Blink

"I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 9 June 2007

Series: 3.10

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

Sally Sparrow receives a cryptic message from the Doctor. It warns her of the Weeping Angels – a quantum locked species who live on the potential energy of the days people could have lived. Trapped in 1969 and only able to communicate through DVDs, the Doctor must trust Sally Sparrow to bring the TARDIS back to him before the Angels take it for themselves.

Verdict

Blink was a magnificent episode of Doctor Who! This one is always a pleasure to rewatch and I honestly believe that it only gets better with age. It's incredible really to think that the Doctor and his companion barely feature in one of the greatest ever Doctor Who stories, but that's exactly what Steven Moffat managed to produce. It has all the ingredients of a classic and the way things start with Sally Sparrow peeling back the wallpaper at Wester Drumlins to reveal a warning message for herself is just glorious. It really is the stuff of legend and sets the tone for what is to come. The focus on this creepy abandoned house is a lot of fun and having the Weeping Angels always in the backdrop was marvellous direction. They're such an iconic design and the simplicity of a statue becomes very scary when they start to move. The whole concept of being quantum locked is outstanding and the brief moment we get of the Doctor in 1969 not on DVD where he explains these species is just excellent stuff. They're almost as old as the universe itself and this is their perfect defence mechanism. It makes for an incredible Doctor Who monster. The little glimpses we get of the Doctor on the DVD Easter eggs is terrific and when we finally do get that full conversation, it just provides even more appreciation. I think Laurence Nightingale is a really fun character and his introduction to Sally is brilliantly fun. He and Sally provide a perfect pairing to lead us through the episode without our familiar pairing, and his being the geeky nerd when it comes to the DVDs and finding the Easter eggs is magnificent. I think it's great to know that all of the seventeen DVDs that the Easter egg appears on are Sally's and the way she realises that is so emotional. Billy is an incredible character for the short amount of time he shows up and his hitting on Sally really does pay off as getting her phone number proves incredibly important! Him showing Sally all of the cars and the mysterious blue box that is left at Wester Drumlins only for the occupants to disappear is fantastic. It works so well. The constant of the same rain through Sally's meetings with Billy at very different points in his lifetime was incredible as well and some nice poetic symmetry. Watching this one with Gemma for the first time, I was amused to see how scared she found aspects of the episode and I was delighted to spill some knowledge and actually show her my copy of the 2006 Doctor Who Annual in which What I Did on my Christmas Holidays by Sally Sparrow is printed which formed the basis for this episode. She seemed to appreciate it and I love being able to give useless information like that! There's so much of it in Doctor Who. I think the moment we get Sally and Laurence in the TARDIS with the Weeping Angels surrounding it is a fantastic image and the DVD acting as a way to get the Doctor reunited with his trusty TARDIS is terrific. It ties everything up nicely and then we get that brief meeting between Sally and the Doctor where she delivers the transcript a year later. Overall, a true classic!

Rating: 10/10

The Family of Blood

"You speak with someone else's voice."

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2 June 2007

Series: 3.09

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

With the school under attack and the Doctor still unaware of his true being, the Family of Blood have taken over. Unable to find the fob watch, Martha tries to convince the Doctor that the dreams he has recorded in his journal are real, and that it's his life as a schoolmaster that is the fantasy...

Verdict

The Family of Blood was an excellent episode to conclude the story already started in Human Nature! This really is a stellar follow up to round out what is an instant classic when it comes to Doctor Who. This is right up there with my all time favourites and after watching again for the first time in years, that opinion has not changed. The follow on from the cliffhanger is good and keeps things moving quickly and I like how little Latimer can instigate proceedings by the simple opening of the fob watch that contains everything that makes up the Doctor. The power contained within was really good and I liked how Martha was desperate to have it united with John Smith again in order to bring back the Doctor. Her understanding of the situation being coupled with frustration was brilliant and I think this is probably her best episode yet as companion. She's tremendous. The moment where she proves her point to Redfern by naming all of the hand bones was great and I just thought she led things at a time when leadership was lacking. The Family of Blood were firmly established in their new forms here and Father of Mine locating the TARDIS was a big move and the image of him and Scarecrows surrounding it was superb. For me, the highlight of this episode has to be the performance of David Tennant. He's incredible here and I would argue it's his best outing which is ironic given that technically he isn't playing the Doctor for the better part of the two episodes. The contemplation of becoming the Doctor again was outstanding and the turmoil this created with the prospect of killing John Smith was sublime. For the Doctor he just changed, but for John Smith he chose to die in order to save the locals from the Family. That was so powerful. The moment where the Doctor reemerged inside the Family of Blood's ship after giving them the useless fob watch was magnificent and his feigning still being John Smith was terrific. It was all nicely done. We saw a different side to the Doctor when it came to the treatment of the Family and how he granted them their wishes of immortality in the most gruesome and enduring ways imaginable. Gemma recalling how the fate of Sister of Mine troubled her as a child was really intriguing and I think it's the most devious of all of the treatments. The conversation at the end between the Doctor and Redfern and him offering her to travel with him was fantastic. Her line about the deaths and if they wouldn't have occurred if the Doctor had chosen this place on a whim was incredible, and the look from the Doctor spoke so many words. It was sensational. The way things came full circle for Latimer with the escape of the bomb during the War and then being much older and at a remembrance service and seeing the Doctor and Martha not aged was lovely. It was all very nice and a fitting way to end what was quite a dark episode on a nice note. Overall, a tremendous episode! 

Rating: 10/10

Human Nature

"I dream I'm this adventurer."

Writer: Paul Cornell

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26 May 2007

Series: 3.08

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

In England in 1913, school teacher John Smith experiences amazing dreams of living an incredible life as a mysterious man called 'the Doctor', fighting monsters and seeing far away worlds. But it's 1913, so they can't be real, right?

Verdict

Human Nature was a wonderful episode of Doctor Who! I have been looking forward to rewatching the second half of Series 3 ever since Gemma and I embarked on watching the modern era together for the first time because I think it has to be the strongest run of episodes the show has ever produced. The quality from here until the finale is nothing short of sensational and this episode serves as the opener to an outstanding two-parter that I often answer as my favourite Tenth Doctor adventure. It's just so well done. The idea of the Doctor becoming human and living an ordinary life as a teacher in the early twentieth century is magnificent, and having Martha feign being part of that adds a really important dimension. She obviously still has strong feelings for the Doctor and now here he is making himself human but he goes and falls in love with another woman. Joan Redfern is a strong character and suits John Smith really well. He gets to impress her with the somewhat exaggerated piano crash and the cricket ball save and then they take to the dance floor after he manages to muster the courage to ask. It's a classic love story and having who we know as the Doctor at the heart of it is terrific. I'm a huge fan of the little glimpse we got of the Family attacking the Doctor and Martha with a blast making its way through the TARDIS doors and they now had the scent. They could follow them anywhere in time and space so the Doctor had to use the chameleon arch to rewrite his biology into human and let them die out. It was all frantic so I'm not sure where the Doctor fitted in 23 rules to discuss back to Martha, but that's besides the point. Seeing Martha take comfort in the Doctor's message was heartwarming. Gemma, the self proclaimed world's biggest Martha Jones hater, had no sympathy for her at all and was quick to comment how the Doctor was in love with Rose. This was one of the first episodes we watched together since we welcomed baby Albie into the world last year and watching as a family was wonderful. I'm sure there'll be a whole lot more of that to come in the future! Speaking of family, the way in which the Family of Blood obtained their new shapes was excellent and the image of the four of them with their heads titled is spectacular. Some of the racial elements in the episode towards Martha were shocking to hear despite the time of the setting and I really don't think you'd get away with that today. Both Gemma and I were audible in our shock at the comment about her not knowing what's her hands and what's dirt. A different time. Latimer was a good character and him having taken the fob watch just before Martha had cottoned onto Jenny being part of the Family was fantastic, because when they needed the Doctor most he was trapped in a watch and thought he was human. This brought us an astounding cliffhanger which I still think should rank very highly amongst the best episode endings. To choose Redfern or Martha, which would be to die? Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the scarecrows! Excellent additions and the perfect Who monster. Overall, just brilliant.

