In Hooklight 1, the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Adric go and do some kind of Lord of the Rings, in space.

Nyssa is the ring lightbearer, Tegan is the grounded companion, and Adric and the Doctor can't seem to get their bearings in the quite intricate world Tim Foley has created for this epic 12-parter.

And with that sentence, I have summed up most of my positives and negatives about this release.

On the positive side: this is Epic. You have multiple planets with very fantasy names, you have a long history with multiple ages and it is evident that Foley has considered exactly what happens when in this world. The characters are varied and fun, though I got hints of an alternate Doctor and Sisterhood of Karn. The threat is built up well, and the atmosphere is great.

On the drawback side, pacing. The Doctor and co never seem to stick around one situation long enough for it to breathe properly. A lot happens, but it feels like the Doctor and co. are just swept with the flow, reacting but never really standing still. This does not quite fit, however, as the plot does have more tranquil moments, but the play just keeps escalating and that makes it somewhat tiring to listen to at times. Even at the end of the six episodes, new characters get introduced constantly.

It also feels like this play fits in more with the Time War stuff Foley has been writing that with the Fifth Doctor's era. This may be justified, however, seeing the cliffhanger.

And what a cliffhanger it is. I hope 8 and Adric can talk, seeing what 8 is currently doing in the Time War with Alex.

Still, the closest point of comparison wrt to 5s epics, Shadow of the Daleks, feels more in line with 5's general era atmosphere than this does.

For these drawbacks, your mileage may vary. I enjoyed listening to this a lot, and am looking forward to part two. I don't think this is Foley's greatest play due to the pacing, but it is very, very good nonetheless. As a recommendation: binge this. I listened to these episodes separately but it feels like this may be made to listen to in one go.