Old Friends: Way of the Burryman

"Suppose you tell me about the Haunting?"

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: February 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 1.11

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Brigadier

Synopsis

Young Sam Bishop is at a crossroads with girlfriend Fiona: she's staying in Scotland, he wants to travel the world. As the Burryman celebrations begin, ghosts haunt the Forth Bridge. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart arrives to investigate – and so does the Doctor...

Verdict

Way of the Burryman was an outstanding episode to continue the Old Friends fourth volume of Ninth Doctor Adventures! This might just be the best Ninth Doctor audio we've had from Big Finish so far and I'm so glad that the story that contained the Ninth Doctor and the Brigadier meeting for the first time was very high on quality. I liked how it started with the Brigadier and this was my first experience of Jon Culshaw taking on the role and I thought he did an admirable job. It was a shaky impression in parts, but for the most part I was very impressed. It felt authentic and that's all you can ask for. The Forth Bridge focus worked well and I liked the idea of hauntings. Having a young Sam Bishop feature was fun and it was a clever incorporation as it wouldn't have mattered at all if the listener had knowledge of him from the UNIT spinoff series or not. His mistaking the TARDIS for a coffee shop pop-up was tremendous and the Doctor's reaction was very fun. Christopher Eccleston was on top form as the Doctor here and he fitted right into the early 2000s at South Queensferry. His initial reaction to the Burryman and thinking it an alien monster was magnificent! The idea of ghosts fitted in well with the remote Scottish setting and the description of voices reliving their last moments was chilling. Of course, the cover gives away the return of the Mondasian Cybermen which is a shame but the metallic voices hinting at their presence was good. They'd been around a long time as the noises were getting worse in the last twelve months and this is why Commander Jane called in the Brigadier for his experience with the unordinary. I thought she was a strong character and posting Cameron alongside the Brigadier was great. He was a good character as a postgrad student that had seen a haunting and having the Doctor link up with Sam and Fiona to try and find his old chum was a terrific setup. Fiona was a good character and I liked how she and the Doctor bonded over stories. The story concerning the bridge itself was brilliant and I liked how it seemed to have memories held within with the cost of building it claiming so many lives. It was powerful stuff. The Brigadier being enticed by a ghost and nearly walking off a cliff was good danger and the Doctor saving him in the nick of time was great action! Their reunion was truly wonderful and I loved the Brigadier's focus on the new incarnation's haircut! His soldier comment was quickly shut down though and a stark reminder of where the Doctor is at during this point of his life. The relationship between Fiona and Sam was slightly less joyous as she was rooted in Scotland with a whole family history around the Forth Bridge whilst this was just a posting for Sam. The Doctor's desire to hear the tapes of the voices was good and Sam's itching followed by becoming a host from one of those held within the bridge was eery stuff. The threat of caisson disease was very real and quite scary, with the Brigadier wanting the Doctor to try and exorcise the bridge which just sounds all wrong. Fiona fighting against that because of the memories that would be lost was excellent, but the Doctor had a back in the form of the memory arch that would ensure the memories wouldn't be lost forever. The Doctor recalling the events of Fond Farewell was good and I liked how he admitted to the Brigadier why he sought him out and didn't want to leave things unsaid between them after all they'd experienced together. The arrival of Kreel the Cyberman was very good and I loved how it was a Mondasian so old that it still had a name. His conversation with Fiona was stellar and I liked how it saw itself as a found soul, a survivor, and was even laughter which was chilling. Her reaction to seeing the Cyberman was great and sold their threat, as if it needed doing. The Brigadier's words at the memorial of those memories being captured into the arch was tremendous and I liked that the EMP on the bridge was done quite quickly. The Brigadier recognising the Cyberman was fantastic and I loved that Kreel now claimed Earth as its home and saved all of the humans at the bridge so it wasn't alone. The Doctor realising he had met the other Cyberman that was part of the reconnaissance mission was intriguing and the message of the not coming Forth meant to the bridge which was fun confusion. The Cyberman keeping the Forth Generation as a new breed of Cybermen set us up for a superb cliffhanger to lead into the finale as the Doctor realised the bridge was a silo, these Cybermen were more metallic and with the memories initially keeping them dormant, the Doctor's wiping of them set Kreel and the Cybermen free. Overall, a sublime episode! 

Rating: 10/10

Old Friends: Fond Farewell

"Welcome to my funeral!"

Writer: David K Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: February 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 1.10

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

Fond Farewell is the intergalactic funeral parlour with a difference: the deceased attend their own wake! Invited by celebrated naturalist Flynn Beckett to his memorial, the Doctor finds he's not quite the man he was. But who would steal the memories of the dead?

Verdict

Fond Farewell was a very good story to kick off the fourth series of Ninth Doctor Adventures! I'm so glad that we're going to get a whole batch of new stories with the Ninth Doctor following on from this set, but we've got some catching up to do here. Knowing what's to come, I thought it was a good approach to have the Ninth Doctor catching up with an old acquaintance in the form of Flynn Becket the professor, although he wouldn't have been expecting a conversation given that he was attending his funeral! His wife Idara seemed a shady character right from the off and the idea of Flynn then attending his own funeral was incredible! I liked the audacity of that because obviously it shouldn't be possible, and I liked that there was no time travel involved. This was Flynn, but not in his original body which I didn't actually anticipate happening. He was in a synthetic that was totally lifelike and to ensure the dead did stay dead, there was only a short lifespan which seemed a bit harsh. After bringing someone back from the dead, surely the technology could extend life? The twist of Flynn's memories having been altered was good as he'd forgotten the Doctor and Sasha despite them both accompanying him on the final expedition before his death. Something fishy was afoot. The flashback scenes to that expedition worked well and helped flesh out the adventure. The revelation that Flynn had been involved with Sasha intimately was intriguing and the humour that came with having to explain that to the Doctor was great. The prospect of him pretending to forget about her did seem to have potential, but the Doctor wasn't having it. Thomas as the AI computer programme was pretty good and the constant interludes of 'I'm still here' were quite chilling knowing that Flynn was synthetic. The power fluctuations added to the atmosphere and I thought Winifred made for a good and shady character in charge of Fond Farewell. The Doctor using the psychic paper to get her and Sasha in on official business as Good Funeral guides performing an investigation was amusing, but they weren't laughing when it came to a death amongst the bereaved. As if a funeral wasn't depressing enough! The use of electrical charge as the method was brutal and Thomas continuing to fluctuate provided some good tension. The Doctor and Winifred venturing to the nerve centre of Thomas was great and I liked how this was where the brain centre was held before being transferred to the synthetic for around twelve hours before fading out and death essentially occurring all over again. Winifred admitting that she could alter the memories of those brought back was very good and it seemed there was a secret discovery on that final expedition. The attendant being confirmed as the killer seemed a tad late, but it was fun to have the Doctor and Sasha blamed by Idara. The Doctor linking in with Thomas to find the problem was decent stuff and I liked the discovery of the rest of Beckett being held within the system. His wife being the culprit and wanting the man she loved brought back and to not remember cheating with Sasha, although she wasn't the first. Winifred was paid off but she was clumsy in the memory alteration and was ridded of the final month instead of just the specifics of Sasha. It was a bit of a sad ending but it was all pretty logical. Flynn trying to complete himself from within to make himself whole again was powerful, but Idara was desperate and didn't get what she wanted from her final moments with her husband. Overall, a strong start to the series and I liked how the Doctor is now headed for a meeting with an old friend, the Brigadier. 

Rating: 8/10

The Story of Martha

"Martha Jones is a loose end that Our Master would like tidied up."

Writers: Dan Abnett with David Rosen, Steve Lockley & Paul Lewis, Robert Shearman, and Simon Jowett

Format: Novel

Released: December 2008

Series: NSA 28

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha 

Synopsis

For a year, while the Master ruled over Earth, Martha Jones travelled the world telling people stories about the Doctor. She told people of how the Doctor has saved them before, and how he will save them again.

This is that story. It tells of Martha's travels from her arrival on Earth as the Toclafane attacked and decimated the population through to her return to Britain to face the Master. It tells how she spreads the word and told people about the Doctor. The story of how she survived that terrible year.

