Blind Terror

"He would meet his agent face to face and he would defeat it."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: July 2008

Series: Doctor Who Files 13

Featuring: Sontarans

Synopsis

On the trail for the final of four attacked Rutan ships, Commander Churl and Lieutenant Stavv are on the hunt. For victory! For Sontar! 

Verdict

Blind Terror was an excellent little short story to continue my way through the Doctor Who Files! I’m keeping my local library busy with this one as I requested to reserve the copy of the Sontarans purely for this adventure. They got it out of reserve stock and it seems that despite being released some seventeen years ago, I am the first borrower! To tell you something about the age range for the target audience from this collection, the librarian thought I was taking the book out for my newborn daughter who was strapped to me. Six weeks old she was when I took this out of the library! To be fair, I can’t fault her for thinking this book wasn’t for the twenty-eight year old man in the room but content is content and I’m a massive fan of the Sontarans so I was keen to read an adventure where they were the main focus. It’s an easy and obvious route to go down, but I was thoroughly delighted to be reading them on the hunt for Rutans! The endless war between the Sontarans and Rutans was established way back in The Time Warrior and reaffirmed in the modern era during The Sontaran Stratagem, so to actually get a taste of it in the modern era feels important. Just getting a description of the Rutans was delightful and I’m sure the first time any modern only viewers could get an impression of the Sontarans’ eternal enemy. I do wonder how many will have watched Horror of Fang Rock to see the Doctor take on the Rutans? I must say they did feel a little inferior to the Sontarans here but given the focus of the book that’s not massively surprising. It also tailed the back of the Sontarans taking down three of four ships and them finishing the job. I thought the unnamed but titular blind girl was a fascinating character and it was excellent for Churl to think her dishonourable and not worthy for losing her sight to illness. That was no battle wound! She did know about the Rutan ‘animal’ though and that worked nicely in saving her life. I thought the attack on Stravv was good and the girl shooting the Rutan was unexpected! Churl was quite satisfied with what went down though which was a nice way to finish things purely from a Sontaran perspective! Back to war he went as the Rutan scum lived on. I thought that was a nice touch as he didn’t seem like the main Sontaran in command from the off. There was definitely something of the Zygons in the Rutan’s new gained ability of metamorphosis. Just needing a little bit of tissue to replicate was definitely the orange sucker speciality! The blind girl having lost her dad to the Rutan was a shame and I was almost laughing at the lack of Sontaran sympathy. The idea of Sontarans being aware of human girls from their combat training is also quite incredible! There’s a lot to love about them and exploring them in detail here was a delight. I’m all for them hunting Rutans and I still can’t believe that war hasn’t been depicted on screen. We’ve had a Big Finish series and now this short story here from the modern era, but still nothing on screen. Maybe one day. For now though, this was a fantastic little read!

Rating: 9/10

Faithful Friends: The Krillitane Relic

"It's like stasis, but in the stars."

Writer: John Dorney

Format: Audio

Released: January 2025

Series: Classic Doctors, New Monsters 5.03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ray

Synopsis

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Ray to a space station cryogenic facility, where interplanetary VIPs are stored pending medical cures.

There is a familiar face here too – someone the Doctor remembers, but who does not remember him...