Rating: 10/10

42

"I don't want false hope."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19 May 2007

Series: 3.07

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

On a spaceship headed straight for the centre of the sun, the Doctor and Martha arrive with only forty-two minutes until impact and inevitable doom. With a deadly parasite infecting the crew, can they escape in time?

Verdict

42 was a very good episode of Doctor Who to continue our rewatch through the modern era of the show! This seems to be the one in Series 3 that, for whatever reason, I have watched the least and I can't quite believe it's been seven years since my last viewing! I didn't remember that this episode was written by Chris Chibnall and it definitely had a familiarity for what would come in Series 11 and beyond once he took over as show runner. It was full of action which was good and I enjoyed that there was no messing around when it came to thrusting the Doctor and Martha into the action. The setting lent itself to no time to mess around and having the TARDIS arrive with the spaceship only having forty-two minutes until it crashed was great. It gave us an instant plot and something for the Doctor to resolve. The heat that accompanied the pending crash was a nice unique factor and wasn't the usual danger that accompanies a spaceship in flight. The very idea of having a ship orbiting close to the sun was excellent and something that just shouldn't be possible, so I really liked the unique nature of it. The Doctor being separated from the TARDIS was good and I liked how he was confident throughout the episode in getting everything sorted despite such an awful predicament. That was even evident when Martha was seemingly flying away into an oblivion after escaping the posse Korwin. Gemma's comment about seeing Martha glide away being the highlight of her childhood had me in hysterics as she once again showed her distain for the companion! I thought Martha had a solid episode and her frequent flyer privileges of getting universal phone signal was a really clever way of advancing the series arc despite being so far away from contemporary Earth. Francine was very much not on the side of the Doctor and we got strong indications regarding Election Day and Mr Saxon's involvement. Seeing that all come together is wonderful in hindsight. I thought the pub quiz makeup of the areas on the ship was quite fun, if not a little cheesy, and something so simple provided some tension which is always good. Kath was a good character and I enjoyed how she got on with the Doctor in such testing circumstances. Her reaction to finding out that there was no way back for her husband was sublime. I liked the idea of a sentient sun and having it posses people with the light representing that. It worked well and the remains of Abi Lerner were startling. It was a brutal way to die! The Doctor getting infected in order to remagnetise the escape mod Martha was in was really good and I loved how she never gave up belief that he would save her. The Doctor needing to freeze the possession out was good and I liked Tennant's performance in always being quite angry and forceful given the situation. That brought a good sense of realism. Korwin and Kath going out together was a fitting way to take out the threat and made for a more than solid conclusion. I'm not a massive fan of Martha kissing Riley goodbye as I think their potential romance was born out of fear of death, but it was nice that Martha was showing affection. That was more than clear when she was reunited with the Doctor though with that enormous hug! Overall, I thought this was a great episode and one that isn't quite talked about enough because of the incredible string of episodes that is to come.

Rating: 8/10

The Lazarus Experiment

"I will change what it means to be human."

Writer: Stephen Greenhorn

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5 May 2007

Series: 3.06

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

After travelling backwards, forwards and backwards again in time, Martha Jones has returned home. However, before the Doctor can bid farewell to her, he hears Professor Richard Lazarus announcing that he'll change the future of humanity. What could this mean? Could it lead to something far more dangerous than a scientific failure?

Verdict

The Lazarus Experiment was not the greatest of episodes to continue our rewatch through the modern era of Doctor Who and its third series here. In what is quite an extraordinary series as a whole, this one definitely stands out as the worst and not anywhere close to the calibre set by the five episodes before it, and the seven that are to come. I just don't get on with this one for whatever reason, and that's quite ironic given that this was the episode that introduced me to Doctor Who. Prior to 5 May 2007, I had no idea what this incredible show was all about and as I told Gemma, it was on a family caravan holiday where my older cousin had gotten wind that the episode was to be a scary one and with the adults on the holiday preoccupied, it was down to me to keep her company and look after her as the episode aired. And well, for a child at the time I can see how this would be considered scary but as an adult of 24 now looking back I wasn't a huge fan. It just doesn't work as it should do and whilst the idea of unlocking the secrets of the genetics in human DNA is very good, the delivery here was questionable. I really think there could have been a better mutation than having Lazarus turn into a giant crab-like creature. The special effects were questionable to say the least and they really haven't aged well, have they? They were pretty terrible for the monster and even the green screen used on the rooftop to dub in London was shocking. It's a shame to notice things like this now as I never did as a child viewing back in 2007, but green screen is a favoured thing of Gemma and I to pick up on and it was just abundantly clear here. I'm enjoying Martha growing into the companion role and I think it's clear that this was initially written to air before Daleks in Manhattan given that this was where she firmly became a companion for more than just one trip. I wonder why that change was made. Gemma continues to show her dislike of Martha and she had me in stitches with a comment about her look for a black tie event she showed up in a headband and questioned if she was a nine-year-old girl! That had me in hysterics. I thought Martha looked great though! As a whole, this episode is fast paced and does have a pretty good idea at its heart but it just fails for me with the Lazarus monster. It just looks ridiculous and doesn't seem realistic as being human in origin. His reaction to becoming younger and the plans to go commercial were good, and the ease in which he brushes his wife away is shocking. The line about wasting another life on her is undoubtedly the highlight of the episode because it's just so darn brutal. The family dynamic with Tish, Leo and Francine is fun and the Doctor getting slapped by the mother is always amusing. The warning for Francine about the Doctor teases well into the story arc and the mentions of Saxon is excellent continuity. As a whole though, I just can't enjoy much of this episode and the monster really is off-putting. 

Rating: 5/10

Evolution of the Daleks

"I am Dalek in human form."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV

Broadcast: 28 April 2007

Series: 3.05

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha 

Synopsis

As a new Dalek Empire rises in the New York of 1930s, the Tenth Doctor must enter into an unholy alliance with the Cult of Skaro and their newly humanised leader. The army of Human Daleks is to be awaken...