But it's more than that. This is also a collection of the stories she tells – the stories of adventures she had with the Doctor that we haven't heard about before. The stories that inspired and saved the world...

Verdict

The Story of Martha was a great novel anthology! I was in two minds prior to picking up this book as to whether blog it and judge as five separate adventures, or to read it all as one. When I glimpsed at the format of the book and saw that the titular story was interwoven with over adventures, I felt I had to read and blog it all as one. Now that I have read the book, I'm very happy with my approach. I must admit that none of the four stories that were presented as Martha telling those she was enlisting to spread the word interested me in a big way, and I think if I blogged them individually then none would get higher than a 7/10 rating from myself, but it was a good format and approach to have them as examples of Martha's experience with the Doctor and why he could stop the Master. Fighting wasn't necessary, just spread the word. The setting of the Year That Never Was is so exciting and full of potential and I was big fan of all we explored. It was important to begin with Martha in London picking up essentially where The Sound of Drums left off with her trying to deal with everything that just happened in such a short space of time. She's watched the Doctor become helpless and elderly, Jack killed, her family locked up and captured, and now the Toclafane are wiping out 10% of the entire population. That's quite the setup! And now Martha has a year to walk the planet and spread the word ready for a year's time. Quite the task the Doctor has enlisted her for! It's good to see her helpless at the start but as her journey goes on she gets more and more confident. We see Martha exploring the likes of France, Turkey, Slovenia and Japan, with the latter sparking an almighty show of vengeance from the Master. I like how that comment from Martha in Last of the Time Lords about what she haw happen to Japan and how it was obliterated was presented here, as it was the moment that sparked her to cry after staying so strong for the first six months or so of her journey. I thought The Weeping was a decent opener for stories involving the Doctor and the focus on the lighthouse beacon worked pretty well. Waetcher wanting to mutate and finally be allowed to die was powerful, and made Agelaos a good setting. I was less a fan of Breathing Space as the Doctor having extensive knowledge of the Cineraria felt a bit of a let down after the build up and his reaction to their presence as it meant nothing to the reader. The Frozen Wastes was a very good little short story and exploring the Arctic in the 1890s was fantastic, although there was probably a bit too much time spent on the balloon, although that's kind of the point. Pierre was a great character though! Star-Crossed and the focus on the Artificials was strong and probably ended up as my favourite of the short stories interwoven into the narrative, although I do think that the stories Martha was telling should have focused more on Earth-bound adventures to appeal more to the humans in dire states. However, I did like the explanation that they could believe anything now because they had literally seen the sky rip in half and the Toclafane descend. I thought Griffin chasing Martha across Europe and into the Japanese labour camp was excellent and his desire to find her despite getting so close and being pipped by that perception filter was tremendous. It was always there and he got close, but never close enough. Heading to Japan and the perception filter losing its ability to hide Martha was a good bit of danger, and she quickly got embroiled into the mundane and fatigue-filled life of the slave labour. Her stories waited, but Griffin's arrival and capture there was intriguing because his UCF ID meant nothing. Japan wasn't controlled by the Master, it was controlled by the Drast which was a good little twist. I liked how they invaded by subtle economic shifts and with the Master being unforeseen, this would be how they escaped too through the Segue. That tear causing Martha's filter to cease working was good but the horrifying reveal that they had sent 99 test subjects through and none returned showed that they had a ruthless streak. Griffin's role in actually defeating them alongside Martha was a bit simple, but I loved the Master's reaction to knowing that they were present. It was wonderful to get some prose with him and a brief glimpse of the aged Doctor. His reaction and retaliation on Japan was beyond ruthless, and he asserted his authority brutally, as if the countless statues weren't already enough! The fate of Griffin at the hands of the Toclafane despite being the one to call UCF in was ironic, and Martha's reaction was very sad. Her mission was clear now, and whilst she lost the physical keepsakes of those she encountered, they were ingrained in her mind. Overall, a strong anthology and a great read! 

Rating: 8/10

Purgatory 12

"Everyone knows their place and pulls their weight."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: January 2020

Series: Fourth Doctor Adventures 9.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana II, Adric, K9

Synopsis

Still searching for a way out of E-Space, the TARDIS crew land on an isolated space rock... and immediately find it drawn towards a nearby asteroid. 

The asteroid has air and gravity unequal to its size and is strew with the wrecks of spaceships. Veins and pools of rust are everywhere.

Stuck on the asteroid away from his friends, Adric discovers that it's a penal colony housing a gang of alien convicts – but resources are low, and they're a starting to starve.

But escaping the prisoners is only the first part of the traveller's troubles. Because there's a sinister presence at the heart of the asteroid... and it won't release them quite as easily.

Verdict

Purgatory 12 was a decent story to kick off the ninth series of the Fourth Doctor Adventures! I like the change in style and format for this series as we head for four stories consisting of four parts rather than the usual two-parters. It's also wonderful to have this volume taking place in E-Space and getting some more adventures with the rare quartet of the Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K9. I think they have a lot of potential together and just as they were getting started building something on screen, Romana and K9 decided to stay in E-Space! K9 and Adric bonding over chess was a nice way to start the story and I liked how it was established that the Doctor was still on the search for a way out of E-Space. Adric was prone to a tantrum through and it didn't take him long to have an outburst and leave the TARDIS for an empty rock. Romana was less than pleased with he and the Doctor but a quick time jump would solve everything. Or so the Doctor thought. K9 picking up a signal from N-Space was some nice bait and the offering of dog biscuits was very amusing. Adric getting taken into the hands of Man and Scraya didn't bode well for him and they were two intriguing characters with their brutish personalities. They saw him as a roast dinner which was fun! The setting of Purgatory 12 was pretty good and I liked the rusty atmosphere of the asteroid. Colonel Zyre was good as the head of the planet and Adric initially being deemed no use before finding himself as her deputy was some good development. He was making it on his own after all. The thunder that ensued actually coming from beneath the surface was great with there being no clouds around. The Gullet was the asteroid, and it was alive! It felt similar to The Beast Below and K9 was getting rusty and shut down, just as Romana was seeing faces in the rust for a good cliffhanger. She was rescued by Crimsson though and he soon worshiped her as his lady. The asteroid being home to a penal colony was a good dynamic and I enjoyed how Scraya and co were interested in the Doctor as he was man with the means of departure in the form of the TARDIS. K9 rusting was a great problem to have and Zyre being in telepathic communication with Darklish, the Gullet as he didn't prefer to be known, seemed awful religious. I thought more could have been made of the Unforgiven, but it was a concept I enjoyed. Crimsson being frightened of the Gullet was good as it apparently knew everything which was impressive for an asteroid. Crimsson also feeling that Romana was his only way out showed the sentiment on the planet for escape. K9 linking with Pips was magnificent and definitely a highlight of the story for me. A robotic romance is something I'm definitely on board with! The rust imitating Romana was fantastic and I liked how it was the Darklish phantoms, mocking, and booming as the entire planet. Adric offering the TARDIS food machine as a solution to the planet's starvation. Romana and K9 getting swallowed by the gullet was a brilliant cliffhanger, although the resolution felt a bit weak as they were all fine inside. The intangible being that was the Gullet was intriguing and I loved how K9 couldn't detect any life forms. Adric mourning Varsh was a strong theme throughout the story was excellent and a stark reminder of how early into his run this adventure was. The Gullet mixing the elements and being able to make the rock liquid was a little late as an explanation to save Romana. Adric being swallowed by the Gullet too was good and I liked his boldness in talking to Darklish and teaching it chess, something that outraged Zyre. She planned to nurture Darklish which wanted a physical form, but she had been replaced ow! The Doctor was wanted for his TARDIS which seemed a repetitive notion but a logical one, and what wasn't logical was that everyone on the planet was dead and recreated with the rust renewing them over and over. That was some scary make up! Romana noticing the cave within was a mausoleum was startling and I thought the power behind Darklish's tantrums at losing at chess to Adric was huge with the impact they had on K9. The Doctor performing a eulogy for his robot dog was so sad and he was really hurt by the apparent loss. Pips restoring K9 was wonderful and I loved the Doctor's reaction to seeing his tin dog back up and running. The conclusion seemed a little sudden for a lengthy audio with Darklish being quickly dealt with after all was forgiven, and Adric being called out as it departed was an intriguing touch. The asteroid breaking up provided some good action at the end and the final moments of something knocking on the TARDIS doors whole in flight and Adric hearing it as his deceased brother was fantastic, and just when it seemed he couldn't resist, he did with some help from the Doctor. Overall, a good start to the series! 