Verdict

The Krillitane Relic was an excellent story to continue my way through the Faithful Friends fifth series of Classic Doctors, New Monsters! I must admit I wasn’t too surprised to hear that this was a direct sequel to the series opener of The Krillitane Feint, but the way in which it was just worked so brilliantly and was a tremendous twist. Knowing that this story was the turn of the Seventh as the Classic Doctor featuring in the episode, I was quite taken aback to hear Wendy Padbury open proceedings in a fascinating pre-titles sequence! It was tremendous and the prospect of encountering a Zoe post-The War Games was delightful. The Doctor recognised her right away which was lovely but she was less sure on who he was. That was of course understandable given he’s regenerated quite a few times since she last saw him! I thought the references to The Wheel in Space were delightful and it’s just another reminder of how soul destroying the fate of Jamie and Zoe is at the hands of the Time Lords. As the Doctor explains to Ray, her memories of their travels together are wiped apart from her first one and that just isn’t fair. The Doctor wondering if the Time Lords actually botched the job here was excellent and more than feasible! I really liked the continuity with Zoe’s numerous Companion Chronicles adventures and the humorous line about the originality of the Company’s name being just that was fantastic. It wasn’t exactly creative! Acknowledging that was a nice touch. I enjoyed the pace of the story and whilst the Krillitane would become the focus given the huge twist, at its heart this was actually a Zoe story that brought out a touching side to the Seventh Doctor. His pondering on if he should have gone back and visited his former companions to check in after everything that had happened was powerful stuff. It’s not often this incarnation of the Doctor has a guilty side. Of course, he would actually have no reason to as the truth about ‘Magdor’ was revealed as a leftover Krillitane from the Second Doctor’s encounter with the race in this boxset’s opener. The Doctor thinking she would die within hours was actually a bit harrowing but it showed what he thought of the Krillitane. This episode really sold just how well the Krillitanes can adapt and take on another’s form as the Doctor was convinced he was encountering his old companion. I thought Peacock deducing and tracking down the real Zoe based on the Doctor’s description of the Wheel and Cybermen was impressive and gave the game up. The Krillitane was outed and her innocence in reacting to the monstrous claw marked deaths in the episode became even more callous. Given the name of the episode and the connections with cryogenic technology it was clear early on what truth lay behind ‘Zoe’, but that really didn’t take anything away from the reveal. It was just wonderful. The plot had natural similarities with the series opener and that was fine, and I was quite impressed with how impactful and quick the Krillitane were dealt with this time around. Now, the only problem I had with the episode was Ray. That sounds harsh and whilst I was delighted to hear her again after making such a strong impression in Delta and the Bannermen, I just wish we had an explanation for her presence! I thought I may have missed something in the Monthly or Seventh Doctor Adventures but research tells me this is her first Big Finish appearance! And she’s just already a companion? Some sort of origin for her being reunited with the Seventh Doctor would have made this a perfect rating for me. She was wonderful to have around and I adore how Welsh she is, but I’d just like to know why. Overall though, still an excellent episode and magnificent listen!

Rating: 9/10

Sightseeing in Space: Terminal of Despair

"They've made us afraid to hope."

Writer: Steve Lyons

Format: Novel

Released: October 2011

Series: 2 in 1 4a

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The TARDIS crew is quarantined in Terminal 4000, where the hideous Desponds have destroyed the hopes of all awaiting passengers. Can the Doctor and his friends help them escape without succumbing to despair themselves?

Verdict

Terminal of Despair was an excellent novel to kick off my reading of the Sightseeing in Space book! Another in the 2in1 collection I have finally succumbed to as part of my local library and honestly I am annoyed at myself for leaving this range for so long. I thought it was going to be too child oriented but I was so wrong. Sure, this is aimed at a slightly younger audience but as a twenty-eight year old man reading this I could appreciate the excellence in the story being told. I am a big fan of when adventures go to space so the umbrella title for the book excites me, although I wouldn't exactly say a spaceport terminal qualifies as sightseeing! That's coming from me as well who is a notorious tourist whenever I go abroad I make sure to see all of the touristy sites and some of the off the beaten track attractions as well. For example, when visiting Bratislava I went to the Museum of Clocks despite having little knowledge or interest in the time mechanisms! A terminal though is something I think I might draw the line at so I was surprised that on arrival Amy was so keen to explore. I get the attraction though with the setting being the future so she wanted to see what duty free was like in space. I thought the Doctor jumping around with boredom was fun and strong characterisation of this eleventh incarnation. When Janie was introduced to the story I loved how her question to the Doctor about not coming to save them then changed the entire dynamic of the novel! His approach to things shifted enormously and he was horrified to find that the passengers were all delayed by five months. That's some waiting time. His discussion about places that you just wait was terrific too and they really are quite boring places at times. That's why I usually have a book when travelling to keep the time productive. I thought the concept behind the Desponds was fantastic and the prospect of them taking all hope away from someone they latched onto was powerful stuff. I can't imagine what it would be like to have all hope eradicated! Seeing the Doctor become subjected to that was a bit of a surprise to be honest, but the result was incredible. This wasn't the Doctor we knew at all anymore as he was happy to just leave. Amy came into her own as the companion here and her appeals to him were just wonderful. Telling the story of The Eleventh Hour and her Raggedy Doctor was sublime and I like how she appealed to the 160 odd stranded passengers that they had hope and this was represented in the Doctor. His exiting the TARDIS to applause kicked him right back into gear which was just tremendous. That was a stellar image as the Doctor returned to his incredibly hopeful self that we all know and love. I thought the sub-threat of Roger and the Cap was strong and Rory getting mixed in with them because they thought he was an engineer after he accompanied the Doctor in repairing the vending machine was amusing. It was less so when he was pushed out into space helplessly! The use of his own oxygen tube to get back to the ship was impressive stuff from Rory though. There was a lot of jeopardy in this book which was fantastic and I liked how the Doctor tricked the computer systems on his way to getting things back up and running. The sonic never finding the frequency to hurt the Desponds was amusing especially when he had found the one to attract them. Roger being responsible for the Desponds in the first place was a good revelation and explanation of how things came to be in a quarantined knockdown and him accompanying Amy in the TARDIS at the end without her knowing what he'd done to Rory was tremendous. Her shift in wanting him to tell the authorities everything was marvellous. I like that the ships all set off as the Doctor and Rory sacrificed themselves, before Amy took it upon herself to move the TARDIS despite the word not coming due to the Doctor being out of credit! That was a sublime chapter cliffhanger. Overall, a terrific read! 

