Outbreak: Incubation: Know

"Stage one, your head's not your own."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: November 2016

Series: Torchwood Specials 2.01

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Ianto

Synopsis

"First they know you, then you love, then you kill..."

Incubation - Prodromal - Invasion

A medical trial's gone terribly wrong, and one of the test subjects is loose on the streets of Cardiff. Within hours a virus is raging out of control and the bodies start piling up.

The Government scrambles to control the outbreak but isn't too keen on anyone finding out the dark history of the virus. Captain Jack Harkness has encountered the infection before and knows that something alien is hiding inside it. 

With the city sealed off and murderous mobs rampaging through the streets, Torchwood has to save something even more important than the human race.

Verdict

Incubation: Know was an outstanding start to Outbreak! I'm a little confused as to whether this is considered a single story or a series, but given that we have three different writers for each disc that makes up its own stage of the adventure I'm going to proceed in judging each one independently. And as starts go, this was sublime. This was Torchwood at its very best and the stakes were raised immediately! I loved how there was no messing around in getting to grips with what this story was trying to do and it has set things up for the next two hours in an incredible way! From a personal perspective, I'm a big fan of revisiting the trio from Series 3 of Torchwood as it has been so long since I've done anything with just them, and they were wonderful together. It was so much fun to have things starting with Gwen and Ianto on a speedboat chasing a giant space octopus that Jack was riding. And Ianto was getting jealous about how much Jack was enjoying it! Some of the comments from Gwen with her being stuck in the middle of some of their sexual innuendo was tremendous. Of course, as the umbrella title suggests the outbreak that occurred here spread at an incredible rate and Cardiff was cornered in no time. The real life feel that Torchwood has with it being set modern day really benefits it and I liked how Andy was there at the start. The deluded man he arrested in the caves that just wanted his mum was horrifying when we found that he had a knife and his mother's blood on his hands. He was arrested and he demanded to speak with Torchwood. I felt a little sorry for Andy with how dismissive Gwen was on the phone with him, so it was nice that Jack went in person to the police station to see the mysterious prisoner. It was clear from Godalming's call that he was one of the test subjects that had gotten loose from Heights Pharmaceuticals, with nine others picked up but he was left out there. Rhys didn't have a lot to do in this part with him being stuck outside of the Cardiff blockade thanks to his lorry driving sending him abroad, but I get a sense he'll have a important role later in the story as he tries to get into Cardiff and reunite with Gwen despite him telling her otherwise. The humour on the phone with them regarding his fake French girls pickup was wonderful. I liked that Jack had some knowledge of what was going on with our prisoner, later named as Luke, and now I want to hear everting about Operation Red Dawn and the Good Thinking Programme from which Luke was seemingly a test subject. A number of Cardiff residents complaining of itchiness whilst a large number of others went into a dream state put the city at an incredible risk and the spread was rampant. People were turning on each other and the situation was pretty dire for the Torchwood team. That was coupled with Jack locking himself in the Hub to ensure that Ianto and Gwen were safe because he was infected and that meant soon he would try to kill them. That was very eery! The childlike nature of Luke was intriguing and I was surprised that Godalming intended on shooting him dead. She needed to cover up and too much had already been revealed. Jack explaining how the outbreak was essentially a man made virus boosted from alien technology was fantastic and I'm looking forward to exploring its impact. The cliffhanger with the Hub going into lockdown and only Gwen making it out was excellent, and the idea of Jack wanting to kill Ianto now sets us up very nicely! Overall, an incredible start! 

Rating: 10/10

These Stolen Hours

"Just one more adventure."

Writer: Grace Knight

Format: Audio

Released: August 2020

Series: Short Trips 10.08

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

Charlotte Pollard knows all too well how precious memories can be. She remembers her travels with the Doctor, her Doctor. She remembers watching him die.

A time disturbance leads the Doctor and Charley to a remote research station. Unable to form memories, the crew believe someone is doing their work while they sleep. The truth, however, is far more insidious.

Verdict

These Stolen Hours was a good little Short Trips adventure! I am grateful for this range in giving us an extra story with this relatively rare pairing of the Sixth Doctor and Charley, and it was fun to have Charley telling it retrospectively from her own point of view at the start. I'm a huge fan of Charley as a companion and it's interesting to hear how she still didn't quite see the Sixth Doctor as her Doctor. She was still reiterating how much she loved the Eighth Doctor here and missed travels, but the way she linked things later in the story to having her own extra time travelling as a bonus with the Sixth Doctor was a highlight for me. It's intriguing to delve into the mind of Charley which these Short Trips allow, and I thought India Fisher did a stellar job with the narration. I liked that the Charlotte Pollard series was referenced with 'them' letting Charley out of stasis, of course meaning the Viyrans, and it's nice to get another bonus with her here before I delve into The Further Adventuress in due course. I enjoyed the concept of a time disturbance as I think that always works well and it always angers the Doctor when someone interferes with time. Artemis was a decent character as the head of the research and I liked the relationship she developed with the Doctor. The Doctor always does well when engaging with someone in the scientific field and I can imagine that if this was the Eighth Doctor then Charley might be a little jealous of what they developed over the course of the half hour. Marty was a good character and his adoration of Artemis was nice to see at the start, but I really didn't see the true significance of that coming towards the story's conclusion! I thought the research that was taking place was good and having a crew without memories was a fun concept and something I felt ought to have been more of a focus and expanded upon. I believe there is a lot of potential in the inability to remember and memorise that wasn't fully exploited here. There was definitely room for more in my opinion! Artemis having engaged in time travel after losing her own Marty to a disease was quite something and showed how determined she was to be reunited with her loved one, but she was invading his past for her own desire which didn't sit well with the Doctor. I liked the idea of her literally cutting into time and making a gap wide enough for just her to step though and I honestly think that's such a fun description of time travel! Her thinking that it would just seal back up was logical and I don't blame her for that, but the repercussions were felt here with the lack of memory building. It was a sad end for her with her relationship with Marty and having to accept that he was gone. Overall, I thought this was a solid little half an hour and exciting to revisit Charley! I do think the writing of the Doctor could have been slightly more centred towards the sixth incarnation, but that's difficult without the actor himself present. Still, a fine little adventure.

Rating: 7/10

Lost Warriors: The Curse of Lady Macbeth

"A man does not fear dreams."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 3.02

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

The TARDIS is drawn to Scotland again – to the trouble Kingdom of Moray, and its Queen Gruach. Or, as the Doctor knows her better, Lady Macbeth. While some believe she is the cause of her people's woes, she may yet become their saviour.