Rating: 7/10

Incursions: The Power of River Song Part 2

"If there's one thing I excel at, it's destroying things beautifully."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: UNIT 8.03

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, River Song

Synopsis

There's a dead body in the power station. River Song is the prime suspect. And Kate is most concerned by the identity of the victim.

Meanwhile, Sam and Jacqui chase Vikings, while Osgood finds herself out of time. As deadly predators focus their attention on Earth, it seems activating the power of River Song could spell the end of everything...

Verdict

The Power of River Song concluded in a strong way and a second part that I thought was definitely improved on the first. As a whole this made for a good two-part finale and it's lovely to have UNIT and River Song encounter each other here. It's a brilliant pair off and I think she'd fit right in with the organisation. It started well with Kate having a divergence that I didn't expect to be reminiscent of The Vanquishers and the Thirteenth Doctor, and having her talk to herself and try and reason with other versions of herself was a lot of fun. Kate was adamant though that she needed to stick to the rules and that meant she would have to die. Osgood's trepidation from the previous part's cliffhanger being saved by the real River Song was good, although I was far from surprised to get confirmation that the River we heard see Osgood from afar was the real article whilst the one that wanted to eat Osgood was far from it. Sam and Jacqui had a good and fun relationship and I thought it was amusing that the latter was annoyed that what she was experiencing was an unpublishable story. Who would believe they encountered dinosaurs and Vikings? River revealing the enemies of the story and the identity behind her fake self was the Battle Queen of the Wampeerix was decent and I liked that they copied the appearance of the dominant form of life on a planet to infiltrate. River liked being dominant which was a fun line. They were going to use the array to actually drain the natural resources and take power rather than provide it. The Wampeerix having taken River's vortex manipulator and gaining access to time travel was good and I liked their plan of destroying Earth time and time again across different time zones. Kate taking Josh into her own divergence was fun and I enjoyed the revelation that the ruptures causing natural disasters was the potential fallout of the paradox that ensued. The Wampeerix were in the '70s, present day and also in 2091 which seemed quite the time range! It allowed them access to a massive population boost too. River revealing that she had know the Brigadier was terrific and I really need to hear that meeting now! She had a strong relationship with Osgood here which was a delight to listen to, and their venture to the exosphere and to the array was really well done. I liked how it needed to channel the planet's energy to take the power. The Vikings being willing to work alongside Sam and Jacqui was terrific and I liked that they wanted to take on the dinosaur and get home. The resolution being to aim for the transformer relay of the array seemed a little easy, but Kate using Wampeerix tech to get Osgood and River out was brilliant, especially when Osgood calmly revealed she'd stepped too far and was falling 100km! That was exciting, so of course River jumped after her. Kate being prepared to die was very powerful and she knew the paradox would all stop if she met her end. River and Osgood were having none of that as they teleported at the death to give a drug to the Wampeerix and send them packing with them being in human form and avert Kate's death. It was a little bit easy given the complications of the story, but it tied up well to act as a strong finale! Overall, another brilliant UNIT boxset.

Rating: 8/10

Incursions: The Power of River Song Part 1

"Kate Stewart investigating her own murder."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: UNIT 8.03

Featuring: Kate, Osgood, River Song

Synopsis

UNIT has been assigned to monitor the switch-on of a revolutionary new power system – they know from experience such things can be tricky.

Nearby, Osgood and Lieutenant Bishop investigate mysterious disappearances – and appearances of trans-temporal phenomena. Kate would like to ask the Director some questions, but she's proving strangely elusive... until there's a murder.

Verdict

The Power of River Song started off the finale of Incursions very well! I thought this was a fascinating and strong start to the conclusion and I liked that we followed Revisitations: Hosts of the Wirrn in having a two-parter, albeit this time acting as the finale. It started off in.a rather unique way as Kate was getting very angry at not being able to work the coffee machine despite referring to herself as a genius and reminding herself of all the alien invasions she has quelled. That was uncharacteristic but it soon all made sense when we found out she hadn't slept in three days! Sam getting involved on the field was good and a chance meeting with Jacqui McGee was very good as she's quite the fun recurring character in this spinoff range. The idea of monsters on the loose was great and I liked the lack of help all the supposed witnesses were in providing a description that could be matched. There were many differentiated adjectives used as well as contradictions galore. Osgood having her own little investigation was good and I liked how she came to find a human from the Early-Modern era only having recently died. Well, that just didn't make sense and with people from the present era also vanishing, it was clear that time was acting somewhat strangely. That was absolutely confirmed when a body of Kate's was on hand shot and dead! Her reaction to that was oddly calm, but the sleep deprivation would have had something to do with that. River arriving on the scene as the Director was fun and something I'd expect her to revel in, although what came later took me by surprise! Chant as her assistant was a freaky character that worked well too. River offering the UK Government power in terms of the electrical and gas kind felt very contemporary and right at home with current politics and they were obviously never going to turn down the opportunity to own their own National Grid. Osgood's investigations finding a forest literally disappearing was brilliant and I liked that she had contact with another version of River Song, the real article I imagine. River's convertible power array was a good demonstration and I liked how Kate confronted her over whether she was her murderer. Investigating your own death must be quite the experience! River's name being a red flag at UNIT was very fun and I liked how Kate knew River's past was too well hidden. Sam and Jacqui being sniffed by a dinosaur was terrific and the subtle reference to Invasion of the Dinosaurs was amusing. River and Chant having something come over them was a little strange and they really did have a turn when it came to rewarding the crew working on the array with death now that everything was on automatic. Osgood being displaced in time to 1973 was very exciting and I'd love for her to get involved with the UNIT of that era, although with her finding another River and Chant there I'm not sure I'll get my wish. Kate aiming to do a chronon trace to track her killer was good and I look forward to hearing where that leads. Sam getting knocked out by Leif, a Viking as would have it, was good trepidation to take us into a multi-layered cliffhanger. River admitted she was Kate's killer which seemed a bit underwhelming, but in the '70s her wanting to eat and consume Osgood was not anticipated! Overall, a strong and intriguing start to the finale and I look forward to what comes next in part two. 

Incursions: Tempest

"The answer is blowing in the wind."

Writer: Lisa McMulin

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: UNIT 8.02

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis 

When the planet's weather systems start behaving strangely, Osgood is worried. Soon, she and Sam Bishop are heading to a remote Scottish islands where an eccentric old woman speaks to the wind itself.

Meanwhile, Kate Stewart visits a deep-sea oil-rig where strange things are afoot. A tempest is coming, and it could be disaster for the entire world.

Verdict

Tempest was a great little adventure to continue the Incursions eighth series of UNIT! I thought this was a solid follow up to a brilliant opener. It started with some almighty humour as Osgood and Sam were discussing Josh's upcoming fancy dress party, and the latter's misunderstanding of the former's wind comment and how it related to the weather phenomenon rather than her insides was quite something. It really set the tone and was some nice lighthearted fun. Sam's call to McCracken seemed to come out of nowhere but it tied in well with the mysterious wind that was happening as she claimed that the wind was talking through her chimney. That was exciting. The idea of sentient wind was intriguing and I liked the revelation that the noise within was an extraterrestrial SOS signal! It was one only UNIT had access to which furthered my interest and it soon led Osgood and Sam on a jaunt to the Outer Hebrides. That didn't seem like an enticing location given the wind conditions, but I liked the uniqueness of it and McCracken was an amusing character to greet them there. The same alien signal being found at an oil rig in the North Atlantic was more than just coincidence and that would be where Kate headed after calls of the lights and signal driving some crew to the edge of the rig threatening to jump. Sanders was a good character as the man in charge of the rig and Barney complimented him pretty well as engineer. I liked the description of the signal being more than just voices in the wind but a sensation and even a ghostly hand. The occurrence to Osgood and Sam when flying out and the cloud hand flying them to safety after awful turbulence was quite something! The discovery of an alien ship at the base of the sea at the oil rig was good and I liked how it was using wind and manipulating air to call for help. Kate's authority in taking control of the rig was excellent and really shone her in a strong light. The worldwide disasters that were happening simultaneously provided a strong threat but I was left slightly disappointed by the reveal they were just a butterfly effect of the telekinesis. McCracken's house being windswept seemed a little pointless but I liked how she thought her husband was speaking in the wind, and got to namedrop Aberystwyth as his location! That was quite a trip from the Hebrides. Sam levitating on the roof was great stuff and humour with Osgood explaining the situation to Kate on the phone. He felt a lot of pressure but he got some coordinates in the crop fields which linked back to the oil rig which didn't surprise me in the slightest. The aliens being revealed as the Animoi came a little late but I liked how they were fragile in makeup and had to use telekinesis to manipulate the elements and posses McCracken to communicate. Sam questioning how they couldn't free the ship despite their abilities was a fantastic question and I wasn't too thrilled with the response to be honest. It needed more elaboration. However, I did love the discussion between politics and oil and how profit was favoured over life. The utilisation of the air corridor vacuum to free the pods and get the Animoi out was decent and I liked the description of them being translucent beings headed for their rescue ships. In saying that, I think a bit more about them and we could have had an even better adventure! Still, a very strong showing to continue the series. 