Rating: 9/10

War Room: Manoeuvres: Ambition's Debt

"Obliterate me!"

Writer: Katharine Armitage 

Format: Audio

Released: September 2023

Series: Gallifrey 14.04

Featuring: Leela, Narvin, General, Rasmus, Veklin

Synopsis

Tensions run high in the War Room as the battle for control intensifies. A world has gone missing, the Daleks are too quiet, and something new lurks in the shadows... A dangerous plan is set in motion with the potential to change everything. 

Verdict

Ambition's Debt was a great episode to conclude the Manoeuvres fourteenth series of Gallifrey as the second instalment of War Room! This has rounded out what was a really strong and consistent series. Despite my high rating and enjoyment of the series, I do think this could have been even better and more climactic in terms of a finale. That’s not a problem though and it does seem to just be a middle boxset in a much wider arc. It’s a shame there was a year delay to the third boxset but it means I’ll be able to pre order and listen on time! I’m all up to date with Gallifrey now which excites me terribly and I can’t wait to hear how Ollistra takes to essentially being second in command to Rassilon. I would have liked some appearance from the President Eternal in this series given everything that’s happened with Romana and the mission of Leela and Narvin to save her, but I suspect that’s building as the series goes on. I thought the link back to Collaborators was excellent and the continuity with what had now happened to Orrison was terrific. It was no surprise to find that the same writer penned the opener and finale and that worked out very nicely. Narvin felt a little absent from the episode which was a shame, but his reaction to finding out that the Daleks had taken the planet and repurposed it for their own gain as part of the Berserker programme was palpable. He was devastated by his previous actions in the decision made for the planet and now the Daleks were using the bolt for their own preparations. The Berserker class Daleks were explored further here which was intriguing and the concept of them repairing themselves from any materials around them is frightening. The fate of those met in the series opener with Leela encountering Ferdi now converted as a Dalek was horrifying! The battlecry of obliterate was scary when he wanted it done to himself. Even Leela tried to detonate him but he just started repairing himself from the surrounding materials. I thought Clemantia was really interesting here and her explanation to Leela about the siphoning of time was fascinating. Comparing time to energy was mightily intriguing and I love the idea that if there are still points then that excess time needs to go somewhere and that’s where the flowers came in as an organic component. I thought that was terrific. Ollistra was in superb villainous form here with what happened at the end in the revelation that she had basically orchestrated the entire thing for her own political gain! The scale of Time Lord sacrifice here and the fake battle plans was shocking as she outed them and manipulated them into aiding her control of the War Room. It was cunning stuff! It puts the War Room in such a perilous yet interesting position ahead of the next boxset! I can’t wait to hear where things go from here. Overall, a very strong episode to conclude a great and consistent series!