Verdict

The Curse of Lady Macbeth was a very good audio adventure to continue the Lost Warriors third series of Ninth Doctor Adventures from Big Finish! I remember hearing about this one a long time back with Christopher Eccleston an admitted fan of Macbeth in terms of the Shakespeare play, so having his incarnation of the Doctor meet the real article was terrific. You could sense there was an extra spring in the step of Eccleston in his performance which I might argue is his best yet for the range since reprising the role of the Ninth Doctor. There was an enigmatic start with apparent witches giving a strong vibe of The Shakespeare Code which was fun, but that didn't actually turn out to be the case. Their incantations seemed to drop relatively early in the audio, but them calling the Doctor the blue man was amusing stuff. From that he was able to deduce that he was in Scotland which provided a humorous reference to Terror of the Zygons and the Doctor using his somewhat limited Scottish knowledge when it came to the likes of the Kelpies. I must admit, whilst I did thoroughly enjoy the adventure I thought it was a little too Scottish for the casual listener. Character names are one thing, but it was tough to keep up with the mythology and the bouncing around of different names and pastimes. In saying that I will now contradict myself when revealing that I thought the setting was excellent. Medieval Scotland was a unique place to visit and we had a number of intriguing characters too. Lulach was at the centre as the new child of Macbeth, albeit not by birth, and the significance of that later in the story was unexpected. Lulach was muted and there was a curse abound in Moray as so many other children had been replaced by muted mouthless beings. That was a scary concept, especially when children are at risk! The presence of the Fuath throughout without actually physically appearing was brilliant and said a lot about the fear they had evoked in the kingdom. They worked well once appearing as well, although the resolution of how they were dealt with could have had a bit more clarity. Lady Macbeth was a great character and I liked how she was standing up to her husband. She developed a good relationship with the Doctor in quick style with him realising there was something that needed helping, more than just the mysteries that were around her feet at the story's beginning. Macbeth seeing herself as a mother to all of those that were muted was admirable and said a lot about her character, and she was audibly frustrated that they seemed unwilling to take sustenance. A curse indeed! One element of the story I adored was how the Medievalists saw the potential of the TARDIS to be a Trojan horse in war. Glorious stuff. The Doctor turning out to be to blame for the Changelings as they fed on psychic energy worked well as he had supplied them with all they could eat in trying to get the images out of Lulach's head using his trusty time machine. Kinade was a decent character as Macbeth's father and I loved how he was the perfect host because he felt robbed of the throne. It all comes down to greed and jealousy in the end! The Fuath symbolising hate as being the Gaelic word for it was quite fitting. Overall, a fantastic listen! 

Rating: 8/10

Goodbye to All That

"Do you have a sword?"

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: Comic Strip

Released: June 2021

Series: Lytton #4

Featuring: Lytton

Synopsis

The hunt is on for the Positron, an artefact held in a warehouse full of alien technology. The mysterious Mr Seaton has tasked Lytton with acquiring it. Barely escaping from Aldwych West, Lytton, Wilson and their new friend Artemis are pursued through a catacomb by androids. Separated, Lytton is imprisoned, while Wilson and Artemis face off against the androids...

Verdict

Goodbye to All That was a good little story and a more than decent conclusion to the Lytton series of comic strips from Cutaway Comics! This has been a delightful four-chapter run highlighting the character of Lytton and I really do hope that the next time tease that concluded this chapter will come into fruition as a second series of comics is definitely something I'd be interested in purchasing! I have to admit, the first third or so of this chapter had me slightly disappointed in how quick everything seemed to be resolved with the positron and Mr Longbody. It was good to finally get an image of the alien creature referenced way back in the first instalment of Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go and I was fascinated to find that he looked similar to Mr Seaton. Of course, the revelation came at the end that these were actually redesigned Tereleptils which is something I really didn't see coming! I love the idea of the Tereleptils coming back and having Eric Saward at the helm, writer of The Visitation, was terrific for these alien enemies. They're iconic dating back to that Fifth Doctor serial and whilst I really liked the surprise, I'd have loved for a full chapter involving Lytton encountering the Tereleptils with the reader having knowledge of their identity. I think that also would have been a strong selling point as combining different elements of the Doctor Who Universe is always fun. They looked really impressive and definitely seemed more menacing, but I must admit that I'd have preferred something a little more faithful to what we saw on television. On the other hand though, I can appreciate the desire for doing something new with them and modernising them and using the comic strip format as an advantage. Shend coming back was nice and whilst it was all a bit quick with the transaction and giving the positron over to send the Tereleptils back on their way home, things came full circle nicely. I liked that we also got the answer about E.V.E and it was a great turn of events to find that Artemis was actually Mrs L, who was the mutated woman all along! Containing the same characteristics and personality but enhancing that now with some street fighter abilities was very fun. It probably came a little late for Lytton to question Arti on everything she took in her stride because she didn't bat an eyelid to a great deal of things, but better late than never! There was some good action in this one but as you'd expect with a chapter four finale, there was a lot of dialogue to try and tie up all the loose ends. That didn't hurt things but it lost a slight level of excitement and pace. I thought Wilson had a quiet finale which was fine but I've really enjoyed him paired alongside Lytton. The way things ended for Lytton was nice and the image of him in that familiar police hat was delightful in suggesting that the version of Lytton we saw encounter the Doctor on television might be an alternate reality version. Little subtleties like that is so much fun. As a whole, this was another good story to conclude what was a great and consistent comic strip run! 

Rating: 8/10

Even the Oppressed Own Their Lives...

"What's the point of a phantom train?"

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: Comic Strip

Released: March 2021

Series: Lytton #3

Featuring: Lytton

Synopsis

The pursuit of Mr Longbody has unexpectedly led Wilson and Lytton to a parallel Earth, where they have found Artemis, a young woman trapped in an abandoned underground station. With hunters closing in, the only move left is to flick the switch on the mysterious generator on the platform and see what happens...

Verdict

Even the Oppressed Own Their Lives... was another great instalment in the Lytton series from Cutaway Comics! Despite all three stories so far receiving the same rating from myself, I think this just about the edges the previous two and becomes my favourite. Once again it was very pacy and flew by with my reading of it which is always a good sign. The mystery of Mr Longbody deepened which was nicely done and I'm also fascinated that Eve, who had been mentioned multiple times before in the first two instalments, was spelled as E.V.E this time around. That is of course a nice indication that she isn't human and some sort of robot, which is evidenced further by the cliffhanger finish. The continued use of the Aldwych West setting in the London Underground was fantastic and I was a big fan of the cliffhanger resolution of the rockfall turning out to just be digital effects. That was really good in fitting with the digital theme which is quite fun for a 1970s based story. One thing that really irked me was the use of Wilson calling it the '70's' when announcing there was no sexism with Artemis driving as that's just punctually incorrect. There is no need for an apostrophe! That's always irked me and having studied History for four years at university, that kind of mistake was so frequent and a constant annoyance of mine. Now, that's incredibly petty of me as a criticism but it was so glaring! Anyway, back to my enjoyment of the story at hand and the action that came from the digital threats was excellent. It flowed so well and I loved how in control Lytton seemed. He really asserted himself in this chapter with a particular highlight being revealing that he wasn't human at all to Wilson and Artemis. The latter didn't seem too surprised which intrigued me, but the former's reaction was amusing as he didn't seem a fan of all the alien technology and science that has followed the pair throughout the comic strip run. Mr Seaton looked brilliant as a villain and his relationship with Lytton and involvement with Longbody is intriguing and I'm looking forward to that being cleared up in the finale (I assume). The race back through the vortex was tremendous and the visualisation of the journey through from one reality to another was magnificent. This was the best so far for artwork. I thought the moment where Wilson nearly got hit by the phantom train that served as the big panel to name the chapter looked outstanding. I was a big fan of that. The exciting conclusion was done very well with the fight scene and the emergence of the robots. It was fun for Artemis to attack and realise they were rock hard, but Lytton seemed to already know that and know of them. He was taken away in the middle of the fight which was amusing, and then came the cliffhanger which adorns my image for this blog post as the robots seemed to contain the dead! At least, that's my interpretation of the skull within which looked fantastic. As a whole, this was another really strong chapter of what is shaping up to be a great series! Overall, a great read.

Rating: 8/10

Crime Like Politics is Always Personal

"But robots don't die!"

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: Comic Strip

Released: December 2020

Series: Lytton #2

Featuring: Lytton

Synopsis

Lytton's inner sanctum has been attacked, the heart and soul of the Jazz Soiree violated. Investigating, Lytton and Wilson traverse the abandoned Underground station of Aldwych West. But what will be the cost as they go deeper underground?

