop going along with the plans, which would upset him greatly, Jack didn’t go through with that. Colchester had a change of heart and wanted Colin to have a lovely day whilst he went and put things right. He wanted his body back. I thought the character development for Tyler was brilliant with it killing him to see Norton slutting around in his body. It was a lesson he needed to realise how much he messed up in his younger days. Norton’s proposal to Jay was unexpected though and seemed a bit much. The destination of Ng’s signal taking her to an ice cream van housing the wonderful Scottish woman was excellent and I loved the comment of ‘Herald meets Deity’ conforming my suspicions that she was indeed God. It was nice to hear that she was impressed with Ng for getting herself a name, friends and a job. God was testing Torchwood and whether they could weather the storm with rain continuing to fall. Finding out that God did all of this so Ng could pass judgement on the Torchwood team was great. Andy being with the Committee and finding out that the body swap was an early sabotage of Evolve technology that allowed mind transfer was really interesting and I’m intrigued to hear how this will come back into the story arc later in the series. The plan for a reset and the Committee taking their pick from the survivors was brilliant. Andy not being subtle when he found out the truth about Yvonne’s involvement was very amusing. He soon came around and pushed the boat in all of the right ways which I liked a lot. He’s been a wonderful character this series. The prospect of Cardiff drowning if he continued pushing was foreshadowing if I’ve ever heard it. There’s definitely still so much to come. Yvonne finally getting Davenport to give Andy the security he needed to keep his job by just admitting his shortcomings and coming up with an action plan was very good. We unsurprisingly found that Norton had been rejected by Jay but the idea of the body swap scrambling their emotional restraints seemed feasible. Norton again talking of how the world really is ending was interesting because he doesn’t really seem to be doing much about it! Ng standing firm that she had become her own self and will fight God was wonderful. She was Torchwood now and would not pass judgement. Questions finally arising concerning Orr was well overdue and I really can’t understand why there haven’t been any mentions of her yet. It’s quite baffling to be honest! The whole body swap also being designed to see how Ng would react was a good development, but then Colchester arrived at the ice cream van to find her alone. The device in control of the body swaps was there though and was soon turned off. God was nowhere to be seen. Torchwood would definitely have learned from each other as God wanted which was good and I like the idea that she’s almost preparing the team for future battle. Colchester having planned some Rift corridor adventures for Colin’s Birthday was lovely and I liked that Jack held off kissing him because he could feel that he was swapping back to his body. Colchester at least got to finish Colin’s birthday in the shower with him and had comfort that he’d had a good day. Andy confronting Yvonne about her involvement in the Committee was good but I didn't think it would come so quickly. I found it quite sad that Yvonne hammered home that this was no longer the Torchwood of Jack and Gwen because that's who I fell in love with the show based upon. The world had changed now. I am not too sure if I like that Andy knows of the Committee before through Norton. With this being the official continuation, I think it should be standalone from other audio stories. God then greeting Andy afterwards was intriguing and the comment of the world ending when Andy believed the rain would stop was surely a harrowing foreshadowing of what's to come. Overall, another fantastic audio.

Rating: 8/10

God Among Us: Hostile Environment

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God Among Us: Flight 405

"I've just listened to myself die."

Writer: Lou Morgan
Format: Audio
Released: February 2019
Series: Torchwood 6.05

Featuring: Yvonne, Andy, Norton

Synopsis

Flight 405 went missing over 60 years ago, but tonight the plane finally lands. Norton Folgate's a Torchwood agent from the 1950s and he swears Flight 405 contains the secret to the end of the world, but can Torchwood trust him?