Rating: 8/10

War Room: Manoeuvres: Transference

"All crimes have motive."

Writer: Fio Tretheway

Format: Audio

Released: September 2023

Series: Gallifrey 14.03

Featuring: Leela, Narvin

Synopsis

When a promising scientist is injured and his new technology stolen, Ollistra sets Leela on the trail. Her hunt takes her outside the Citadel to Lowtown, where a shock awaits. Narvin has returned to Gallifrey. But in trying to help his kin, he risks more than he knows.

Verdict

Transference was another great episode to continue my way through the Manoeuvres second instalment of the War Room for Gallifrey's fourteenth series! Wow, I'm nearing the end of the fourteenth series which is some going for an audio spinoff but it really does show no sign of letting up which is testament to the depth of storytelling and the characters created. As I mentioned in my blogging of Remnants yesterday, I expected this episode to be focused on the Resistance and that was certainly the case as Narvin and Leela returned to the forefront of events. I loved Leela's reaction to seeing that Narvin was back on Gallifrey and her shock showed just how dangerous his presence could be. His position in the Resistance now is huge and if he was caught the punishment would be catastrophic. It's one thing for them to be conversing but physically meeting like this was a nice little reunion. I loved that the pair are still set on freeing Romana from her pocket dimension detention but there's a long way to go to reach a point of being able to do so. The ruthless nature of Cardinal Ollistra was in full show here and it almost felt a completely different side to her. She was just outright mean and showed no compassion when it came to Helico and Lenaris. The latter being Narvin's cousin was a nice touch and I enjoyed Leela's reaction to finding out that he had a family. He never talked of them – as you might expect! – and that didn't please Lenaris all that well. Her brother being Helico was a fun revelation after the attempted assassination on his life when showcasing his new MT weapon to the War Room. Leela catching on that things were not right when she could see what turned out to be Lenaris approaching was excellent and sent her right back to her predatory instincts and savage ways. Even having her alluded to as a savage by Narvin when it came to their meeting in Lowtown was a reminder of just how far she has come since departing the Doctor. I really appreciated the references to The Invasion of Time in having Leela back outside of the walls of the Citadel and outside of the Capitol it almost feels wrong that Gallifrey has dwellers ruled over by criminals. It was interesting to explore more of that hidden side of the Time Lord planet. Where do they stand in the Time War? It didn't feel like they were granted much protection. The concept behind the MT and its connection to the Matrix was intriguing, although I feel like having that kind of direct connection would have been something the Time Lords would already have. It was dangerous though and Ollistra having no qualms in testing it on Lenaris was brutal. She was all for the war effort and cared little about anything else. She knew the connection with Helico would also see him affected and did it anyway because promises to what she deemed a traitor were not valid. It was horrifying villainy and put her on Rassilon's level in my opinion. She was that ruthless and callous. The reaction of Narvin when Lenaris was left as nothing was incredibly emotional and I felt so sorry for him. Leela keeping a level head and thinking of the bigger picture was brilliant as she rendered him unconscious to ensure he wouldn't give up his presence with the microspans of his TARDIS shielding counting down. I suspect big things are brewing ahead of the finale given Narvin's feelings increasing against Ollistra and the War Room, and I can't wait for it! Overall, another very strong listen.

Rating: 8/10

War Room: Manoeuvres: Remnants

"They repair themselves from the surroundings."

Writer: Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: September 2023

Series: Gallifrey 14.02

Featuring: General, Rasmus, Veklin

Synopsis

A distress call from a Gallifreyan outpost brings the General, Rasmus and Veklin into contact with weapons of the Time War from both sides. Trapped, young Time Lord Cresta fights for her life against a relentless foe.

