This is a very clever character piece, tying into the theme of autumn - calming down after the craziness of Summer, and preparing for the harsh winter ahead, the beginning of the end. This is such a beautiful story for Nyssa, if we had something like this in Season 19 I would've appreciated her so much more - and of course it comes from one of my favourite writers from the new series, Paul Cornell.

The Doctor spends most of his time on the cricket team, becoming one of the boys, and I think he's rather enjoying himself. He's taking time to learn what it means to be human, and as one of the most human doctors out there, alongside maybe McGann and Tennant, this works for him so well to have some fun for once, and struggling with human-scale challenges rather than foes that threaten the livelihood of the Universe. Although he might act human, he absolutely has no clue how to understand the concept of love, and rather struggles to comprehend the romance blossoming between Nyssa and Andrew. Because he's always been supportive of her dreams, considering her to be strict and career-focused (something rather progressive of Nyssa at the time), he's thought her dreams were career-based, hence allowing her the time to write a book. However, he had no idea what was coming for him, and it was a great shock for him. The way this relationship is handled is mature and brilliantly written, a lot like the way Martha sees John Smith fall in love in Cornell's other work, Human Nature. Sarah Sutton does a phenomenal job here, portraying an uptight young girl who's never been exposed to the value of romantic love and ends up being really rather awkward. She softens a lot as she spends more time with Andrew, finally allowing herself to open herself up to emotions, pouring them out into a book from the mindset of a child and not a scientist. It's such a fantastic idea to throw Nyssa in this direction, and the work/life balance storyline, whilst a usual trope for female characters, is flipped on its head as she might miss out on what would've been, but actually questions the "fairytale ending" as Nyssa is able to look at this with a sceptical eye having never grown up to think of this as idyllic - she's her own person with her own values, and she sees that life as not one she wants, opting to travel further with the Doctor. I think it'll be interesting to see how this further plays out in the final part, Winter, as I know she's grown up and has a child, exactly the lifestyle that she rejects here. It's like I said at the start - the Autumn is preparing for what's to come.

There's no real danger, just pure character drama - it's not something the show does often, but it's a welcome change when it does happen. I love how Nyssa mentions that pacifism doesn't have to be a fantasy, and tries to live her life like that, really setting the tone for the story as a whole.

There's a real sense of comfort and relaxation here - this tranquility is so strange to see with these characters, managing to spend time in one place, it's almost like the Doctor never wants to leave. Nyssa being tempted by a place with the same name as her home is such an interesting idea, referencing the fact that she still misses the comfort of staying in one place in one time and suggesting that she's tempted by the idea of staying with Andrew. The setting suits this relaxed episode so well.

Andrew is a man's man, struggling to open up about his feelings - for him, he adheres to a very strict belief of societal roles, but he's still enchanted by the woman who ignores them. There's something so poetic about that, and the way that the two bounce off each other is so sweet and perfect.

The score is so peaceful and quiet, it never goes overboard, but the constant, little twinkle accompanying the dialogue really sets the mood perfectly.

Favourite Line: "He brings time to the immortals. He makes the kingdom come to an end."

One of the strongest Fifth Doctor episodes by far. The performances shine through an already superb script, the setting and score is so sweet and compliments everything tied together brilliantly. It tells a story of romance with an unlikely companion and these scenes where she has her first kiss and... more... are so strange but it fits so well for Nyssa. Paul Cornell is honestly one of the best writers ever given to Doctor Who - I don't know why I was so surprised at the quality of this script, with stories like Father's Day, Human Nature/The Family of Blood, Scream of the Shalka and more... How could I have expected anything less of him?