Verdict 

The second boxset of God Among Us and Torchwood’s official sixth series started in a fantastic way with Flight 405! I wasn’t quite expecting this adventure to go in the direction that it did, but it turned out to be a brilliant story. After the arrival of Norton Folgate at the back end of the first boxset, his arrival at Andy’s house with Yvonne seemed to continue things along on a smaller scale which was interesting and differed from my expectations. The only appearance or Captain Jack and Mr Colchester was good and I liked that they were on good terms after everything that went on with Colin in the first third of the series. Colchester was now a little similar to Jack in that he’d been resurrected and was now not sleeping. He probably wouldn’t be able to resurrect like Jack can, but the similarities could provide an interesting dynamic moving forward. This episode wasn’t about them though. We had some good humour with the pronunciation of Llandau Airport and I really enjoyed the idea of a ghost flight from the 1950s being trapped on the edge of the Rift. There was so much potential and throwing in the fact that there was an alien artefact on board was excellent. A lot of potential from the offset. I wanted to know more about the Lens artefact but the first objective was to ensure that the plane would land safely because today was the day it would come out of the Rift. That was the danger that Norton had come to stop which didn’t initially seem to fit in with the overall story arc of God Among Us. Norton being a pharadime projection was good and it was great when he just beamed himself up to the plane. The idea of the pilots on board phasing between being flesh and then skeletons was fantastic. There was the potential of crashing and falling into a time loop which I enjoyed a lot and it was good to know that despite being beamed up, there was no chance of escape. One thing I thought should have happened in the story was some background noise of an aeroplane because the silence didn’t quite suit what I was listening to. It wasn’t a major issue though. Norton not knowing what the Lens is nor looked like was humorous and it seemed to just fit his character even though I knew very little of his background. It just seemed right. Maybe that’s why Andy suspected that he was keeping something from him and Yvonne. He wanted to know why they were on the plane as there needed to be more of a reason. The mention of heavy rain in Cardiff was very apt and as I was making the morning commute into my capital city, I was hoping the heavens wouldn’t open up like they did yesterday morning ensuring I walked into work dripping. Norton hearing the transmissions from the future was fantastic and I loved that it revealed that his plan hadn’t worked. With Andy’s help, Yvonne realising that Norton was in fact terrified was very good. One of the best moments in the episode was the brief cameo of the Scottish woman that featured throughout the first boxset! I am a big fan of her and I can’t wait to discover how she ties in with everything in the series. My gut feeling at the moment is that she might be God. She knew all about Norton which was a great development. Andy and Yvonne getting to hear the radio now was good and they heard that things had gone wrong. It was all time dilation because of the Rift and these were just possible futures, a concept which I very much enjoy. It was almost certainly a trap, but the mention of one of the pilots having the same suit as Norton was very intriguing and I had expected that element to be developed further. Maybe it will tie in again as the series continues. All of the different futures being heard resulting in them all failing and getting trapped was dangerous and exciting to see where things would go. I thought it was very clever of Yvonne to try and send her past self a message to change her fate. Her greatness is definitely becoming more known as the episodes continue. Her and Andy suspecting that Norton had sent them on a wild goose chase was interesting, but she had a plan to ensure safety. She wanted to land the plane in the water and have her team extract the fuselage from the wreckage because that’s the only place the Lens could be after extensive searching. Norton expecting Yvonne and Andy to just land the plane nicely was an interesting development and he definitely knew more than he was letting on. He had to get off, but Yvonne brilliantly called his bluff which meant he quickly produced the Lens which had them blown a hole in the side of the plane! They wouldn’t zap back into their bodies and they needed to seal it quickly. There was just one problem there because they were projections and couldn’t physically pick up anything to seal it. Norton conveniently was more in phase with the ship and sealed things up rather quickly when placed in danger. He was certainly up to something. The pilots being permanently out of phase, which was contradicted a few minutes later, was intriguing because Norton then was able to be in control. Things then were revealed that the pilots were in different phasing and that allowed Yvonne to find the solution in having her and Andy take control of their bodies mid-phase. A horrifying but terrific concept. I really enjoyed the fear that they could get trapped inside the bodies forever if they didn’t time the phasing exit properly. Yvonne wanting to kill the engines after hearing her potential future self was good and I enjoyed her determination to carry that out. The plane was close to Cardiff now and when the danger had occurred but the plane was free of the Rift, Norton quickly departed the aeroplane after thanking them for their help. It was all very interesting. They had to get out of the bodies as time was catching up with the plane and they safely landed it and beamed out. It was still raining which was very Cardiff. Andy has questions for Norton and whether it was all his plan along. It certainly had that feeling. Did he know where the Lens was? I think so, and I enjoyed that Andy kept probing. Yvonne claiming ownership of the alien artefact was very good and finding out that it could beam energy from dimensions was really interesting. The idea that Norton was still around after the plane danger was eradicated was intriguing because that meant the world would still be ending. Maybe that’s how we get back to the God story arc? The conclusion was hugely unexpected with Norton standing before the Committee and it didn’t matter that he didn’t quite have the artefact. Their plans for the planet had been delayed before so it could happen again. Norton referring to Torchwood as something different to what he was part of was good and not too surprising, but the emergence of Yvonne to the Committee was outstanding! She had the Lens at their disposal which I found very surprising and I’m excited to hear where things go from here. What I didn't expect was a mini episode in the form of a podcast straight after the end credits. We were introduced to Niamh and Jeff who were presenting 'Cardiff Unknown' and it was just brilliant. The mentioning of Cardiff being the city that was forgotten was good and I liked how they interviewed Andy and Tyler about the existence of a secret organisation that was obviously referring to Torchwood. The idea of the lack of evidence of Torchwood being the evidence needed to prove Torchwood existed was terrific. This served well as a foreshadowing of events to come whilst reminding everyone of the journey of how we got here right back from the beginnings of Aliens Among Us. George Wilson's theory about the world being controlled by an alien Committee seemed apt after we were introduced to them. Him dying along with Sam Hallet, who we were told had written an enlightening 'Eye of Providence' blog about aliens in Cardiff and Torchwood but it had disappeared now, with just blurry screenshots remaining, was great and I liked how the crime scene didn't make sense. Torchwood covering up their existence of course. The mention of Niamh having gone to university in Bath was fantastic because that's where I spent three years as an undergraduate! The reference to the Blue Doors and Red Doors when it came to believers and non-believers of alien goings on in Cardiff was brilliant and I liked how the latter's terrorist organisation was mentioned and how the leader of that had been found with no memory. Describing the alien hotel that housed so many of the Sorvix was great and I enjoyed how things liked with the flight 405 from this episode. The emergence of Brent Hayden as a guest on the podcast was wonderful after The Man Who Destroyed Torchwood because even though that wasn't the best story, he was the perfect character to appear. His annoyance and description of Cardiff's alpha lies was good and I liked how he stormed off. The recounting of the events of Future Pain with the God devotions was fantastic and this made for a wonderful little add on to what was already a brilliant episode!

Rating: 9/10

All the Empty Towers

"What's happened to my hometown?"

Writer: Jenny T. Colgan
Format: Short Story
Released: June 2015
Printed in: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who 05

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

Clara Oswald just wants a trip back home. The Doctor duly obliges, but he gets the timing all wrong. They end up at the end of the 21st century and Blackpool has been hit by climate change. It has become a hunting ground...

Verdict

All the Empty Towers was a terrific continuation of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who! This was almost certainly the best adventure in the collection yet and I think a lot of my enjoyment stemmed from the setting being a recognisable location to myself. I have spent numerous holidays in the seaside town that is Blackpool so taking that familiar place and ravaging it with the impact of global warming and climate change worked very well. All the familiar sites were covered in the likes of trees and vines and whilst it was still a distinctly recognisable place, things had very much changed from Clara’s time. Her desire to go back home and show the Doctor just where she was from was really nice and I was hugely impressed with how well Jenny T. Colgan managed to capture the relationship between her and the Twelfth Doctor. It certainly wasn’t an easy one but she did a stellar job in balancing the niceties with the difficulties that arose with the early stages of the Twelfth Doctor’s era. The writing of the Doctor himself was very well done with Peter Capaldi’s personality and likeness being well represented on the page which is always very important. Perhaps even more so in a short story like this because of how quickly the feeling of the adventure needs to be captured. There’s no time to hang around and I was delighted that this one didn’t have any issues in that regard. Clara’s initial reaction after exiting the TARDIS was good because she no longer recognised her hometown but the Doctor knew there had been no mistake with the coordinates. They’d just arrived a little later than anticipated in 2089. That’s a dangerously close setting considering what had happened to Blackpool in only 7 decades or so from now and it’s frightening to realise how likely things like this occurring will be. Will I get to live to experience them? I’m not so sure, but I have very little confidence that politicians on a global scale will be able to combat them. I thought the line from the hunters about the older generation not looking after the planet was very powerful and it highlighted just how badly things might get and the consequences for those that come after us. The reference to In the Forest of the Night was brilliant and very apt for the story that was being told. I liked it a lot as it was also a little humorous. The idea of Blackpool, and more specifically the Pleasure Beach, becoming a hunting ground was quite awful to think about but it was a very good concept that worked well. Even after climate change, people were still going to Blackpool for their stag dos which was a delightful thought. Will Blackpool every truly age? I thought the use of the setting was very good with a lot of notable landmarks featuring, but I do wish the pier that heavily featured was named more specifically as either the North, Central or South. For any reader not familiar with Blackpool, they could be forgiven for thinking the town had only the singular one. Given the proximity to the Pleasure Beach, I’ll go with it being the South Pier. That’s probably the best one as well! I found myself laughing a little bit with how quickly the Doctor and Clara were darting around Blackpool because they seemed to go from one end of the town to another awfully quickly! It’s a running joke between my Dad and I that Blackpool’s Golden Mile is the longest mile that exists. There is no feasible way that it is only a singular mile so to see the Doctor and Clara advance from the Pleasure Beach to Blackpool Tower so quickly was amusing. I’m not sure it would have been for anybody else! Blackpool Tower serving as the power source for the hunters’ ships which was humorously likened to being a larger scale bumper car scenario was good and that allowed for some intriguing passages within the Tower interior itself. I’ve been to the top of Blackpool Tower a few times and also watched the circus that takes place inside and that has involved some glances at the ballroom when departing or wondering through. The idea of the Doctor and Clara being there and dancing was just terrific and it was a nice moment for the pair with the former unexpectedly wanting to make a point of how good of a dancer he actually is. I guess I shouldn’t be overly surprised though with The Doctor Dances showcasing an incarnation of the Doctor similar to that of the Twelfth also showing up his dance moves. The Doctor’s sternness and authority in being able to bring down the hunters and their ships was very good and showed just how authoritative he could be. The silver discs were good and the one description of how it stuck where Clara’s neck had been moments earlier was excellent. I really enjoyed that. The comedy that came with the Doctor’s relationship with the donkey that he had named Meghan was magnificent and just great. Why wouldn’t the Doctor develop a relationship with a Blackpool donkey? Overall, a wonderful little tale! 