Verdict

Remnants was another great episode to continue my way through the Manoeuvres fourteenth series of Gallifrey and second instalment of the War Room! This was a little different from what I was expecting as the episode focused away from the core characters of Narvin and Leela, but that was no issue at all as we got into some juicy Time War action. I thought the trio of the General, Rasmus and Veklin really did a strong job in carrying the episode and I liked how this was very much a story for the War Room. A clear objective in hand with a good familial connection that was exploited. It certainly ticked a lot of boxes in my opinion. I was delighted that the episode featured the Daleks as ever since Gallifrey ventured into the Time War for its ninth series and onwards, I don’t think we’ve had enough of them! They’re literally the opponents in war so it makes sense that they should be a regular if not permanent feature. The garbled message coming from Cresta was good and I liked how the General was hiding the fact he was her uncle. She didn’t exactly do a stellar job in keeping it hidden that she was his niece with how many times she referred to him as uncle, but it was excellent for Rasmus to exploit! He’s out to gain an advantage and I can appreciate that. He knows the value of having something on someone in the position and rank of the General. I thought the reminder of the General’s changing gender was a nice touch and a good foreshadowing of what would happen to him during Hell Bent. I wonder if Cresta would announce her as her auntie so freely still! I thought the presence of a Berserker Dalek was intriguing and I like the mythical status behind them. At one point they were just myth but then they weren’t. That’s such a simple explanation but given the scale of the Time War, that kind of thing can happen. The concept of them using the materials around them to repair themselves is excellent and I love the fear that comes from a Dalek that is basically always on the mend. It’s also exciting for the scale of the destruction because the Daleks in general are bad enough but this particular class are all about wiping things out and quickly on a grandiose scale. That’s deadly! I thought the science division being recognised on the Dalek saucer was impressive and those that were left to research were quite saddened by the fact the Time Lords weren’t coming to rescue them. They were only after the resources of the Bezerker Dalek. The use of the inhibitors to stop them was good and I loved the simplicity of their original use to be preserve food. So the organic systems within the Dalek were frozen and it became quite an effective weapon! Teblin was a pretty unlikeable character but I couldn’t blame his stance towards the War Room. He’d dreamt of climbing the ranks to serve in the War but after seeing it in action he wasn’t pleased. His actions in wiping out the Dalek saucer was literally an explosive ending as they disintegrated into nothing, but he wanted his name to go down in history. The first Time Lord to wipe out a Berserker! You couldn’t disagree with the history. Overall, a strong episode to continue the series! I sense we may now have a Resistance focused episode before the finale. 

Rating: 8/10

War Room: Manoeuvres: Collaborators

"There is a war on your doorstep."

Writer: Katharine Armatige 

Format: Audio

Released: September 2023

Series: Gallifrey 14.01

Featuring: Leela, Narvin

Synopsis

Gallifrey and the Resistance are in a race to secure a vital alliance. But playing politics means secrets, lies and betrayal... and Leela, caught in the middle, must try to rescue honour from chaos.

Verdict

Collaborators was a strong start to the Manoeuvres second series of Gallifrey's War Room and the fourteenth series overall! I am quite impressed with myself now that in a few days' time I will have caught up with the Gallifrey series as I was actually quite daunted by the sheer depth and levels of the series when I started the first series way back when around five years ago. We've come a long way since then and Romana is trapped in a pocket dimension by the current resurrected President Rassilon. It's quite the basis for a boxset set during the Time War and it certainly has the appearance of being a desperate time on the planet of the Time Lords. Orrison would become the basis of that on both a macro and micro scale which was terrific to hear. At the front, both the War Room and the Resistance were after the planet's nutritious resource of boltaric acid. I thought that also the secret meetings between Leela and Narvin were fantastic and it's lovely to hear them together again despite them being stuck on each side. There's a vibe that they just want to be together and put the Time War behind them and rescue Romana, but the delays there are becoming frustrating for them. I do hope they will work towards rescuing her ahead of the next boxset later this year. But I'm getting ahead of myself there! I think it's wonderful that we get to hear more of the new incarnation of Ollistra and after the impact Jacqueline Pearce made alongside John Hurt's War Doctor, it's only fitting that the character lives on in a new regeneration. I thought Eris as part of the Resistance was decent and I liked the interactions he shared with Narvin. The former was very much in position as the leader but it didn't feel like he had too much seniority when the latter was around. His diplomacy was hardly respectful or confident when it came to the negotiations with Prince Ferdi about the bolt supply. The General on the other hand was much more experienced in this kind of thing and was open to their concerns. I thought the time winds seemed like a great defence mechanism as it was and whilst I do appreciate the might and force of the Daleks, especially during a time of war, the fact that even the Time Lords needed permission to be let onto the planet made me question why they were negotiating in the first place! I thought Ferdi's position as a prince and needing to gain the approval of his people before being promoted to king put him in a difficult position so it wasn't too much of a surprise when he tried to play both sides and agreed to the terms of both the War Room and the Resistance. That didn't go down well with either side! I liked that Leela and Narvin could essentially play both sides against each other and the General in particular condoling the former's behaviour and the way she talked in particular was excellent. She wouldn't lie, but he knew she was basically working against the War Room. That was a fun dynamic. I thought the War Room not settling for half of the bolt when it came to access to the planet was pretty shady and certainly cemented them as the enemies of the series. Not all Time Lords were good, even if they were fighting the Daleks. Their actions in using the access granted to take Orrison's bolt supply didn't go down well and that leading Ferdi to seemingly side with the Daleks in the Time War will surely come back to bite the Time Lords in the future! Overall though, a really strong start to the series! A great listen.

