The Gift

"Most obey the call to Exile Island."

Writer: Jamie Delano
Format: Comic Strip
Released: April-July 1987
Printed in: DWM 123-126

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

The Sixth Doctor attends the party of the Lorduke of Zazz at the behest of Peri and Frobisher. They deliver a package for Professional Strut, only to find a self-replicating robot within. Things start to go badly when it begins to plague the planet...

Verdict

The Gift was a decent comic strip adventure to continue my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel! It brings an end to yet another year of Doctor Who blogging and I was quite surprised with this one for some reason. Part two seemed very obscure in fitting with the rest of the comic strip adventure, but as a whole it was a pretty good little story. I mean, for a four parter there wasn't a huge amount going on which is why this doesn't quite score much higher but that doesn't mean it was bad at all. Speaking of bad though, I wasn't a fan of Frobisher yet again as the companion because he just didn't seem interested in anything. If he's not interested in the setting or the other characters then why should I be? It isn't a good move in my opinion. It was also quite strange to have an image, albeit drawn and in black and white, of the Sixth Doctor sitting topless at the beach with Peri in a one pice! It just didn't seem right for Doctor Who but I found myself finding it funny but probably not for the right reasons. There was something so strange about the Doctor flaunting his body in a graphic novel where stories that closely preceded this had mocked his weight. That is of course just ridiculous but it was quite the change. I thought the Zazz setting was pretty good and could be explored a bit further should it ever make a return, although I think the odds of that occurring are pretty slim. I was quite interested in the brotherly feud between the Lorduke and Strut and I just knew that there was going to be something dodgy or deadly in that present. I really didn't expect it to be a robotic spider though! It wasn't anything like the kind we would later see in The End of the World and New Earth, but the big difference here was that this spider was reproducing. Or rather, replicating itself. The Doctor going to see just how this was possible seemed a little odd with him just setting off and going away for a period of time, but it was really good and helpful to see the tale of that mechanical evolution. I loved that concept to be honest as it's just something I haven't seen in Doctor Who before. With the sheer scale of things on offer (just look, I'm catching up on comic strip stories from over thirty years ago!) that's quite the task. Monektoni was a decent little character as well which made for a nice addition to the more centred characters. The use of music in the story was quite interesting and made for some humorous moments which is always good. Frobisher seemed to revel in that. I thought the ending of the story was quite decent with the Doctor dealing with the spiders by having them take off in the volcanic-powered spaceship that Strut was so desperate to take off in! I thought the concept of volcanic power on that scale seemed a little unlikely, but it had enough to at least get it off the ground. I was a little surprised that the Doctor left happily without knowing if they did in fact get to the Moon, but that was some good continuity. As a whole, this was a comic strip adventure that was good but probably could have been improved by being cut down a part which would have made for more excitement. Overall though, a decent comic strip adventure!

Rating: 7/10

A Confusion of Angels

"You're one of those Host things, aren't you?"

Writer: Richard Dinnick
Format: Comic Strip
Released: December 2017 - March 2018
Printed in: The Twelfth Doctor #10-13

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

When the Doctor and his companions are drawn to a seemingly empty transport vessel in deep space, they're pulled into an impossible conflict – between the robotic Heavenly Host... and the Weeping Angels!

Verdict

A Confusion of Angels was a very good comic strip adventure to conclude the Twelfth Doctor's run in Titan Comics! I think it's a huge shame to be losing the past Doctor series from Titan to go alongside brand new adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor, but at least this particular series went out in some style! It really did have a lot going on across the four parts with the Weeping Angels, Heavenly Host and Judoon all making returns! I would never have expected for the middle enemy in that trio to make a comeback after Voyage of the Damned but here we are! Throwing them into a story with the Weeping Angels is just a fantastic partnership and these robotic servants actually becoming Weeping Angels was fantastic and a good play on their heavenly nature. I was a big fan of the storytelling. Speaking of the actual story, at times there was probably a little too much going on with everything happening at such a rapid pace but that made for excitement which isn't a bad thing. The return of Margaret the Slitheen (who can be bothered to type out her full name?) was another unexpected addition but it was superb continuity that we got to know post-Boom Town and what she had become once the Doctor returned her home to a new family. This time she was part of the Jingatheen and I liked that we got a little glimpse of her arm and its true Slitheen nature. The Doctor explaining the events of Aliens of London/World War Three and the aforementioned episode where she looked into the heart of the TARDIS was great and I really liked the way the flashbacks were done in the same panels as the Twelfth Doctor explaining events to Bill. I liked how the story fitted into Series 10 continuity with talk of the Vault and Missy helping once again with protocol 13-9. I wasn't too keen on the Doctor distracting in order to get Bill away, but it was good to have the issue of no TARDIS as things started to go wrong. I thought it was great to see a protected image of Max Capricorn and the Doctor's reaction to seeing him again was perfect. Nardole was quite quiet for much of the comic strip but he did have his humorous moments. I never believed for one second that the Host would stay shut down and just part of transformation and I liked how they were written. I couldn't hear anything other than their voice when reading their lines which is fantastic. I wasn't overly keen on the crew of the ship but that was more than made up with everyone else that was around. Margaret being a part of the Shadow Proclamation along with the Judoon was quite the image for an alliance. I didn't think the Judoon actually offered a great deal for the story, but the fact that they actually managed to kill a Weeping Angel was a huge shock! I really was surprised to see that happen, so imagine how I felt when Margaret did the same with her Slitheen claw to decapitate one of the Angels? When they're stuck as stone, I guess it does make sense to just smash them into smithereens. I liked it. I thought the conclusion could have been slightly better as we didn't really see much of the Doctor's plan in action. We just read what he was doing and then had to take it as fact that it had occurred for the most part. It worked well though and was simple. Missy actually helping those displaced by the Angels was a good move, and I loved that the Doctor was displaced in time by one and actually got involved in some of Max Capricorn's business which enabled him to name a ship Titanic! Overall, a lot going on and a good way to end Titan's Twelfth Doctor comic strip run!

Rating: 8/10

Gatecrashers

"It's a locked world, where girls can die and no one will know."

Writer: Joy Wilkinson
Format: Short Story
Released: October 2019
Printed in: The Target Storybook 01

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

"We're all stories in the end..."

In this exciting collection you'll find all-new stories spinning off from some of your favourite Doctor Who moments across the history of the series.

Discover what happened next, what went on before, and what occurred off-screen in an inventive selection of sequels, side-trips, foreshadowings and first-hand accounts – and look forward too, with a brand new adventure for the Thirteenth Doctor.

Each story expands in thrilling ways upon aspects of Doctor Who's enduring legend. With contributions from show luminaries past and present – including Colin Baker, Matthew Waterhouse, Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson and Terrance Dicks – The Target Storybook is a once-in-a-lifetime tour around the wonders of the Whoniverse.