Verdict

Evolution of the Daleks was an excellent episode to conclude the story already started in Daleks in Manhattan. Despite the date of these blog entries, it had actually been around a week between watching episodes for Gemma and I and whilst that was purely by accident, I thought it was actually beneficial in being able to judge this episode in its own right and not as part of a pair for the first time. I enjoyed taking that approach and this was actually a lot different to the first episode, which perhaps might not be a huge surprise given the almighty cliffhanger seeing Dalek Sec emerge from his Dalek casing as a human Dalek. The whole concept of a Dalek making itself human was excellent and I think the design of Dalek Sec Hybrid has become quite iconic. I really like how much of a mess it is and it somehow just works. One thing I kept thinking throughout the episode was just how good David Tennant was as the Tenth Doctor. It was an outstanding performance from him alongside the old enemy of the Daleks and you could tell he knew how important they were to the show. This isn't a finale, but it feels big and with the ending it's clear that there's still a lot set up here. The Daleks literally evolving before our very eyes was brilliant and I liked how quickly Sec was becoming more and more human. His admiration of Solomon was really fascinating and I loved the Doctor recognising his humanity and taking advantage of it. Of course, the remaining Daleks within the Cult of Skaro had their doubts about Sec which does bring into question the whole plan in the first place, but their comment about imagination and imaging Sec's irrelevance was outstanding. I loved that. Seeing the Daleks quiver and essentially gossip in the sewers was fantastic and so unlike them, and Sec's line about no longer being the supreme beings was very good. Look where it had got them! Their subtle way of turning against Sec by interfering in the gene sequence of their sleeping army was very good and their efforts to use the gamma ray of the lightning strike and the Dalekanium was great. The Doctor got in the way though which was fun and his sacrifice atop the Empire State Building was really impressive. I enjoyed the battle between the Human Daleks and Daleks Jast and Thay resulting in their mutual destruction, and the reaction of the Doctor when Laszlo states that there was still one left was magnificent. One Time Lord and one Dalek. The last of their kind. The tension and anticipation of those final sequences where they face was brilliant, and the tease there was so good that it made it quite annoying that Caan subjected himself to another emergency temporal shift! It was a good escape though to go and rebuild leading to what we know is coming. Laszlo getting to see out his days in Hooverville after the Doctor declared no more deaths was really nice and the Doctor pondering on encountering Caan once again was good. We did think the green screen by the TARDIS at the Statue of Liberty was hilariously bad though! It really hasn't aged well. Thankfully it didn't take anything away from what was an excellent episode! 

Rating: 9/10

Daleks in Manhattan

"Our purity has brought us to our extinction."

Writer: Helen Raynor

Format: TV

Broadcast: 21 April 2007

Series: 3.04

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones travel to New York in 1930, during an era on the back of a national depression. People have been mysteriously vanishing from the streets, the Empire State Building nears completion, and an old enemy resurfaces...

Verdict

Daleks in Manhattan was an excellent episode to continue our rewatch of the third series of the modern era of Doctor Who! For some reason, I was really looking forward to watching this episode again as it really has been quite a while now and I think it kind of goes unnoticed as a Dalek tale in the new era. This series is obviously dominated by another recurring villain and having the Daleks feature so early on after being in the finales of the previous two series represents a stark contrast. It's a very different Dalek story and I think it's great that we don't have the stakes of a finale. The Cult of Skaro return in quick fashion after their escape at the end of Doomsday and placing them in the New York of 1930 is marvellous. It's an incredibly strong setting and since my previous viewing, I have learned so much about the USA during this era and the importance of the Wall Street Crash and the devastation that caused on the economy. I could really appreciate the Hooverville aspect of the episode and I thought the way it was recreated with the set design and costumes was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. Martha having an understanding of the history of this era was good and I thought she had a brilliant episode as companion. I'd have liked some sort of continuity addressing how she's wangled her way into another trip in the TARDIS after the promised one trip turning into a venture into the past and then future, but I'm just glad she is there for the ride. The same can't be said for my viewing partner as she didn't have any sympathy for Martha's unrequited feelings towards the Doctor. Tallulah was a fun character and using her relationship with Lazlo to highlight the Dalek experimentation and the impact it can have on someone was brilliant. It was an emotional moment when she saw what had become of her boyfriend after his subjection to the Dalek experiment was incomplete. The Doctor picking up the genetically modified artificial scoop of DNA as a way to deduce that the Daleks were present was superb. His reaction to seeing one in the doldrums was terrific because he was clearly sickened. They always survived when he lost everything. Sublime stuff. I thought Mr Diagoras was a fun character and his serving of his new masters in the completion of the Empire State Building was very good. The Dalekanium presence on the spire is intriguing given the pending gamma strike and seeing where that goes will be exciting for the next episode. The imagination of the Cult of Skaro is excellent to think about and having Dalek Sec go so far as to make himself human is quite incredible. Other members of the Cult not being in agreement with the experimentation because of the fact it wasn't pure was fantastic and I'm looking forward to that being explored further in the second part. The cliffhanger is really well done with the human Dalek Sec emerging having taken the flesh of Diagoras and what we have now is an exciting prospect! Overall, a really strong episode!

Rating: 9/10

Gridlock

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 14 April 2007

Series: 3.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor takes Martha to New Earth, where she is quickly kidnapped by two carjackers and taken to an underground motorway, where the remainder of humanity on the planet live in a perpetual gridlock...

Verdict

Gridlock was a superb episode to continue our rewatch through the third series of the modern era of Doctor Who! I'm intrigued to see if there will be an episode within Martha Jones' run as companion where Gemma doesn't make a disparaging comment about her given her love for Rose, and there hasn't been one yet! Still, ten episodes to go. I'm a big fan of this episode and have been ever since the first time I watched some fourteen years ago or so, but I think this viewing was where I had the bigger appreciation of the Macra's magnificent return. When I last watched the episode, I had only watched the Loose Canon reconstruction of The Macra Terror and whilst that was much appreciated at the time for filling in the gap left by the missing serial, the animation that came out recently was fantastic and having a full serial with moving parts and in colour really made that scene where the Macra are revealed one of pure nostalgic brilliance. It's such a fun idea to have them return after so long since their first appearance and it's a good decision to have them devolved into creatures purely feeding on gas. The base at the bottom of the gridlocked motorway was perfect for them and the use of their crab-like claws was terrific. It was really good stuff. I liked the continuation from The Shakespeare Code with Martha getting an extended trip in the TARDIS, this time for a trip into the future and an alien planet. I think there could have been better planets to visit than New Earth, but it was worth it for the rebound comment. That was very powerful. The city dwellers selling moods was an intriguing concept and I liked the sudden shift in the episode when Martha was kidnapped. That sparked quite the revelation about the motorway and finding out that people had travelled on it for decades was startling. Even more so by the fact that they had only gone a distance of a few miles! The Doctor's determination to find Martha after lying to her about his position and his people was great, and his description of Gallifrey's sky and landscape was wonderful. He really sparked emotion. The references to New Earth were great and I loved that Novice Hame and the Face of Boe returned, as prophesied. The Face of Boe's role in saving the people of the under city is a fitting testament of his character and giving his last breath to restore power to New New York and save the population was excellent. I really enjoyed the Doctor's meeting with Brannigan and the idea of him and his wife having a cat litter put Gemma off in a big way as we have our own little cat (named after Polly!). The Doctor's descent through the motor carts was terrific and some of the sights he saw were amusing! His reaction to the length of time people had spent on the motorway was brilliant and he wasn't taking it as a given. The simple question he posed of having ever seen a police car or anything official was sublime because it was so simple. His aiding the Face of Boe to save the city was excellent, and I liked how Martha wanted some proper answers from the Doctor before leaving again. Overall, an excellent episode!

Rating: 10/10

The Shakespeare Code

"Love's Labour's Won will never be played."

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7 April 2007

Series: 3.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

As a reward for her help with the Plasmavore, Martha Jones gets a trip in the TARDIS. The Tenth Doctor takes her to 1599 England. After viewing a performance of Shakespeare's latest play, the time travellers are beset by apparent sorcery. Are there witches at work?