Rating: 8/10

The Secret of the Stones

"To observe is to change."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story 

Released: August 2007

Series: Doctor Who Files 12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha

Synopsis

Martha Jones wants to visit history's greatest mysteries. The only problem is, the Doctor has been to most of them. But a request to see how Stonehenge was built is granted and the Doctor wants to know its purpose...

Verdict

The Secret of the Stones was a great little story to continue my way through the Doctor Who Files! I'm not quite done yet but this is the last of the original releases that came alongside Series 3's broadcast so it certainly makes sense for the adventure to feature the contemporary TARDIS duo of the Tenth Doctor and Martha. I do think this is a pairing that often gets overlooked due to the emotional attachment of Rose and the comic value of Donna (heightened by her return in the sixtieth anniversary specials), but I would say overall that Series 3 is the Tenth Doctor's strongest. So it was nice to revisit that era and I wasn't sure what kind of story we would get when I saw that the Doctor Who File was focused on the TARDIS. It is an obvious candidate to have as a title in this range and I think the significance of the story is one that could quickly be overlooked. I don't think this range is anything to take seriously but I love the implication of the TARDIS being part of the reasoning for why Stonehenge exists. Annoyingly, I am still yet to visit the historical site and considering I spent three years living in Bath and a year in Bristol which aren't exactly far away from Salisbury Plain, it is high on my bucket list to tick off. I am fascinated by the construction of it and I like that the Doctor was also really interested in the why. What does it actually do or mean? The idea of Martha wanting to solve some of history's greatest memories is sublime companion quality and I think it's something I would certainly be invested in if time travel were possible. I think the reference to The Chase was delightful when it came to Martha wondering on what happened to the Mary Celeste, and it's not the first time it's been referred to in this range which is fun! I thought the use of the TARDIS and seeing year by year how Stonehenge came to be constructed was intriguing and not exactly a typical way of exploring the past. I liked it though and appreciated how unique it was. The snapshot feature was what I initially was expecting the story to focus on in regards to the TARDIS, but it was so much more! The Doctor's whole spiel about not interfering with history even just by observing was very amusing given the fate of his actions in the story. For so many years, at the same point every year, the TARDIS arrived to take its snapshot and check in on the progress of Stonehenge. And unbeknownst to the Doctor, it was the TARDIS that was becoming the inspiration for the entire site! I think that's delightful and the use of Mangoor as a scavenger that looked upon the TARDIS and saw it as a column shape within the sun's rays was great stuff. I think this story will be at the forefront of my mind when I do eventually visit alongside that of The Time Meddler. I really appreciated the gravitronic beam reference when it came to getting those massive stones on top of one another with ancient technology. The Doctor being perplexed and none the wiser by the end of the story as to why Stonehenge was built was lovely stuff. Overall, a really strong and intriguing story! Honestly, it just seemed to end a little suddenly and a tad more Mangoor would have been really beneficial. But still, a fantastic little read. My rating almost seems harsh!

Rating: 8/10