Verdict

Crime Like Politics is Always Personal was another really strong comic strip to continue the Lytton range from Cutaway Comics! I think the three month gap between issues is way too long and I have waited up until now to be in a position to read them all back to back, as with the amount of Doctor Who that I consume, along with everything else going on life, I think it would be impossible to remember what happened in Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go without having read it an hour or so before this one, but the continuation was immediate. Mrs L was still responsive but she was in a very bad way after being unable to fully satisfy the mysterious and potentially alien customer at the Club of Mr Longbody. I like the adult theme that this range is having and again, that's perfect for Lytton and really allows him to excel. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go as we have reached the halfway point, but I definitely got that sense of him being a character more for the adults. He is almost a typical villain but having him here as the star is a fun dynamic, because we shouldn't really like the character but we just do. I mean, that's why there's an entire comic range centred on him! This part was a lot of fun and it was nice to introduce some action to the series. It definitely helped with the pace as this one seemed like it flew by! I loved that we got Lytton and Wilson going into the parallel world through the portal of the vortex and getting that visualised was brilliant. I loved that the journey was presented visually rather than just having the pair arrive in the other reality in the next panel. It was a nice touch and the artwork and colour was superb. It really brought things to life. Wilson presented a new edge to his character which was good to see and gave him some more personality, and it was nice to know that he wasn't afraid to stand up to Lytton. His wanting to know what happened to the four attackers was nice and knowing that they were off to the Middle East in a crate was very effective! The Aldywch West underground was fantastic with the visuals and provided strong The Web of Fear vibes which I really enjoyed. That was a fun link and the danger and atmosphere that comes with the London Underground is always great. Artemis being introduced was good and I'm looking forward to seeing what she offers in the next two parts. We had a louse that provided some danger from the journey to the parallel world, and that seemed to overshadow the cliffhanger being a rockfall. I do hope there's more to that as it wasn't the most exciting ending, but I'm definitely intrigued to see where things go on the hunt for Mr Longbody. I'm also fascinated by what kind of parallel world this will be. Having Lytton encounter some policemen of his own in an alley was just terrific. I really enjoyed those parallels with his on screen appearances. Very nicely done. Overall, a strong comic strip continuation! 

Rating: 8/10

Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go

"There's a lot of loot in alien artefacts."

Writer: Eric Saward

Format: Comic Strip

Released: September 2020

Series: Lytton #1 

Featuring: Lytton

Synopsis

Ex-soliders. Mercenaries. Businessmen. Swapping shooters for suits, it's 1975, and Lytton and his long-time batman Wilson run the Jazz Soiree Club in London's West End. A classy affair in the otherwise seedy environment of Soho, the duo inevitably incurs the jealousy of the criminal underworld who want a piece of the action. What rivals can't buy, they'll take. But every man has its price, and it's good business to be civil. After all, Lytton needs a rare piece of kit. Extraterrestrially rare. But how far will he go to obtain it? London is about to find out.

Verdict

Down These Mean Streets A Man Must Go was a very good comic strip story to kick off the Lytton comic range! I'm a big fan of everything Cutaway Comics are doing in bringing us unique comic strip adventures from a wide variety of characters, and whilst I'm not fully integrated into things yet as I've only managed to blog Eldrad Must Live!, I'm very excited by the idea of Lytton having his own range. He made such a big impression in Resurrection of the Daleks and it's really no surprise that he was brought back in Attack of the Cybermen. He had a big role in each adventure so it was really intriguing to go back into his past here and learn of a near-death experience he had in 1968, before catching up with him properly in 1975. The London setting of Soho was perfect for Lytton and it just seems like the kind of district and place you'd expect him to hang around. He had a reputation in the place and owned a strip joint which again just felt right for this character. His relationship with Wilson was unexpected and I liked the idea of Mr Shend trying to buy him. Initially, Lytton was not going to entertain the idea of selling a person but as the comic strip developed he got more likely to accept, especially when the offer reach one-and-a-half million! That was such a lot of money for 1975 and I'm intrigued to know just why Shend wants Wilson in his own service so much. I don't know a lot about this man but I want to know more which is commendable to the writing. When it comes to a comic strip, it's not just down to the writing though and even though the artwork at times is a little questionable when it comes to human likeness, I thought the style was excellent. It felt right for the setting and just the feel of Lytton's character who is obviously the familiar one from the Doctor Who Universe. One thing I wasn't expecting from a Lytton story was to have him in parallel worlds! That has a lot of potential and I wonder as the chapters go on if that will have more significance for whatever the end goal might be. His search for a positron molecular condenser was good and I just enjoy the idea of Lytton wanting extraterrestrial technology. It's nice to know how much he values Wilson for saving his life, but we've seen what Lytton is capable of and what his motives are on screen so expanding upon that in his own series is something I'm really looking forward to exploring. Mrs L looked quite the part and no expense was saved in drawing her to look impressive, and Lytton wanted to make sure that she got the information he needed was great. Her fate at the end was a very good cliffhanger though! I didn't see that coming. The bust up with Lytton and the four guys was decent and Shend being involved in helping was nicely done. As a whole, this was a strong start to the range and I'm looking forward to see where things move from here! Overall, a good read.

Rating: 8/10

R&J

"Look into our timelines. Complicated, aren't they?"

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Lives of Captain Jack 3.03

Featuring: Captain Jack, River Song

Synopsis

Captain Jack Harkness – time-travelling con-man, saviour of the Earth, and intergalactic adventurer. He has lived many lives.

From ancient battles to eternal wars

A pair of time-cross'd lovers take the stars

Verdict

R&J was an outstanding story to conclude the third, and currently final, series of The Lives of Captain Jack! This has been a really strong series and it's delightful to have two such iconic figures in the world of Doctor Who meet. Considering that both have a spinoff series, it was inevitable that the pair would meet given their time travel capabilities, but I really wasn't expecting a love story spanning over the entire timelines of both characters! There was so much continuity here that was right up my alley and I really like the idea of the two developing a relationship, with River keen to reiterate it as a friendship whilst Jack was taken aback by his feelings after any sort of kiss or physical interaction. There was so much to enjoy here with so many past stories playing a part. We had River as the head of the Time Agency at a time where Jack wasn't even going by Jack Harkness, but he liked the name which was fun to have happen. We even had Jack greeting River before her current iteration on the streets of New York in 1969, presumably around the time of the shocking ending of Day of the Moon. They kept meeting out of sync which was ironic given River's relationship with the Doctor, so to have it happen again here was terrific. I was intrigued that River felt like a relationship with Jack might be a bit more normal, but there was just something about the Doctor that Jack couldn't compete with. He didn't know he was competing with him though as River kept her other man's identity a secret right up until the end. I adored the scene taking place during the events of Boom Town with River's reaction to the Doctor being on a date with a Slitheen a sheer delight. I really enjoyed the cameo of the Ninth Doctor and it was so much fun to think River was in close proximity to this incarnation – and kronk burgers! – and I do hope that with Christopher Eccleston confirmed for more series that they could somehow meet. I loved that River got to meet Jack during The Year That Never Was when the Master had control over Earth, and she was glad to have him fixed down to a single point for a while. The pair venturing to the end of the universe was full of sheer joy as the idea of them encountering Ashildr was great, but the audacity of them apparently being the knock on the door heard by Orson in Listen was tremendous. Talk about a practical joke! It was quite sad to have River being there at the time of the Face of Boe's funeral and Jack also showing up, unknowingly to his own celebration of life. River standing in for Elizabeth I during the events of The Day of the Doctor was amusing, as was 'Hack Jackness' giving a lecture in place of Bernice Summerfield. Ultimately, things ended on a sombre note during the events of The Husbands of River Song and River's last night with the Doctor before heading to the Library. This saw Jack realise that it was the Doctor all along who was the other man, and he accepted his fate as inferior. Throughout though it was nice for him to pick up where the Doctor failed in giving her some normality with a wedding cake and not forgetting her birthday. Overall, just outstanding from start to finish! A dream of continuity and a sublime use of two excellent characters. 