Verdict

Gatecrashers was a good way to kick off The Target Storybook! I was delighted to receive this collection of short stories as a Christmas present and it clearly hasn't taken me long to get going. I was very excited about the prospect of this book with it promising sequels, spinoffs and what have you from past adventures, so I was a little let down that the continuity from The Witchfinders simply seemed to be the fact that it was written by the same writer! I am completely fine with this story taking place immediately after that episode, but there really ought to have been a mention. I was expecting a little more in terms of linkage or following on, but I now know to lower my expectations for the remaining adventures in this book. Now, enough of my negativity! I still really liked this story and it was a nice addition to the Series 11 chronology with it absolutely fitting into its era. The characterisation of all of Team TARDIS was excellent and I guess the benefits of having written for them on television will be partly responsible for that. I liked that Wilkinson paired the Doctor and Graham up following their Witchfinder General humour and they really do work so well together. I was a big fan and I'd love for there to be more teamwork between the pair in Series 12. Even though I have just finished rewatching the previous series, I think this was a good way to prepare for the new series as a new adventure with the quartet was most welcomed! The use of the codes to set the scene for each passage of text worked well and it broke up the story very nicely. This made for easy reading and just an enjoyable pace. I thought the use of sperantium was excellent and trying to harness imagination is a superb concept. I think that could work perfectly for an extended story. Ryan was written well with his mannerisms captured well and he was not a fan of the system that was in place on this mysterious and locked planet. A life contained within four walls with no windows seems horrendous! I start going barmy if I stay inside for the whole day so how Iz managed going from work to home to work and back again is beyond me. Arriving with her dead was a good starting point for the adventure and I liked how the Doctor and her companions just wanted to help and put things right. The use of the TARDIS for the Doctor and Graham to get around the different coded locations got a little overused, but I did like the humour that came from the latter not wanting to go to the power plant via the Doctor's ship. The mystery of the grey man and the plummeting down the lift for Yaz and Ryan seemed to come a bit quick, but that made for excitement and I liked that a lot. The revelation that he was actually the mayor of New Port City was a little surprising, but the Doctor seemed to have it all worked out as she so often does! Her intelligence is often on display at times like this. The image in my head coming from the story's illustration with Graham and the Doctor on a moped was sublime and I liked how they literally crashed in to save the pair of companions. The idea of a planet where teleportation came first and society was built around it was fantastic. The Doctor using a backscratcher and cheese to evade forcefields was also a very humorous and typically Thirteenth Doctor moment. The fate of the mayor was unfortunate and I was surprised that the Doctor didn't show more remorse. The ending with the remembrance for Iz and her imagination levels was a nice touch. Overall, a great little story!

Rating: 8/10

Martha in the Mirror

"I have never sought to return to the world of flesh and blood. Until now."

Writer: Justin Richards
Format: Novel
Released: April 2008
Series: NSA 22

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

Castle Extremis – whoever holds it can control the provinces either side that have been at war fore centuries. Now the castle is about to play host to the signing of a peace treaty. But as the Doctor and Martha find out, not everyone wants the war to end.

Who is the strange little girl who haunts the castle? What is the secret of the book the Doctor finds, its pages made from thin, brittle glass? Who is the hooded figure that watches from the shadows? And what is the secret of the legendary Mortal Mirror?

The Doctor and Martha don't have long to find the answers – an army is on the march, and the castle will soon be under siege once more.

Verdict

Martha in the Mirror was an excellent novel! I really enjoyed this one from start to finish and while the title probably doesn't quite reflect the actual events of the story, it was one that really hooked me in. I was waiting for the events that would lead to Martha entering the Mortal Mirror and when she did, I wasn't expecting the Doctor to free her so quickly! It wasn't a bad thing though as the overall story was quite brilliant. The setting of Castle Extremis (a great name) was superb and I really loved the horror vibes that came off the pages. I could almost hear the laughs of Janna as she was skipping around the castle and finding her hidey holes and calling Martha and the Doctor funny and silly. It was quite tragic to learn of the death of Tylda, who was actually Janna in a good twist, and how she couldn't quite keep her footing off the landmines in the garden. Gonfer was another good character and I wasn't at all surprised to discover that it was he who was doing the chasing. Tylda being an amalgamation of sorts of her and her sister was really interesting and it meant she became a very intriguing character. The story behind the Mortal Mirror was terrific and I just loved everything about it! It was quite obvious that it wasn't a replica and was always the original, especially when the Doctor could read Manfred Grieg's glass diary when looking in it. His story was a sad one with how he was tricked into the mirror. The background concerning the Mortal Mirror and its supposed destruction was delayed well and really tied a lot of things together when the full tale was told. The castle served as a great neutral zone between the Zeurgian and Anthium forces and I really liked how Orlo was never going to sign the peace treaty and was much more interested in taking back the stronghold that would give his side the edge. His effort to use the Mortal Mirror as a hiding place for his army was fantastic though and something I didn't actually see coming. Considering how dark this adventure was, I thought the humour within it was quite brilliant. The Doctor was on sublime form with his jokes and the banter that resulted in his cover being Doctor Daffy Duck and Martha being referred to as Miss Mouse was fantastic. I really did love it. His jokes and puns were very good throughout and had me visibly laughing on my train. Humour was also in abundance with Bill and Bott who were brilliant robotic characters, even if they were just mostly complaining about their cleaning duties! The revelation that they were in fact the Galactic Alliance representatives wasn't too surprising as the story went on, but it was a nice thought. The whole idea of a world beyond the mirror was excellent, but it was actually quite sad for anyone seen within as they would turn to glass. I also loved the reference to The Family of Blood with Daughter of Mine being trapped in every mirror. That was brilliant continuity. Thorodin being revealed as the cloaked figure was a slight surprise but it was good that it was initially hinted to be Stellman. I thought all of the guest characters were very strong and I liked the pace of the adventure throughout. The conclusion was full of action and conflict but there was maybe some slight repetitiveness, but as a whole it was an excellent novel! I thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: 9/10

Profits of Doom!

"Reality intrudes into dream."

Writer: Mike Collins
Format: Comic Strip
Released: January-March 1987
Printed in: DWM 120-122

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

Arriving on the Mayflower spaceship, the Sixth Doctor, Peri and Frobisher find themselves under attack from some mysterious alien slugs. Just what is so important about the top drawer? More importantly, where have they gone?

Verdict

Profits of Doom! was a mostly average comic strip adventure that continued my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel. I felt like this story showed glimpses of good potential but just never really managed to get going which was a bit of a shame. I thought the characterisation of the Sixth Doctor was really well done, but I will admit that I am getting quite bored of the comic strip representation of Peri and Frobisher. They just seem a bit spoiled to be honest and seem to be finding the rarity that is the ability to travel in the TARDIS for granted because they aren't getting what they want or where they want to go. I really am not a fan and Frobisher was once again quite rubbish and at the moment I am failing to quite see what he brings to the Doctor and Peri. I think they are more than enough and work terrifically together, but alas I know he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I thought the Profiteers had potential despite their sluggish appearance (I mean come on, why go with that as an alien basis?) and the whole concept of them was actually rather interesting. I really liked that they had a slogan that they lived by and that was 'Profit or Die'. It was quite chilling really and took the fluctuations that is finance to a new level. I liked this a lot, but then I was incredibly disappointed with the way the Profiteers were defeated and taken out of the story. They were going to retreat and go running with acceptable losses after an unexplained sound put forward by Kara to save the Doctor. But seriously, acceptable losses?! Acceptable losses was something I just couldn't believe was even contemplated by the writer after writing the slogan. Profit (or acceptable losses) or Die is how it should be redone. Terrible. They just fizzled out of the story which was also surprising and quite sudden. There needed to be more clarity which shouldn't be an issue in a three-part story but here we are. I really loved that the Profiteers saw the profitability in the Doctor, Peri and Frobisher at different times due to their species, but they should have made – and could have – more of an effort in capturing them considering their close proximity. That wasn't a major issue but the artwork just liked they were too close to possibly avoid capture. This was really a strange one it has to be said. Seth serving as the puppet master of sorts was good and I liked how he had tipped off the Profiteers all along and sent this ship full of the top drawer of humanity – a superb concept – into nothingness. It was all a trap and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story, but I think after the build-up and hiding his identity, the revelation that it was Seth behind things meant literally nothing considering he hasn't appeared in any format before. Upon research, he doesn't even feature in a future one which really shocked me! I don't understand that at all I have to say. I have certainly focused on the negative aspects of the story in this blog entry which is perhaps a little unfair, but it did have its moments so it really wasn't all bad despite some of my comments! Overall though, there was just not enough quite working for me and I felt that loose ends could have been tied up so much better. A shame.

Rating: 6/10

Castrovalva

"The universe is purged of the Doctor and his impossible dreams of goodness."

Writer: Christopher H. Bidmead
Format: Novel
Released: June 1983
Series: Target 76

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Adric, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

Still weak and confused after his fourth regeneration, the Doctor retreats to Castrovalva to recuperate.