Rating: 9/10

Ascension of the Cybermen

"Every empire has its time."

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 23rd February 2020
Series: 12.09

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The aftermath of the Great CyberWar. The Doctor arrives in the far future, intent on protecting the last of the human race from the deadly Cybermen. But in the face of such a relentless enemy, has she put her best friends at risk? What terrors lie hiding in the depths of space, and what is Ko Sharmus?

Verdict

Ascension of the Cybermen was an excellent beginning to what looks set to be an explosive Series 12 finale double-header! This episode definitely had a 'part one' feeling and that was absolutely fine because it was a terrific set up. It's fair to say that there are so many questions heading into the final episode and that's exactly what you want. The direction that this story was going in didn't exactly surprise me and I called the cliffhanger long, long before it occurred, but it was just as satisfying when it occurred. I thought the use of the Cybermen was right up there with the very best they have been used in the modern era and I am delighted to be able to say that. The continued leadership of the Lone Cyberman was brilliant, but I do think there should have been some black on his helmet! Other than that, there wasn't a lot wrong with what occurred and I was delighted to find that he was flanked by two Cybus-looking Cybermen. A really great design choice! The designs didn't stop there though as we were introduced to the Cyber Warriors and they looked bloody magnificent. The blend of the Classic era with the modern design was just wonderful and I really liked the image of them all emerging from being dormant on the shuttle ship. There was so much harking back to the Cybermen's history and that also included the use of gold against them which I loved. I wasn't a massive fan of the Cyber Drones because they looked a bit ridiculous, but they served their purpose well. After what was promised, I was expecting a bit more from the number of Cybermen that featured, but that wouldn't have fitted in with the pace which turned out to be one of building to what's to come. Now, I'll get onto the subplot with Brendan who I found intriguing. Surely there was a resemblance to the Lone Cyberman with him or his dad? There was a huge amount going on with him without actually telling us where he fits in. A lone child found alone and then being resurrected in Captain Jack style after being shot off the cliff? My initial theory was that it might be Jack's son, but then the continuity wouldn't fit with Children of Earth so I am stumped. I read a fascinating theory on Twitter in the episode's aftermath that suggests that the Time Lords are descendants of the last of the human race. That fits with the episode and would also tie in with the lie of the Timeless Child which would be incredible. I can't wait to see how Gallifrey fits in with the Cybermen. Ko Sharmus actually being the man at the border pathway was unexpected but I don't know the significance just yet and that leaves me desperate to tune into the finale next week. I hope things go quickly in work! Yaz and Graham being separated and not taking death as an answer was good and I thought they had a strong episode together. Jodie Whittaker was once again superb as the Thirteenth Doctor and it's been clear to see how much she has deteriorated over the course of the series after finding out about Gallifrey. Her telling the companions that they had to listen to her with no questions was telling as she really wasn't being Mrs Nice Guy anymore. She was deadly serious and that showed how threatened she was by the Cybermen. She'd lost a lot to them and now they were in jeopardy. The emergence of the Master from Gallifrey through the portal was excellent and I loved seeing him back again even if I thought it was a guarantee. It has set up the finale wonderfully well and I can't wait for everything to be tied together. Overall, an excellent episode to set things up.

Meet the Fam!

"Today is the TARDIS's pick."

Writer: Jody Houser

Format: Comic Strip

Released: May 2019

Printed in: Free Comic Book Day 2019

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

For once, or more than is usually the case, the Doctor lets the TARDIS pick the destination for herself and the fam. They arrive at a carnival funfair where games of chance are found to have terrible consequences, and the Doctor won't allow them to be rigged any longer.

