The Keys of Baker Street

"Time will find a way."

Writer: Roy Gill

Format: Audio

Released: March 2022

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures: Stranded 4.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv, Helen, Tania, Andy

Synopsis

Homing in on the root of the problem, the Doctor attempts a risky solution – and disaster strikes. Soon, 107 Baker Street is all that's left of reality, as the residents climb the floors to face their destiny.

Verdict

The Keys of Baker Street was another great episode to continue my way through the fourth and final Stranded series of Eighth Doctor Adventures! This really does seem to have tied things up very nicely after an eventful fifteen episodes of the series and that fascinates me considering we have the finale to come! I wonder if that will have more of an epilogue kind of feel? I don't mind either way as I like the logic that came in this episode, as much as can be when we're dealing with paradoxical timelines and all the echoes created from the multiverse blended into one! I thought the effort from the Doctor in trying to prevent Robin from ever having moved to 107 Baker Street was intriguing and it's fun to see him getting to break the rules. The Laws of Time meant nothing with how shattered the Web of Time was after the TARDIS arriving in 2020 in the state it was in following Day of the Master, but if timelines were reset then the TARDIS would be fully restored! I'm glad we'll get a solid explanation as to how that will be returned to normality. It's been a long time without a fully functioning time and space machine for the Doctor! It was good to have Andy back as part of the team in full fashion and I liked how Liv proclaimed her love for Tania. I'm really not sure why it was such a shock to Helen to hear that. Perhaps because she's from the 1960s? Liv having used her qualities though on Robin's father was terrific, especially when she wasn't trying in the slightest! But her reaction to Andy bluntly stating that Ken actually fancied her and never went on the blind date with who would become Robin's mum was marvellous. Now that's a timeline! I enjoyed exploring other timelines that have been episodes in the series so far and harking back to UNIT Dating and Baker Street Irregulars was a nice touch. What I really liked was something of an explanation of the Curator's being. Exploring him as a future Doctor and referring to himself as the Curator instead was fascinating and I like the concept of him well into the future finally deciding to take a step back and referring to himself as an echo in much the same way Mr Bird was for Robin was really intriguing. So he's from an alternate timeline? I could buy into that for sure. Just having the Doctor and Curator interact was tremendous and it was great for the latter to surprise the former by explaining he was actually from his future. The Curator becoming his namesake as far as the Baker Street residence was concerned was fun as he talked of his history of dishing out keys for would-be residents, and the importance of them being originals was great. I loved the way time windows were utilised as a means of escape when the doors were not an option and just being stuck in the house as a remnant from another timeline worked well. This almost felt like a conclusion for the Curator as a character which was really done well and it also felt like the end of being stranded. I'm very intrigued to hear what the finale brings as I loved the way things ended here with the timeline reset and them arriving in 2020 to be met with concern about them being out and not wearing masks! There was a lockdown on of course. That was genius and whilst that obviously can't have been the intention when this series started, it was a brilliant way to really show that they had arrived in the true timeline and things were back to how they should be. A great way to incorporate real world events. Overall, a bit too on the nose with the keys but another terrific audio! 

Rating: 8/10