But Castrovalva is not the haven of peace and tranquility the Doctor and his companions are seeking. Far from being to rest quietly, the unsuspecting time travellers are caught up once again in the evil machinations of the Master.

Only an act of supreme self-sacrifice will enable them to escape the maniacal lunacy of the renegade Time Lord.

Verdict

Castrovalva was a decent little read, but it may go down as one of then most disappointing Target novelisations I have read. Now, I don't mean that in the literal sense of it being a rubbish book because it wasn't but it just differentiated so far from the televised story in terms of quality and my enjoyment which was a real shame. I have also considered this adventure to be my second favourite for the Fifth Doctor and it has a special place in my heart as it was the first story I watched featuring Peter Davison's incarnation and was only my third ever Classic tale. I love the televised story, but the novelisation just seemed lacking which was very surprising to me. I was quite amazed that it took over fifty pages for the Doctor and his companions to even get to Castrovalva! I couldn't quite believe that. I remember there being a good chunk of part one taking place within the deep confines of the TARDIS, but in the book it just seemed to lag a bit which was a shame. What this novelisation has made me realise and appreciate is just how good Peter Davison is in the televised format. He lights up those TARDIS scenes and plays the amnesiac Doctor very well. I like how different this one is as a post-regeneration story with the effects of the Master on the regeneration having a big impact and the Doctor needed time to rest. That's just something that he very rarely has time for! The hunt for the zero room was really good though and I liked how he was ripping apart the famed scarf of the Fourth Doctor to find his way back to the console room. Exploring the depths of the TARDIS is something that I was a fan of and I liked how dangerous things could potentially get within the confines of what is usually a safe place. One thing that the novelised format made me realise was actually how little the Master features. I am a huge fan of the villain so I really did want more. I also wasn't too impressed with the sequence of how the Master got hold of Adric. When he did have him in captivity though it was superb stuff with him using the boy's mathematical intelligence and his crude web to power Castrovalva through block transfer computation. I loved how threads from Logopolis really seeped through and provided some fantastic continuity. The relationship between Nyssa and Tegan was wonderful in this book and it was nice to see them combine together and work well to try and save Adric whilst keeping the Doctor stabilised and not worrying too much. I do think too much time was spent on the potential of the hydrogen inrush at Event One and the anticipation just seemed to simmer out in this format which was a real shame. Without the visuals, the construction of the zero cabinet was probably improved but the constant lugging it around with the Doctor inside became a little tiresome. I really didn't expect to dislike some elements as much as I did compared to what was seen on television. Adric trying to defeat the Master from within was really good and with him hardly featuring in the book, I quite enjoyed him as the companion. There's some cruel irony there. The ending was actually really good and I very much enjoyed the last couple of chapters that saved this novelisation from a real disaster! It was pacy and exciting and the Doctor trying to explain to the Castrovalvans the problem with their locality was brilliant. I loved it when he got them to draw a map and the revelation that it was all a trap laid out by the Master was great! I really liked it. However, the fate of the Master needed more clarity as he seemed to takeoff in his TARDIS and then be trapped by the locals as the place folded in on itself? The Master was trapped by his own creation and that's a good fate. Overall, a decent novelisation but disappointing compared to the televised version.

Rating: 7/10

Resolution

"Me and a Dalek? It's personal."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1st January 2019

Series: 2019 New Year's Day Special

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth's history. As the Doctor returns Ryan, Graham and Yaz home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

Verdict

Resolution was a great little New Year's Day Special and was definitely better than I first remembered on broadcast earlier this year. I think I gave this episode a slightly lower rating first time around because I was just so excited by the prospect of the Thirteenth Doctor getting her Dalek story. It wasn't close to being a traditional Dalek episode, but second time around I realise that and I'm absolutely fine with it. I liked the little backdrop of how the Dalek had been around in the ninth century and was defeated by humanity banding together and burning its casing. If that wasn't enough, they then cut up the mutant body inside into three pieces and buried each part in a different part of the planet. The South Pacific, Siberia and South Yorkshire. The latter had been found in an excavation with the body part never buried and after being subjected to analysis under the light, it was reanimated. I wasn't too sure how it was able to just teleport its other two parts from across the globe, but I guess that was one of the enhanced abilities of the Dalek Reconnaissance Scout. I liked the idea of this being one of the very first Daleks to leave Skaro and head for Earth and it had now been delayed for so long. Jodie Whittaker was marvellous as the Doctor in this one and she absolutely shone as the same person as all of the incarnations that came before her when talking about the Daleks. This didn't feel like a first meeting and I think that is an important element of the episode. It worked well. Mitch and Lin were likeable characters and with the latter being taken over by the Dalek, she really had quite an eventful episode! I'm not sure if a simple jacket would have been so good and covering the mutant, but it taking over her as its pilot was very good. I wasn't overly thrilled with the music in this episode which is something I very rarely mention, but it was just too aggressive and present for my liking. It didn't take away from the episode itself, but I think it halted the story's pace a little. Ryan had a very good episode with his dad showing up again and after all of the parenting talk throughout Series 11, I guess this was inevitable and I actually enjoyed it much better than earlier in the year. Ryan stood up to him well and showed him that he should not be respected which I liked a lot. The Doctor was also not too pleased for him to be around given his lack of parenting skills and failure to show up at Grace's funeral. He ended being quite heroic though with the use of his microwave oven! Hmm, I'm still not sure where I stand on this aspect of the episode but I was glad that the mutant lived on after its makeshift casing was obliterated. I'm still not a big fan of the DIY Dalek casing and would have preferred the Thirteenth Doctor encounter a more traditional design, but I can appreciate that Chibnall was doing something new with the Daleks and despite appearances, it still worked very well. The scene in the TARDIS where the Doctor didn't actually take it to the Dalek fleet was fantastic and full of anticipation and I'll be honest, I thought that Aaron went with the Dalek into the supernova! I'm not sure what my memory was doing there, so it was a surprise that he survived and now had something of a good relationship with Ryan. I'm not sure I'll want him around at all in Series 12, but it is nice that Ryan can perhaps move on from this now and show a bit more personality. Overall, a very good episode! Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Rating: 8/10

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos

"You wanted to be a leader, now you're worshipped as a false god."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 9th December 2018

Series: 11.10

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Answering nine separate distress calls, the Doctor and her companions arrive on the remnants of a brutal battlefield on the planet Ranskoor Av Kolos. This planet has many secrets. An amnesiac commander? Mysterious mists? Who or what are the Ux? A deadly reckoning awaits the Doctor once they have the answers...

Verdict

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos was a decent finale for Series 11, but sadly it follows Kerblam! in dropping a mark from my thoughts on broadcast and thus becomes my least favourite episode in the series! That's not really what you want from a finale, but that didn't mean this was a bad episode. It was enjoyable for the most part but the urgency of the episode seemed to just come out of nowhere. I think things would have worked better had there been some sort of hint at leading up to this point. We had a mention of the Stenza in The Ghost Monument, but then there was nothing at all since. I'd have liked more of a noticeable story arc so the return of Tzim Sha would have been more impactful. I like the idea of him returning after The Woman Who Fell to Earth and there was a good story to tell with him wanting revenge. I'd just have preferred it if he came after the Doctor rather than her answering distress calls and stumbling upon him. It definitely would have been better if he showed up and threatened the Doctor for all the years of hell she'd put him through, but what we got was still more than okay. I liked how Graham flat out wanted to kill him for what he had done to Grace and the frankness with which he told the Doctor was admirable. I really loved her reply though and she told him sternly that he would not be able to travel with her if he did go through with it and that he was the better man. It's good timing for this episode to come after It Takes You Away where he was briefly reunited with his wife and that would obviously have been intentional placement. I think that episode should have been referred to though. The initial hearing of the Stenza voice was excellent and the reactions of all of the companions along with the Doctor showed just what it meant. However, I wasn't impressed with how things moved quickly from speculation over whether this might be the same Stenza warrior to then undoubtedly being Tzim Sha? I found that weird. There definitely needed to be some more clarity there. I wasn't overly fussed on the Ux but I did really like the Doctor's reaction to meeting one of them. She had been around a long time and seen so much, but this was her first meeting. The way they had been utilised by Tzim Sha and fused with Stenza technology was good as he had taken the role of their Creator. Andinio took a lot of convincing that he was not who he claimed and the torment she had put Delph through was clearly visible. They endured a strained relationship. I thought the episode had a lot of action and good visuals and I was a big fan of Paltraki, but I think more could have been made of how the planet interfered with a person's mind. We only got brief showings of it in action and its after effects with the commander. The neural balancers were pretty good and I loved how they allowed for the Doctor's reaction when Yaz said they could reverse the polarity. She certainly did speak the Doctor's language! The idea of trapping planets was sublime and where this episode really thrived, so I don't know why more wasn't made of it! I wasn't too much of a fan of the resolution though with the TARDIS extending its materialisation field. That seemed far too easy for my liking, but it did allow for some great references to Boom Town and The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. The fate of Tzim Sha being put in a stasis chamber by Ryan and Graham was quite fitting, if a little easy with him knowing that they were highly unlikely to actually fire their guns. Overall though, this was still a decent episode and still a good way to conclude a very consistent and great series!