Verdict

Meet the Fam! was a decent little story to serve as the adventure released for 2019's Free Comic Book Day. I remember heading to Forbidden Planet last year for the first time as part of the comic freebie festivities, but unfortunately I didn't actually manage to get hold of the Doctor Who comic and I was bitterly disappointed. Going back the next and subsequent days provided no luck and I thought I was going to miss out on the story altogether! Thankfully, I was able to find it on eBay for no more than £2 and whilst it is frustrating to pay for something that was free, it didn't set me back too much and means I can now continue my feat of blogging everything possible with the current incarnation of the Doctor. With this being part of the Free Comic Book Day, it was clear that the story was formatted as almost being an introduction to what Doctor Who comic strips can be like and who exactly the team that make up the main characters are. Being an avid fan of each and every era of the show, that didn't quite work out for me in the same way it might for a non-fan. That's not to say it was bad by any means and I can fully appreciate what was trying to be done. Why not utilise the Free Comic Book Day to try and bring on board more fans and show off the Thirteenth Doctor and her fam? I mean, from the title I should have been able to guess what was going to happen in the adventure. I have to say, Jody Houser is doing a wonderful job at the helm of the ongoing comic strips for the Thirteenth Doctor and I have been hugely impressed with her characterisation. She is able to capture Jodie Whittaker's personality and traits excellently and that really does make for good reading. The basic premise behind the story was simple with the danger arising from the Bevivian game of chance. The Doctor hadn't quite anticipated that when she'd got the whole gang into the carnival funfair as multi-guests. It was all in the terms and conditions though. Of course it was. Graham knew the game was rigged but played anyway and lost. That resulted in him getting teleported away! The Doctor was soon on the case to win him back by their own rules and whilst she cheated considerably by having Ryan use the sonic screwdriver to aid her throw, the reactions of those in charge of the game was priceless. The Doctor taking on the responsibility for her companions was really nice to see and it was also good to see how much Ryan cared for his grandad when he thought he might be gone. One thing I really noticed about the story was how little was actually going on in each panel. I wasn't surprised by that in the slightest given that it was produced for free, but that didn't impact the artwork which was of an incredibly high standard. It definitely looked impressive. The Thirteenth Doctor continuing to namedrop famous people she has met in her past was great and it left me wondering why we didn't have an adventure featuring Babe Ruth in the recent Star Tales short story anthology. I'm sure that would have a lot of potential! Yaz comforting the alien child that was also rescued by the Doctor's victory was nice to see and the last page said everything you needed to know about the story and Doctor Who in general. This was the Doctor and her fam and they helped people out. Overall, a good little tale!

Rating: 7/10

The Hungry Night

"Your job is to roam the galaxy calling dibs."

Writer: Jonathan Morris
Format: Audio
Released: June 2015
Printed in: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who 04

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

The Godsend beams out a distress call after coming under attack by Space Barnacles of all things. They're in desperate need of help, so it's a good job that the Doctor arrives with all of the answers. He just needs the crew to agree to a few things before he saves their lives...

Verdict

The Hungry Night was another little interesting tale to continue along my reading of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who quite nicely! I am always a fan of furthering the adventures of the Ninth Doctor so when he finally arrived into the story I was delighted to find that it was indeed Christopher Eccleston’s incarnation of our Time Lord hero. More than that though, we had him travelling alone which is very much a rarity and I’d love to find out where this might fit in the chronology of Series 1. I am going to assume that the intention was for before Rose given that she wasn’t even mentioned. I’d like to think that the Doctor would have brought her up if he’d met her at this point in my life. Not knowing is sometimes part of the fun though and the ambiguity and guessing games that can come with placement just enhance the enjoyment. I always try to make it fit where I think it should be. If it wasn’t for that look in the mirror in the aforementioned televised episode, a whole new world of adventures could be opened up but there must only be so long before the Doctor looked in a mirror after regenerating from the War Doctor in The Day of the Doctor. The characterisation of the Ninth Doctor was pretty good, but I didn’t understand why he took a little while to enter the story. When there are barely twelve pages to play with you have to utilise everything that you’ve got so I thought it was strange to have an opening without the lead character and it seemed like it was going to last indefinitely! I’m slightly exaggerating there as it must have only been about 4 pages before he arrived, but that’s actually a considerable amount and a third of the whole story! Some of the other characters were enjoyable with Locklear particular standing out and also standing up to the Doctor which was impressive. Tobbs was also a good character and I enjoyed his struggle to find the words at the end of his song, purely because I know how incredibly frustrating that can be! There really isn’t anything worse than not being able to remember a song line. The Godspeed was a decent setting for much of the adventure but I was a little surprised that the Doctor didn’t acknowledge that he’d answered the mayday signal. I assume that must be what had occurred for him to be there? The Space Barnacles seemed like an amusing little nuisance and I liked their resemblance to the Pting in feeding on the energy fired at them from the Plasma cannons. Could this small little story be where the influence for The Tsuranga Conundrum was derived? It’s an intriguing thought and one I would like to think might be true just because of how obscure it would be. There wasn’t actually a huge amount going on other than things going wrong, the Doctor showing up and then finding the solution to solve it. That was the gist of the adventure which is hardly a surprising structure! It’s happened so often, but maybe not as basic as was the case this time around. The answer, according to the Doctor, was actually a really simple one. Turn off the ship and make the Barnacles think that lunchtime was over and that there was no more energy left to feed on. That was easier said than done though as they still required another energy source and that ended up being the TARDIS. The idea of the Doctor using his time machine spaceship to capture a load of Space Barnacles was terrific and they seemed to completely overwhelm the exterior! The Doctor would take them to the nice inner asteroid belt where they could feed on all the energy they wanted in abundance. That was nice of him to do and exactly the selfless and kind gesture you’d expect of the Doctor, but I have to admit I was a little surprised with how easily the ship’s crew gave up their claims to the planet and the region of space. They must have feared for their life to let that go willingly! It was a mandatory compromise for the Doctor and he was happy to have that accepted. Things seemed to just end on a nice little note with relative ease which was somewhat unusual, but it was a good way to conclude events for what was an enjoyable yet little read. Overall, a decent adventure for the Ninth Doctor! 

Rating: 7/10

Flight Into Hull!

"Oh great, two Jackie Tylers!"

Writer: Joseph Lidster
Format: Audio
Released: August 2018
Series: Short Trips 8.08

Featuring: Meta-Crisis Doctor, Jackie

Synopsis

Jackie Tyler's lost a close friend, and this new Doctor is only a half-hearted replacement for him.

But as she tries to put the events of Big Ben behind her and take a well-earned break, others have sported an opportunity. A well-intentioned, far-reaching plan is underway. But Jackie Tyler isn't the woman she was...

