Survivors: The Harrow

"This could be an entirely new life form."

Writer: Georgia Cook

Format: Audio

Released: June 2026

Series: Planet Krynoid 2.02

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv

Synopsis

Nobody knows what really happened to Station One, Verdana's first, doomed colony. But after materialising in the path of a Krynoid, the Doctor and Liv are about to find out.

Verdict

The Harrow was a very strong episode to continue my way through the Survivors second series of Planet Krynoid! This linked up with the Nightfall first series very nicely as this was a funky little prequel to Sunset which worked very well! I was excited before the story was even released to find that we would be getting an Eighth Doctor and Liv story because they're a brilliant pairing and the more we get of them the better in my estimation. I liked the continuity of them addressing Helen's absence but she wasn't really missed here and it felt like a nice little throwback to have these two on their own. It's been a while! There's a really strong vibe and atmosphere that comes from the Krynoids and whilst The Seeds of Doom is rightly revered, it is impressive how well Big Finish are doing in establishing them as a fantastic monster. There's a tense atmosphere throughout and the feel of the entire spinoff feels dark. I like that it's definitely more suited to an adult audience and it just works well in feeling both authentic but incredibly different as well. It doesn't always feel like it's Doctor Who even with the Doctor around and that's a huge compliment. With the output volumes that Big Finish have they need stuff like this and it just works. I do enjoy playing around with time and release dates so this being a prequel to an episode we had last year was fantastic and definitely explained a few things about the Eighth Doctor's presence there! This was a hundred years out from those events and it was good to separate him from Liv towards the end as an explanation of why he was travelling solo. She had a strong outing as companion as she normally does and I think her med tech background definitely came into play where the Krynoids were concerned. I also thought it was pretty amusing for her to want to try some sort of honesty route and not have the Doctor use the psychic paper when introducing themselves. Eleena was a really strong character and other than the Doctor and Liv she felt like the centre of attention and focus, and rightly so. She was really engaging and I quite admired her. Phillip was another one who made a big impact and his death was incredibly emotional! I didn't see that coming which is always good and it says a lot about the character that it felt like a monumental moment and shift in the episode. The desperation of him not quite reaching Liv and needing to let go to prevent the Krynoid spread was terrific. I thought the Krynoid infecting the Doctor was really good and the image of him being all green was great! How is that not more evident on the cover? I liked the continuation of the threat from mere seed pods but we continue to learn that where the Krynoids are around, that's actually devastating. Something so simple and innocent looking becomes a disaster. Every single time! I thought Amesus was good as the Overseer and Katarina also worked well as Phillip's daughter. I think her presence as his familial connection just enhanced the desperation of his death as her name was one of his final words. The conclusion worked well in tying up some loose ends with where the Doctor went and Liv feeling the Krynoid within her die as the cultivator clashed with the Krynoid was pretty neat. There was a lot of action in the story which isn't always the best route on audio, but I think it worked well here. The Krynoid threat is very real and the signal being sent keeps the overall arc ticking over nicely as we head into the finale. It's one I'm very excited for! Overall, a great listen! 

Rating: 8/10