Rating: 7/10

It Takes You Away

"Our universe cannot work with the Solitract in it."

Writer: Ed Hime

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd December 2018

Series: 11.09

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

On the edge of a Norwegian fjord in the present day, the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz discover a boarded-ip cottage and a girl named Hanne in need of their help. What has happened here? What monster lurks in the woods around the cottage – and beyond?

Verdict

It Takes You Away was yet another great episode in what is turning out to be an incredibly consistent Series 11! Just like its predecessor, this story retains the rating I gave it on broadcast and was just a good adventure throughout. I'm not one who has been taken by the craze in Nordic films and television series in recent years, but I know enough to see that this episode did very well in capturing that feel. It works for Doctor Who and what isn't good about a creepy abandoned and boarded-up cottage in the middle of nowhere with a monster lurking? Add in a blind girl is at home and her dad is missing and you have quite the ingredients for a story. As if that wasn't enough, we then had a portal to another universe in a mirror and I really loved Ryan just watching Graham interact with the reflection-less element of it. He scared him just by speaking then, but there was a whole lot more to things. They were no vampires. This was the entrance to an anti-zone. I liked the concept of the universe conjuring these up between dimensions or planes and it was good for the Doctor, Yaz and Graham to explore it. They met Ribbons who was a really good character who I felt probably died a little quickly. He had always been in this place and looked – and apparently smelt – like that was the case. The flesh-eating moths were a good threat and the fate that befell Ribbons was quite horrific and rathe brutal. In quick time, there was nothing left of him and he was left as a husk. It was a shame as whilst he was obviously a nasty fellow, his philosophy of living in trades was fantastic. The Doctor going to get her sonic from the corpse was quite a powerful message. He was beyond help. I thought it was great then that Hanne had entered the anti-zone without knowing of the threat inside. Her relationship with Ryan was brilliant throughout and it was good that it grew and developed as initially he was quite awful to her about her dad. He knew that he must have left, but he was not too kind about it all. She was very clever in spit of her blindness and I liked that she knew the Doctor hadn't actually drawn a map. The look on Eric's face when he'd realised what he had actually left his daughter in with the threat of an imaginary monster was good and showed how wrong he had been. He wanted to be reunited with his lost wife in the mirror dimension and that turning out to be the universe of the Solitract was excellent. I really enjoyed the concept of a conscious universe and hearing of the Doctor's bedtime story concerning them from her fifth gran was tremendous. Grace being used as temptation for Graham to stay despite being incompatible was very good, but it was quite heartbreaking for him to have to go through losing her all over again. He knew she was a fake when she didn't urgently want to save Ryan. So close. The Doctor being the one to stay behind with the Solitract was obvious and the realisation that she had lost the people in the universe was superb. Now, the Solitract taking the form of a frog that spoke with Grace's voice is incredibly questionable, but I won't let it take too much away from my rating. It's barmy, I'll say that. Overall though, another very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

The Witchfinders

"Every last witch in this village will be destroyed."

Writer: Joy Wilkinson
Format: TV
Broadcast: 25th November 2018
Series: 11.08

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Arriving in 17th Century Lancashire, the TARDIS team become embroiled in a witch trial. With the arrival of King James I, the hunt for witches intensifies. However, could something more dangerous be at play? Can the Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz keep the populace of Bilehurst Cragg safe from the forces surrounding the land?

Verdict

The Witchfinders was a great episode as I reach the latter stages of Series 11 in my rewatch. I thought this was a really good historical and actually one that I think benefitted from the alien presence of the Morax. It worked well with them not showing up until near the end as we got to embrace the period and everything that was wrong with the trial of witches. It was a sham and a lose-lose situation, but it is quite a brilliant setting for the Doctor in her first female incarnation. She would have much more of a position of power if she was still a man and that is something she actually acknowledges. Playing with her gender was done very well here and Jodie Whittaker was once again magnificent. Her warning to her companions that they mustn't interfere in history was good and expected, but then the Doctor went and interfered herself in attempting to stop a witch trial! It would make more sense if it was one of the companions but I loved how the Doctor couldn't help herself when she saw something was terribly wrong. Her arrival as Witchfinder General was great and she looked fantastic in that hat, but things all changed when King James arrived and the very idea of a female general was seen as preposterous. That put Graham in charge and the shift in dynamic was terrific. The way King James was talking down to the Doctor and mentioning her skills in gossip was just brilliant. You could see the Doctor itching to put him in his place but she was bound by historical circumstance. Becka Savage was a fantastic character and I liked how it was slowly told to us that she had something very wrong with her indeed. At first it just seemed like she was a murderer and wanted to rid her lands of Satan, but that turned out to be very far from the case. That actually made it worse as the revelation that she was infected by the Morax and what she saw as the mark of Satan meant that she knew for sure that the women she was trying as witches were nothing of the sort. She was selfish and had killed 36 people in the hope that she would survive and be rid of the curse. Ah, religious folly at its finest. Ryan's relationship with King James was very humorous and allowed for some good comedic moments and the idea of Ryan wanting to talk about some particular body parts with a past King to keep him in the room while the Doctor was up to something was fantastic. The monarch was played tremendously well. Yaz didn't have an awful lot to do in this episode but I enjoyed her saving of Willa when the tentacle came from out of the ground. The Doctor's intrigue in the mud that wasn't mud was very good and I liked the moment that the Morax came in their animated form of the dead. She gave them the little bit that she had as they desperately wanted it, and then after doing all she could to save the locality she was tried as a witch! That image was fantastic and I really liked how she wasn't tied down when the trial had concluded. I thought she would have been seen by the others given where she emerged when the camera was on her again, but that's just a little something to let slide. The tree that was cut down being alien tech was also a little bit sketchy and quick for the conclusion in trapping the Morax once again, but if that allowed for more time in the period setting then I am absolutely fine with it. Overall, another great episode! I look forward to the Target novelisation next year.

Rating: 8/10

Kerblam!

"Work gives us purpose."

Writer: Pete McTighe
Format: TV
Broadcast: 18th November 2018
Series: 11.07

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

A mysterious message arrives in the TARDIS in a package addressed to the Doctor. It's the Kerblam Man and there's a message for help. This leads the Doctor to take herself and her companions to the warehouse moon orbiting Kandoka, the home of the galaxy's largest and leading retailer.

