Fixers: Much Ado About Racing

"Heartbreak sustains me."

Writer: Fio Tretheway

Format: Audio

Released: July 2026

Series: Seventh Doctor Adventures 9.03

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ray

Synopsis

When the TARDIS arrives at the start of the Intergalactic Championship Rally, the Doctor and Ray are caught between two rival racers. And for Ray, long-buried feelings resurface. Something is at work here: something feeding on heartache and regret. And love among the race-crafts isn't all that's at stake...

Verdict

Much Ado About Nothing was a great episode to conclude the Fixers series of Seventh Doctor Adventures! This was a really intriguing and unique story which I was glad about and despite the obvious Enlightenment vibes, this really did feel different. I don't think it was perhaps the best idea for the audio format, but I certainly appreciated the sound effects that came with this episode. They were considerably different to pretty much anything we've come across from Big Finish before which was good and certainly felt refreshing for the audio format. It was good stuff and the pace was rattling along. That's a good thing because things did feel lighthearted somewhat when it came to the Intergalactic Championship Rally which is ironic given the parasite that was literally at the heart of the story. It was basically there right from the start which was good and it had consumed Ray's mental thoughts to such an extent that she thought the voices in her head were just her own. She was going through a lot emotionally in this episode which I thought was really strong. I don't think it's any secret that Delta and the Bannermen was a pretty camp serial and Ray fits in perfectly there, so to have her questioning her sexuality was unexpected. It was a bit of a shock to her too which was really powerful stuff as she started to realise she might actually like girls that way. I was kind of glad that she had that conversation with herself and not the Doctor as it was important that she came to her own internal conclusion. The actual setting of the Rally was fun and the history between Boots and Mercury added a whole other level to the dynamic of competition. Ray being told to rile up tension amongst them with their past love was good and even shocked the Doctor. I wasn't overly sure about his insistence on keeping a fixed point in time intact and honestly that element got forgotten about! I didn't even consider it until the Doctor's line at the end. It just wasn't the focus and it shouldn't have been so no issues there. I liked how it was a female-centric story focused on love. So inserting a parasite that fed on heartbreak was brutal. It's an intriguing concept and I'm surprised it hasn't happened more. It worked really well in manipulating events to cause more hurt and the race between Boots and Mercury was perfect for that. Those two realising each other was more important than victory was really nice as when one was in peril, the other wasn't interested in victory. Not dying was also a bit more important than victory which was good to make clear. I thought it was great how love came together to provide the impetus defeat and it was always going to be that way, but sometimes predictable is the way to go and the way it should be. Ray reflecting on things at the end was a really nice touch and I thoroughly enjoyed her own personal growth and reflections. It's important and was some excellent character building for a companion who I hope will be sticking around for a long time to come. Overall, a great episode to conclude a very solid series! 

Rating: 8/10