Verdict

The Shakespeare Code was another excellent episode to continue my rewatch through the modern era with Gemma for the first time! This is a really good historical episode with just the right amount of sci-fi thrown in and I liked how the alien intruders of the Carrionites took on the form of witches which made them fit right in with the time and era. Lilith as the head of the triage that had survived banishment by the Eternals thanks to Shakespeare's words was brilliant and I liked how she seemed to be revelling in the art of seduction. Her efforts were lost on the Doctor though, but it didn't stop her acquiring a chunk of hair that could work for a puppet. The Doctor's discussions of magic throughout the episode were great and I loved the playing around on whether there was such a thing. This was clearly still early days for Martha as well with her questioning how the TARDIS travelled in time which I really liked and was a very realistic question in my eyes. She also didn't know about the psych paper so I enjoyed the Doctor's comment about starting from scratch again with companions. Shakespeare not falling for the psychic paper was a fantastic moment and I thought it was funny that Martha did. Shakespeare was clearly a genius and the excitement had by both the Doctor and Martha at the prospect of meeting him was very good indeed. The whole setting of 1599 itself and the Globe Theatre being the focus was excellent and a really good and insightful trip into the past. There was a testy moment in our household watching this episode again after I merely asked Gemma if she found Martha attractive, only to be met with a look of disgust that apparently meant I wanted to marry her! How dare I infer anything positive about Rose's replacement. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Martha in the episode and I think the Doctor deserved a slap for his comments on the bed when trying to deduce what was going on bigging up Rose and how she wouldn't miss anything. The mystery of Love's Labour's Won getting solved in the Doctor Who universe here was a terrific idea and I think the result was a fine way to answer it. The Carrionites using words in the same way we use mathematics was such a good concept and having Shakespeare feature alongside them made for a wonderful combination. The rushed writing of the play was good and I liked how the performance ended up resulting in supposed special effects and rave reviews to a level that Queen Elizabeth herself wanted to see a repeat! That was brilliant. I loved the moment where the Doctor named the Carrionites, but equally as powerful was Lilith naming Martha and also referring to Rose to challenge the Doctor. That name meant a lot to him though. The end moments with Shakespeare attempting to kiss Martha after being infatuated with her for much of the episode was fantastic and I loved how she wasn't having any of it. The use of words was really well done and informative, and would have served as a great educational tool. Overall, a really strong episode!

Rating: 9/10

Smith and Jones

"The rain is going up."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 31 March 2007

Series: 3.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

When the hospital she is working at is suddenly transported to the moon, medical student Martha Jones joins forces with the Doctor to hunt down an alien fugitive on the run from the hired space police known as Judoon. But the oxygen is limited, and it's running out...

Verdict

Smith and Jones was an excellent episode to kick off the third series of the modern era of Doctor Who! Earlier this year Gemma and I started watching the show's revival in order along with Torchwood and this was our first experience watching with a newborn! It required a pause for a feed, but other than that our little Albie was as good as gold enjoying his first episode of Doctor Who! I'm sure it will be the first of many. I've been waiting a long time now to get to Martha's time as companion on the show because a consequence of Gemma's love for Rose is a distain towards Martha. I really enjoy her as the companion and I think this a really impressive debut for her as companion. The quick acknowledgement of Freema Agyeman's appearance in Army of Ghosts/Doomsday was good and the effects of all that happened in that finale were still very much felt. The Doctor playing patient in a hospital was a lot of fun and there was instant chemistry with Martha which was clear from the off. The way the episode comes full circle at the end with the Doctor proving the TARDIS can travel in time by taking off his neck tie was excellent and I love how with her hospital being transported to the Moon, there isn't a lot of convincing required for Martha to believe all that the Doctor and his life entails. The Judoon's debut here is impressive and they really are a lot of fun with their cluelessness. They follow the letter of the law but the consequences are something they quickly forget about and that makes them good for a Doctor Who monster. Their presence and scanning confirming to Martha that the Doctor really was not human was fun, although I'm not sure why she required confirmation after hearing that he had two hearts! The moment the hospital is transported to the Moon is brilliant and I liked how quickly we were introduced to Martha and her immediate family through the multiple phone calls ahead of Leo's birthday party. The Plasmavore was a fantastic villain and I like how she's planted in the episode early on with no sign that she would turn out to be the target of the Judoon. The fact that she has a straw to drain the blood is so devious and simple but it makes her so evil at the same time. The Doctor deducing the presence of an internal shapeshifter was good and I love how the blood drainage passes her as human to the Judoon. The kiss between the Doctor and Martha being a genetic print was fun and I like how that sets the basis for the series ahead with some considerable innuendo. The scene in the TARDIS at the end where she tells the Doctor how it was he who kissed her and travelled across time and space to pick her up for a date was wonderful. It's a brash and confident introduction for Martha which I really admire. The story on the Moon ends up being a simple one with the Doctor brilliantly giving himself to the Plasmavore to show the Judoon that she was who they were looking for, with Martha then bringing him back with oxygen despite the supply being extremely limited. There was a great image with the Doctor carrying Martha to safety. Overall, I thought this was a brilliant opener!

Rating: 9/10

Eve of the Daleks

"Didn't we just get exterminated?"

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1 January 2022

Series: 2022 New Year's Day Special

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

Sarah owns ELF storage and Nick visits his unit every year on New Year's Eve; this year, however, their night turns out to be a little different than planned as they join forces with the Doctor, Yaz and Dan in a temporal fight against the Daleks.

Verdict

Eve of the Daleks was an excellent episode and a lovely watch on New Year's Day! I do think it probably should have been broadcast yesterday given the fact it was actually set on New Year's Eve, but that has no bearing on what was a terrific story. This was just so much fun, there really was a lot to like about the episode. I must admit that I was initially a little sceptical about having a special set at a storage facility, but that location worked wonderfully well and really provided a contained feel whilst having the ability to go places which was a unique selling point. The Doctor looking to reset the TARDIS following the events of Flux was good continuity and Dan's line about saving the universe last week confirmed the proximity of this episode to Series 13. It wasn't much removed at all which I like. Sarah and Nick were fantastic additions to the main TARDIS trio and they complimented each other really well and it was lovely to see all of their relationships develop with each reset. The basis of the episode concerning a time loop and each ending with extermination was magnificent and just added to the fun. Despite everything that was going on and the stakes on hand, this was an easy watch that didn't really require a huge amount of previous knowledge. After an eventful six-part serial, it's probably what we needed. I would argue this was Dan's best episode and I loved how he could see Yaz's feelings for the Doctor, and after his own circumstances with Di not going well he was on hand to encourage his friend. He also wasn't shy in challenging the Doctor on what she said and felt too which I'm sure we'll come back to in the future. I liked the slight design shift on the Executioner Daleks and the imagery and effects for the extermination were very impressive. Dan's first encounter with the Daleks was great and I loved his efforts at distracting in feigning being a customer at ELF Storage. The comic value of Sarah's character was a real highlight for me, she was so damn good. I was a massive fan of the character and I'd love for her to return in the future. The shift on the time loop style story by them losing a minute with each reset was brilliant and provided some urgency as the episode went on as well as a clear goal of having to be out of the building by midnight. It was quite the countdown! The audacity of doing a dummy escape on the penultimate reset was a nice unexpected twist, and I loved how when things were on the final run, Sarah's mum on the phone provided the ultimate trigger to set off the building into millions of pieces and a nice firework display to bring in the new year. Despite the temporal nature of the episode, it was a simple one that was just fun. And sometimes that's all you need. It's nice to know Sarah and Nick will head off around the world together now and it also seems the TARDIS troubles are behind the Doctor and co now. She still doesn't want to address her feelings, but the setup for a treasure story involving Sea Devils sets us up marvellously for the Spring Special! I didn't see that return coming! Overall, a brilliant episode! 

