Alixion

"I've done bad things."

Writer: Robin Mukherjee

Format: Audio

Released: September 2025

Series: Lost Stories 9.02

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

Checking into a luxury health spa for a little rest and recreation, the Doctor and Ace find themselves at the mercy of a malign entity that craves the conquest of time and space. 

Exploiting their memories and regrets, the queen of the hive, which hides behind the polished walls of the spa, forces them to confront their deepest fears as she steals the Doctor's life force to spread her powers across the universe.

Verdict

Alixion was a great story to conclude the ninth series of Lost Stories! I'm a massive fan of this range and I'm not sure how many more possibilities there are for it to continue, but long may it. The nature of the range means this is naturally a slightly different listening experience because I can't help but try to picture how this would have worked on screen. There is so much mythology and lore and just potential about what may have happened during Season 27 if Doctor Who was able to take its Classic era into the 1990s, and this was a fascinating glimpse. I must say that one of the biggest attributes this story has going for it is how authentically it captures the era of the Seventh Doctor. The type of story, the pace, and even the incidental music was incredibly impressive. This could easily have slotted into either of the last two Sylvester McCoy series in my opinion. I was intrigued in my research to find that this was going to be the regeneration story for the Seventh Doctor and that really is interesting because it didn't really feel like that here. It would have been quite a sad way for this incarnation to depart given the emotional torment he goes through in this story. I was also really intrigued that the original script commissioned was only three parts so it seems the author has had fun expanded the story here to four parts. I thought the pacing was good and it filled the four parts very effectively. The actual plot itself is pretty bonkers and that's no bad thing. It certainly keeps the listener on their toes! I thought Mathilda was a fascinating character and her starting off in introducing the Doctor and Ace to their rest and recuperation stay for the night to how she ended the adventure really was quite the journey! Her relationship with Larkin was extraordinary in the way he came to be worshipping her as the Queen of the Hive. Her pull and control over him was almost uncomfortable, especially considering that he was there to find his daughter. The Doctor appealing to him about that and describing how she was broken in two was very gruesome. And yet he was still partly devoted to Mathilda! Her lust for causing the Doctor anguish was pretty psychotic and the way she wanted to use Ace to get to him was horrifying. She wanted her to suffer, just to see the suffering and pain that would cause the Doctor. It was downright evil. I thought the flashback sequences were good and this would have been something very unique for a televised Classic era serial. It's a shame this never got the chance to present itself. Ace was going through a lot in this story too as she was reliving memories she couldn't even remember. Colin being there to show her that was interesting but the very concept of forgotten memories messes with my head a little! It was fun to hear Ace deal with that though and it was nice that she was reminded of some good she did in her younger days. I thought the way things concluded were actually good even if they were expected with the Doctor overpowering Mathilda with himself. That sounds weird but that's basically what happened. Too much Doctor did the trick. Ha! That was fun and I liked that the Doctor still had an ulterior motive. I also loved Ace's passion when it came to saving Isabelle. That was a shining moment for her as companion. Overall, a bit whacky and full of emotion. A great listen! 

Rating: 8/10