Rating: 8/10

Incursions: This Sleep of Death

"Dead men don't tell tales."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: UNIT 8.01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Abbey Marston. UNIT's dark secret. A place where the laws of space and time, life and death, can be suspended. Where remembering the departed has consequences...

When UNIT faces a threat from a dead man, Kate has no choice but to return to Abbey Marston once more, to disturb the sleep of death. But the Static are waiting...

Verdict

This Sleep of Death was an excellent start to the Incursions eighth series of UNIT adventures! I have been a huge fan of this spinoff series and whilst I know this boxset is far from the end, I thought it was a nice way to begin what is the final volume in its original run. It started very well with immediate danger as Culder was on hand threatening to jump to his death. He had taken a Silurian plague vial and had the potential of wiping out the entire human race with it, but before he could reveal where its location was hidden, he jumped off the building and for good measure blew himself up too. It was quite the emphatic start and his fate was clearly sealed. Or so we thought. Now, I haven't managed to reach Static in my run of listening to the Monthly Adventures yet, in fact I'm way behind, but I really liked the concept of Abbey Marston and it being a biohazard environment sealed off from the rest of humanity, and even to some of the rest of time. It was a place designed to keep something in which I'm guessing was established back in the aforementioned Sixth Doctor tale, but thankfully it didn't seem like that needed prior listening too much. UNIT having its own version of a resurrection machine was great stuff and seemed like something they should have with all of the technology at their disposal. The stone circle interface seemed a little archaic, but I actually liked that as a means of bringing Culder back to get the location of the plague vial. I didn't actually expect him to attempt to bring other UNIT members back from the dead though! His escape sent things into a good pace and I liked the fun that came with the newly resurrected UNIT operatives being from the 1980s, distinguishable by their uniforms. That was really nice. It was also a good twist to know that it wasn't the first time they'd been brought back, so Culder knew all about Abbey Marston before concocting this mad plan. The circle being a means of mind transference was exciting and Colder swapping with Osgood happened a lot quicker than I anticipated! I thought the idea of Culder debriefing the dead was excellent because of how ludicrous that is! Marston Abbey not letting anyone return to normal reality and time until the dead were back where they belonged was a great concept too. Culder revealing that he had a terminal illness explained a lot regarding his plan and he'd gone into a crisis and saw the mind transfer as a means of survival, even if it was in Osgood. Of course, he didn't get it all his own way as the Static took over the transfer instead. Once they'd taken over Osgood, it was clear she wasn't herself with the lying about the gaining of the valve location from Culder and she calmly wanted to send him back to his death now that his usefulness was over. The mist was to do its work. The revelation that Culder had faked the CCTV footage of the theft of the vial was brilliant and came at the perfect time, as Kate then knew Osgood was compromised. The use of knockout gas and Josh using Osgood's weakness against her body was tremendous. Talk about utilisation! Culder being brought back from the dead again was amusing and I liked how Kate was on hand to try and convince him to now take the Static back with him as they embarked on the stone circle. His plan for immortality well and truly backfired. The Static having tricked Culder wasn't much of a surprise, but I would have liked more regarding their intentions and makeup as that's where I think listening to their first Who appearance would have been beneficial. Culder being scared of the darkness beyond that was death was great but Abbey Marston only brought one back from the moment before death, not beyond it. Culder struggling to remember how the mind transfer occurred was decent and the Static telling him and trying to convince him in a double bluff of what to do, or not do, was thrilling. Osgood was back though as Culder gained the upper hand and the UNIT method of bombing the circle was a nice throwback. Overall, a fantastic start to the series!

Rating: 9/10

The Poison of Peladon

"There is no plague on Peladon."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2022

Series: Peladon 1.02

Featuring: River Song

Synopsis

River Song has infiltrated the court of Queen Thalira in the guise of a high priestess. With rumours swirling that Peladon is on the brink of a republican uprising, River joins forces with her new best friend, Alpha Centauri, to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Verdict

The Poison of Peladon was a great story to continue the Peladon series! After a very strong opener in The Ordeal of Peladon, I thought bringing the planet into the modern era of Doctor Who was terrific as River Song entered the fray! She's he perfect character to have enter this world of political deceit as she can be rather manipulative herself, so having her disguised as a priestess just felt very right. I thought she was just so much fun and I wouldn't expect anything less from her to be honest. I don't think the story needed to be quite as long as it was after a little bit of a slow opening, but when we got into the thick of things I really enjoyed what went down. I found it a little amusing that once again we had emissaries from the Galactic Federation heading to Peladon for an investigation, but getting a full story with Alpha Centauri is definitely something I welcomed! They are a really strong character and I liked that River was keen to point out Centauri's pronouns. That also felt like a good way of bringing things into the modern era. The relationship between River and Centauri was something I never knew I needed, but it really was magnificent. They got on so well and having Alpha fake her poisoning and getting River imprisoned despite her knowing that it wasn't the archaeology professor that was the culprit was fantastic. River's reaction to that was great. I liked the flirtation between the pair and the prospect of them meeting again in the future is very exciting. That's something I would definitely want to hear! I thought Thalira had a strong performance returning as the Queen of Peladon and it was nice to get that moment where King Peladon died and passed on his instruction and will for his daughter as the new monarch. That was very powerful. The issue of her having no male heir felt very archaic but very well in line with my expectation of Peladon and its political makeup. I thought Gobron was a good character making up part of the Queen's court and the political landscape of that as a whole worked really well. I thought Ribble was a good character and the insinuation that he was going to be the enemy was decent, and it worked well for the twist to actually reveal Father Mendica as the one trying to poison Peladon and take out the Queen. The reveal of the Subsumers being enslaved within the mines was good and that helping bring the downfall of Mendica was good. The shock that came from the water that left there being poisoned was a good element of the threat, and I really liked Centauri's role in identifying the poison. Mendica was a strong villain so it was brilliant to have River confront him. One other thing I should mentioned before concluding is that I really liked the mentions of Aggedor and actually having a couple of the beasts present. That really worked well in giving a credible feel to the audio and this very much was a fine representation of Peladon. Overall, it was lovely to have River on the planet and it was also great to know that she knew of Sarah Jane! A very good listen.

Rating: 8/10

The Barbarians and the Samurai

"They kill foreigners who come here."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: July 2018

Series: First Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

In 19th Century Japan, Westerners are forbidden. So when the TARDIS arrives near Lord Mamoru's castle, the daimyo's Samurai are soon on their trail.

Uncovering secrets at court and treachery in the ranks, the Doctor and his friends are drawn into intrigue. And, as a battle begins, they are caught in the middle.

