Aegis

"It's like comic-con for war!"

Writer: Noga Flaishon

Format: Audio

Released: May 2026

Series: Thirteenth Doctor Adventures 1.06

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz

Synopsis

The Doctor and Yaz must infiltrate the Aegis Protectorate interplanetary defence expo in search of someone who has been dogging their travels. 

As the Doctor digs into the company's main export – the sinister Trojan Program, Yaz faces a battle of her own. Will they finally uncover the truth about the Tourist?

Verdict

Aegis was a decent episode to continue my way through the Thirteenth Doctor Adventures! I'm really enjoying the bimonthly release schedule with this series alternating with the equally brilliant Ninth Doctor Adventures and it feels pretty impressive and quick to have already reached the halfway point! With that comes what was built and promised as something of a mid-season finale which I think actually contributes to this being a slightly lower rating than much of the series so far. The preview in Doctor Who Magazine built up the reveal of the Tourist and the promotion has also followed a similar vain, but I don't think it quite lived up to that excitement. Maybe my expectations were too high and I am wrong to right this blog entry so soon after listening to the episode? Might I feel different after I've slept on it? Who knows. And as my rating shows, this was still good stuff and I thoroughly enjoyed the fifty-three minutes, I just wish there was something more familiar as the reveal of what is now a year-long story arc. There's still half of the series to go and judging by how things concluded here I'll be very surprised if this is the last we hear of Athena. She wasn't a likeable character and that's absolutely the appeal of her as a villain, but I almost feel like that part of her character was overshadowed by my anticipation for the Tourist reveal. I get she plays a huge part in that but the idea of her being a trans-temporal being just didn't capture me all that much I'm afraid. It's just personal preference. I thought the Mindscape scenes were intriguing but felt a little random with Yaz basically being held hostage in her own body. That's a strong concept that I think should have been the entire focus and really honed in on the Tourist. The TROJANS were another intriguing element in the story and I liked the way they were utilised in a story that was all about war. That's obviously something very close to the Doctor's hearts because of everything she went through and still lives with today. I thought Jodie Whittaker was wonderful yet again and I just love the energy and ebullience she brings to the role. She really is one of my all time favourite Doctors and I love filling the gaps for her era on screen here with an extended series where she's travelling with just Yaz. It makes perfect sense. They're a great couple together and it was clear that Yaz wasn't her normal self almost immediately and I'm glad the Doctor recognised that. The continuity with Ride or Die and having Prospero return was a nice touch and I liked how he had upgraded his appearance! No longer just a brain in a jar although that's a figure waiting to happen. The concept behind Aegis was pretty good and I do like the concept of a Protectorate but it didn't feel all that important to me. It was all about the Tourist and utilising Aegis to find a pattern of all those places the Tourist needed help and touched the Doctor and Yaz was nicely done. This still doesn't feel like the end for the Trojan Program but hearing Athena react to the Doctor putting a stop to her rather emphatically at the end was appetising. It was a lovely moment at the end too for the Tourist to be in the TARDIS and just momentarily get to live the dream of being the Doctor's companion. I thought that was pretty special and I'm sure a lot of fans could relate. What that must be like! Overall, a decent concept but perhaps too overhyped? Still, a good listen and I'm so excited for another half of the series to come. 

Rating: 7/10