Rating: 10/10

The Elixir of Doom

"It's the Golden Age of Hollywood!"

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Audio

Released: May 2014

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.11

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Jo, Iris

Synopsis

Once, Jo Grant travelled in Space and Time with the Doctor. Now, she is travelling with trans-temporal adventuress Iris Wildthyme. 

Arriving in Los Angeles in the 1930s, Jo and Iris are caught up in the glamour of Hollywood. Monster movies are all the rage. 

But sometimes monsters are real...

Verdict

The Elixir of Doom was a delightful Companion Chronicles audio adventure! This was just so much fun and honestly a breeze of an audio to listen to. The pairing of Jo and Iris Wildthyme is joyous with Katy Manning getting double the opportunity to shine, and let's face it she never disappoints. The idea of Jo and Iris bashing about the universe in the big red London bus is marvellous and getting a glimpse of one of their adventures together here was terrific. I enjoyed the setting of 1936 Hollywood so much and it was nice for Jo to have a frame reference having visited there with the Doctor four decades or so later. Jo's excitement about visiting the Golden Age of the famous blockbuster location was lovely to hear and she was rally hoping to attend some premieres and meet some old stars. Iris meanwhile was here to have a good time and she'd already wangled them into a producer's party containing a number of top stars. Vita Monet was a brilliant character and the development of her into the villain was nicely done. She'd turned her five ex-husbands into monsters that would be used on screen which was such a barmy and ridiculous concept, but it was perfect for this kind of story. It's audacious and bold, but it really works well. Iris trying to cause a little bit of mayhem by having herself on a mobile phone getting included in a 1930s film was marvellous as well and it's strange to think how much of a relationship she has with the Doctor considering her actions. There are strong River Song vibes there, but with Iris she just feels a little naughtier. There was once again hints of a physical relationship with the Doctor which is always fascinating, and her reaction when seeing that his eighth incarnation was present was superb. I really wasn't expecting the Eighth Doctor to feature, especially so heavily once he arrived, but it was a nice surprise and I found the CD artwork amusing with Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor adorning it. He was nowhere to be seen! I love the idea of the Eighth Doctor and Jo meeting and when the former came to save the day and take on the aliens, the latter certainly had her suspicions regarding the identity. That was lovely. Iris essentially being to blame for everything that occurred in this story with the monsters and how they got into that state with the elixir which she provided on a previous outing was a lot of fun, and her blaming having too much to drink didn't go down well as an excuse! I thought the detail of Jo recognising the tune the Doctor used to calm the Lizard Man down was wonderful continuity. It was also quite incredible to have a Human Jelly character and learning how he used to be Harold and a former husband of Monet. She turned out to be a strong villainous character and it took the combined efforts of the Doctor, Jo and Iris to see her off in what was a decent little conclusion. Overall, this had a fantastic setting with a very good plot and turned out to be a joyous listen! 

Rating: 9/10

The Bonfires of the Vanities

"It's like there's a powder keg under the town."

Writer: Una McCormack 

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 2.03

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Polly and Ben arrive in Lewes in the late 1950s, they're just in time to celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night. But there's no fun on the streets tonight – the town is in the grip of fear. There are imps on the loose in Lewes, the Bonfire Boys are on the march, and nobody is safe from the fire.

Verdict

The Bonfires of the Vanities was a fantastic Companion Chronicle! I thought this was a really great adventure and a brilliant way to continue what is turning into quite the volume in the range! I was very excited by the prospect of a story featuring the trio of the First Doctor, Polly and Ben because we don’t often get that and it didn’t happen on screen much at all, and I love each of the characters so getting more with them together is always a delight. There’s always the issue of where it might fit in continuity wise with what we saw on screen, but is that really important? I’d argue no. It was fun to hear how Polly liked the TARDIS wardrobe and just the idea of the First Doctor discussing fashion was amusing. The distortion effect that occurred when the trio left the TARDIS was intriguing and I think is something that has happened in at least one of the precious two stories in this series. Might they be linked? I’d love it if the finale brings them all together somehow. The arrival to Earth and being close to Polly and Ben’s own time was great and I enjoyed the simplicity of a red postbox meaning so much. It was also Bonfire Night which was fun! I loved the writing of the First Doctor despite the impression not being that good, and having him not quite feeling himself and looking old was a nice way to emphasise how close we were to The Tenth Planet. His time was coming. Mary was a terrific character as the librarian that initially took the trio in and her role in revealing the importance of the bonfires here in Lewes and dating it back to a nineteenth century tradition was marvellous. I liked the mention of the Chartists and had to laugh when Polly had no clue of their significance. I remember learning about them at A-level and loving it. The Bonfire Boys made for a good group and having them forcibly trying to get into the library behind the guise of masks and rags bearing rotting green flesh left quite the impression. I thought Gamble was a very good villain and his connection with the strange happenings in the town coming as soon as he was elected councillor showed that there was something afoot with him. Polly being attacked by an animated pile of rags was excellent stuff and the kind of thing you can get away with on audio so that had my appreciation. I must admit that I was slightly taken aback by the shift in narration from Polly to Ben and vice versa, but that didn’t have a huge impact on my enjoyment of the story. The Bonfire Boys engaging in chaotic parades was great action and the description of them setting fire everywhere fitted in well with the story’s theme. The significance of the library was fascinating and I liked how it was targeted. The Doctor and Ben realising that the instigator of the violence would be close was fun and it was hardly a surprise to find that it was Gamble. The Guys turning out to be robotic mechanisms was good and logical with the paper mache mask a nice touch. Mary finding an eyewitness account from the 1840s that told of a person being burned on a bonfire was excellent with how it tied in with what was to come in the following minutes. The emergence of the creature that Gamble was just a front for was done very well and I liked how his raspy voice demonstrated the pain he was in. He was angry after his ship crashed a century ago and when seeking help from humanity, he met them on their cruelest night and was greeted with being burned on the bonfire! I must admit I had sympathy for the creature at that point! I could fully understand his desire for lighting a fire under the town that would never go out and exact his revenge. It was all his doing, and Gamble’s realisation that he’d been used was brilliantly portrayed. It was good to hear how he was ashamed of his actions and apologised though, taking full responsibility. The Doctor’s speech to the town appealing for them to conquer their fears was sublime and it was nice that he allowed the creature to just run off and not cause or be subjected to anymore trouble. Overall, an excellent audio!

Rating: 9/10

White Ghosts

"There is only dark."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: February 2014

Series: FDA 3.02

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

A close encounter with a stray missile leads the Doctor to materialise his TARDIS on a planet that hangs in the dark at the edge of the known universe. A planet so dark that it exists in near-permanent night. A planet that enjoys just a single day's light once every thousand years...

Exactly what happens on the planet in its rare daylight hours – that's what a geographical survey headed by Senior Tutor Bengel is stationed here to establish. They, the Doctor and Leela are about to discover that when daylight comes, the White Ghosts rise...

So don't be afraid of the dark. The cover of night is a mercy.