Verdict

Flight Into Hull! was a very good little audio adventure that continued the story of the Meta-Crisis Doctor in a great way! This was a really enjoyable story and I liked how it continued where The Siege of Big Ben left off. I couldn’t quite believe that it followed the same format with Jackie recalling events to Beryl over the phone, but things definitely didn’t seem as irritating this time around. Perhaps I was used to it? I liked the idea of Jackie being bought a day trip holiday to Britain’s most beautiful spa resort, which was apparently in Hull, by Rose after the events with the Doctor at UNIT HQ. She would be travelling by private zeppelin but she wouldn’t be going alone as the Doctor had been tricked into going on there as well with Rose and Pete telling him there was a Torchwood base in the town. There was not of course, but now the pair could talk things out after a frosty time. He continued to look down at Jackie because she was just a dinner lady and a silly little human who couldn’t understand the bigger picture concerning Christa. That was a bit out of order, but before Jackie could properly react another Jackie transported her way onto the zeppelin and had a space gun! She was a brunette and I enjoyed the idea of this being another parallel version. She was from a universe where the Earth was cooling down beyond resolution and she’d come to replace Jackie. That’s quite the concept! I liked that a lot. The moment she scared Beryl into thinking that she had actually been replaced and that her own replacement would be coming for her shortly was quite funny and an injection of comedy went down a treat. The Doctor coming to the conclusion that this parallel Jackie was just a fake and a trick laid on by Rose and Pete to help the healing process for the pair was intriguing. Would they really have gone so far just so they could talk things out and get along? The Doctor seemed confident that this couldn’t be real because no Jackie Tyler would be capable of pulling off such a feat! His continuing battering of her intelligence was a little much and sad, but it highlighted just how different this Meta-Crisis Doctor was. The brunette Jackie proving that things were in fact real was done in a brutal way as she grabbed he pilot and threw him out of the zeppelin! Well, I didn’t see that coming but I really could have done without the horrendously stereotypical Welsh accent impression. It really was terrible and as a proud Welshman I was a little offended. The brunette Jackie didn’t have a Rose in her universe which seemed sad, but she did have a little Tony. She believed she should survive over the Jackie we know because she was a scientist and was looking down her nose like the Doctor did. She wanted her to explain why she was more important which I thought was a fantastic moment. Jackie wasn’t afraid to challenge her doppelgänger which was terrific. I loved her reaction to being called a chav with it provoking a fierce slap to the brunette Jackie. Our Jackie did show her intelligence as she soon realised that the brunette wanted something because she could’ve just killed her already. She was scared though because she realised that the other Jackie was clever and could probably help the Doctor with his TARDIS building. Jackie was convinced this might be it for her, but despite everything she couldn’t let the Doctor be killed. To prevent that, she’d tell the new Jackie everything but wonderfully revealed a load of fake information. The UNIT headquarters was at Big Bill and her husband was Paul. I liked that a lot because it allowed her to showcase how good she was at distractions which allowed the Doctor to get the upper hand. Jackie’s kindness was fully on show as she told how the Meta-Crisis Doctor deserved a second chance. The Doctor knew that Jackie Tyler, all of them, loved life and that tested the brunette to the limit once the Doctor fired the gun and shot the plane off autopilot. That set the ship on course for a collision with Hull city centre and a big decision for brunette Jackie to make. This Doctor wasn’t bluffing and got what he wanted, but then there was the issue of actually dealing with the imminent crash! That was a lot of fun, but our Jackie had absolute faith that the Doctor would solve the situation despite there being no way to stop the crash. I was pretty surprised that Jackie called Pete to say goodbye during the descent and quickly hung up although she had the confidence in the Doctor. The Doctor planning on landing the ship into the river to minimise damage and casualties. Jackie questioning whether the Doctor would be able to regenerate was a powerful moment and I loved the issue of the Doctor now having the possibility of final death. That realisation set the Doctor off and he felt awful for all he’d done here by putting Jackie’s life in danger. She didn’t hate him though and she was more than willing to admit how he’d made their lives better. I was very surprised that the Doctor cried and it was sad to hear how his head hurt with all he can think about being war. He poured his emotions out and was sorry and didn’t want to lose Rose, but then the moment occurred where he knew what to do. Jackie finding the Doctor’s grin beautiful when he worked out the plan was wonderful. They’d had so many second chances lately and in their life and they deserved more. He had the idea to jump before the ship hit, which actually seemed like a really easy and logical solution, and Jackie agreed saying she’d follow him anywhere. So she did and all was safe as the ship destroyed a bridge but it had already been evacuated. The Welsh pilot was found with another terrible accent impression, but on reflection this was just a really good story for the development of the Meta-Crisis Doctor. I do hope we can get more. Overall, a very good audio!

Rating: 8/10

The Room with All the Doors

"Literally anything is possible here..."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Short Story

Released: June 2015

Printed in: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who

Featuring: Second Doctor

Synopsis

The Second Doctor, amidst doing battle with the Ice Warriors on the Moon, is pulled into the Multivarium. Endless possibilities lie behind a number of doors, and the only help he has is from a mysterious stranger that isn't giving much away...

Verdict

The Room With All the Doors was a fascinating little continuation of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who! I am finding the stories rather unique and this one was no different as it was an incredibly rare solo outing for the Second Doctor. That almost never happens so that itself was enjoyable enough, especially with the characterisation of Patrick Troughton's incarnation being done so well. The description of his appearance was also terrific despite it being described hundreds of times in the past in other stories. It was just good to capture this particular Doctor perfectly and he was well suited to the story at hand. When it was obvious from the start that the adventure was going to be told from the first person, I was a little sceptical at first because I don't often tend to enjoy that, particularly if it is from the perspective of a character I have never been introduced to before. However, the fact that we didn't end up learning anything about this narrator made things better. It was just nice, for once, to not know everything that was going on and see the Doctor's interaction with a total stranger. Even as the story continued to be told, there was no sign at all that we would learn anything more about him or her. Or it? Who knows. The Multivarium was a fascinating setting and a concept I could fully get behind as I do enjoy the idea of the Multiverse and existing with slight differences that become incredibly noticeable. It just has so much potential and this one was no different. It was a little bit of a shame that we didn't get too much of a description concerning what was actually behind the infinite number of doors, but my interest was there and it was intriguing that whilst aware of time and how long had passed, its impact wasn't being felt by the Doctor nor whoever the narrator was. They didn't need to eat or sleep or anything like that. It was an endless cycle but one the Doctor seemed quite intent on getting out of. He had a method and it involved a number of doodles on the draws which worked well and I loved how he was able to use following the rules against the system. By doing exactly that, he was able to break them. By virtue of this being a kind of Multiverse, there just had to be a door where on the other side there was a way out. It was common logic and I really enjoyed that. His explanations to his comrade in trouble with him worked well, but still we couldn't really get any answers out of him/her that would help identify the mysterious (I assume) humanoid. The Doctor recalling how he had been pulled out of doing battle with the Ice Warriors on the Moon with Jamie and Zoe was lovely and a terrific reference to The Seeds of Death. Just when would he have popped off for this adventure by opening a door? I'm not usually a huge fan of ambiguity, but I liked how this short story ended with them finding what the Doctor presumed was the door with the way out and they'd soon find out if they would make it. As a reader, we were quickly led onto a discussion concerning the scientific likelihood of the Multiverse, but I didn't have time for that. I am just here for the stories and for now, this was a lovely and intriguing little tale for the Second Doctor.

