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

“DEAD TIME – A NEW STRAND OF STRANDED”

Time travel returns, paradoxes mount, and the Doctor’s housemates prove surprisingly indispensable.

Dead Time kicks off Stranded 2 with a bang—or, more accurately, with the eerie hum of the TARDIS spinning through the time vortex. After a full series confined to a single location and time, the Eighth Doctor finally gets his TARDIS working again… sort of. Time travel is back on the table, but space travel remains broken, meaning the Doctor and his ever-growing band of Baker Street strays take a tentative leap forward in time—and land somewhere very wrong.

What follows is an atmospheric and surprisingly tense story that mixes post-apocalyptic sci-fi with grounded character drama. Writer Matt Fitton continues to show impressive command over the ensemble cast, giving each member something to do while progressing ongoing arcs—Torchwood intrigue, Robin’s personal growth, and the nature of the Doctor’s influence on everyday people.

ROBIN STEPS FORWARD, ANDY STUMBLES BACK

Robin, the surly teen from upstairs, steps further into the spotlight here and finally starts to feel like an essential part of the Stranded tapestry. The story teases that there’s more to him than meets the eye—especially given the future’s apparent interest in him—and it’s a smart move to develop him as a wildcard element, one who might hold the key to the mystery of Earth’s vanishing future.

Andy, meanwhile, becomes increasingly Rory-like: charming, well-meaning, and desperate to prove himself in a world where he’s constantly out of his depth. His attempts at heroism often backfire, but there’s something deeply endearing about his determination to be useful among time travellers and aliens. He brings levity and heart, even when his contributions don’t always work out.

LIV, TANIA, AND DOMESTIC DRAMA ON A DYING EARTH

The relationship between Liv and Tania continues to blossom—and importantly, it now does so within the chaos of a sci-fi setting rather than in a grounded domestic space. Tania integrates well with the TARDIS team, proving resourceful, sharp, and very accepting of the strange world she’s stepped into. Her calm and intuitive response to the chaos of time travel only fuels the mystery around her background—especially as she appears to have more knowledge of the Doctor’s world than she ought to.

The tension between this intimate, character-led subplot and the larger sci-fi mystery of Earth’s premature extinction helps give the story its momentum. The future London doesn’t necessarily come alive as a setting, but the themes—abandonment, sterility, erasure—linger in the air, helped immensely by sharp sound design and a haunting score.

A BLEAK FUTURE, A BROKEN PAST

The future Earth the TARDIS arrives in is a ghost town: humanity has vanished, killer robots roam the streets, and an unexplained sterilisation protocol is in place. It’s creepy, evocative, and effectively raises the stakes for Stranded 2. This isn’t just a one-off detour—it’s the start of a long arc that challenges the characters to reckon with a potential future where they failed.

The plot structure allows each character pairing or group—Liv and Tania, the Doctor and Helen, Andy and Robin—to approach the mystery from different angles. It’s a well-woven web of interactions that maintains tension even as the plot stays fairly low-key.

It’s also touching to hear how the Baker Street crew now want the Doctor to stick around. Once frightened or confused by his otherworldly nature, they now consider him part of the fabric of their lives. It’s a subtle evolution from Stranded 1 that shows how far the characters have come.

TOO QUICK TO THE EXIT?

The climax is a bit of a letdown. Just as things begin to peak, the story rushes to return the TARDIS to the present day, wrapping up with a little too much speed and not enough payoff. The resolution feels more functional than emotional, especially given how much dread the rest of the episode builds.

Likewise, while the future London is hauntingly empty, it doesn’t quite do much narratively. The story doesn’t lean into its environment as much as it could have—it’s more of a backdrop than an active component of the plot.

📝VERDICT: 86/100

Dead Time is a promising start to Stranded 2, finally reintroducing time travel into the equation and reorienting the story from static mystery to active sci-fi thriller. The character work continues to be the backbone of the series, with Robin, Tania, and Andy all getting space to shine. The future Earth mystery is compelling, if under-explored, and the sound design delivers some chilling atmosphere.