Rating: 9/10

Arbitration

"Never underestimate a Leela of the Sevateem."

Writer: David Llewellyn 

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.03

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Romana's secret is in danger of being exposed by those she trusts, and the only hope of escape is through the Axis. But will Leela's forthright determination to see justice done, whatever the costs, mean their chance to get home will be lost forever...?

And if they are able to regain access to the Axis, is the world they left behind any better than the society they have built here?

Time will tell.

Verdict

Arbitration was an excellent audio to conclude the fifth series of Gallifrey! It ended with an almighty cliffhanger that has me wanting to get stuck right into the sixth series, but unfortunately I don't actually own this currently. I hope to purchase it shortly as the way things ended was so exciting and has left me wondering whether our trusty trio of Romana, Narvin and Leela will have actually made it home at all! Before we got there, we had another stellar story being told on this Gallifrey and another example of Romana's rule as Supreme Leader being questioned and challenged. Lord Zakar was a fantastic character and his position on Gallifrey as a supporter of Romana's presidency and a very rich entrepreneur was great. It was fun to know that money talks in all realities and versions of Gallifrey, but he was more than suspect of Romana and Narvin. In fact, he knew everything and utilised his knowledge to try and get freed after being captured by Leela and the Outsiders. I love how Leela has established herself as leader of the Outsiders and her taking it upon herself to put Zakar on trial for his role in ensuring that so many of the former slaves perished because of financial cost of a rescue mission was brilliant. She was adamant in her form of justice, even when challenged by Narvin, and she was emphatic in revealing that they had video evidence of his order. I loved that. The relationship between Leela and Narvin is an interesting one because they clearly care for each other but are such different people sitting on different sides of Gallifrey. Their allegiance to Romana is fascinating too because the savage enjoys her, but not what she stands for. The diplomatic nature of the episode was fun and Narvin trying to reason with Romana about tackling Leela with diplomacy was terrific. I thought he certainly had a point! I thought the episode serving as one of reflection and all that Romana and company had changed on this Gallifrey was fantastic, particularly with her stubbornness and wanting to ensure that she left this version of their home planet in a good way. Civil war was on the brink with the Regenerators and the Outsiders but Romana didn't want things to be the same as they were when they arrived after all of her work. That was an interesting challenge to hear developed, but Narvin was more concerned with getting home through the Axis and the time was near. The reemergence of Kavil was very good in linking with the Axis and it seemed to bring things somewhat full circle for this fifth series. Whilst the quality of each episode has been very strong, this has felt like a slightly disjointed series in terms of flow from story to story, but that hasn't impacted my enjoyment in the slightest. A lot seems to happen between episodes and that's fine, but I get the feeling that Series 6 might be more of a smooth process after that cliffhanger! With the Axis opening the way home and it seeming like things would wrap up neatly for the Gallifreyans, the Daleks emerged through and exterminated in brutal fashion! They would rule Gallifrey. All Gallifreys! What an incredible end to send us into the next series. I really didn't see it coming but I loved it and it sets us up for something special in the future. Overall, a great finale!

Rating: 9/10

Evolution

"We all wish to change the world."

Writer: Una McCormack

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.02

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Before the fall of Project: Rassilon, the Regenerators of Gallifrey committed atrocities upon their slaves in the name of science. As Leela discovers the results of one such crucible, Romana and Narvin are pushing forward ways to discover the secrets of time travel, and jump-start their new Gallifrey's evolution.

However, science isn't always the way forward, and in a society built upon the foundations of amorality and fear, a backward step may be the only solution...

Verdict

Evolution was another great episode to continue the fifth series of Gallifrey! I thought this was a really strong idea and an intriguing look at an alternative Gallifrey getting on its way to discovering the power of time travel. With our faithful trio of Romana, Leela and Narvin trapped on this timeless version of their home world, this was perhaps a glimpse of how they may hope to return back to their own reality. Hector provided a strong start with the search for the Pathway which seemed to represent the Time Vortex in this universe and it was really good stuff. The audio's title was perfect because evolution was unfolding before our very ears throughout. The voice of a woman and she supposedly be coming to take them home was fascinating. I liked the humour surrounding the gathering of Gallifrey's greatest minds and Narvin commenting on what could possibly go wrong with such an assembly. Taine was a good character with the scientific interest and his role in the Pathway discovery was great. I felt sorry for Leela during this audio with her relationship with Maris who in herself was a terrific little character. It was a fun role for a familiar actress in the form of Anjli Mohindra and playing a former slave made her the perfect companion for Leela. Her knowledge of the Regenerators having a secret in the mountains and hoping to utilise it to bargain against them was fantastic. Romana giving a speech on the new Gallifrey was excellent stuff and having it played simultaneously with the Pathway being found was very nicely done. Narvin conversing with Maris and revealing that she was his personal spy to check in on Leela was nice to know that he still cares for our savage, and Leela appreciated that later in the episode despite her initial outrage to the Outsider for being lied to. Hector and Taine being the ones in the mountains was good and the continuation of the mystery woman and her guiding them to the White Lands was really interest. They were on the search for new life and the Inner Council were researching to extend life, which seemed odd considering they already had the ability to regenerate. Leela's adamance that there was no such thing as eternal life was wonderful too. I enjoyed Jonias as a character and him being involved in slave experimentation said a lot about his evil nature. There were no scientific ethics on this Gallifrey which was a nice contrast to what we are used to. Maris seeing the woman in the light and wanting to go to the White Lands was something I didn't expect, but it turned out to be her on the other side! That was most unexpected but I liked it. Hector and Thaine being involved in continuing Jonias' work was good and the idea of remote access as fun. One more push was needed to access the Pathway and that appealed to Narvin and somewhat to Romana. Taine got the success without Jonias which was brilliant but the followers were too scared to journey to their famed White Lands of the future without Hector. That said a lot of his standing. The fact they eventually were persuaded through was great and I loved how they were vital components of the potential prototype for time travel, but now it seemed the only option was to continue experiments on the slaves. Was our Supreme Leader willing to do that? That was a wonderful prospect to play with for Romana. The signal, albeit degraded, coming back at the end following the Rassilon cipher decoding was excellent as well in setting up the finale as the signal was just one word. Axis. The way out! Overall, a really good audio adventure.

Rating: 8/10

Emancipation

"You can never trust a... Regenerator."

Writer: James Peaty

Format: Audio

Released: February 2013

Series: Gallifrey 5.01

Featuring: Romana II, Leela

Synopsis

Supreme Leader of Gallifrey – the Lady President Romana – is making a series of decisions that are costing her allegiances within the Inner Council.

Lord High Chancellor Narvin is trying to protect the truth behind their presence there.

Emissary Leela is trying to secure basic rights for her allies, the Outsiders, now freed from generations of bondage to their masters, the Regenerators of Gallifrey.

But their enemies plan to expose the truth and let society rise or fall by the consequences of their political ambitions...