Rating: 8/10

A Town Called Fortune

"I'll see this Doctor fella is hanged at dawn."

Writer: Paul Sutton

Format: Audio

Released: November 2010

Series: Companion Chronicles 5.05

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Evelyn

Synopsis

"Wanted dead or alive for the murder of... William Donovan!"

Problems beset the Doctor and Evelyn Smythe as they travel by train to the Wild West town of Fortune. A young woman is investigating the murder of her father nine years earlier, and a wanted poster indicates that the Doctor is the killer!

With the TARDIS lost to them and the law on their tail, can the travellers unravel the mystery – or will Rachel Ann Donovan take her revenge first?

Verdict

A Town Called Fortune was a great little Companion Chronicle audio adventure! It was definitely worth the £2.99 download sale price to go alongside the recent airing of the sixth episode in Series 12, but I have to admit that I was a little trepidatious about purchasing this story because of its Wild West setting. I don’t think I’ve hidden from the fact before that I do not enjoy this period and location in American history so I was understandably sceptical. The story starting with Evelyn in a jail with Sam was interesting and I liked that the Doctor was saying his goodbyes in a saloon. Starting the adventure at the chronological conclusion was good and I liked how it was told in flashbacks which suited the Companion Chronicle format very well. The TARDIS landing on a train headed towards Fortune was good and I found the interaction with the woman we would learn to be Rachel Ann Donovan was terrific. She had simply fallen asleep on the train and didn’t want to miss her destination of Fortune. Her purpose of going there to find the man that killed her father some nine years previous was excellent and really peaked my interest in the story. Evelyn realised that she was doubting herself and seemed to want answers rather than revenge which was an intriguing dynamic. The little family background of how her dad went to Fortune for his family to try and find gold to support them was good and it was quite heartbreaking to find that he’d never written back to them. The revelation that the Doctor was a wanted man in Fortune was brilliant and had me really interested and I thought the scene where he and Evelyn jumped off the train was excellent! I liked that bit of action but I was surprised to find that they still headed to a Fortune on foot. The gold mine between them and the town was good, but Evelyn didn’t like seeing the slave labour and shanty town nature of its makeup. The characterisation of the Sixth Doctor in this audio was very impressive and I particularly liked Maggie Stables and her impression. She performed the whole adventure very admirably. Meeting Jed in the mine was enjoyable and finding out that the Mayor, Sullivan, was working everyone to death again furthered the interesting dynamic of the story. Sullivan’s men coming to capture the Doctor was good and I liked that he was split from Evelyn in unfamiliar surroundings. Finding out that Sam was the Sheriff of Fortune was a little unexpected and I liked the thought that the Doctor was supposed to be on the train alone. He was on wanted posters for the past 12 months which was strange considering William Donovan was murdered 9 years ago. Maisie was a fantastic little character and her introduction of Sullivan to the adventure was really well done. He wasn’t just the Mayor, he was also the owner. Finding out that Maisie was in love with William was interesting and it was nice that she’d named the saloon after him. The fight scene was actually excellent and considering the Wild West stereotype, I didn’t expect to enjoy it so much. Maybe it was the lack of visuals? That fight calling all of the town out and meaning that the Doctor’s cell in the jail was unguarded and that provided a tremendous cliffhanger with it being proclaimed that he’d been shot by Rachel Ann. I really enjoyed that. Evelyn’s mind was racing at the start of part two but the Doctor was safe and gone. Evelyn eventually found the Doctor and Rachel Ann, the latter of who was pointing a gun at her face! It turned out that Rachel had paid off a few cowboys for some distractions to help the Doctor escape. I thought it was great that Sam displayed his power and wouldn’t let Sullivan immediately take the Doctor for hanging. Maisie claiming to know who had killed William was good and her claim seemed quite obvious. She knew it was Sullivan, but she just didn’t quite have enough proof. That set Evelyn into proper historian mode which was wonderful and her journeys to the archives to try and find some proof was fantastic and something I could relate to as I am days away from graduating from my History Master’s. She would stifle through every newspaper to try and incriminate him which seemed an unenviable task! Finding out from the storytelling perspective that Sullivan was in jail was very good and I liked that Evelyn seemed to have found a story regarding Sam from 9 years ago. His current perspective with Evelyn telling us that he was once the West’s premier law man. A former outlaw. Evelyn putting together a theory to prove Sullivan’s guilt was good and I really enjoyed the mystery of her trying to piece things together. Before she could finish her puzzle, the whole archive was barricaded and the library was set on fire! This audio definitely didn’t lack excitement. Sam saved them and heard a delirious Evelyn mentioning a different town. A clue? The image of the Doctor and Maisie being tied together was really good and I was fascinated that Evelyn woke up in the gold mine after the archival events. Her use of the cat brooch to cut the Doctor and Maisie free was great. The efforts to blow up the mine with dynamite continued the excitement but Sullivan was there to stop them before Rachel confronted him somewhat emotionally. Sam being able to arrest Sullivan for the blowing up of the mine and the attempted murders was very good along with finding out that he had illegally acquired the mine from William Donovan some nine years ago. There was the connection. Sullivan had changed the name of the town before William could fully acquire he mine was interesting and it had been registered under the town’s previous name of Dry Creek. Only a man in power could pull off a registration loophole coup, and that’s precisely what Sullivan was. Donovan’s registration had got lost and his death meant that Sullivan got what he wanted. The Doctor’s boasting to Evelyn about his efforts to uncover the town’s river and irrigate the land once again was magnificent. Typical Sixth Doctor there which I loved. What I didn’t like was the revelation and truth about the wanted posters for the Doctor. I’m glad they were addressed, but it didn’t make much sense as just being a ploy considering how quickly they’d sprung up after the Doctor’s arrival. I didn’t get it nor like it which was a big shame. Sullivan being arrested but not for the murder of Donovan was great and I loved finding out that Sam was the one who’d done it and that meant Sullivan had all the leverage over him. Sam was in love with Maisie which made things worse given that she’d had an affair with William. That was a strong way to end what was still a terrific story despite that one revelation irking me. 

Rating: 8/10

The Lost Generation

"The people inside the pods had long ago decomposed."

Writer: George Mann
Format: Short Story
Released: June 2015
Printed in: The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who 02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane

Synopsis

The Fourth Doctor unknowingly brings Sarah Jane Smith to the Prosperity, one of the very first colony ships from Earth. It has always been thought lost, but it's just thousands of years off course. Nature has taken over as things have gone very, very wrong.

