Run Fast, Be Kind: The Broken Man

"Let there be heroes."

Writer: Rochana Potel

Format: Audio

Released: July 2026

Series: Twelfth Doctor Adventures 1.02

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Ash

Synopsis

The Doctor has a new friend. All of time and space awaits. Where to begin?

Scotland, obviously! The Doctor has unfinished business there. An archaeological mystery which he needs to solve, so he can start laying the past to rest.

Verdict

The Broken Man was another really good episode to continue the ongoing Run Fast, Be Kind first series of the weekly Twelfth Doctor Adventures! After a strong start with The Second Death, this served as a great follow up as we now hear Ash firmly on board as the new companion. He's still a little shaky after recent events and who can blame him, but that feeling and sentiment was also shared by the Doctor as he's still reeling from losing River Song all over again following the wonderful conclusion to The Husbands of River Song. He was actually trying to finish their story together here as he came to test one of her theories that they never got around to doing. I thought that was quite poetic and it's nice to hear this softer side of the Twelfth Doctor coming out. I'm not sure we have ever heard him this vulnerable and that's a good dynamic moving forward with Ash. I really like how with him as a musician also, the pair can just jam together and using music as a kind of dual therapy is really nice. I'm not sure the Doctor has ever had a companion like that before! A shared love and activity can work wonders and I suspect that will happen here. I look forward to hear their chemistry building as despite a mutual respect and understanding, their relationship is still being tested. Ash was starting to get to know about the Doctor's life and his position as a Time Lord. There were rules and laws that must be followed and having the Doctor explain those was fantastic. It's always a big moment and a stark reminder that the Doctor is the last stalwart in enforcing those laws, even though admittedly he has tried to break and defeat them on numerous times. By this point in his life, he has accepted that they cannot be toppled. I thought the concept behind the Amber Giant here was excellent and I love the idea of dealing with something from the Dawn of Time. I would honestly adore a continuous series set during this era because the very fabric of reality is almost incomprehensibly different. Who knows what anything was like eleven billion years ago? It's an unimaginable timescale so the Doctor rebuilding the Amber Giant after parts of it were found by archaeologist Maddy. She was a fun character and it's nice that after having a long goodbye with River that the Doctor appreciates the importance of her profession. It's important to learn and discover history and I like that he sees things that way now. Learning about the Amber Giant and it being an android of over thirty feet was quite impressive but crikey they missed the boat on not putting him on the artwork! That feels like a massively missed opportunity. Xeron-C as a species that the Giant was involved with the protection of was intriguing and I liked that there was a huge ark. Not all of the eggs (so to say) were in one basket either and that helped advance the species into a huge civilisation that would span hundreds of thousands of years. Ash seeing the scale of what he helped influence was really powerful stuff and a fine way to end things. Overall, a great listen to continue the series!

Rating: 8/10