Verdict

The Barbarians and the Samurai was an excellent story to conclude the second volume of the First Doctor Adventures! I thought this was a really great adventure and one that really felt authentic to the era in which it was set. This could have easily slid in somewhere towards the end of that first season and that is testament to the writer in capturing that feel despite a completely changed cast. Now, I'm not sure I will ever get used to this full cast playing the roles of the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara, but I'm certainly warming to it and I think Jamie Glover's take on Ian is really growing on me. He's doing the character justice which is nice, whilst I think the take on Barbara is still a little too posh. I enjoyed Barbara's role in this story though and her being the basis for the knowledge drop on the history of Japan during this period was excellent. It was fun to know that her dissertation was on these events so she really knew her stuff quite extensively. I loved the dynamic of the Barbarians and the Samurais and having her explain the rankings and hierarchy of Japanese culture at this time with the likes of the daimyos and the shoguns was fantastic, and also necessary in understanding the complex makeup of a country that had been shut to foreigners for over two centuries. Having that as the premise of arrival sparked immediate danger which was good and the appearance of the TARDIS foursome would obviously raise eyebrows in the country. I loved the characterisation of the First Doctor in this one and he certainly didn't react well to being told what to do and to have many restrictions come his way. David Bradley performed admirably and did a stellar job in capturing the essence of the incarnation. The humour that came from Barbara's name and her perception as a Barbarian was terrific and something so simple was very effective. I liked how she even acknowledged it as well. I wasn't expecting there to be a love story at the heart of this adventure but what occurred between Shumei and Keiko was really nice and I loved how strongly the former felt for the latter with him ending up relegated to a mere peasant because he refused to tell her that he never had feelings. I liked how he assisted the Doctor's party too. Mamoru was a strong character as the ruler of Japan and I liked the twist of him being in league with the British, and the Doctor and Barbara pretending to be those that were expected. I thought the cliffhangers were strong despite not really providing any serious danger for the fate of our characters, and for me a highlight was just the whole race dynamic. It was fun to split the characters off and I really liked that the TARDIS was thrown into the sea, but the Doctor was never worried of its fate. Susan was a little quiet in this one, but that's always going to be the case for somebody when you have four main characters. The siege to the castle and the battles that ensued to try and reunite everyone together to head to the TARDIS was exciting, and I really liked the action that came to get them all in the same space again. As a whole, this was a really intriguing exploration of a period and time rarely visited in Doctor Who, and a perfect history lesson that fits right in with the original ethos of the early era of the show. Overall, a brilliant listen!

Rating: 9/10

The Slaying of the Writhing Mass

"Please ensure you have a good view."

Writer: Eddie Robson

Format: Audio

Released: January 2022

Series: The Further Adventuress 1.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

The Doctor and Charley become trapped in a temporal traffic jam, caused by time tourists come to witness the pivotal event in the history of the planet Ileiko: the Slaying of the Writhing Mass, the alien entity that enslaved the Ileikans in their infancy.

The legendary hero Salan killed the Mass with a single stone, setting the Ileikans free. But what was the Mass, exactly? And what if the legend was wrong?

Verdict

The Slaying of the Writhing Mass was a good continuation of the The Further Adventuress from the Eighth Doctor and Charley! I'm enjoying this extra batch of stories with one of my all time favourite audio pairings and this was another good addition. I thought this one started in a fun way with what appeared to be a school trip through time en route to witness one of the most important events in history on the planet Ileiko. It was fun to have time tourists and that's a concept I'm a big fan of and can have a lot of potential. Alicantis as the teacher was a good character and I liked how she was used as the way to explain the historical event of the Writhing Mass and how it was played. The TARDIS answering a distress call was good and not exactly new, but it being stopped from fully exiting was a surprising little twist. It was blocked and the reason was traffic! That was so much fun and I was honestly expecting more of a shocked reaction from the Doctor. The Ileika planet made for a good setting and having a slaying as a tourist attraction seemed a little off, especially for children on a school trip! It was proving popular though as there was an expansion in place to increase time capacity and that explained the traffic. The concept of the Writhing Mass itself was interesting as a cobbled together mess of multiple creatures, and another fun idea was the TARDIS landing within the walls of the school trip's ship. Constella ended up hovering above the TARDIS pool and she soon ended up causing chaos by initiating a dematerialisation and I think more should have been made of the insinuation she wanted to change history. I didn't think the collision course cliffhanger was overly exciting though as it seemed a little vague. Things improved when we learned of the project and how it was dumping waste into the past, putting at risk so much for temporal instability. There was always going to be something coming back to bite there. Constella realising that the Doctor had a vibe was a nice touch, although I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with her character. The androids imprisoning the Doctor and co was a fun developing, as was the arrival of Loarie from the future. She returned to stop the construction project which had backfired in a big way resulting in her being thrown into the TARDIS and burned by raw energy. That was quite the image and she did sound broken in some way. Her efforts to try and kill the legendary Salan were good for a mission and I liked the idea of destroying a myth. There was a hole in history anyway, so what bad was changing the past? The temporal waste from the construction being the reason for the Writhing Mass being a horrible amalgamation wasn't a big surprise, but the description of the fusion was horrid. The sudden way in which the Doctor crashed the ship into the Mass was good and it seemed to wrap up the causal loop. Except, Loarie threatened the Doctor and we found that Salan never actually existed at all with Loarie and Charley always a part of events. Constellation sending the signal that the TARDIS originally answered was good and I liked how Loarie destroyed it to try and wrap up the paradox. Bringing things full circle with the future school lesson and there now being no way to time travel to the Slaying time, and Constellations mentioning how an alien slayed it and that Salan was a myth to fit the story was very good. Overall, a decent continuation of the series!

Rating: 7/10

Return of the Cybermen

"Flesh and blood can't stand much more."

Writer: Gerry Davis (Adapted by John Dorney)

Format: Audio

Released: March 2021

Series: Lost Stories 6.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane, Harry

Synopsis

The Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan return to Space Station Nerva in search of the TARDIS. Instead, they find peril, disease and... Cybermen! 

The cybernetic monsters have devised a plan to eliminate the greatest threat to their existence. And if the Doctor and his human compatriots do not play their part in this scheme, they are to be destroyed.

Verdict

Return of the Cybermen was a good Lost Stories adventure and a very intriguing release to say the least. I must admit that when I first heard about this release coming out last year, I was very excited and eager to pick it up once I found a cheaper price, but after listening I can't help but feel slightly shortchanged. I read post-listening that adaptor John Dorney had to submit a synopsis to the BBC to show that this version would be sufficiently different to Revenge of the Cybermen, and for my money I don't think it was. It seems a little weird to have this story literally in place of the Season 12 finale with it following on right after Genesis of the Daleks and then going on to lead into Terror of the Zygons. It just all felt a bit odd and incredibly familiar. The first two parts in particular were almost like mirrors of the first two parts of Revenge as far as I could tell, and whilst I'm absolutely positive that there were differences as I haven't watched the original serial in quite some time, the basic premise seemed identical. It was odd because it then felt like I knew what twists were coming and that spoiled it slightly which was a shame as when trying to judge it in its own right, it's a solid story. This was my first experience of having both Harry and Sarah Jane recast and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the actors, in particular Sadie Miller who captured the warm essence of her mother Lis Sladen in playing Sarah Jane wonderfully well. She really did sound authentic which was a delight. Of course, the big difference with this version of the story is the complete absence of Volga. That was a noticeable change in the direction of the story in part three, but the target was still an asteroid that was the main source of gold in the universe so it was still essentially the same. I thought the Cybermats worked well on audio and having Sarah infected by the plague was good trepidation and I was actually surprised with how much of the adventure she actually missed from that. The setting of the space station Nerva worked well on audio and definitely did bring a smile to my face to hear it kick off the story and the characters of Kellman and Anitra in particular stood out. The former's involvement with the Cybermen was clear from the off and the Doctor could tell too, whilst the latter got on well with Sarah which was really nice. I thought it was fun to have the Doctor exploring his 500-year diary and trying to connect the C and T as Cybermat and Telos. The use of an x-ray machine to take out the Cybermen was excellent and I liked a lot of the throwbacks. The cliffhangers were pretty strong even if the resolutions were obvious, and I was glad that this one didn't go overly long with it clocking in under two hours. I thought it was a fun involvement to have the Cybermen not being ready for their attack and I also enjoyed the positioning of the Cyber Leader. He felt very important which was important to address in my view. I was a little disappointed to read that a scene at the story's conclusion to allow both this and Revenge to fit in with the wider Doctor Who universe was removed as I think that would have left me with a much better feeling! Still, the story as a whole is a strong one and whilst I prefer Revenge this was a fascinating listen.