Verdict

White Ghosts was a great little Fourth Doctor Adventure! For the most part with this range from Seasons 2-6 I have jumped around and not done much at all in any kind of order, but I loved the follow on this one had from The King of Sontar with the Doctor having not spoken to Leela for days following her actions in essentially killing a great number of the clones during that adventure. The Time Lords had got what they wanted through Leela, and now the Doctor found her reading some fairytales she mistook as factual information which was just lovely. Leela can be so innocent at times and it's striking for me to hear the differences in her character development in this range when compared to the Gallifrey spinoff. The Doctor believing the TARDIS had been infiltrated by a clawed creature was amusing when the revelation came that it was Leela carving with her knife to remember her route. That was tremendous. I liked the idea of taking the TARDIS to the very edge of the universe and representing that with coordinates predominantly containing zeros was excellent. The prospect of a missile aim at this dark and remote location was intriguing and I liked the concept of the planet essentially being in a perpetual eclipse. The atmosphere was thin so we had the Doctor and Leela in spacesuits which provided some extra comic value, and they were soon found as the impossible light source by the survey team. I wasn't expecting the titular White Ghosts to be vegetation that was flame retardant but I was all for it and I loved that Leela referred to them as snake plants. That was more than enough of a description! Having her warrior instincts utilised in the dark was a nice touch as well. The impending missile actually exploding some 31 seconds before impact was due in the atmosphere was good and I liked that the ramifications were Candeli dying. It was all very mysterious. That soon deepened as we learned of the previous survey team not making it back with them falling victim to the White Ghosts, which were horrifically also known as corpse plants. This didn't leave a huge amount to the imagination! The cliffhanger was brilliant with the idea of the plants' roots attacking just fantastic. It was nice to hear how Leela had faith in the Doctor and even though he didn't have a plan at the moment, she knew he'd conjure one up before long. The missile turning out to be a flare that was accelerating the growth of the Ghosts was very good, although I think things got a little unnecessarily complicated when it came to them containing bulbs of natural phosphorescence deep in their code. Morandi changing and mutating after being scratched was a vivid moment and I was surprised Leela wasn't impacted by her own scratch. Having Bengel with no reaction to these events didn't exactly shock me, as she had her own plan to add to the gene pool. The whole crop rotation theory of Candell and Morandi being proved right was weird, and whilst I liked the idea of a harvest it seemed a bit too long at 1,040 years for the Harvesters to be feasting. Their grim reaper appearance was good and they had come to eat the plants. The mutation being irreversible was a fun twist with it turning out the treatment was just placebos, and Aranda had been conducting her own experiment. She just wanted to be taken home which was understandable, but this was quite the way to go about it! The Doctor's use of the accelerator and going quicker than the speed of light to retrieve the TARDIS felt like cheating, but it was certainly amusing and you could hear the fun in Tom Baker's voice. It turned out that the Time Lords had sent the Doctor all along because they didn't like blood drinkers which was fun, but the Doctor wasn't having the Harvesters and shoved them out back into the darkness for another millennium where they'd go hungry. It was a brutal end to what was a very good adventure! Overall, a strong audio.

Rating: 8/10

Lost Warriors: The Hunting Season

"I think they might want to eat you."

Writer: James Kettle

Format: Audio

Released: November 2021

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 3.01

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

The Doctor meets many strangers on his travels. Some are destined to end up friends, while others were always going to become his enemies. And some were once warriors, with reasons of their own to remain hidden from the universe...

Duberry Hall is under siege, as aliens maraud through the estate. It's a frightful business, and as Lord Hawthorn battles the Fleshkin, the Doctor finds new friends below stairs. Can he convince the household to unite to save itself?

Verdict

The Hunting Season was an excellent start to the Lost Warriors third series of Ninth Doctor Adventures! I was a big fan of this opener and I think a lot of that had to do with the setting and the types of people the Doctor was interacting with. We didn't get an awful lot of the Ninth Doctor delving into Earth's history on screen so expanding on his visits to the past here was a delight. I love the dynamic of this rugged northern incarnation coming face to face with the feudal system and seeing the upper class at their pompous best. That was captured immediately as the audio began with Alice being chastised for letting the fire of Isabel and Stretton run out. That wasn't what they wanted given that it was cold, but it certainly did seem an overboard reaction especially considering she got it back up in quick time. The setting of 1936 and the focus on Duberry Hall was terrific and as a whole I was a massive fan of it. It just worked. It felt authentic of the time and was quite humorous to have the Doctor engage with, strangely even more so on his lonesome. His psychic paper revealing him to be a Brigadier was fun but that didn't last for the Doctor as he was questioned in a big way about life during the Great War and having to end lives. Of course, for the Doctor the First World War was actually masking the Time War in which he ended the lives of billions. That was a sublime link. The emergence of the Fleshkin was intriguing and I liked how initially it seemed they were craving flesh, but it was actually their name and something they cried out in pride during battle. That was nicely done and I quite fancy they'd have fun confronting the Sontarans! The fight between the locals and the Fleshkin was good and I was fascinated that it was the upper class referring to it as sport. The reiteration of a woman's place during this time throughout the audio was startling and a reminder of how far we have come in society. It was almost off-putting! But I liked that Isabel wanted to see the wounded. That was pretty dark. Something else that was really established in the adventure was the hierarchy between the elite and the servants. They were seen as so subservient it was almost crazy, much to the Doctor's disgust! The Fleshkin having faces described as being burned away was disturbing and I liked the humour that came with them thinking Duberry Hall was a fortress. They were confused to learn that there were no military division which was delightful and despite them wanting peace, they wanted to take out the General. The Doctor saw through them that this was Hawthorn which wasn't much of a surprise, but it was a good development. The Doctor's efforts to try and show that their information was wrong was admirable, describing him as a mere human that was ignorant and frightened. The use of the irritant to actually reveal that Hawthorn was indeed the General was a big surprise! I liked that he was DNA masking and just wanted to get home. The quick ending for the General was probably why this story didn't get full marks with the sudden impalement. It was impactful but just a little fast for my liking! Overall though, a marvellous audio to start the series! 

Rating: 9/10

The Last Days

"It's too late to try rewriting the ending."

Writer: Evan Pritchard 

Format: Short Story

Released: March 1998

Printed in: Short Trips 1.04

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

From Neolitch Earth to the furthest reaches of the universe in the far future, Short Trips brings together established Doctor Who authors and first-time writers in a collection of stories exploring the ever-changing worlds of the Doctor and his friends.

Witness the last days of the siege of Masada with the First Doctor and meet the Fourth Doctor's extraordinary 'old flame'. An evil enemy makes life difficult for the Seventh and Third Doctors, and while the Fifth Doctor is under attack on a sinister ship shrouded in fog, the Second may soon be guilty of a grave error of judgement... The Sixth Doctor's hopes of a holiday are dashed when he discovers a pleasure planet is hiding a shocking secret, and the Eighth Doctor is caught up in a deadly drama played out during the construction of Stonehenge.

And, of course, that's just the beginning...

