Review of An Ordinary Life by Seagullslost
9 November 2024
Set at some point within the Daleks Masterplan story, The TARDIS lands in 1950's London, The Doctor takes ill and the ship shuts down, but where does this leave Steven and Sara?
Though Jean Marsh has featured as Sara Kingdom in a few Big Finish audios; the Companion Chronicles ones haven't been for me, and the lost stories 'The Destroyers' episode I couldn't finish. So this is really the first time I've been able to enjoy her as a companion. As with Peter Purvis as Steven, with his lost episodes been recreated of late, I've found a new appreicated for the character. So this is a change to experience a less explored era in Doctor Who.
An imigrant family come to the aid of the TARDIS team, who themselves face racism. The Doctor dissapears leaving Steven and Sara to get jobs and live an 'ordinary life' in 1950's London. With this being Doctor who there is an alien threat but its more in the background for most of the story only comming to the front towards the end.
I quite enjoyed it, being able to enjoy Steven and Sara as characters is nice. Its is one of stories where the regulars get a chance to stop and breathe rather than going from one crises to another. The racism is a little uncomfortable to listen to, but it is something we need to be reminded of.
Whether it really fits into the middle of the Daleks Masterplan is debatable, but like a lot of Big Finish I kind of see it as a chance to have more.