Verdict

The Lost Generation was a decent little story to continue along my somewhat sporadic reading of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who. As fate would have it, I was again reunited with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane which is just a magnificent pairing and they certainly didn’t disappoint together in this adventure. They just work so well as a pair and it really doesn’t seem to matter what format that is in. Their relationship oozes off the page and makes for really good reading. I was a little unsure about the nature of the story but I have to be a little trepidatious given that it was only eleven pages long. That really isn’t much time at all to tell a Doctor Who adventure but I thought George Mann did a pretty good job. Due to the length of the word count available, the conclusion did suffer a bit which probably brings my rating down slightly, but that’s not a new issue with the short stories. I’m more than used to it by now! The start was very unique with the Doctor and Sarah Jane being chased by a horribly mutated sheep that was twice the size of a regular one and was extremely carnivorous. That was a little odd if not painting a comedic image in my head! The Doctor’s ‘ewe-turn’ line was a thing of beauty and I had to contain myself from bursting into uncontrollable laughter on the train. Superb stuff and you could just see that grin of the Fourth Doctor beaming through the words on the page. I really enjoyed that. The setting of the Prosperity ship was good and I liked how everything made sense to the Doctor when he realised where they were. Sarah, like the rest of us reading, wanted to be enlightened, but the Doctor would make her wait a little while longer. Thankfully, that’s where the length of the adventure was beneficial as we weren’t left waiting in the dark for much longer. It turned out that the Prosperity was the very first colonist ship sent from Earth that went missing after a mere 300 years. As of now, Ana had been piloting it for three-and-a-half millennia. The idea of the pilot speaking through an android as her original body was decomposing into a fully fledged corpse was beyond disturbing! Imagine looking at yourself slowly dying. I can’t even fathom what must have been going through her head. The Doctor’s humour regarding oak trees was good and I enjoyed Sarah Jane’s reference to The Ark in Space. This wasn’t quite like that but the Doctor could see the resemblances. Plantation had taken over and far exceeded its initial purpose of providing oxygen. There were now corridors of trees and the Doctor was starting to see through the cracks which was good. The Doctor and Sarah getting captured by the Umans and being mistaken as an enemy tribe was great and I do enjoy a tribe story. I kind of wished that element of the adventure was extended a little purely based on personal preference. I think there’s a lot you can do with them, especially when they’d pretty much reverted back to being primitive like we saw here. The mention and discussion of the Elders was decent and I liked the comparisons that the Doctor made. I thought the adventure was going a little slow over the course of the first half-dozen pages or so, but then the Doctor revealed all about the ship and how they’d got lazy through generations. Umans were of course humans and the suggestion of having both a left tenant and a right tenant was another good moment of humour. There wasn’t really a great deal else going on other than the ending with the Doctor quickly giving Ana a horrific choice. He was able to get her ship to safety, but given her connection with it by now as the pilot, the engines would blow and that would mean its death. She took the option of survival for her passengers, but I wasn’t a big fan of how quickly the Doctor deduced he could save the ship and decide on a planet for it to land on. It was all a bit quick and I know that’s probably a consequence of the format and length, but it was too much of a stretch to fully enjoy. I did like Sarah’s probing of wanting to know if the colony will make it, so they zapped forward in time a few millennia to find out, but then we didn’t even get to discover the result! That was awfully harsh on the reader. Overall, a good idea and still a decent adventure, but a little bit of a disappointing conclusion. 

Rating: 7/10

The Haunting of Villa Diodati

"Nobody mentions Frankenstein."

Writer: Maxine Alderton
Format: TV
Broadcast: 16th February 2020
Series: 12.08

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Doctor and her gang arrive at the Villa Diodati at Lake Geneva in 1816 on the night that inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The plan is to spend the evening soaking up the atmosphere in the presence of some literary greats, but the ghosts are all too real, and the Doctor is forced into a decision of earth-shattering proportions.

Verdict

The Haunting of Villa Diodati was an excellent episode that serves as the penultimate story of Series 12! Wow, we got hear quickly and this was just a wonderful adventure. The atmosphere was what stood out to me and that was even before the emergence of the Lone Cyberman. I thought it was terrific that he showed up a little earlier than expected given the title of the next episode, but even before that the episode was brilliant. I thought the introduction of the Doctor and her gang into the Villa of Diodati was great and I have to say that Jodie Whittaker was in stellar form throughout this episode. She encompassed all of the qualities that make the Doctor such an incredible character. We had the humour at the start and when she mocked the Cyberman, but then we also had her in very serious mood with that incredible speech when it came to deciding who had to die. That speech was a standout moment in the entire series and showed Whittaker at her very best. It was a phenomenal response to Ryan who easily came up with his answer to what the Doctor considered to be an impossible choice. I did feel that the reference to Captain Jack's warning in Fugitive of the Judoon came a bit late considering the Doctor named the enemy as a Cyberman almost immediately after it arrived in the house. I liked the Castrovalva type feel of the house going around in circles and being inescapable, but it was unique in having the gang all split up and stuck in their different rooms. That worked really well and I loved the revelation at the end that whatever it was Graham saw, they really might have been ghosts! That was a lovely twist and fitted in terrifically well with the horror theme of the episode. Some of the minor jump scares were brilliant and it did really feel like a horror film at times with the direction! My girlfriend doesn't do well with horror films and there were a few scenes here where she was scared and that told me all I needed to know. Yaz went a bit missing in this episode which was a shame but it was just so strong elsewhere that she wasn't missed. Mary Shelley was fantastic and I loved the moment where she stood up to the Cyberman and seemed to be getting through to him until she found out that he'd actually split the throats of his children because they'd joined the resistance. A horrifying thought, but this showed how horrific this Cyberman was. Now, I want to mention the appearance which I thought was very impressive and paid homage to a lot of former designs whilst staying true to the most recent. The mask in particular was grotesque as we could see so much of what was going on inside. It wasn't like what we were shown in the likes of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel where it was just the brain that was harnessed. This Cyberman was also showing emotion and desperation and that spoke volumes about their position in the war with humanity. Percy being the guardian of the Cyberium was an unexpected development, but I really liked the idea of it being thrown back through time in an attempt to change the future. The Doctor soon took on the mantra of guardian which led to a wonderful image that I have used above. The Doctor would not adhere to Captain Jack's warning despite referencing all she had lost with Bill in the events of World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls and how she wouldn't lose anyone else to conversion. That was terrific. However, she went against the warning of an old friend and gave the Lone Cyberman exactly what he wanted. It all looks set for an exciting and epic finale now and I look forward to meeting the Cybermen of the future! Overall, a superb episode.