Verdict

The Last Days was an outstanding short story to continue my reading of Short Trips! I was really impressed with this little adventure and it really accomplished so much in just twenty-four pages. Anytime we have a historical paring with the quartet that started off Doctor Who, I know we're in for a treat and this one absolutely had authenticity in feeling like it was part of its era. This could so easily slot in during the first two seasons and I loved the connection with The Aztecs and how Barbara wanted to change history better there, but here she had learned from those events and was very much on board with the Doctor in not wanting to impact history. They had arrived at a time and place that had a big bearing on history with it being Judaea at the time of the Roman victory and mass suicide to try and tarnish that. I know that the area that would go on to become Israel or Palestine is incredibly contentious and having Barbara and the Doctor name the region as each of those was very important. I don't think Zionism and the history of this region is taught or recognised enough in the UK and it took me until my second year of a Bachelors degree in History to get some sort of teachings on it. It's filled with history and importance on an incredible scale, which helped Barbara try and preserve what she knew as fact. I liked that she had been unconscious for a few weeks whilst Ian was involved in helping the zealots against the Romans. However, once Barbara awoke she immediately opposed him and hearing his internal struggle through the words on the page was tremendous. He'd never heard of Masada so you couldn't blame him for getting involved and supporting what he thought was right, but to then hear that suicide was the only freedom left for those he had gotten close to as their Joab over the last fortnight must have been gut wrenching. We didn't get a huge amount of the Doctor and Susan and that was absolutely fine, it was good to have Ian at the forefront. He's a strong character and this was him at his very best. It was always going to be his name that drew the short straw in having to kill the other remaining ten zealots who'd already killed their family as a way of preserving destiny and denying the Romans, but having them impale themselves on the sword he was holding was striking and something I really didn't see coming. It took me by surprise in a good way that had a huge impact on me, which you don't often get with short stories. I just can't imagine Ian dealing well with something like that! Especially when it was revealed that Eleazor had fixed the result all along. Ian had given them hope which was nice to draw on, but history couldn't be defeated and Ian was understanding that. Having the Doctor arrive and proclaim Ian and Barbara as having been his spies all along was tremendous and the inner turmoil that was evident in Ian bowing before the coin baring Caesar's image to prove he wasn't a Jew was another strong and powerful moment, and a fantastic to way to conclude what was a superb and heavy story. A brilliant read!

Rating: 10/10

Doctor Who and the Iron Legion

"I fear Neo-Rome will never be free."

Writer: Alan Barnes (Adapted from Pat Mills & John Wagner)

Format: Audio 

Released: March 2019

Series: Comic Strip Adaptations 1.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor

Synopsis

1979 AD! Led by the terrible General Ironicus, the mighty Iron Legion – robot veterans of the Eternal War – have come, seen and conquered the English village of Stockbridge! 

Caught up in the mayhem, the Doctor pursues the Legion back through the great Dimension Duct to their place of origin – an alternative Earth where Rome never fell...

But can he survive the horrors of the gladiatorial Hyp-Arena long enough to uncover the terrifying secret at the heart of the Galactic Roman Empire?

Verdict

Doctor Who and the Iron Legion was an ambitious and unique take on the comic strip adventure of the same name! I must admit that I was massively excited by the announcement of the Comic Strip Adaptations a few years ago, but unfortunately this wasn't quite all I anticipated it to be. I love the idea of bringing comic strips to life and giving a voice to a number of characters we previously only saw speech bubbles for, but I think the nature of the story and its proximity to the comic strip format meant it couldn't really get going to a massively high standard on audio. I was surprised that it was a two-hour release as that is a lot of expansion on a comic strip story, even a particularly large one, but it flows relatively well and is padded out enough to warrant the time. I like how it seemed to almost take a Target books approach and provide some expansion on the original tale, specifically in naming the village as Stockbridge. That's just excellent and it's nice to think that the village now features in a variation of the very first Doctor Who Magazine strip. I thought Tom Baker was great as the Fourth Doctor and he excels in this kind of adventure where he doesn't need to be too serious and injects a lot of comedy. That was a highlight for sure. It was a little odd to have him without a companion, but some of the guest cast like Doug and Viv make up for that. They were a fun pair and I loved their reactions to finding out they had parallel versions of themselves and them being Roman ancestors to explain how they could impersonate television personalities with ease. That actually turned out to be crucial to the end of the plot. I must admit that I didn't remember a huge amount from the comic strip story as it has been over five years since I read it, but I do recall the scale of the story being really ambitious. I must admit that with the absence of artwork I felt that was something missing and it was actually a crucial component of the comic strip. Having an alternate dimension where Rome never fell is screaming for visuals as mixing the likes of Ironicus and Vesuvius with somewhat modern and futuristic settings is a wonderful combination, but we just didn't have that blend complementing each other here in the way it perhaps ought to. I thought Morris was a terrific character and I really enjoyed his interactions with the Doctor, along with the whole robotic nature of the Iron Legion. The secret of the Empress being murdered and having an imposter felt like it perhaps came a little late, and that put Adolphus in a tricky situation considering he'd been lied to all along! The use of modern gods and Magog in particular as the enemies for the story was decent, and I thought she was a fun villain until taking her natural form which all sounded a bit silly and hokey. It was a pretty simple resolution in the end by having her ejected into an empty dimension from the TARDIS, but after a whacky two hours full of funky background music and lots of effort to bring the comic strip format to audio as much as possible, that was probably a welcomed resolution. Overall, a fun idea for series and I look forward to listening to the next one, but despite the story being excellent in comic I don't think it was quite suited to audio in the same way. 

Rating: 6/10

Mighty and Despair

"She always refuses to drink my blood."

Writer: Tim Foley 

Format: Audio

Released: March 2020

Series: Lives of Captain Jack 3.02

Featuring: Captain Jack

Synopsis

Captain Jack Harkness – time-travelling con-man, saviour of the Earth, and intergalactic adventurer. He has lived many lives.

On a distant planet in the far future two travellers have come looking for a mythical hero.

Verdict

Mighty and Despair was a good little adventure to continue the third series of The Lives of Captain Jack! With all that's gone on with the John Barrowman accusations in the last year and the cancellation of Absent Friends and the Titan Comics event special, I wonder if this is the last series of the range. If it is, that's a big shame but it's great to explore some of the lives of Jack given his immortality, and this was a fascinating one. Jack was a little different to what we're used to with this episode being set far into the future, but there were still those traits from time to time that made us remember this was the former companion and head of Torchwood we all loved. This felt like fantasy with how things began between Carla and Persis with the vibes of Asgard and something fantastical. The myth involving Captain Jack was fun and amusing, and having him on a hidden planet was great. It's nice to think of where Jack might end up after so long alive and he's certainly got time to kill! I wasn't expecting him to ever come face to face with vampires, but that's exactly what happened here and it was lovely to know he had knowledge of their wars with the Time Lords. He was able to recall travelling with one before and he seemed to do so with fondness which was nice. The scale of the story was also one that took me by surprise with years and years going by in a flash, with a few Christmases and vampire solstices occurring. That was really nice for the trio to have a nice time and something of a tradition after a shaky start. Carla taking in the blood of Jack to bring her back from the edge was great and I liked that she could instantly feel the blood of another within her. Persis showing constant admiration for her queen was nice, and it was such a shame that she perished in the end. The emotion that came with her death was strong with Carla carrying her back and feeling saddened by the frailty of mortals. Even after the lies about the ship being repaired for over ten years, it was a hugely impactful moment. However, after a relatively slow start the episode really took a turn into the eventful with the emergence of the terrible brother Zyman. His role in destroying Veda was awful to hear and I was surprised that the myth of Jack returning from the hidden planet seemed like it wouldn't be coming true. Carla talking to her brother about what she learned from Jack and using it was excellent and she quickly eradicated him and the bloodline, ending the immortality of vampires everywhere and seemingly committing genocide in an instant! It was quite stunning for a conclusion. The highlight of the story for me was the concept of dark gravity though and the whole idea behind the closer you get the longer it takes was tremendous. I hope that pops up somewhere again in the future because there's a lot of potential there! As a whole, this ended up being an emotional and morbid tale whilst giving us an intriguing look at Jack in the far future where he was pretty aged! Overall, a good listen.

Rating: 7/10

Across the Darkened City

"Daleks do not tolerate deformity."