Rating: 7/10

The Ordeal of Peladon

"The old ways are reasserting themselves."

Writers: Jonathan Barnes & Robert Valentine 

Format: Audio

Released: January 2022

Series: Peladon 1.01

Featuring: King Peladon

Synopsis

When King Peladon hears of a holy man with seemingly magical powers and the gift of foresight, he resolves to discover the truth of it for himself. But his quest to understand the shifting loyalties of his people is one from which he cannot return unchanged.

Verdict

The Ordeal of Peladon was an excellent start to the Peladon boxset! I'm a huge fan of the idea behind this collection of stories on the enigmatic world of Peladon, and I thought things started well with King Peladon's narration giving a brief but welcomed account of Peladon for those, admittedly like myself, who haven't encountered the planet in quite a while. Peladon was a world of science and new technology that was proud to be part of the community of the Galactic Federation. It was a good little start, as was the introduction to Skarn who was just a fisherman until he suddenly became all knowing and wise. He seemed to have healing abilities and was apparently sent from the voices inside his head, voices he claimed were the Old Gods of Peladon. It was all very mysterious and certainly captured my attention to kick things off. Skarn was offering help to Harfair and he somehow knew of her daughter that couldn't walk. It appeared he'd garnered quite the reputation on Peladon, so much so that the King wanted to know more about him and why his subjects flocked to him. The King was concerned that Skarn was filling the void left by his seclusion. It was audible that the King was a lot older than when we encountered him during the Third Doctor era, and that worked well in showing us that Peladon had moved on from events of The Curse and The Monster of Peladon. I should also mention I'm a big fan of this boxset continuing the 'of Peladon' titles. For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting to hear an Ice Warrior in this episode so to have Ixmari awaken was a delight alongside Skanlar assisting him. Their journey to Peladon had nearly ended and that meant their investigation could begin. Harfair having become a disciple of Skarn was great and she was sent to the King's Court to warn of a shadow falling and that Peladon had gone off its path. She wanted the King to meet Skarn, and that would prove troublesome for Ixmari's mission. I loved the cameo from Alpha Centauri and do hope she features more in the boxset, and she was keen to reiterate the Warrior's mission. I liked that the King liberated Harfair from ail because of his desire to learn more about Skarn, and their journey to Antonar was not an easy one! Ixmari's scanning for the King and finding him not present was amusing, especially with Raarlan trying to cover it up as best an advisor could. Ixmari offering to help find him was good but he set a hard deadline of one cycle or the inspection of Peladon was failed. The raiders in the wilderness provided some good action and I liked the dynamic of Raarlan wanting Harfair dead despite the King's fascination with her. Ixmari sure enough located the monarch and we soon ensued to an audience with Skarn which was really nicely done. I enjoyed the deity theme for Harfair and how she was given a task through Skarn from them, and the name of the Great Lake of Undoing where Skarn found the gods was fantastic. It was a place of great mystery and only Skarn could touch the waters, coloured like blood. But this was something Ixmari had seen before and he knew that the lake was contaminated by a mineral toxin and that didn't sit well with Harfair at all! She proclaimed the Ice Warrior as an agent of darkness and brutally attacked him which led the King to appeal to Skarn to save him, in return for his following. That surprised me a bit, but Skarn was unable to save Ixmari who passed away and this allowed Skarn to see he truly had no power. It turned out he had fallen in the poisonous lake and had been hallucinating greatly, with his supposed healing often being chance with there surely being other failures not publicised. It all came crashing down for Skarn, but his comment about the Doctor and how he descended from the heavens in a blue box really intrigued me What we got from there and the day that changed everything took me by surprise in a wonderful way as the Tenth Doctor emerged! Hearing David Tennant was absolutely delightful and it was lovely to get a genuine surprise. His comments about Peladon being in his top ten planets was marvellous and the Doctor knew of Skarn as the one who started it all. He kicked Peladon into the opposite of a New Age of Enlightenment and he could already see those forces driving him inside. Skarn knew the Doctor without being told a name, but the Doctor was helpless to interfere as he was already caught up in events in previous bodies, probably alluding to future episodes in this very boxset, and he couldn't interfere as this was a fixed point whilst the web of time was fragile. I thought that was outstanding and really set us up nicely for where this series is going. Skarn had suffered from mineral poisoning and that was that for him, whilst Peladon's mining operations were ongoing but the death of Ixmari needed to be explained to the Galactic Federation which wouldn't go down well! Raarlan supposedly winning as the King accepted he should do as he was advised was a good touch to their relationship, but bringing things full circle with Harfair once again in jail but the King refusing to free her this time was excellent. She still heard Skarn and she warned of chaos ahead, and I expect that's where we'll pick things up in the next episode! Overall, a strong start indeed.

Rating: 9/10

In Remembrance

"No one fights a Dalek and lives."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: July 2018

Series: Class Vol 2.02

Featuring: Ace, Miss Quill, Charlie

Synopsis

When an alarm is triggered at Coal Hill Academy, Quill and Charlie encounter a mysterious intruder prowling around school premises. Worse, they also encounter a Dalek. Their only hope of survival lies with the stranger: a woman who calls herself 'Ace'...

Verdict

In Remembrance was a fantastic story to conclude the second volume of audio adventures of Class from Big Finish! I must admit that I’ve been taken by surprise with the first two boxsets of the spin-off range and whilst I actually expected stories featuring all of the main cast together, the approach of splitting everyone up makes sense considering the episodes are set between stories we saw on television. I’m a big fan of Miss Quill and it was fun to have her alongside Charlie for this finale given their troubled and complicated relationship. They were investigating mysterious goings on at Coal Hill and I loved the idea of someone breaking past the school alarm, but Quill had her own alarm system in place because she would be interested in anyone that could bypass the traditional systems. I thought that was fun and really strong characterisation. Finding that the person who broke in was Ace was delightful and it was excellent to hear a familiar voice from the world of Doctor Who in this series. With Ace barely introducing herself, a Dalek also tore through the tear to arrive and really give credence to the episode! Quill seemed to have extensive knowledge of the Daleks which was great and Charlie not sharing that, showing no fear because he didn’t think the Daleks could even conquer stairs was magnificent. Of course, given the connections this story had with Remembrance of the Daleks and the historic permutations that had for the Daleks and stairs, that was really nicely done. Ace and Quill laughed at his comments because they knew just how deadly the Daleks were, but before they could continue their humour Charlie was taken through the tear! On the other side he was met with a destroyed Dalek on the other side along with a soldier guarding. It was wonderful to have him going back to 1963 at the time of the Dalek battle that took place during the Seventh Doctor era. I thought the relationship between Quill and Ace was very strong and definitely a highlight of the episode, with their connections to the Doctor being very different indeed. I liked how Ace realised the Doctor that Quill knew would be different to her own incarnation, and it was lovely for Quill to show some sort of respect or acknowledge she was impressed by the fact that Ace had attended the Academy on Gallifrey. I think there’s a lot of potential for Quill’s character in the wider Doctor Who universe but I’m not sure I’d be in favour of her featuring heavily elsewhere given the recast of the actress. Ace realising that she knew where Charlie went because the displacement was effecting her memory and she recalled meeting her during the time of the Hand of Omega ordeal. I was really impressed with Sophie Aldred differentiating the age of her characters seamlessly, and it was fun for her to meet Charlie again as her younger self. The Dalek being from 1963 was superb and provided a lot of potential. Quill’s sentiment to the Doctor and not being a fan of what Ace described to her about his actions with the Hand of Omega and how it started the Time War was intriguing, and it was a little difficult to argue with really! The ingenuity of the Dalek in researching on the internet and accessing UNIT files was tremendous and it soon gathered what occurred during the Shoreditch Incident. That set in play its course of action and wanting to change the past based on the knowledge gained from the research! That was impressive and I liked how even Quill admired the effort. Charlie seeing a police box in 1963 and thinking it was the Doctor’s TARDIS was delightful and a lovely throwback to The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith. Quill continued to provide humour with Ace’s plan of the deodorant can to destroy the Dalek was marvellous and just a lot of fun! The Dalek attempting to appeal to Quill by offering the chance to get Charlie back was good, and you could tell she was accepting with gritted teeth given her inner turmoil. But it was better than death! Quill linking Daleks to men who like to brag about their genitalia and how they’re often misleading was amusing and a nice way to keep with the adult them. She helped the Dalek and even wrapped Ace up in a hose to ensure she didn’t interfere, but she did have a safety net by refusing to repair the Dalek’s gun following Ace’s explosion. Quill going back in time with the Dalek was a little surprising, but she knew it would die anyway and that’s exactly what happened in quick fashion given the divide in the Dalek ranks! I thought that was slightly risky and a little bit like cheating from a writing perspective, but it was nice to know she had a plan all along to get Charlie back. Overall, a brilliant adventure to conclude the series!

