Back to Earth: Station to Station

"There's no escape."

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: May 2022

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 5.01

Featuring: Ninth Doctor

Synopsis

A deserted railway platform can be the loneliest place on Earth. But when Saffron is stranded at Underbridge station, she meets echoes of the past – and a fellow lost traveller. And the Doctor knows that something is hunting them...

Verdict

Station to Station was an outstanding start to the fifth volume of adventures for the Ninth Doctor! I like the idea of going Back to Earth and having this incarnation of the Doctor there for an extended stay prior to Rose will hopefully help as he deals with the consequences of the Time War. The audio started in eery fashion though with Kate at the station and she seemed to indicate that she couldn't be seen. She was in the clutches of the Grimminy-Grew and couldn't escape from it once she was taken. I liked how there was trouble with the TARDIS and the interaction between the time and space machine and its pilot was a fun way to introduce Christopher Eccleston to the story. There was a voice heard within that was rhyming which was fantastic and I liked that the defences were down. That's always good vulnerability. Saffron entered events in equally eery circumstances as she got off her train for no apparent reason and just felt the need to change whilst on the phone to Erin, who later transpired to be her fiancé. She was lost though and that provided a fun meeting with the Doctor near the tracks. The concept of the psychic paper being scared was fun and I liked that the Doctor thought it was misbehaving. Saffron's phone was on the blink too and there was a link there with communication devices ousted. The Doctor briefly flashing away was intriguing and I liked how it helped Saffron accept the situation she was in. They developed a strong relationship as she filled the companion role for the episode, and the ticket humour about the Doctor not having one and the potential of the barrier eating it was magnificent. The TARDIS having vanished was brilliant and the time contusion seemed to be all around as it was they that had moved rather than what they thought. Finding out that Saffron was on the train to see her parents and tell them she was getting married was good and we soon learned a lot about her family as she revealed her parents wouldn't be accepting of her marrying another woman. Saffron wasn't even sure whys was coming and was trapped between choices which was a tremendous concept in explaining how people got captured. The unseen echoes were perfect for the atmosphere and I liked how there were glimpses of physical interaction. The Doctor and Saffron encountering the station master was great and he helped them to the safety of the ticket hall, but he couldn't even remember his own name which showed the toll taken! The Doctor working out that everything was a trap was terrific and I liked that those captured were slowly being absorbed. The idea of a collection of stolen moments was glorious and I loved that timelines were overlapping with the pain brought by making a choice. Saffron explaining how she didn't understand why Erin loved her if her parents didn't was extremely powerful stuff. The Grimminy-Grew admiring savouring the regrets of its victims was just vicious. The story of the Children of the Sillaroom was great stuff and I liked how they gave birth to five monstrous children before being beaten by the Time Lords, and the last had escaped and seemed to end up here. All of the lost joining together to protect a fading Saffron was just terrific and I really enjoyed the conclusion with the Doctor offering a battle of words to name the monster and ensure it lost its power. The three guesses was a nice touch and the Doctor being named as Lungbarrow, the Oncoming Storm and school nickname Theta Sigma was nicely done. With the Grew gone, it seemed like all would be lost like a breath, but a triumphant finale saw all the moments saved as the trains returned for them to catch and they could Mae their choices all over again after a lifetime of pondering. Saffron choosing to go home and that being where she was loved was a lovely finish. Overall, a tremendous audio adventure! 

Rating: 10/10