Ship in a Bottle

"We might not always win."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: March 2017

Series: Doom Coalition 4.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen 

Synopsis

The Doctor, Liv and Helen are hurtling into a future that has been utterly destroyed, trapped inside a shuttle with no possible means of escape. But with the lives of everyone in the universe in the balance, they've got to find one. And soon. When the stakes are this high, you can't just give up. Or can you?

Verdict

Ship in a Bottle was a strong start to the fourth and final series of Doom Coalition within the Eighth Doctor Adventures! I liked how this followed on from where The Crucible of Souls left off with the Doctor, Liv and Helen being plunged into the nothingness of the future. It was a daunting prospect and hearing them on the other side was terrific. It was good continuity, although it didn't really feel like a series opener. Hearing the defeatist attitude of the Doctor admittedly did get a little annoying and I was firmly on the side of Liv. She absolutely refused to give up, especially with the circumstances considering Padrac and the implications of his actions. His victory would mean the end of the future and that's difficult to wrap your head around, but I'm all for it. This being a three hander between the Doctor and his two companions was magnificent and they went through a lot. That's obviously understandable in their almost helpless situation. It was a time for reflection as the Doctor worked out some details about the Eleven, about Padrac, and about how everything he had done was just falling into the hands of his old friend. Even that Octavian was the Eight. It was all connected and nothing favoured the Doctor. I thought it was premature for him to accept that he might not win this time around, but it was that quick disregarding of even trying which didn't sit right with me. I was glad that Liv was able to make him see sense in the end and she just wasn't going to give in. She did accept that they might not always win and I loved the harking back to Dark Eyes in mentioning Molly there. She knew the score, but she wasn't having it this time around. There was too much at stake. I thought this was one of her finest episodes as companion which is a delight to say. She also stood up for Helen which was good and she just felt so mature and seasoned. It was lovely to listen to. Helen felt a little on the outside given Liv's longer tenure with the Doctor but I disagreed there. She's been crucial ever since arriving earlier in the series. She's a strong companion and her rudimentary understanding of waves and suggesting to ride one actually turned out to be the answer! After a few failed attempts and efforts in space with an uncomfortable spacesuit, the Doctor planned to have them ride a shockwave right back through the vortex. It was brave and audacious, but it just about paid off. Liv wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea, but it was their best shot and she trusted the Doctor. She was reluctant but then knew it had to be done. I thought the Eighth Doctor's comments about his previous incarnation and thinking himself as the chess master were fascinating as he was far from complimentary! He regretted the moment in having the Eleven imprisoned on Gallifrey as he was not close to being defeated. He was just in cold storage waiting for Padrac. He was very harsh on himself and I'm intrigued to hear how this will impact him moving forward. Focusing on the potential changes to time was intriguing and I liked that he used the fact the Eleven didn't recognise Liv and Helen despite them travelling with the Nine as evidence that time could still be changed. He was going to ride the shockwave back to a point before where things could be altered and the future saved. There was a whole lot going on, and we hear that Liv and Helen make it through into space, but they only have five minutes of oxygen left. That was quite the cliff-hanger with no Doctor in sight and Liv still being confident that somebody would be coming to save them. It wasn't much time for a rescue in space! But I like it and I'm interested to find out who it is that comes. Overall though, a really strong series opener! A great listen.

Rating: 8/10