Rating: 9/10

Now You Know...

"We've got to find someone who is being bullied."

Writer: Tim Leng

Format: Audio

Released: July 2018

Series: Class Vol 2.02

Featuring: Tanya, Mattheusz 

Synopsis

Following a series of freak attacks on staff and pupils, Tanya and Matteusz find themselves investigating a mystery that dates back to the 1960s. Together, they hope to solve it – even if that means turning on one another to do so...

Verdict

Now You Know... was a decent little story to continue the second series of audio adventures for Class from Big Finish. This allowed a focus on what I'd consider two of the least exciting cast members in the for of Tanya and Matteusz, and I wouldn't ordinarily think of those two working well as a pair. We started though with Tanya and her childhood best friend of Michelle, who was less than keen on her new friends that form the main cast of Class. Things soon started to boil at Coal Hill following an attack on the caretaker and Matteusz was quick to let Tanya know everything that was going on with the multitude of crowds at the school alongside the media frenzy. I thought the discussions between Tanya and Matteusz regarding popularity were very powerful and probably the highlight of this particular adventure. It was a good way to incorporate the school setting, although I'm still having trouble seeing Tanya as a fourteen-year-old as she is far more mature than that in my opinion. Chris talking down to the pair was a little sad and Matteusz confronting him afterwards had us on the brink of violence, but then it came in a strange form with the tear at the school ensuing and something coming through to protect Matteusz was intriguing. I also liked the idea of him hearing the caretaker within the tear as that led us to think those already taken were being kept beyond in some kind of realm. I found the coverup from Coal Hill putting the medical instances down to a bacteria was amusing and I did enjoy Tanya's hacking of the school emails to get information on what was happening. Mr Deacons the caretaker was comatose and unresponsive in a deteriorating condition, whilst Chris was in a similar situation. Things looked bleak for those effected by the mysterious voice proclaiming that now they knew. Michelle's racism and sexual disparaging of Matteusz was awkward as a way to precede her getting attacked from the same boy. Tanya realising that there was a pattern of bullies being targeted was great and I liked the idea of the culprit being a child from the past. Hearing Coal Hill referred to as a school instead of academy was wonderful and Tanya scouring the digital files to try and find the identity of the boy was brilliant as we got a lovely reference to An Unearthly Child with two schoolteachers and a pupil going missing in 1963. Marvellous. She soon found that he was Peter Dillard who went missing in 1969, whilst Matteusz just found him attractive which was a bit out of place. The appeals of his mother Brenda through the years and seeing them through the archived news was very good. Tanya and Matteusz trying to be nasty to each other in effort to attract Peter to them was a little laughable as I just couldn't take them seriously, but the logic was sound. He eventually did come and reeled off his personal story of being bullied and how he was taken away from it all through the rift, and he was now in union with the creature as the two had a relationship where it could learn about humanity whilst Peter took revenge. Tanya and Matteusz following Peter into the tear was good and I liked how Tanya challenged Peter about him being a bully himself now, even though it's something we've seen many times before. He just wanted to scare not kill, and upon giving up the realm was destroyed and everyone returned to normal in a neat little conclusion. Overall, a decent little story! 

Rating: 7/10

Everybody Loves Regan

"You make me feel strange. I don't like you."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: August 2018

Series: Class Vol 2.01

Featuring: April, Ram, Tanya

Synopsis

When Reagan Harper joins Coal Hill Academy, everybody instantly loves her – everybody except for April. Is there really more to Reagan than meets the eye? Or are there other forces at work in Coal Hill?

Verdict

Everybody Loves Reagan was an excellent start to the second volume of Class audios from Big Finish! I thought this was probably the best story yet from the spinoff range in this format and I liked that we had three of the cast together for the first time on audio. It gave it a feeling of completeness which was good and I also enjoyed that Charlie and Mattheusz were mentioned which rounded out the entire main cast of the teenagers. April is a lovely character and I liked how she was trying to set up a buddy scheme after school. She's always trying to engage and interact by extracurricular activity and I admire her for that. Her efforts to help her get to Switzerland on an exchange programme for three months didn't go down well with Ram who was clearly unhappy despite the fact the pair had only recently got together. April's scheme was saved from disaster by the titular character of Reagan who joined up, but after interacting with her April ended up still at school three hours later with no sign of her new buddy. She'd spaced out and Reagan had disappeared which really set the scene for an enigmatic feel to the story. Tanya knowing Reagan was intriguing and I was fascinated to find that she'd been attending Coal Hill since the start of term as April hadn't known her. That was coupled with the fact Ram knew her as well and was the one who sent her to April's scheme after some fan girling at the football. Mrs Garrett being unconscious added to the uneasy feeling the audio had given she was a councillor. I really loved that April was bothered by Reagan and didn't hide her feelings. She felt there was something wrong with Reagan, but before she knew she found herself zoned out again after interacting with her. So she did a deep dive which I loved and shocked Ram, finding that no other previous schools in the area of Manchester, where she claimed to be from, had a Reagan on file. The way Reagan took over the buddy scheme was quite spiteful and harsh on April who I felt sorry for throughout. Ram thinking he took Reagan to the prom instead of Rachel was the final straw and April recalled the events of For Tonight We Might Die really strongly. Tam also claimed to have known her since primary school despite Coal Hill being nowhere near Manchester, and she was dismissive of the obvious falsehood. Reagan holding a rally was good and her threat of hoping that everyone survived was fantastic. Ram starting to remember the memories was great and I loved the concept of Reagan slipping into bad memories and making them better. That purpose was excellent. She fed ons trees so a school was the perfect setting for that, but she was annoyed that Reagan was different and just got more stressed after each spacing out instead of being refreshed. The idea of Reagan being from the planet Manchester amused me and was a bit of a stretch for me, but April's moment at the end in forcing Ram to remember Rachel and ensure that all of the bad memories weren't made better was brilliant. She sent Reagan packing her bags in a terrific way. Overall, a very strong opener! 

Rating: 9/10

Heritage: The Ghosts of Greenwich

"A premonition of the future."

Writer: Paul Morris

Format: Audio

Released: June 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.03

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

Strange things are happening to the people of Greenwich. Phantoms of the living appear, while others are aged beyond their years. A clocked figure stalks the streets, and time is out of joint.

Vastra, Jenny and Strax find all clues points towards the Meridian Line. Beneath the Royal Observatory lies a secret – something terribly ancient and horribly dangerous...