Verdict

Kerblam! was yet another great episode of Series 11! I have thoroughly been enjoying my rewatch and whilst this is the first story to actually see its rating drop, it was only by a slight margin and still stands as a thoroughly enjoyable adventure. The series has been incredibly consistent which is always a good thing and I believe that is more noticeable when watching the entire series in succession. The idea of doing Amazon in space is just wonderful and the execution works mostly well. The action packed start in the TARDIS set the scene straight away and it went from the Doctor trying to escape something that was following them to being overjoyed by seeing the Kerblam Man enter her ship. The Doctor having ordered a fez was a nice throwback to the Eleventh Doctor and I have to say though, the accessory absolutely suited Jodie Whittaker! The Thirteenth Doctor in a fez, who wouldn't want that? I am all for it. Sadly, she didn't take it far out of the TARDIS but with a message for help, I really liked that it was all of the companions who wanted to go and investigate and see if there was anything they could do. If someone was in danger, they were keen to offer their hand which was really nice. This was probably Ryan's best episode as companion with him returning to something that resembled his workplace back on 21st century Earth. I maintain that he is by far the weakest character of Team TARDIS, but he has some moments in this episode. His dyspraxia came up again which was good and it was refreshing for him to know the goings on of the warehouse environment rather than always being the one to ask the questions. Judy was a nice character as Head of People and I liked the initial meeting with the Doctor and her companions and how the former was quick to get themselves involved and part of the workforce. They had their way in and the humour that came with some of their roles was great with Graham particularly not too pleased with his role as janitor. Kira was another lovely character and the Doctor loving her take on life was really nice. Her fate was quite horrific though and I was left stunned once again by a character death in the series for all of the right reasons. Dan was another terrific character played tremendously well by Lee Mack and it's just a shame that he doesn't get to stick around for longer! The relationship he quickly created with Yaz was brilliant and it was powerful to know that he switched places with her which meant that he died instead. The use of the differing Kerblam Men was good and they reminded me a little of the Smilers from The Beast Below. The system being the one to send the message to the Doctor was an unexpected twist, but I wasn't overly a fan of Charlie being the threat. I appreciate that he is not a stereotypical enemy but it just was a little underwhelming to be honest. What I did like was the going back to the retro systems and Graham's gaining of the map, but why would Charlie have aided him in getting that in the first place? It was good that he'd fallen in love with Kira and seeing her die must have been horrible, especially knowing that it was his plan that caused it. The idea of making bubble wrap scary and explosive is quite amusing, particularly now with it being Christmas time, but it is probably a tad too silly for me to take it entirely seriously. I did though really like that all of the customers were at threat and it was the unexpected material in every delivery that was responsible. Overall, a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

Demons of the Punjab

"You're treading on your own history."

Writer: Vinay Patel
Format: TV
Broadcast: 11th November 2018
Series: 11.06

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Yaz convinces the Doctor to take her back in time to visit her grandmother during her youth. Little does she know that they have arrived during the partition of India and everyone will soon be caught up in the tragic bloodshed that came with it.

Verdict

Demons of the Punjab was an excellent episode to continue my rewatching of Series 11! This one is another stellar historical adventure that teaches a lot to the viewer. This differs from Rosa in dealing with the partition of India in 1947 which is an event that may not have been as well known as the American civil rights struggles. In a way, that makes this potentially more important and it is just as powerful despite getting a slightly lower mark. This one is also slightly different as there is no hostile force trying to change history and instead we had the Thijarians who were former assassins but now a species who wanted to be there for those who were dying. They simply observed and then uploaded the person who died into their hive. It was good that they were assumed to be the enemies and the ones doing the killing as they provided an alien presence, but I'm not actually sure they were needed at all. I think Manish being the one to kill the holy man could have been done without the assumption of the supposed demons and might actually have been even more powerful as a pure historical. Sometimes, there really isn't anything wrong with just going into history and getting caught up in affairs! I liked that this was an opportunity for Yaz to break the rules a bit in wanting to get involved in her own family's history. The Doctor knew how dangerous this could be but she couldn't quite help herself. She was just too nice! Umbreen was a wonderful character across both time periods and the pride she seemed to have in being the first woman married in Pakistan was delightful. I loved the shock factor for Yaz in finding out that her grandad wasn't the man that married her grandmother in Pakistan. Prem was another terrific character and I liked that there was a religious conflict with a Hindu marrying a Muslim. Manish took objection to that and was racist in wanting the drawing lines of India and the new Pakistan being enacted immediately. Jodie Whittaker was once again just magnificent as the Thirteenth Doctor and I loved how she wanted to conduct the wedding of Umbreen and Prem. This must have been hard for her though knowing that Prem was due to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Even Yaz was devastated and wanted to stop it from happening, but if she did then she wouldn't even exist. It was a vicious reality to learn and it all stemmed from the watch that Umbreen gave her favourite granddaughter. I liked the relationship between Yaz and her grandma very much and they even garnered a great relationship in 1947. The pin sticking in Sheffield and that being where Umbreen would go to was a nice addition in how Yaz's family ended up in South Yorkshire. My favourite moment in the episode, if I can call it that, was the image at the end of the story with the Doctor and her companions walking off as Prem was shot dead. There was nothing they could do to change history and the anguish on the Doctor's face as the shot was fired was all that needed to be said. It was incredibly powerful and highlighted just how awful a time this period in history was. I'm glad it was used for educational purposes as I didn't learn about it until my second year of university, so I can't imagine it being a widely known topic. Overall, a fantastic episode!


Rating: 9/10

The Tsuranga Conundrum

"Imagine the solution and work to make it a reality."

Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 4th November 2018
Series: 11.05

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Injured and stranded in the wilds of a far-flung galaxy in the 67th century, the Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham must band together with a group of strangers aboard a medical facility. One of the universe's most deadly and unusual creatures has breached, and it is very hungry...

Verdict

The Tsuranga Conundrum was another great episode to continue along my Series 11 rewatch! I was delighted that this became the second story that I have given an increased rating to and when watching I couldn't figure out why I didn't like it as much on broadcast. I had totally forgotten about the start with the junk planet and the discovery of the sonic mine. I thought that worked well and it was good to see the Doctor disorientated when she came around on the Tsuranga. She nursed those effects for much of the episode on what was yet another wonderful performance from Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. She really is quite magnificent and I can't get enough! I'm loving her incarnation even more second time around which is just brilliant to be able to say. The companions didn't have a huge amount to do in this episode which was not a problem at all. There was the humour that came with Ryan and Graham helping deliver a baby. This was probably Ryan's best episode yet from a character standpoint as we got to learn a bit more about his backstory and here of how he found his mum dead at just thirteen years old. That can't have been a good experience so it was quite disheartening to discover that his dad hadn't even attended Grace's funeral. He can't have been much of a father at all. Astos was a tremendous character and I really enjoyed his relationship with the Doctor. She was causing chaos after waking up and wanted to turn the ship around so she could get back to the TARDIS, but he had to reason with her and tell her just how selfish she was being. The Doctor and selfishness are not usually two things you associate together so that was a really good contrast to the norm. I was quite surprised that he perished so early, but the way he did so along with the look on the Doctor's face showed just how bad the situation was. Eve Cicero was a good character and I liked how the Doctor knew all about her and was a big fan. The recognition of being mentioned in the Book of Celebrants was delightful, especially when the Doctor subtly bragged about having her own volume instead of chapter. Who could be more celebratory than the Doctor? The Pting was quite the little rascal and I actually didn't mind the creature at all. The design is understandably questionable, but the way its facial expressions went from cute to scary whilst retaining the trait of being adorable was magnificent. I liked how it was not carnivorous and Yaz momentarily thought that was fine until Graham pointed out that it could just eat the ship they were on instead of them. That was hardly a result! The Doctor's plan was actually fantastic in getting the bomb to go off and speed it up to draw the Pting in and use its abilities to contain the blast. When that occurred and the Doctor jettisoned it away from the Tsuranga, the look of pure joy on the little thing's face as the explosion went off was brilliant. The Doctor saluted and all was just about okay. I remember feeling that this episode once again had an allure of feeling unresolved, but I am really not sure why. Maybe I missed the comment first time around concerning the teleport for Team TARDIS? Who knows! No such issues this time around. Overall, a very good episode!