Writer: David Bartlett

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 2.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

On the planet Shade, The Chaons, an invading race of strange, amorphous creatures that ravenously absorb energy, have reduced the city there to a desolate ruin. Separated from the Doctor and Vicki, Steven has to join forces with an unexpected ally to find his way back to the TARDIS. Ahead, lies a nightmare journey through the dark – a test of endurance and trust.

Verdict

Across the Darkened City was an outstanding Companion Chronicles audio adventure! I was excited by the prospect of the First Doctor meeting the Daleks once again over the course of this boxset, but when reading each synopsis for the four stories that comprise the set it wasn't obvious which adventure they would feature in. But they take about four seconds to make an appearance at the start of this episode and that really sets the tone in a positive way. I didn't really get my wish of the First Doctor encountering his greatest foes once again, but that didn't take away from this story in the slightest! Steven has a real history with the Daleks going back to The Chase, so pairing him with one on a joint mission to access a transmat across a pitch black terrain on an alien environment was excellent. It was such a fun idea and it provided so much intrigue and emotion in the audio. It was really fascinating to hear Steven's feelings towards the Dalek develop over the course of the hour and at times later on he forgot just what he was embarking across the city with. The idea of this particular Dalek with the broken casing being superior, and thinking itself so, was tremendous and I liked how it actually started an argument with other Daleks when it came to saving Steven's life and ensuring he wasn't needlessly exterminated or robotised. When so many others were casually killed, this Dalek designated two-one-zero saved Steven's life because it needed him. That was a scary prospect. I loved the idea of a genetically mutated Dalek because there's so much potential there, and I must admit that the twist at the end with the Dalek then wanting to kill Steven rather than give the coordinates needed to get back to the Doctor and Vicki was magnificent. I'd almost given hope of the Dalek being evil! How wrong I was. I liked that the Dalek didn't turn out to be the sole enemy of the story though with that designation going to the Chaons instead. Having something even the Daleks were afraid of was exciting and frightening and I thought the entire concept behind them was very good. It worked well on audio and Peter Purves did a stellar job in the lead role and highlighting the fear they invoked. It was great as well hearing him accidentally refer to the Dalek as two-one before stopping himself at giving such a creature a name, showing how much of a relationship they actually developed. Steven's vulnerability of not being able to see through the city was excellent when coupled with the Dalek having to exit its casing and go into another's. The disgust and impurity that was greeted with on Skaro took me by surprise, but the epilogue with Two-One-Zero seemingly going on to become the Dalek Emperor in search of the Human Factor was extraordinary! A little prequel to The Evil of the Daleks? Gloriously done! We did get a little cameo of the Doctor at the end when Steven was reunited, but it wasn't really needed as Steven shone throughout in the lead role. A wonderful outing for the companion. Overall, a magnificent audio adventure! 

Rating: 10/10

The Web of Fear

"He thinks you're responsible for the Yeti!"

Writers: Mervyn Haisman & Henry Lincoln

Format: TV

Broadcast: 3 February - 9 March 1968

Season: 5.05

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Victoria

Synopsis

In order to escape an attack in space, the TARDIS makes an unscheduled landing and ends up deep inside the London Underground. Here the travellers soon find themselves engulfed in a terrifying battle against the Great Intelligence and the Yeti, a deadly enemy set to invade the Earth. As events progress and the menace spreads, it becomes clear that the Intelligence's goal is not just possession of Earth, but the Doctor's mind too.

Verdict

The Web of Fear was a great Classic serial and it was terrific to revisit it in its entirety! I remember back in 2013 being absolutely thrilled when then news came that this serial had been found almost in its entirety, and it's a delight to have it complete here with the third episode getting a well overdue animation! I was surprised at the time of the DVD release in 2014 that the missing episode didn't get the animated treatment, but better late than never! I watched the serial again in its entirety and it was a really nice trip down nostalgia lane. I was impressed with the lighting and directing considering this serial is 53 years old, but my main interest was concerned with the animated episode. I opted to stick to tradition this time around and keep things flowing as well as possible by having episode 3 in black and white, and it really did keep things authentic. It was tremendous to be able to watch the serial all in one go and it really is a triumphant return for the Yeti and the Great Intelligence. The Doctor and Travers acknowledging the little shift in appearance and how it was a mark two of the robot was nice and I just love the look of the enemies. Having the Abominable Snowmen in such a familiar setting of the London Underground is pretty barmy, but the contemporary nature of the setting is excellent and it really works nicely with Travers returning and being over three decades older. The moment Victoria recognises him but Jamie does not is lovely and it's fun to have this confirm to Travers that the TARDIS and time travel was all true. Harking back to The Abominable Snowmen was terrific and that was felt throughout the serial. The animated episode sees a visual representation of a very momentous occasion in the history of Doctor Who with the debut of Lethbridge-Stewart, who would of course go on to become the infamous Brigadier. Gemma was watching parts of this one whilst doing embroidery and it was fun for her to know who he was because of Kate in the modern series. It's quite the legacy! Now, I went into the animation knowing that it would be a different style to those that have come before it, and it was clear that was the case. I was hugely impressed by the artwork for the background sets and essentially everything that wasn't a moving character. The actual movement was quite disjointed a little off-putting at times, but I was delighted that the London Underground was animated so well, along with the dartboard also continuing to be there! That was really nice. As a whole, the setting is really what makes this serial and it has a claustrophobic and contained feel which really comes across nicely. It works so well. I love the Yeti and the whole use of the spheres control. The relationship between the Doctor and Anne Travers is also magnificent highlight. It probably goes a little bit long and the ending is slightly rushed, but as a whole this is still a fantastic serial and it's marvellous to have it complete! 

Rating: 8/10

Last of the Time Lords

"Siding with the Doctor is a very dangerous thing to do."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30 June 2007

Series: 3.13

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Captain Jack

Synopsis

It's been 365 days since the Master assumed world leadership. The human race is devastated and the planet is being prepared for war across the stars. But Martha Jones is returning home after walking the planet, and the fate of humanity at the mercy of the Master rests in her hands, and her hands only. Does she have what it takes to murder a Time Lord?

Verdict

Last of the Time Lords was a fantastic conclusion to the epic Series 3 finale! It's such a strong trilogy and whilst the way everything gets wrapped up is probably the weakest of the bunch, that says so much about its quality. Its really is a brilliant episode despite not quite reaching full marks for my rating, and I think part of that is due to the absence of the Doctor for the most part. That is, at least in a recognisable form. It's interesting to see the Master in control and to see what he would do to Earth when he ruled it for a full calendar year. He was in full control on the Valiant too with Jack tied up, the Jones family essentially his servants and the Doctor aged and sleeping in a tent. The helplessness of the Doctor really is tantalising to see and that immediately sells what kind of an enemy and villain the Master is, especially to new viewers who wouldn't have encountered him in the Classic era. I thought the episode did well to build on their relationship though with their history nicely highlighted with mentions of the Axons, Sea Devils and Daleks harkening back to several previous encounters in days gone by. I was particularly intrigued by the presentation of Lucy Saxon in the episode throughout with the directing surrounding her very nicely done. You could tell the strain of being the Master's husband for a year was taken on her and she was clearly mentally impacted by all the devastation. The description from Tish of having to watch millions die as Japan fell before we heard of Martha's travelling the world and everything she witnessed with the likes of Russia turned into a vast array of warships. The Master wanting to take Earth to war with the rest of the universe was fantastic and I loved the audacity of his statues being across the planet. That was pompous and that's exactly what you want. The Toclafane being revealed as the humanity of the far future is such a strong and powerful moment and it's fun to know that the Doctor had already worked out what they were. The paradox was in place to ensure the future could mix with the present and build an empire that would last for a hundred trillion years. It was quite the plan! Finding out that the weapon with four chemicals to kill a Time Lord dead was just a cover story for the true purpose of Martha's mission, to spread hope and faith across planet Earth and use the Archangel Network and its telepathic nature to have everyone think of the Doctor and return him to normalcy after a somewhat random ageing to 900. Having him in a bird cage was perhaps not necessary, but it showed the Master meant business when word had spread that Martha had come home. The moments where the Master walked among the civilians and killed Mulligan and just laughed was extraordinary stuff. Of course, once the Doctor was restored and the paradox machine destroyed, time reversed which was a little convenient, as was the Doctor's return to normalcy, but it was filled with hope and the Doctor' threat being about forgiveness was fantastic. The continuity error of returning to 8:02am whilst still being on the Valiant and that being the location of the President's assassination is glaring, but that's quickly mopped up by the Master being shot dead by his wife and refusing to regenerate. Martha's departure is handled well and I like that she makes the Doctor know how she felt about him. One of the highlights for me watching with Gemma was her humorous comment about loving the end of this episode because Martha departs, but it was actually how she said she would have forgotten to think of the Doctor if Martha came early on in the year. Priceless. Overall, a brilliant episode! 

