Expulsion: A Crucible of Queens

"This is justice."

Writer: Lizbeth Myles

Format: Audio

Released: April 2026

Series: Sixth Doctor Adventures 10.02

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri, Turlough

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt, the Doctor and Turlough find themselves aligned with opposing factions. Turlough befriends Charles, the Dauphin of France, while the Doctor is tasked with healing his father, King Charles VII. But two powerful women are also in play: the Dauphin's adviser Yolande, Duchess of Anjou, and his estranged mother, Isabeau of Bavaria. 

Can the TARDIS crew keep both queens happy – and keep their own heads?

Verdict

A Crucible of Queen was another strong episode to continue my way through the Expulsion series of Sixth Doctor Adventures! I’m still finding the dynamic between this new makeshift TARDIS trio of the Sixth Doctor, Peri and Turlough a tad strange but I’m enjoying the intrigue. It does feel a little harsh on Turlough that almost every conversation he has is about him leaving! He’s only just bloody returned! His history is sketchy understandably and whilst I’m not historically the biggest fan of his companion, I am feeling a little sorry for him now. Maybe that’s the intention? I’m not sure but it definitely doesn’t feel like he can just enjoy himself and the travels. Granted, arriving in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt isn’t the best of times and locations for to enjoy one’s self, but alas we move forward. I thought the premise behind this adventure was very strong and I’m always in favour of exploring historical events outside of England so this was a fun setting indeed. It’s something I had a little knowledge on but not a huge amount so I enjoyed the educational element of the story. It was really enjoyable! I do think the story would have benefitted from being four parts and doubled in length because there was so much value in the setting and the characters. I definitely got a sense of things feeling rushed which was a shame as things definitely felt in a hurry to get Turlough split from the Doctor and Peri with him remaining in Agincourt whilst they ventured to Paris. That’s quite the shift and scale for an episode lasting little over an hour. It had a little bit of a vibe of The Romans to it which is absolutely magnificent and a huge compliment. I thought the humour that came from the Doctor then being reunited with Turlough but not actually be in the process of killing for him was tremendous. I’m not sure he should have admitted that to his companion though! Good ol’ Sixie. I thought the battle for Charles as the Dauphin of France was fascinating and I particularly enjoyed Isabeau as his mother. She understandably wanted to be reunited with her son after all these years but the likes of Yolande as the Duchess and the advisor stood in her way. Her son was a changed man now and wasn’t the boy Isabeau remembered. The Doctor being forced into an extraction mission or Peri would face execution was brutal after all of the help he’d given her! But that was the reward for hard work. Even harder work. I thought Charles getting friendly with Turlough was good and the companion being referred to as my Lord was certainly a welcomed change for him! He didn’t really embrace it though and seemed offended by the Doctor noticing he was happy and suggesting he might stay! I thought the family dynamic in the episode was really good and the shock that came from the conclusion when Charles still went through with the murder was palpable. The silence was deafening but I could see his perspective also when it came to the threat to his family line and those in his family tree that had already been killed. In historical terms I do feel like that was justified, but it obviously wouldn’t fly with the Doctor and his companions. He knew that history would take its course and couldn’t be altered, but here we are. It was a nice pondering moment of reflection at the end of the episode to now send us into the finale for which I’m very excited! Overall, another great listen. 

Rating: 8/10