Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“BEYOND THE SUN: BENNY'S EX TAKES HER BEYOND THE PLOT”

Beyond the Sun starts off with a delightfully dry slice of Bernice Summerfield’s life—stuck on an uninspiring dig with hopelessly incompetent students. She’s knee-deep in disappointment, discovering nothing but faeces while searching for Chelonian remnants (a lovely nod to Gareth Roberts' The Highest Science). The opening is witty and tonally perfect, painting Benny’s frustration with the pretentious, privileged student she’s been saddled with. It's a very Benny setup: ancient ruins, academic exhaustion, and a longing for something—anything—more exciting.

Enter: Jason Kane. Benny’s ex-husband makes a surprise reappearance, dragging trouble behind him in the form of a mysterious and deadly ancient artefact he’s managed to land himself in hot water over. With the authorities unwilling to help, Benny reluctantly agrees to investigate… just in time for Jason to get himself kidnapped.

A PROMISING SETUP… AND THEN A DIRECTIONLESS DETOUR

The premise is genuinely compelling—a dangerous relic, a dodgy ex, and Benny caught between her better judgement and her curiosity. She's joined by Tameka and Emile, who tag along and mostly contribute by not listening to her. Their insubordination makes for some decent tension, and the story closes Part 1 with a solid cliffhanger: a chaotic attack on their ship and an exciting explosion. For a moment, the story feels like it's kicking into gear.

Sadly, that moment is fleeting. From Part 2 onwards, the narrative loses all momentum. The characters are scattered, the tension dissipates, and the plot becomes an unfocused jumble of meandering conversations, especially between poorly-defined alien characters. It’s unclear what’s driving the narrative anymore, and without a clear antagonist or central threat, the stakes feel murky at best.

CHARACTERS LOST IN SPACE

Tameka and Emile, after contributing to the chaos early on, are relegated to the background. A particularly awkward scene between Emile and a new character named Scott is both painfully written and clumsily performed. The performances throughout are a mixed bag, and wooden delivery doesn’t help clarify already confused plotting.

Benny remains the highlight—Lisa Bowerman is, as ever, brilliant. She grounds the drama with intelligence, wit, and that trademark no-nonsense charm. Her reluctant interactions with Jason bring out the best in her: snarky, vulnerable, and always just a bit fed up. The rocky nature of their relationship is captured well, even if Jason himself mostly comes across as a well-meaning disaster in trousers.

Speaking of voices from the past, the cast includes two very familiar ones: Anneke Wills as Doctor Kitzinger and Sophie Aldred as Miranda, Jason’s new partner. Hearing Aldred play a character so at odds with Ace is oddly distracting, and while it's fun stunt casting for fans, it also serves as a reminder of better stories

SOUNDS GOOD, FEELS EMPTY

Despite the shaky script, the production values are once again impressive for these early Big Finish outings. The sound design is dynamic, and while there's little in the way of music outside the diary sections and action scenes, the audio atmosphere is consistently solid. It's a testament to Big Finish's early ambition, even when the storytelling doesn't quite keep up.

Unfortunately, Beyond the Sun ends up being more of a frustrating detour than a satisfying journey. The compelling archaeology setup and emotional pull of Benny's complicated past with Jason are drowned out by a cluttered second half that meanders into incoherence. It’s a story that starts strong, loses its way, and never quite finds the map again.

📝VERDICT: 4.2/10

Beyond the Sun begins with a sharp, witty premise rooted in Benny's strengths—archaeology, sarcasm, and strained ex-husband diplomacy—but quickly spirals into a directionless, poorly paced sci-fi muddle. Despite Lisa Bowerman’s ever-reliable performance and solid production values, the lack of clear stakes, weak alien characters, and a completely unfocused second half drag this story down. As a debut for Jason, it’s underwhelming. As a Benny adventure, it has moments of charm—but they’re buried too deep beneath the rubble.