Rating: 9/10

The Sound of Drums

"He's mesmerised the entire world."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23 June 2007

Series: 3.12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Captain Jack

Synopsis

The Doctor, Martha and Jack return to the twenty-first century eighteen months after the Doctor and Martha had left. They find they have missed the election, and the new Prime Minister, Harold Saxon, is very familiar...

Verdict

The Sound of Drums was a brilliant episode to continue what is an epic Series 3 triple finale! The run of episodes in this final half of the series is honestly incredible and I don’t think it will ever be matched in terms of consistent quality. This is probably the best series of the modern era and as we near the end, it goes out with a bang! The return of the Master and having him newly regenerated is so exciting and coupling that with him being Prime Minister of the UK is just extraordinary. It’s wonderful here to learn more of their past together and the little nods to the Classic era with the Doctor describing how he was always hypnotic was delightful. Through the Master’s return, we get a rare glimpse of Gallifrey and the Time Lords in the Russell T Davies era with the initiation and the young Master looking into the untempered schism just fantastic. The description and depiction of Gallifrey is beautiful and it’s delightful to see some Time Lords! The moment the Master and the Doctor talk on the phone is so powerful and I love how eager the Doctor is to save his old friend and enemy because he’s all that’s left of the Time Lords. The Master not seeming too bothered about Gallifrey and the Time Lords being lost was fun and he just wanted to know how it all felt for the Doctor to see two civilisations fall in an instant. The evil nature of the Master was established early on with the cabinet meeting and gassing his own party members, and John Simm really does shine. His interaction with the US President when it came to the first contact meeting was hilarious. I love the use of the Archangel Network and how it brought a modern technological spin to the Master’s hypnotic nature, and using the drumming in his head as the signal to ensure everyone voted Saxon was superb. Lucy Saxon is a magnificent character too and she’s clearly disturbed but revels in the murdering of her husband. The introduction of the Toclafane and their killing of the journalist was quite something, especially with the reopening of the door to hear her screams. Having the Doctor, Martha and Jack on the run was excellent and I liked how the latter’s vortex manipulator was rejigged by the Doctor to escape the far future and the end of the universe. The Master being in on the Jones family presented a deep struggle for Martha and that only continued as the story developed. Jack trying to check in with Torchwood was good and I liked how they had been shoved off on a dummy mission to the Himalayas to ensure they’d be no help. The Toclafane look very cool and their displeasure with being greeted by the President instead of their Master was marvellous. Him ordering the assassination on live television ensured a tense finale! The TARDIS being cannibalised into a paradox machine was sad to see and the desperation of the Doctor was so well played by Tennant. The perception filters used by the TARDIS keys was good and I liked how the aim was to get one around the Master’s neck to break the perception he’d gripped on the planet. However, he was quickly caught and the Master revelled in the use of his laser screwdriver to kill Jack. And he knew he’d get to do it all over again shortly which was really fun! The connection back to The Lazarus Experiment was great and I liked how that technology was all sourced into the screwdriver to age the Doctor 150 years. I recalled the Doctor Who Confidential episode based around that scene with Tennant having to film the ageing sequence in real time which was fun to relay to Gemma, and she ensued in her own reenactment which was hilarious! The paradox machine being primed and the Toclafane descending was excellent and the Master instructing the removal of one tenth of the world’s population made for quite the cliffhanger as the Doctor watched on helplessly! Overall, a superb episode!

Rating: 10/10

Utopia

"You'd give your life so they could fly."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 16 June 2007

Series: 3.11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Captain Jack

Synopsis

Captain Jack Harkness storms back into the Doctor's life, and the TARDIS is thrown to the end of the universe itself, as the Doctor finds himself pitched against one of his oldest adversaries in impossible circumstances. Could it be that he is not alone?Th

Verdict

Utopia was an outstanding episode to continue our rewatch through Series 3! I've been looking forward to this episode ever since we finished the end of Torchwood Series 1 because of how End of Days ties in with the start of proceedings here as we see Jack running to the TARDIS as he finally has tracked down the Doctor, but the Time Lord doesn't want anything to do with his old companion which is a stark reminder of how alien he can. I thought David Tennant was excellent with Jack and it's such a different dynamic for him now alongside this new regeneration, one he acknowledged as cheeky! I love the idea of the TARDIS going to the end of the universe and the reason being that the TARDIS wanted to shove Jack off because of his immortality. The Doctor describing how it was almost difficult to look at Jack because of how wrong he was made for amusement, but after a shaky start the pair blossomed back into the good times. Jack and Martha bonded really well but it was a little sad to see Martha's reaction to how much news of Rose's survival meant to him. The concept of a silo and trying to reach Utopia even at the end of the universe is brilliantly human, and seeing the admiration the Doctor and Jack had for mankind and their ability to survive was terrific. The lines about giving the would-be passengers hope and it being worth a look to go to the signal pulling them into Utopia was great. The myth around the Future Kind was good and I thought the threat they posed alongside the end of literally everything was fantastic. They were introduced full of action with the chase to the silo and it was so simple but effective to have a rogue one on the inside to sabotage the radiation sequence in the engines. Establishing Jack's immortality was superb and I loved seeing that through Martha. Him having the hand of the Doctor's that was chopped off in The Christmas Invasion was brilliant and I just love Martha's reaction and how strange she finds it. Her reactions were also utilised wonderfully well when it came to Professor Yana and his fob watch. She was stunned because the significance was extraordinary. Another Time Lord! The Face of Boe's warning from Gridlock was realised and the surname of Professor Yana being so important as an anagram is just magnificent. Chantho was a lovely character too and I think she's actually rather underrated. The return of the Master is handled so well with the fob watch and the conversation between the Doctor and Jack with the mentions of Daleks and regeneration, along with Martha's mentions of time travel and the TARDIS, sparked his memory back and hearing Classic versions of the Master in the voices of the fob watch before it was opened to have him revert back to Time Lord was outstanding. It was so well done and the Master naming himself before sparking Chantho established his evil demeanour in an instant. To anyone who didn't know, this Time Lord was not like the Doctor! Chantho getting some semblance of revenge in sparking a regeneration was good, but that whole conclusion is incredible as the Master commandeers the TARDIS before regenerating and leaving the Doctor and his companions at the end of the universe within seconds of falling to the Future Kind. It's an extraordinary end to a superb episode! 

Rating: 10/10