Rating: 8/10

Arachnids in the UK

"Something is wrong with the spider ecosystem in South Yorkshire."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 28th October 2018

Series: 11.04

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Doctor returns Yaz, Graham and Ryan back to their hometown and in their own time. It has only been half an hour since they departed following a battle with Tzim Sha, but Sheffield is experiencing a wider issue. One with eight legs...

Verdict

Arachnids in the UK was another great episode to continue my rewatching of Series 11! I have to say, I'm absolutely loving watching this series all in one go and Team TARDIS was truly born in this episode which is terrific to say. It was brilliant to see as well and after all of their recent escapades on Desolation and with Rosa Parks, the Doctor got them home. I didn't quite remember them returning just half an hour after the events of The Woman Who Fell to Earth, but it does make sense and just gave me vibes of The Faceless Ones which is never a bad thing! The Doctor not wanting to travel alone was something I remember really loving on broadcast and my sentiments were echoed once again. The joy she has when invited around for a cuppa at Yaz's is just magnificent. She was so excited by the prospect! I really enjoyed that. With the team coming back home, it was time to attempt to get over Grace and for Graham that involved the difficult task of returning home. I'm not too sure if I would have gone with the echoes of the former, but it didn't hurt things in the slightest. It actually provided ammunition for Graham in wanting to continue his travels with the Doctor. Meeting Yaz's family was great and I really loved her mum. The Doctor only referring to her as 'Yaz's mum' was just wonderful and I really enjoyed it when she told her that she had created a great human. Jodie Whittaker was in fine form yet again as the Thirteenth Doctor and I am going to go on record and say purely for her incarnation, it is one of the very best. She is just marvellous. The Ed Sheeran moments were incredibly good humour and I just love how she can shift from comedy too serious. That was evident with her interactions with Robertson. The politics behind his character was good and very apt for the time we live in, but I maintain that American viewers would probably not be best pleased with some of the Trump bashing and gun promotion. It didn't quite seem right. It is quite incredible that I am only now referring to the spiders given the story's (naff) title! I am not scared of much at all, not even spiders, but even I found them quite scary in this episode. That was purely down to their size which was just disturbing. I thought the companions were good in showing just how scared they were as well. The predominant setting of the unopened hotel worked very nicely and I liked how the link between it being built on an old coal mine full of toxic waste and the spider behaviour in Sheffield was kept until the latter stages of the story. The inferences that Yaz and Ryan were seeing each other were interesting and it has led me to think that they may just end up that way by the time they depart the TARDIS. The mother spider was a heartbreaking moment knowing that it was too big to survive and was suffocating. It was quite saddening that the spiders were just confused and disoriented and it was their pheromones that were causing widespread issues. The coincidences of the story are probably a little unbelievable and convenient, but that didn't stop it being a really good episode! I thoroughly enjoyed it and it didn't seem like such an unresolved ending as I remembered. It still could have been better and cleared up more efficiently, but I was really pleased with the episode as a whole. 

Rating: 8/10

Rosa

"History can be delicate."

Writers: Malorie Blackman & Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 21st October 2018
Series: 11.03

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Montgomery, Alabama, 1955. The Doctor and her friends find themselves in the Deep South of America. As they encounter seamstress by the name of Rosa Parks, they begin to wonder whether someone is attempting to change history...

Verdict

Rosa was a simp sublime episode! This really does rank as an all time classic and I needn't have rewatched when it came to judging the story again. I knew from the get go that it was going to receive a perfect rating and it was just a magnificent adventure to watch unfold. The message this story sends and what it is able to teach younger fans is just so powerful. It does so much in just fifty minutes and I remember the reaction it had on broadcast. It was a touching episode and I really did get all of the feels once more. It's an incredibly moving episode and not all of that comes from Rosa Parks herself. She's played beautifully, but it is also the setting of 1955 Montgomery, Alabama that does so much for the episode. The United States of America will be familiar to so many of the younger viewers so showing them this element of its history is crucial to education. That was done so well with Ryan and Yaz as companions and the moment they were shown to not to fit into that society was incredible. Ryan getting slapped for doing a good deed was just superb stuff in promoting the educational message that permeated throughout the episode. Of course, this is Doctor Who and there had to be some sort of threat or issue and that came in the form of Krasko. I really enjoyed him as villain and he features just enough to be a threat whilst not taking the focus off of Rosa Parks and what would happen on that fateful bus ride home. He had a neural inhibitor from his time in Stormcage which meant that he couldn't exact physical violence or kill anyone. So he was resorting to other methods in the form of sabotage and interference. He'd told the bus driver that the rota had changed and he had a day off and then he'd put up leaflets saying that all bus services had been suspended which meant that Rosa's bus wouldn't be so full that she would have to give up her seat. Ryan once again getting bluntly told where to go when telling the would be bus riders that services were resuming was another reminder of the racism that was a huge part of the society the TARDIS had landed in. I liked how Yaz was seen as mixed race and humorously referred to as Mexican and that meant they weren't always sure which side she sat on. When the fateful bus journey was due, Ryan having to go to the back of the bus and the coloured entrance was more powerful depictions of the issues at hand. When the moment came, the Doctor realising that they had to become a part of history and stay on the bus was an incredible moment and Graham's reactions showed just how important the event was. He didn't want a part of it because it was so horrific but he knew he couldn't change it. The good it would do was monumental and it would start a domino effect. Krasko being dealt with by Ryan and sent back to the distant past was good and was an apt place for him after his efforts to take history off the right course. Moving away from the themes of the episode, I really loved the concept of the Doctor and her companions just defending history. That was lovely. Jodie Whittaker was absolutely magnificent once again and I think I might just be loving her even more as the Thirteenth Doctor on the rewatch. She's mesmerising. Overall, a simply incredible episode!

Rating: 10/10

The Ghost Monument

"This entire planet has been made cruel."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 14th October 2019

Series: 11.02

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Still reeling from their first encounter, the Doctor and her new friends face a challenge to stay alive in a new hostile alien environment. Can they solve the mystery of Desolation amidst the final of a giant space race? 

Verdict

The Ghost Monument was a superb episode of Doctor Who to continue my rewatching of Series 11! This is why I am always keen to specifically blog the TV episodes twice because this story receives a huge increase in rating! I don't know why I didn't quite rate this so highly on broadcast, but watching in hindsight has shown me that this was an excellent episode. I was really impressed and I just loved the pace and action! The cinematography was also incredible with the landscape of Desolation. Following on from The Woman Who Fell to Earth with the team stranded in space was really good and I liked how they were quickly separated before rejoining rather quickly on the planet's surface. The scene on Epzo's ship particularly with the Doctor and Yaz was outstanding and once again allowed Jodie Whittaker to absolutely shine as the Thirteenth Doctor. I thought she was tremendous throughout and it was a real joy to see her so settled in her role at this early stage. She got to really shine in her first proper little adventure. Her reaction when she was shown an image projection of what the Ghost Monument was really hit home and showed just how much the TARDIS meant to her, as if we didn't already know. The bitterness between Epzo and Angstrom was really good to see and it was also clear that there was considerable history between the pair. Their race for the financial security for life was good and I liked that it was questioned if it was worth it. The resounding answer was yes. The pair's differing relationships with the TARDIS team was intriguing and the story from Epzo regarding the lesson he was taught by his mother was quite incredible! The reactions of the main characters said it all. I loved it. Ilin was a very good character despite not featuring for much of the episode and the Doctor immediately knowing that he was a hologram was terrific. I thought she was on top form and just loved her throughout. The relationship between Ryan and Graham following Grace's death was an interesting element of the episode and I was a little surprised with how quickly they seem to have got over her death. It was nice though that Graham was using what she would say to cope and she would tell him how cool it was to be on an alien planet! I really liked how the writing captured the newness of space and an alien planet for all three new companions. That was an impressive element and it is sometimes taken for granted or not considered. The Remnants turned out to be really good and I was fascinated by their comments to the Doctor. They were in her head and I would love for the 'timeless child' comment to be addressed in Series 12. The way they were dealt with was quick and sudden with the cigar and I definitely didn't think that was as naff as first viewing. The history of the planet and its people being subjected to the Stenza was good continuity, if not a little coincidental, but this episode will firmly be remembered for having the Thirteenth Doctor in the TARDIS. It was overdue! The moment she touched the outside was pure magic and even though I'm not a fan of the interior, it was splendid to see her do her thing with the controls. The reactions of the companions probably could have been better, but they had been quite bewildered recently! The race ending as a tie was a nice finish to what was a fantastic episode! Overall, brilliant stuff.