Verdict

Emancipation was an excellent audio to kick off the fifth series of Gallifrey! This didn't really feel like an opening episode and more a continuation from the backend of the fourth series, which was absolutely fine, but the time jump of nine months really helped moved things along in my opinion. The news bulletin, something quite regular for the spinoff range now, was a good way to start and establish where everyone was at and serve as a good reminder of what had happened previously with the Outsiders being free and Leela leading that. She was to be an emissary here which was fun, as was Romana basically getting scolded during the Presidential questions. The focus being on the mine of Zeiton ore was good and the claim between the Guild and the Outsiders with it being their land was a fun divide. It put Romana in a tricky predicament and Allora was very much on Romana's case! She wanted to have the Chancellory Guard ordered to take the land by force and was not shy in challenging the authority of her President which was brilliant. I loved the idea of Leela leading a diplomatic mission of the Outsiders to Gallifrey over the mining rights, and Narvin having an interest in the ore was good too with it potentially being a source of power to get them back to their true version of Gallifrey. Or at least the Axis to potentially kickstart the process of getting home. Kavil was a fun character as the Science Minister and I liked that he and Allora suspected that Narvin and Romana weren't the real article after the mysterious duplicate and the former no longer being grumpy. The Regenerators having untainted DNA after no exposure to the Time Vortex was really intriguing and their purity could have the potential to cure the dogma virus which was a terrific prospect! I liked how Leela was hearing voices and actually got a warning before an assassination attempt was made on her life. Her referring to it as a demon was so brilliantly in line with her character. Slyne was another great character with him being in league with Allora whilst clearly having his own political motive. He had Lukas to ensure he got every possible scoop on Romana which I'm sure will come back later in the series. The tracking of the comms to get the identity of the assassinator was good and I loved how it linked back to both Allora and Narvin, with the latter stunned! He was arrested but it was obviously a frame job, which Allora admitted to in a taped confession. A sublime turn of events! Valyes being the one paired with Allora was a good twist as he was brought to kill Romana and frame it on Leela, but his use of a necklace encrypted to Romana's DNA backfired as this wasn't the same Romana. The President's decision being to split the mining profits equally between the Guild and the Outsiders was a fitting decision and the comments from Narvin to conclude and warn Slyne of his role with Allora were very good indeed. Overall, a fantastic story! 

Rating: 9/10

Under Pressure

"I had become a crucial part of my own past."

Writer: Dan Abnett

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 1991

Printed in: Doctor Who Yearbook 1992

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace, Fourth Doctor, Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

Taking a trip down memory lane after Ace investigates the clutter in the TARDIS, the Doctor tells his companion a story of when he helped diffuse a crisis with the Sea Devils whilst being in two places at once...

Verdict

Under Pressure was a fantastic little comic strip adventure! This was the last story printed in The Age of Chaos graphic novel that I'm currently making my way through and whilst I still have the lengthy titular adventure to read to finish things off, this closed out the comic strip content of the collection in strong fashion! I didn't know what to expect from this one but it was a delightful adventure with a very a fun format. I liked how the comic strip fitted into its era of 1991 with the Seventh Doctor and Ace and how we were introduced to the companion going through the TARDIS clutter. It wasn't a surprise to learn that the Doctor was disorganised and seeing a Sea Devil weapon was great and a nice bit of nostalgia. The Doctor going into story mode was lovely and the comic strip format allowed us to see the actual story unfolding as he retold it. We were taken back to the Fourth Doctor travelling alone which was a rare occurrence and I loved how he quickly amalgamated himself into the submarine crew setup. He claimed to be their scientific advisor after deducing how soon after they departed it had been and it really was lightning calculations in typical Doctor style. I loved it. It was brilliant characterisation of the Fourth Doctor and I enjoyed how he knew the location and its proximity to the Sea Devils incident. That was obviously a nice throwback to The Sea Devils and the submarine mission still involved the creatures, so it shouldn't have been as much of a surprise to me as it was when the Third Doctor and Jo were on the other side of the video link! That was a terrific cliffhanger and I loved that the Fourth Doctor instantly remembered the incident and how there was a mysterious stranger that helped solve the submarine incident. That was now down to him to enact without giving his identity away to his previous self! It became a little bit of a paradox which was fun and presented a perfect opportunity for humour. The Fourth Doctor already gave away a time indicating of five minutes for the signal to output and his 'oops' line was so simple but so effective. I thought the artistic style of the comic strip was very impressive, especially considering it was released three decades ago, but it was a shame that the likeness of Jo was pretty dire. It was fun for her to see the Fourth Doctor on the video link though as he made a quick getaway once ensuring that the signal was broadcast to the Sea Devils to have them retreat back into their slumber. I like the idea behind that resolution as a whole, but these Sea Devils surely had seen that what was being broadcast wasn't exactly true. The artwork for them was superb though and it's just great to have them featured again here. Whenever a submarine is involved, the Sea Devils are begging to be used! Circling back to the Seventh Doctor and Ace at the end rounded things out nicely with a couple of comical comments, but as a whole this was all about two earlier incarnations of the Doctor and how they almost met. Their interaction was delightful and I thought it served as a fantastic premise for the story! A brilliant read.

Rating: 9/10

O Tannenbaum

"The trees had their revenge."

Writer: Anthony Keetch

Format: Audio

Released: December 2017

Series: Short Trips 7.12

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid...

The TARDIS has landed in a winter wonderland and the weather outside is frightful.

A world of dread and fear and it's not just the frost that is cruel...

It's Christmas Eve, but will the Doctor and Steven get to see another one?

And of all the trees in the wood, who really bears the crown?

Verdict

O Tannebaum was pretty decent little audio adventure! I like the idea of a Short Trips story focusing on Christmas and especially having that with the First Doctor and Steven because that pairing's status with the festive period have only grown ever time since The Feast of Steven instalment of The Daleks' Master Plan. Unfortunately, what we got here wasn't quite up to the standard of that twelve-part epic but it was still an enjoyable forty-three minutes or so. I liked how the atmosphere and feel of Christmas was established with the description of the charming cottage and the inclusion of a gramophone. Steven mentioning how that reminded him of the Monk's instrument was delightful and very good continuity. The cottage being more of a log cabin was fun and hearing Steven describe it as a fairytale was intriguing because his version of a fairytale was much different from what we might imagine with him being from the future. It was typical to have snow present and I liked that it was so strong to deteriorate vision, with it really just furthering the Christmas feel. I enjoyed learning about Steven's history with Christmas and present gifting with the tale of the holo-prints on Christmas Eve always being last minute a fun insight. The highlight of the entire audio for me was hearing the Doctor utter Nadolig Llawen! Hearing him say Merry Christmas in Welsh was an utter delight and having him using a number of languages to try and communicate with Greta was an awkward introduction to the dirty and gritty character. She just wanted to decorate a Christmas tree, and boy would that prove problematic! There was a stench within the cottage and that came from the elderly man occupying the bed in the form of Herman. He was Greta's grandad as a weird little family dynamic was established with Joseph, the father, having gone out for firewood but not returning overnight. The description of the green darkness was good considering it was afternoon and from out of nowhere we had trees surrounding the cottage. That was great for Christmas, but things seemed to stall from there. Herman was on death's door, but seemed more active than he ought to be. Hearing how Joseph was infected with pine needles gave me Meglos vibes, but I felt nothing really came of it from there. He was becoming one with the office which worked well. Joseph had chopped down the tree for Christmas but that quickly turned into him not fulfilling the family duty as his dad outlined. It cost him in a big way! The Doctor was comical in knowing that the Christmas tree had moved and the trees came slowly to engulf the cottage but it just didn't feel claustrophobic when it should  have done. Herman being frail was not in line with his actions throughout, but I liked how things ended with the Doctor understanding the trees in perhaps an early example of the TARDIS translation circuits. He berated the trees after the family protection over generations was not reciprocated. Overall, this had some fun ideas and a good festive theme but it didn't quite deliver on all fronts. 

Rating: 6/10

The Triumph of Davros

"A warrior race of your own creation."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.03

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya

Synopsis

Returning to a familiar planet, with Movellan and Dalek warships floating in the sky above, the stakes for the time-travellers are higher than ever.

