Purity Unleashed: Time-Burst

"History is not safe, Mel. Not even in the TARDIS!"

Writer: Ian Potter

Format: Audio

Released: May 2023

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 3.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis 

Tracking the anomaly that erased Hebe from history, the Doctor and Mel find an instability in Sheffield, 1864. Who is Mrs Virtue, the mysterious owner of the new steelworks? And can the Doctor untwist history before a natural disaster washes them all away...?

Verdict  

Time-Burst was a very good episode to conclude the Purity Unleashed third series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! This was a solid conclusion to the story arc that was started in Purity Undreamed, and to my surprise judging from the cliffhanger that it seems the theme of purity is far from over! I liked the name of this episode a lot and even prior to listening it felt right for the finale in which it was safe to assume that Hebe would be restored. It’s great to hear how mature Mel is alongside the Sixth Doctor and getting more and more extension of their relationship and adventures together is most welcomed because we barely got that on screen. I liked the reference to The Trial of a Time Lord with Mel mentioning how she and the Doctor met in the wrong order when it came to the issues of time interference. That was also heightened by the fantastic Catch-1782 reference too when it came to potentially meeting Hebe’s ancestors. Continuity really was strong in this story as the city of Sheffield was referenced as having a strong affiliation with the Doctor thanks to his travels with Evelyn. That was a really nice comment. I enjoyed the Sheffield setting and whilst I’m not entirely convinced that it would be suitable hub for world domination and building the ammunition required to rule and maintain control from the Sheffield steel factories, it’s fun to think how things come full circle with the Thirteenth Doctor era also being focused on the city for its first two series. The concept of patrician was excellent and it was a fun word to use given Patricia McBride’s desire to change the past and build a stream of time that she could flow across herself, one she had constructed. There was a lot of potential there and she definitely seemed a little more crazy here which coupled well with the calm demeanour. It was the perfect combination for a villain. Patrick and Mary were really lovely characters and the former being encouraged by the latter to get a job at the soon to be opened factory owned by Virtue was good stuff. The story that followed as he was horrified by the wages on offer was good and that heightened the interest of Virtue. This was obviously a disguise for Patricia and it was fun continuity with Purification to have her in the same guise as the backer behind the Better Party. Patrick soon realised that he wouldn’t be able to leave the factory so it was good to have the Doctor and Mel help Mary in finding him. Colton was a good character as the muscle behind the factory and I really liked that the Doctor was slipping through time. His explanation of being in the same place twice rather than in two places at once was a fun twist on words and it proved useful to see a potential future, even if it was only a glimpse. Patricia trying to utilise the flood of the Dale Dike Dam was not something I expected and it was fun for the Doctor to have forgotten this event. It was another example of the Doctor and Mel having to ensure a catastrophic and tragic event in history stayed true, but I liked that Mel at least enquired about the possibility of saving some. That couldn’t happen though. Patricia’s exploits had soon caught up with her and the suit was impacted by the Doctor’s tracking and the constant pulling through time. Patricia had overused it and despite the Doctor’s warning when trying to reshape history, she activated one final time and was ripped apart in the Vortex. I do wish the Doctor had defeated her by more conventional means, but it was also fitting that she essentially defeated herself. Her industrialisation monopoly and pure future were no more. The Doctor and Mel heading to Hebe’s flat and being greeted by her and Ron was fun because it provided a sensational cliffhanger. They had no idea who the time travellers were and Ron was prepared to kill them, in the name of Purity! That was very exciting and sets us up nicely for the next series. Overall, a fantastic finale!

Rating: 8/10