Rating: 9/10

The Woman Who Fell to Earth

"We don't get aliens in Sheffield."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7th October 2018

Series: 11.01

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

In the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield, Ryan Sinclair, Yasmin Khan and Graham O'Brien are about to have their lives changed forever by a mysterious woman who is unable to remember her own names. She comes crashing from the night sky, and their lives will never be the same again.

Verdict

The Woman Who Fell to Earth was a very good start to the eleventh series of Doctor Who. It is obviously a landmark episode for a number of reasons and serves as a great introduction for Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Not only does a new incarnation of the Doctor arrive, but we have a brand new team of companions alongside her. I really liked going back to the beginnings for the companions in hindsight. I didn't seem to notice the cinematography differences that I fondly remember from viewing on broadcast and I guess that is because I've got used to the change now. I can't quite believe that it has been over a year since viewing this debut as time really does fly. One thing I particularly noticed was just how dark the episode was. When I say that I mean in terms of visuals with the night setting. It worked very well for Tzim Sha as the villain and I was quite surprised with how little we actually saw of his horrific face. The idea of a monster that took a tooth as a prize from its victims and actually wore it was beyond disturbing and I still maintain that the villain has one of the very best voices of any that have come before it. I loved that element of the character. The arrival of the Doctor into the story is done well with her crashing through a train. She's clearly not quite right but is quick to take charge despite Yaz being a police officer. The ease and effortlessness with which she assumes command of the situation is just brilliant and had Whittaker at her best very early on in her time as the Doctor. I completely forgot that Ryan and Yaz didn't initially know each other and it was a nice moment when they realised exactly who they were. I thought the handling of Ryan's dyspraxia was done well and it was important to raise the issue. Coordination problems are something I can't begin to imagine living with and they were handled extremely well. I do think that dissipated as the series went on though which is a bit of a shame. Grace was a tremendous character and I think her death was as heartfelt as my first viewing. She really was a shining light throughout the episode with her banter with Graham and how he couldn't keep his hands off her on the train. Delightful stuff. I loved how involved she wanted to be and she seemed wanting to keep up with the Doctor. She really was just enjoying herself which was good to see and a contrast to Graham. He could hardly keep up! The plot unlikely centring on Karl as the prize for Tzim Sha to prove himself as leader of the Stenza was really good and I liked how he cheated a bit to gain an upper hand in the form of the Coil. The Doctor took him to town regarding that which was a shining moment in the episode, but I do think the ease with which the DNA bombs were transferred was a little too convenient. The concept behind them though was excellent! I am still unsure about the Doctor's welding of her own sonic screwdriver and I still think it looks quite awful. It's not a big issue though but definitely something that the series as a whole could have improved upon. It is whacky and that is something I associate with the Thirteenth Doctor so it's not all negative! I really liked the element of the conclusion involving the recoil device from the Stenza transport which meant that the Doctor was firmly in the upper hand. Great stuff. Her moment at the end where she emerges in her new outfit was just splendid and she really does look spectacular! The cliffhanger finish with the team helpless in space was a sublime way to end things. Overall, a very solid start to the series! 

Rating: 8/10

Changes

"The TARDIS has been invaded."

Writer: Grant Morrison

Format: Comic Strip

Released: November-December 1986

Printed in: DWM 118-119

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Frobisher

Synopsis

With Peri and Frobisher rummaging around a storage room in the TARDIS, the Doctor is keen to solve the issue of an intruder within the ship. The temporal state of grace doesn't exist in normal space, so violence is possible within the realms of the TARDIS...

Verdict

Changes was a decent continuation of The World Shapers graphic novel! This one was quite an intriguing little two parter and it was good to explore so much of the TARDIS. I do enjoy it when that occurs, but if I had to choose I probably wouldn't want it on the scale that we saw in The Invasion of Time which just seemed to expand it for the sake of making it look enormous. There's no need for that and it's no coincidence that we normally just see the control room. That's all you need. However, from time to time it's good to go further and that usually occurs in the Classic era with the likes of bedrooms for the companions. We got to see a lot here because the TARDIS had been infiltrated which is a concept I am a big fan of because those doors are supposed to be impenetrable. So when something does find its way in, you know that what you're dealing with means business. On this occasion it was another shapeshifter in the form of the Kymbra Chimera. I liked that its species was something close to Frobisher's and he wasn't overly happy or convinced that something so monstrous could be from his neck of the woods. Now, what I haven't enjoyed is the continuity of the story arc surrounding Frobisher's inability to change shape. It's getting boring now that he sometimes can and sometimes can't depending on what suits the adventure. Surely if his companion really was suffering then the Doctor, even in his sixth incarnation, would seek help to put things right. I just don't understand where it's going if it isn't even going to be followed properly in every adventure! That was certainly a frustrating element of the story and its chronological placement in the comic strip run. However, I did enjoy the two shape-shifters going at in a brawl and that is something I think worked well. Peri and Frobisher's relationship was also good during this story and it was nice to see the bond they had whilst the Doctor always seemed like the senior figure. That is something that is important to have in the TARDIS team. My favourite aspect of the adventure was probably the idea of the Doctor having a zoo within the TARDIS housed with animals that were endangered and he could drop off in suitable environments on his travels. I just loved the idea behind that and it seems so perfect for our Time Lord hero. I also liked that the Doctor had portraits of himself by Michelangelo and Vincent Van Gogh! The pomposity of the man! That was good and I did enjoy Peri's reaction a lot. She couldn't believe it either. I thought the ending could have been a bit better if I'm honest and it was something I would expect form a one part story really. It was a bit too quick and sudden with the Chimera being sucked out and I thought there should have been a lot more elaboration on what just happened and how they got there. It was a very sudden end with no reflection on the previous events which I thought would have been beneficial. Regardless, it was still a very decent little comic strip adventure and I look forward to continuing things further. Overall, a good story!

Rating: 7/10

Suspicious Minds

"I explained to Elvis that his life would soon be over."

Writer: Jacqueline Rayner
Format: Short Story
Released: February 2016
Printed in: The Legends of River Song 02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, River Song

Synopsis

"Hello, sweetie!"

Melody Pond, Melody Malone, River Song... She has had many names. Whoever she really is, this archaeologist and time traveller has had more adventures (and got into more trouble) than most people in the universe.

And she's written a lot of it down. Well, when you're married to a Time Lord (or possibly not), you have to keep track of what you did and when. Especially as it may not actually have happened to both of you yet.

These are just a few of River Song's exploits, extracted from her journals. Sometimes, she is with the Doctor. Sometimes she's on her own. But wherever and whenever she may be, she is never far from danger and excitement.

This is just a tiny portion of her impossible life. But it will reveal more than you've ever known about the legend that is River Song.