The mistakes of the Doctor's past are coming back to haunt him. Alliances are made and broken. And the course of the war is about to turn.

The Doctor can't stop what's coming. But maybe, just maybe... he may be able to save his friends.

Verdict

The Triumph of Davros was a fantastic story to conclude the third (and final) series of Dalek Universe! It's been quite the journey for the Tenth Doctor in a world before the Time War had happened, but this tied things up very nicely. Following on from the terrific cliffhanger at the end of The Dalek Defence, I liked the concept of Mark wanting Davros to work on weaponry that would destroy his own creations. Davros was surprisingly willingly to help, all part of his master scheme of course, and wanted the Doctor as his lab assistant which was an amusing dynamic! The Doctor recalling Destiny of the Daleks and how he and Davros had discovered the advantage over the Movellans already, but that was an advantage Davros didn't want to give away just yet. Having Anya separated alongside Keelan and with the Supreme Dalek was fantastic and the Doctor's latest comments about all of the Supremes was very fun. For me, the highlight was the interaction between the Doctor and Davros and I loved when the latter challenged the former over turning Mark Seven into a soldier and actually blamed the Time Lord for implementing the creation of the Movellans! It was a bold claim, but the suggestion of name corruption over time certainly made sense and it was audibly eating the Doctor up which Tennant played so well. I'm so glad the Tenth Doctor got the chance for more adventures with Davros. Speaking of challenging, the Doctor trying to challenge Mark to remember his true self and unlock the memories within was great. Anya's presence helped with that as she was familiar and that sparked something in Seven. Davros was shining here and him revelling in the knowledge, without specifics, that the Daleks would cause the Doctor anguish in the future was brilliant, as was the preposterous nature of his proposal to Mark of orchestrating a Dalek-Movellan alliance to wipe out humanity! The Kembel faction of Daleks was a lot of fun and I loved the idea of them recovering lost temporal knowledge. The Doctor's recollection of The Chase and getting Ian and Barbara home with the Dalek time machine was magnificent. He was still shocked! This provided some impetus in the Doctor's mind as a Dalek time machine was his way back to the other side of the Time War. Davros hooking himself up to the Dalek pathweb was excellent and him ordering a ceasefire with the Movellans just felt wrong. The continuation of Dalek hierarchical issues for Davros was great with the Supreme Dalek only answering to the Emperor. He planned to attack the Prime ship despite the ceasefire and then exterminate Davros! Dalek dissension in the ranks is always fun. Mark supposedly being the ultimate weapon against the Daleks made sense and I liked how he was the seed and template used for the war machine-like Movellans. Davros sealing the deal with a handshake to Mark and release chaos and corruption into him and therefore the entire race was sublime and the maniacal laugh of the Dalek creator was a joy to behold. The Doctor wasn't having it though with a marvellous reemergence and ensured the chaos seed was going nowhere and that the ship would soon be in danger. Mark was troubled which was sad to hear with all of his directives focused on killing the Daleks as he was forced to watch from within after reconstruction, but after everything that happened in The Trojan Dalek, it was nice for the Doctor to get to say goodbye. It was nice for things to come full circle with the Doctor wanting Anya to come with him in the Dalek time capsule, but with the frailty of it alongside with the presence of the Supreme Dalek, Anya sacrificed herself to allow the Doctor to escape back to his own time. The mark of a magnificent companion! I do hope that with how things ended here with her being alive and Mark wanting to attack the Kaled organic component of the Daleks' makeup, that there is more life in the Dalek Universe yet. Overall, a fantastic end! 

Rating: 9/10

The Dalek Defence

"There's no better asset against the Daleks than the Doctor."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.02

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Anya

Synopsis

The Doctor and Anya are trapped between battling Dalek and Movellan forces and only the intervention of Earth can get them out of trouble.

But the humans have troubles too – and a very familiar prisoner. Davros.

Stuck in a universe before the Time War, the Doctor is bound by the rules of his own past... Can he keep everyone alive without changing history? And would he even want to?

Verdict

The Dalek Defence was an outstanding continuation of the third series of Dalek Universe! This is exactly what I had been hoping for from the range and whilst the spinoff has been of a very high quality over its three series, this was much more like what I expected. The very concept of the Tenth Doctor being in a universe before the Time War and encountering Classic-era Daleks is fantastic and that was realised in full force here. Set somewhere between Destiny of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks, this episode brought gave us the Tenth Doctor against Terry Molloy's Davros and it was glorious. Any encounter between the Doctor and Davros is always fantastic, but there was something special about it happening across two eras. It was brilliant to have the Doctor reflecting on the chance to end the Daleks before they began in Genesis of the Daleks and I think if given the opportunity at his current point in time he would have taken it. But the Doctor was adhering to the Laws of Time by trying to not interfere too much with Davros being incubated, and the potential of the timelines to go wrong with him being there was wonderful. It was excellent placing. I liked the involvement of the Earth Protection Core and them having knowledge and some sort of rank alongside the SSS was great and it was fun to hear Anya falling in line when any kind of hierarchy came into force. She obeyed her orders. The story focusing on the anomaly that interested both the Daleks and Movellans was good and I loved how much turmoil the Doctor and Anya arrived in. It injected instant pace and action to the audio. The EPC knowing of the Doctor, albeit not this appearance, was great and I loved how they considered him an asset. They were somewhat laid back over having Davros as their prisoner but the Doctor's reaction when that was realised was tremendous from Tennant. Visla was a magnificent villainous character and I liked how she'd been with Davros throughout his incubation and now was intent on destroying the ship. Anya believing her to be a Dalek duplicate was fun, but not as fun as Davros being considered the last salvation against the Daleks. I adored how interested Davros was in the Movellans and how they were able to get the upper hand on his creations, and it really felt that the whole audio he was just doing research! The Movellan Prime ship was intriguing and the Daleks supposedly being on the run from the First was fascinating. This led to an emergency landing on Kembel which brought so much full circle and the Doctor recalling the events of The Daleks' Master Plan and how the planet was ravaged by the time destructor was very powerful. The humour regarding Davros and moving on all terrain was a fun element of what turned into a very serious audio. The Movellans had Visla as a sleeper circuit which was brilliant and I loved the idea of a Dalek minefield and underground base still being on Kembel. Visla seemed to be exterminated before we met the First Movellan that River had led the Doctor to meeting, and it was a familiar face. It was always going to be, but I wasn't expecting Mark Seven! I think that's such a good way to set up the finale and after an action-packed and full throttle episode, I can't wait for the finale! Overall, a magnificent listen!

Rating: 10/10

The First Son

"All Movellans are a problem."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Dalek Universe 3.01

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

The Doctor's attempts to return home have led him to the middle of a war zone... and a familiar voice.

The travellers have arrived on a planet made up of crashed space-ships where they encounter River Song... Or do they? Because she's dressed as a Movellan and claims to be a member of that robot race. Is she undercover, a duplicate, or something more sinister?

And more importantly... who is her son?

