The Cuckoo

"I don't like the Doctor spending time with other friends."

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Audio

Released: December 2023

Series: BBC Audio 21

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

For Clara Oswald, life has fallen into a routine. By day she teaches the pupils at Coal Hill School, and by night – and at weekends – she travels in Time and Space with the Doctor.

Clara's having the time of her life, enjoying all the thrill and laughter of being with the Doctor – until, one day, there's somebody else.

To Clara's immense shock, the Doctor has acquired a new companion – and Arix is just as at home in the TARDIS as she has been. Suddenly, Clara's world has titled on its axis.

As the two companions size each other up, the Doctor is caught between them. And when they all wind up in an alien swamp, it's time for a reckoning of grievances, grudges – and bravery. 

Verdict

The Cuckoo was an excellent BBC Audio adventure! This had a really strong and intriguing premise that certainly became the key appeal of the episode. I must admit, I’m not a huge fan of the arrangement that Clara and the Twelfth Doctor come to during the time of Series 9 with the companion not constantly travelling in the TARDIS. It takes away that aspect of continuity with the companion and that was fully on show in this episode here. It seems weird for Clara to have a schedule that involves her going off with the Doctor just on Wednesdays, but hey ho that’s the situation in play here and it’s captured into the story in a phenomenal way. Clara is so set in her ways at this point in her time as a companion so the shock she has when entering the TARDIS and finding Arix there was magnificent. She couldn’t believe the prospect that she had been replaced, but I couldn’t really blame the Doctor much! It’s not exactly appealing to have a companion on a weekly basis, especially for someone who enjoys travelling and adventure as much as he does. So when he snuck off between visits with Clara, Arix had become something of a new companion and that didn’t sit well her. That was a fun dynamic and it was really fun to hear both Clara and Arix mess with each other and try to get the one up. It was definitely vibes of School Reunion between Sarah Jane and Rose but not quite to the level of jealousy. It was close though! I enjoyed that we actually got a mini adventure of sorts with both Clara and Arix as the companions alongside the Twelfth Doctor, and he was predictably awkward about the whole situation. The concept of having psychic jungle insects was excellent and the fear factor that Clara had with the giant spider on her back was really good. The moments shared between Clara and Arix in the jungle were fantastic and they really provided some bonding moments that were needed. I thought Arix being a 25er was good and the confusion that came at the end from the Doctor omitting very important information regarding her death was great stuff and typical of the lack of empathy and understanding of this incarnation. That was well captured and certainly felt like something that would happen during this point of the era. With the calculations from Arix’s date of birth and death, Clara understandably concluded that she had died very young and assumed the Doctor had gone through a serious accident with her. Of course, time travel meant Arix had lived a full life until the age of 85 and it really upset Clara that she was led to believe the Doctor’s new friend had perished. The tears were a bit of a surprise given how strong Clara usually is, but it would have been frustrating for sure. They’d gone through a lot together in that jungle in saving each other which was nice to happen, but the Doctor was rather clueless. I thought Jaye Griffiths was fine as the narrator although she was almost a bit too Scottish in her take on the Twelfth Doctor and I wasn’t overly fussed on her impression of Clara. Arix being there helped for sure. Overall though, a poignant and excellent story! 

Rating: 9/10