Verdict

Suspicious Minds was an excellent continuation of The Legends of River Song! This really was quite spectacular from start to finish and a great story from one of my favoured writers in Jacqueline Rayner. Any story that links Terror of the Autons and Rose with an Auton disguised as Elvis hiding out in Madame Tussauds is going to be barmy and right up my alley, and that is precisely what occurred with this adventure. It was quite magnificent. River's arrival in the 1970s was terrific as she was hoping to get in on the events of The Three Doctors and see the fallout of three incarnations of her husband being together. I thought that was tremendous and it immediately had my attention. Her disappointment that it had all taken place in an anti-universe and the first incarnation was barely around was great too. It really was a brilliant starting point. Her developing a relationship with Elvis the Auton was quite something but I've come to expect the unexpected with River. It was just ludicrous but why wouldn't River get funky with an Auton? She's pretty mad herself. The way she revealed herself to the Doctor was fantastic and the humour that came with her impersonating Elizabeth I at the wax museum was brilliant. The Doctor wasn't overly sure about having his current wife pretending to be his previous wife! I liked that a lot. I was very impressed with the characterisation of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor throughout and I think it is so important to capture his personality, especially when River Song is around. Their relationship is so unique but it was presented very well here and made for wonderful reading. The Doctor foreshadowing the events of Rose and warning Elvis of the impending return of the Nestene Consciousness was superb. I was surprised that he didn't take the Doctor's offer of salvation up and instead he was going to face the challenge alone and self-destruct before the arrival. That was courageous, but before he left the world he had come to love he wanted to see the most beautiful place on it. To him, that was the meadows that everybody was talking about and so the Doctor found just the meadows. It was an insect salvation which was initially a strange twist in mood for the story which I didn't expect with it only being forty pages long. I was sceptical but I needn't have been because we were provided with further brilliance. The Doctor questioning Melissa's every word in her speech was wonderful and she quickly grew to dislike the dung beetle investigators. The revelation regarding the 206 fertiliser was incredibly grim and I was shocked to find out that she was using those who didn't see things her way as fertiliser. Death was creating life in a vicious cycle. The sequence where River struggled to hold on was fantastic and I loved how it was her lack of caring that the Doctor was gone that brought her back around to normality. Even the Doctor was struggling. Elvis being the one to tackle the hornets and restart the forcefield worked brilliantly, especially as it would be him staying behind the forcefield and continuing the good work that would aid human life that meant the Nestene wouldn't regain control over him. His lack of comprehension as to why Melissa was killing other when she was trying to help life was also excellent. River didn't try and explain the greater good, but he was doing very good indeed. Overall, a terrific short story!

Rating: 9/10

Mistress of Chaos Part 4

"The Herald is my future."

Writer: Scott Gray

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 12th December 2019

Printed in: DWM 546

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

The Doctor and Graham are stuck in the Catastrophia with Dogbolter wholly uncooperative. The former is faced with a stark realisation about her future to which there is no remedy. The Doctor is faced with knowing that the true nature of the Herald...

Verdict

Mistress of Chaos continued in good fashion with a great and intriguing fourth part! More of that shortly, but this looks set to be a fantastic issue of Doctor Who Magazine! The focus is firmly set on the upcoming twelfth series for which I am hugely excited. The preview of Spyfall, the umbrella title for the first two episodes, will be something I am very interested in reading and I love the idea of a James Bond style episode. I think that will suit Jodie's Doctor very well and is the perfect way to kick off a series that has a lot to live up to. Now, I will be rewatching Series 11 very soon and whilst I thought it was mostly great, it was quite different to the previous years and there needed to be more familiar elements. That has been remedied this year with the Judoon and Cybermen set to return and I'm sure the team will have a desire to silence their critics. I have no doubt they will smash it out of the park so Chris Chibnall's interview will be something I greatly anticipate. I've already read his little Production Notes column and reading of how the entire team behind Series 11 received an honorary doctorate was quite mind-boggling! I've always been sceptical about those awards, but I have just had confirmation that I am now a Master of Arts so who am I to disagree with the higher education system! The continuation of the interview with Andrew Cartmel will be terrific as he always makes for telling reading and hearing of his plans for the Seventh Doctor was fantastic, particularly his hatred for the Time Lord term! Having Tosin Cole as the subject of Out of the TARDIS will be very good and is a good choice with Series 12 impending. I'm looking forward to meeting the team as well and just previewing what I'm sure will be a brilliant series! Now, back to the comic strip and I thought this was a good continuation. Ryan finally got to show a little bit of his personality in showing Sondola that the Doctor really was quite alright and wouldn't actually kidnap Dogbolter through using her liking of him to his advantage. The moments in the Catastrophia were interesting and I am very intrigued to see what the Doctor's next move will be. She now knows that she will become the Herald in the future which means that she doesn't escape the Catastrophia. That in itself is quite the surprise, but I found the cliffhanger even more intriguing. Just what is the blue-gemmed Doctor-like woman that unhooded herself and seems to be in control in the realm? Another future inevitability for the Doctor? I look forward to seeing where that goes! Mother G continued to be a fascinating character and I was quite surprised to find that she was once in Castle Houska giving directions to Yaz. Just how she travelled in time was not yet revealed, but she seemed to know all about the Doctor being in the Catastrophia and what that meant. I am sure she will be key in solving things and I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up in there with the Doctor. Graham's fate is something I am also looking at with interest as he doesn't seem like he will have much to offer. Dogbolter demanding a lot of the Doctor was good and I hope she knows more than she's letting on but I am not sure she does. Overall though, a very good continuation!

Salad Daze

"This court has found you guilty of eating vegetables."

Writer: Simon Furman

Format: Comic Strip

Released: October 1986

Printed in: DWM 117

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

Peri Brown has put the Sixth Doctor on a strict healthy diet of vegetables and fruits in order for him to lose weight. Accidentally activating the Doctor's personal reality warp, Peri finds herself having to deal with vegetables on another level entirely.

Verdict

Salad Daze was an excellent comic strip adventure to continue along my reading of The World Shapers graphic novel in fine fashion! I will admit that I was a little sceptical prior to reading this one knowing that it was just a one part story, but it turned out to be the best adventure in the collection of stories yet! I thought the era of the Sixth Doctor and Peri was captured brilliantly and I think I actually enjoyed that Frobisher wasn't around. This pairing is definitely one of my very favourites, but I am not used to blogging with them in comic strip format so that was a refreshing change. The characterisation was terrific throughout and I loved how Peri was trying to get the Doctor to eat salad and get on a better diet. I'm not sure I agree with the running gag if the time of the Sixth Doctor perhaps being slightly overweight, but this fit the era that it was in and that's where I liked things. The mention of Frobisher without him actually being there was good and kept the continuity strong and I wonder if what he was up to will feature at all as part of one of the remaining stories in the graphic novel. It doesn't matter either way in my opinion. The use of the Personal Reality Warp was magnificent and I loved the whole concept behind it! It was almost like a dreamscape that could be based upon anything the user wanted. That is something very exciting and I really wouldn't mind one of those myself! The imagination runs wild. The possibilities are endless. In Peri's case, it involved her entering her own world of the Alice in Wonderland omnibus. I've never actually read the books, but I have watched the recent Disney movies so I know all about them and they're actually pretty darn good. I loved the image of the Doctor being a rabbit and her journey through the familiar elements of the story was brilliant! The reaction when she admitted that she had eaten carrots despite one of those she met being that very vegetable was just fantastic. It was comic gold whilst being incredibly serious! That is a fine line to balance but it was done perfectly here. I think this story also had the potential to drift into the realm of being a bit silly, but it did tremendously well to avoid being the case. As my quote might suggest, it was a bit barmy but that's the beauty of Doctor Who sometimes. That is especially so in the comic strips. What I explicitly loved was that the Doctor told Peri not to use the device because she wouldn't be able to handle it, and low and behold she was so grateful when she was brought back down to reality by his returning to her presence. She was almost killed, in her head, by vegetables and didn't want another one in sight. Instead of eating salad, she was intending on making hamburgers now and that was something the Doctor would be more than agreeable to. The little look in the last two panels was just gold and it would appear that the Doctor might just have planned the entire thing. He really is quite the genius and will go to incredible lengths to avoid eating salad! I thought that was a terrific note to end on for what was a superb little adventure. For one part comic strips, this was right up there. Overall, brilliant!

Rating: 9/10