Verdict

The First Son was an excellent start to the third and final series of Dalek Universe! We had an incredible cliffhanger at the end of Series 2 with a Dalek echoing the famous 'Hello Sweetie' catchphrase of River Song, and the artwork for this episode really is incredible to see River in the form of a Movellan! It's so exciting and I just love that we are continuing the adventures of the Tenth Doctor and River Song, even if this time around it's in an unconventional manner. I thought the continuing relationship between the Doctor and Anya was really good and she very much feels like a companion in her own right, having been one as Ann Kelso alongside the Fourth Doctor. The humour shared between them regarding gerund words was magnificent and Anya's use of trusting in particular was great. They were on the hunt for the source of the signal that relayed that wonderful message and Anya's surprise that it was aimed at the Doctor made me laugh. Who else would it be for! The setting of a spaceship graveyard was intriguing and it containing numerous Movellan ships alongside a few Dalek ones said a lot about the ongoing war of this time period. The arrival of River into the story and supposedly having a son was incredible and just brilliantly audacious for her character. Something going wrong with the Movellans that was making them crazed within an hour was interesting and I loved the later revelation of the cause being Kamen. He was a fascinating and troubled character which made him a fantastic villain, and he was so strong that even River didn't think she could take him out so ended up posing as his mother! She'd brought the Doctor here but had to keep her guise which was marvellous. There were some other good characters in the episode with Rodekka being a fun character as the one who greeted the Doctor and Anya on their arrival. Finding out more about Kamen and his origins as being created in a laboratory as a human hybrid weapon with the Movellans intent on taking Earth in their war with the Daleks. It turned out he had actually killed his creators and was essentially an angry child only three months old, and that's why River posed as his mother and a comfort figure. It was ingenious! The mystery behind the First Movellan and the hunt for him tying in with Kamen's father was really great and I liked how the first vessel was even a secret to the Movellans. Kamen being told that he had developed a fault and was the cause of the virus causing so much trouble to the Movellans was brilliant and it made so much sense! It revealed that River was the real article as she was human and not impacted by the disease, which was lovely and made the scenes where the Doctor was clearly testing her so much better in hindsight! It was a real joy. But she got shot which was a surprise and provided some drama and danger, and she was able to warn the Doctor to find the First Movellan before using a vortex manipulator to transport away. After River had let go of her synaptic control over Kamen, it was a good way to see him off by having him literally overload. It tied everything up nicely especially when it also seemed like Anya would be departing, but she was having none of it which I liked. Overall, a fantastic start to the series!

Rating: 9/10

The Dying Room

"It's a case of remembering what you know."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: August 2017

Series: Torchwood Monthly #18

Featuring: LeDuc

Synopsis

"In this room everyone learns the truth. And neither of us will be quite the same when we leave."

Paris, 1940s. The German-occupied city is in a state of turmoil – a plague ravages the streets, turning people into deformed monsters. 

The city's finest hotel is under siege. SS interrogator Grau has come here to find out the truth. Grau has one night to cure the plague and to unmask the mysterious Madame Berber and who she's really working for. Herr Grau knows all about Project Hermod. And now he's going to find out all about Torchwood.

Verdict

The Dying Room was a great audio to continue the monthly adventures of Torchwood from Big Finish! I've really enjoyed the series expanding on the organisation of Torchwood itself and exploring its different variations throughout time. Here, we met Torchwood during the Second World War which was an exciting concept in of itself, but having them featured in the city of Paris under siege was brilliant. It's such an exciting setting that can work so well and it felt like there was more opportunity for things to go wrong with Torchwood around. We know that the Doctor could just rock up and save the day, but it doesn't always feel that way with Torchwood. We didn't have any familiar characters here with the only thing that was familiar to us was just the name Torchwood. I thought Grau was a fantastic character leading the interrogation of LeDuc and the Torchwood operative claiming to have no knowledge of what Torchwood was made for a good listen. It was a classic interrogation technique to feign innocence of what was being asked, but Grau efforts to persuade with the story of resolve and slowly being skinned layer by layer was really gruesome. Even if he did work for the SS, that was still a dark taunt. Grau's obsession with finding Madame Berber was great and I loved that by the end he didn't need to have been looking for her at all. The idea of a plague being around in Paris at this time only added to the problems facing the setting, but the Nazis were worried about their mortality here because the description of the effects of the plague were actually rather disturbing. The format of the story with the interrogation and then having flashbacks from earlier in the day integrated in the storytelling was very good and effective. It was a unique style and I was impressed with the background music that established the hotel base of the interrogation really nicely. The comments against the Nazis here from LeDuc were amusing and obviously written with hindsight which was good, especially with the lack of sympathy afforded to them when it came to the plague. I liked the idea of this plague and it turning out to be Torchwood's doing was magnificent. I love the idea of the Nazis having knowledge of Torchwood from even before World War One, so them getting one over the evil Germans here was delightful. LeDuc made for a good lead as a Torchwood operative and he is definitely a character I would be keen to explore some more of, especially in this time period with all the potential on offer there! Grau thinking he had the upper hand when he believed he'd exposed the familial relationship between LeDuc and Gabriel was fun, before it backfired in a very big way! LeDuc emphatically revealing he was Torchwood all along and had been having everything go to plan was great stuff and a very fun way to end things! As a whole, I thought this was an impressive audio adventure and a terrific change of pace to the usual Torchwood stuff. Overall, a very good listen!

Rating: 8/10

It's Behind You!

"Bow before me weaklings!"

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 2021

Series: DWM 572

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Dan

Synopsis

The Doctor has taken Yaz and Dan to see a pantomime production of Cinderella. However, Dan is not having fun, and with all of his complaints, the Doctor decides to go off to arrange something special during the intermission, except things get a bit more real than she anticipated...

Verdict

It's Behind You! was a pretty decent comic strip to continue the comic strip run of the Thirteenth Doctor in the pages of Doctor Who Magazine! I'm excited to see what Jacqueline Rayner will do with her hands clasped on the comics, but so far I think the quality has been massively impacted by the quantity. This was only six pages long and that just wasn't enough to deliver a coherent adventure that had any kind of emotional attachment or something to really care about. I love that we have further adventures of the Doctor, Yaz and Dan following the Flux Series 13 and I thought the characterisation of Dan in particular was done really well for his comic strip run. Rayner is definitely up there when it comes to writing comedy and having a companion played by John Bishop is surely right up her alley! The moments for Dan focusing on a choc ice were great and I liked how he wasn't a fan of the pantomime anymore because he wasn't a child. But as a fully grown adult his one wish granted from the genie was to get his ice cream. Of all the things! I knew pantomime would feature from the story's title, but I wasn't expecting things to go south so quickly. The emergence of an alien crashing the Cinderella play was fun but then I felt things perhaps got a little too silly. I didn't quite understand why everyone evacuated if it turned out that the whole point of the performance was for things to get very real. The idea of the Doctor being on Spacebook was fun and I bet she would be deadly and embarrassing on social media in a really lovely way. I think the quirkiness of Jodie Whittaker's incarnation was definitely present in the writing here which was certainly a benefit. I thought the pace of the story over six pages was really fast and I think if there was more room to play with it then we could have much more excitement. I did like that the strip was full of action and it was certainly always moving which is a positive. The descent through the stage trapdoor to the prop room and seeing all of those props and costumes alive and providing danger was a very fun image. The inadvertent way that Dan provided the solution was amusing and I loved that the Doctor found some magic beans to climb the beanstalk and get the genie that was snatched from the other realm. She wished that her friends were safe and that was that, which tied things up neatly and efficiently but it was definitely a bit quick. It came very suddenly but I liked the chaos. And who doesn't like the big kid in Dan getting his ice creams! The whole it's behind you gag wasn't utilised as well as it could have been, but I feel like this is one the younger readers will enjoy which I can certainly appreciate. Overall, it's lovely to have the comic strip back but I do hope the page count and quality can improve in due course! A good little read regardless to continue the adventures of the current TARDIS team prior to Eve of the Daleks. 

Rating: 6/10