Rating: 9/10

The Siege of Big Ben

"Jackie Tyler saved the world!"

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: Audio

Released: June 2018

Series: Short Trips 8.06

Featuring: Metacrisis Tenth Doctor, Jackie

Synopsis 

Jackie Tyler has everything she's ever wanted: a loving husband and two children. But a terrible, far-reaching plan is underway, and only Jackie and a single friend stands in the way of it.

But the Doctor isn't the man he was...

Verdict

The Siege of Big Ben was a really enjoyable little audio! I have been wanting to listen to the adventures of the Metacrisis Doctor in the parallel universe of Pete’s World for far too long now and after finally purchasing a splurge of Short Trips, this had to be included in my list! It was a really interesting little tale and I love the idea of continuing the adventures beyond Journey’s End for the Metacrisis Doctor. Jackie recalling the events of how she saved the world to Beryl was pretty good because it was unbelievably accurate of how Jackie would tell things if she was in control. Her friend couldn’t get a word in and I’ll admit that with Camille Codouri being the only actor, whilst playing the role perfectly, it was a little too much at times! But that’s just Jackie. It was nice to fully explore some of the differences between universes and one major came with Harriet Jones not blowing herself up with the Daleks as we saw in The Stolen Earth. She was President here and had merged all of the Preachers and Torchwood with UNIT which I thought was nice. Jackie was a dinner lady, Pete a captain and the Doctor was of course scientific advisor with Rose his assistant. It was a fun makeup and I’d love to get some sort of exploration of that in Rose’s spin-off audios. Jackie thinking this version of the Doctor was weird was interesting and I would love to hear Donna’s reaction when she stated how he’d merged with ‘some secretary’. There’s a thought - Jackie meeting Donna. My word there just couldn’t be any other cast members! This Doctor was born in battle and Jackie thought that made him grumpy. It was hardly his fault! The mention of a recent attack of the Ice Warriors in the Antarctic was good and would make for a great adventure in its own right. UNIT being based inside Big Ben was really good but Jackie didn’t enjoy being right behind the clock! Those bells were giving her a migraine. The whole place going into red alert with all personnel out to Bridlington after another Cybus factory was found was fantastic and really good continuity. I can sometimes forget how ravaged this universe was by the Cybermen and it provides a superb dynamic. Whilst being a dinner lady, Jackie wasn’t shy in tooting her own horn which was nice. She calmly recalled defeating aliens with vinegar in World War Three which reminded us that she does have experience with combating hostile aliens. The ones here were big and purple rather than the green of the Slitheen. The Doctor being the only one left inside Big Ben with her was good and I loved that he was excited about the lockdown and potential threat. The idea of him beaming at the fact they were literally in a base under siege was magical. Playing on the idea of the Doctor being stuck in one place was very good and a nice throwback to the era of the Third Doctor. I imagine after so long travelling the universe since his exile, it must be so frustrating to find himself human, no TARDIS in his possession and as UNIT’s scientific advisor in a parallel universe. I was very surprised though that Jackie reckoned he would leave Rose if he had the chance. That didn’t sit right with me at all. I thought it was quite humorous of him to try and keep Jackie out of his lab amidst an alien invasion. That would never happen and she soon discovered that he was attempting to grow a TARDIS. That was a lovely thought and showed how unhappy he was to be stuck, but Jackie’s assertion once again that he might sneak off without Rose was just ludicrous! I did enjoy the line about her not entertaining the idea of him taking her with him though! There was a family now with Rose having a toddler sibling. That was nice. He had sports day tomorrow so they’d at least have to wait! The aliens wanting the Doctor to surrender or they’ll kill all the humans was far more humorous than it ought to be because Jackie was the only human inside! I liked that line a lot. Her realisation was great. Jackie referencing Love and Monsters was terrific and it’s quite easy to forget the ordeal she went through in that story. The Doctor grinning at the fact the aliens knew him was just wonderful. Finally he had some attention! Jackie was livid about that but she couldn’t deny that in that moment he was gorgeous. The little line about Jake was good with Jackie finding out about his activities with a lady friend and I’m just glad that he was mentioned. The aliens, all big and purple, wanting the time machine that the Doctor was building seemed logical, but he soon deduced that it was all a bluff. They had guns yet they weren’t coming upstairs to shoot them and take what they wanted. But they did have hostages on a zeppelin that included Rose and Pete on their return from Bridlington which meant Jackie was soon happy to surrender. The Doctor wasn’t happy with that and got himself a slap in the process. Jackie was a bit unfair to the Doctor in this adventure and at times it wasn’t to my liking. I think the comparison with the true Tenth Doctor was inevitable, but it didn’t need constant comparison in such a negative way. This Doctor enjoyed the challenge and was going to go as far as blowing up Big Ben! Jackie was speechless and soon realised it was up to her to save the world from the Metacrisis Doctor. She begged him to just think and be peaceful, acknowledging how her universe’s Doctor had made both Rose and Jackie better people. The Doctor needed to be better now. It was a really good speech and she had something of a plan. Using her experiences in Army of Ghosts and thinking that her dad had come back, which was quickly ruined by the Doctor, she suggested that the siege might be a fake. It was all just pictures and the true culprit emerged in the form of Brigadier Christa. Space gun in hand, she wanted to force the Doctor to go back in time and stop her daughter becoming a Cyberman. You couldn’t blame her for that and Jackie was more than sympathetic. It was a superb motive, but for a Brigadier of UNIT to try and defeat the Doctor with aliens just seemed silly! Even if it was a parallel universe. Jackie pouring out emotion with how she didn’t choose her current life and that the Doctor turned up and just took her away. She missed people but she can’t change things and just accepts that bad stuff happens. But she used that with the good stuff and it all resonated with Christa quite wonderfully. The Doctor understood too and told her that they wouldn’t tell anyone of her desperate attempt as she handed the gun over. Except he did as soon as Christa was unarmed. He told Pete and she’d be arrested which was quite callous, but more than understandable as she was clearly unstable. Jackie just thought she’d made a mistake and could see that this Doctor had no second chances to give. In that situation, I agreed with him. Overall, a really good audio adventure opening up some life in another universe, even if Jackie got a little irritable. Half an hour was definitely a good length!

Rating: 8/10