Verdict

The Ghosts of Greenwich was a really fun adventure to conclude the first volume of Heritage and the first series of adventures with the Paternoster Gang! I seem to have really flown through this boxset and it really was a delightful start to the range. I thought this concluded strongly and we've ended up with a very high quality boxset! I really liked the premise behind this one and the focus on the setting of Greenwich. Strax's humour was magnificent in referring to the place as a green witch, but he soon came around to the quirk of the English language. He probably had his strongest showing in this audio and I really liked the value he placed on the gossip and information provided from Smallpiece because he was a drunkard. He knew all the finest establishments in London and to Strax, his ability to drink copious amounts of alcohol meant his word was very trustworthy. Jenny didn't share those options and her reacquainting with him didn't go down too well! I really liked how much Vastra's position as the Great Detective was admired in the audio and she certainly had a reputation that preceded her when it came to investigating the abnormal. Her search for the strange in the newspapers was great and I loved Strax asking if she had found anything satisfactory, something preferably requiring immediate action and violence. The idea of a premonition of ghosts was fascinating and I liked how it could be used as a warning for those seen ghostly but not already dead. The thought of seeing someone as a ghost who wasn't dead, only for them to then die, was a startling one but it's a concept I really enjoyed. The eery feel felt right in line with the Victorian setting and that's also where the man in the cloak fitted in very nicely. I thought Plumstead made for a good villain and his belief that he was manipulating and in control of the creature was great, if not a little sad for the deranged man. I loved the focus on the Royal Observatory and the idea of the Meridian Line not actually being a human construct was terrific. Vastra's reaction to that was marvellous. Using her existence and the fact she was from a time of 65,000,000 years ago in a story focused on time was very good. I enjoyed the concept of negative chronons and the analogy to anti-matter was really useful in understanding the effect they were having on Greenwich. I loved that the situation in this region had been occurring throughout centuries past and Vastra scribbling on a library map to find the pattern was very amusing. Plumstead turning out to be the same man he claimed was his great-grandfather was a good reveal if not a little predictable when it turned out that victims were being aged, whilst he was being given immortality. Vastra appealing to him and showing him that the creatures were actually using him was very good, and the only way was to give up his life and finally call his time on life. He'd had a good innings, but these creatures couldn't be allowed to control the time around Greenwich any longer. Overall, a really good story to conclude the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Heritage: A Photograph to Remember

"Memorial photographs are our specialty."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: June 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.02

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

The Paternoster Gang are shocked to discover a rival group on the streets. A Sonataran, a Silurian and a human – only their intentions are not quite so noble as Madama Vastra and friends.

And when the recently-photographed dead begin to return home, strangely altered, will this 'Bloomsbury Bunch' be more of a help or a hindrance?

Verdict

A Photograph to Remember was another great story to continue my way through Heritage and the solo adventures of the Paternoster Gang! This was a bit darker than the opening instalment of The Cars That Ate London! but the premise of a rival gang was a lot of fun. Speaking of fun, I thought the way things opened with Jenny and Strax together was wonderful and I really enjoy the dynamic that pairing has together. They're so different and it makes everything so much fun, The concept of spirit photographs was great and felt very Victorian, and I have to say I was impressed with the atmosphere during this story. It felt smoggy and that's what I imagine this era like. It was a little disturbing to have posthumous memorials in the form of photographs as that just didn't seem possible! The human cloaking of Stonn was a little poor as that familiar Sontaran voice was so clear in the audio format, we just knew the true identity. The premise of this adventure having the dead coming back to life with different identities was horrifying as imagine seeing a loved one return to life, only for them not to be who you remember. That must be emotional torment on another level! Jenny faking the death of Strax to try and get her way in on the act was good, and before long the entire Bloomsbury Bunch were revealed! Vella was a fantastic character as the Silurian of the Bunch and she even attacked Jenny, not sharing the same sentiment towards humanity that Vastra did. Tom being the human element of the trio was a pretty good character and his desire for photography played a big part in the eventual heart of the story. I liked how the Bloomsbury Bunch knew all about the Paternoster Gang and didn't exactly have good opinions on them. Tom being romantically involved with Stonn felt a bit too much of a stretch to try and contrast the Paternoster Gang, but I definitely didn't see it coming! Stonn being the one to command the Bunch was fun and his counterpart Vastra showing her admiration for humanity was a sharp contrast to Vella whom she was keen to engage with as she thought there were no other Silurians around. Strax and Ethel being chased by the undead revenants was full of action and the latter suffered a deadly fate. That showed the threat of the revenants in a big way. The Gang and Bunch realising they needed to form a temporary alliance was great and I liked how Vella was aggravated by it, giving me vibes of Cold Blood/The Hungry Earth. Stonn and Strax meeting was a delight as they tried to work out the hierarchy and where they stood in Sontaran command. Marvellous humour. Tom's camera containing a Malampus crystal was a little weird and not the emphatic reveal I was expecting, but I did like the it had an aura and was used as a divine method to find hidden truth. The use of the glass negatives being intermingled with the other photographs was nice done and I loved the description of imprinting like a shadow. The conclusion hiding us towards freeing the prints to release the revenants was good but Tom didn't want to give them up. The final focal points of the lens being how they were animated was a decent final stretch and it needed to be destroyed, but Tom ran away. Stonn reasoning with his lover was very good although I was unsure about a Sontaran admitting he cared for something. The lens wasn't the art and Tom eventually saw reason which was nice. Vella's attack on Strax showed that the alliance was very much over and it was a fun prospect for Vastra to judge the Bloomsbury Bunch but that wouldn't happen as they teleported away. Surely they will be back throughout the series? I hope so, despite the coincidental believability of a similar trio. Overall, a very good audio! 

Rating: 8/10

Heritage: The Cars That Ate London!

"What we require is your non-cooperation."

Writer: Jonathan Morris

Format: Audio

Released: June 2019

Series: Paternoster Gang 1.01

Featuring: Vastra, Jenny, Strax

Synopsis

The advent of electric carriages on London's streets causes a stir – until they start careening out of control. Elsewhere, factory workers lose their senses, while a brand-new power plant suffers mysterious outages.

Genius industrialist Fabian Solak has a vision of the future – free from pollution, running on clean electricity. But Madame Vastra knows such ideas are ahead of their time...

Verdict

The Cars That Ate London! was a great start to the first volume of Heritage and the Paternoster Gang spinoff series! I am so delighted to have gotten started on this range as I think the trio of Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax were so good on television and it really is a no brainer to give them their own series. I loved the vibe that the title music provided and it was so in line with my expectation for the series. It was a fun start in Victorian London with Jenny buying some racing pigeons before an out-of-place electric carriage burst into explosion. I like how Vastra is clearly the one in charge as Jenny was quick to recall events to her. From there, I really liked how Inspector Cotton was on hand to request the urgent assistance of the Paternoster Gang following a mob attack on Beckett. I thought straight away that the Sumatran he described was actually going to be Strax, and it took a little while for the Sontaran to arrive on the scene. Vastra's questioning of the prisoner left over from the attack was good and I liked how she was using the effect she had on humanity to get answers, but he didn't have any memories. The prisoner had been emptied after searching for factory work with Solak. I liked how the Solak Factory was engaged in new electrical power which seemed a little ahead of its time, and that's what provided the intrigue. Strax being with Beckett for a bargain in trying to reenergise himself with the electrical current was terrific. The lack of subtlety in Strax causing a distraction at the factory was magnificent and it allowed the Gang to set off investigating after Solak. Strax's admiration for the efficiency of the factory and how it was stretching human resources was superb characterisation. Their plan to head to the management level on the top floor was good and I liked how Vastra recognised they were being observed in their quest to find what happened to those deemed with high intelligence. Strax's comment about wanting hand-to-hand combat with a car and thinking they had a tactical advantage because cars didn't have hands was excellent. The idea of what was essentially transformers in the Doctor Who universe pt a smile on my face. I also liked how Solak was getting the Gang's intelligence assessed, but Vastra was quick to challenge Solak on his contact with the future that she suspected. I liked the management structure and how it was a sphere containing the minds emptied of those deemed intelligent. The threat of Jenny being next would have made a perfect cliffhanger, but this one was all the way through. Solak having seen the future and what it would mean if fossil fuels were the power source for technology was fascinating, and I liked how there was something in his head opening a window to the future for him. Strax mustering the workforce at the factory to rebel was the perfect role for him and he was utilised well throughout. Madeline was an unfortunate character as she was interested in Solak, but he was married to his factory. The reveal that an extrapolator of a Sontaran battle computer was within Solak's head didn't seem like the big reveal it deserved, but it did make sense for it to follow the default objective of taking over the world. That explained the Automates search and the very idea of automobiles that could eat people was quite ludicrous! Solak having his mind emptied was a fitting result for his character, and Madeline would follow suit as sufficient intelligence was gathered for phase two of the project. Vastra didn't want to allow that though and her appeal to the humanity within was admirable. The downfall being that Strax's mind was attempted to be absorbed, but that just meant all of those minds already taken was filled with Sontaran aggression and they were fighting amongst themselves from within which caused the management sphere to overheat and cause detonation. The factory was rubble and the cars deactivated with no guiding intelligence to bring things to a neat end. Overall, a really strong start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10