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

"SCHERZO – A HAUNTING, INTIMATE DIVE INTO THE UNKNOWN"

Scherzo wastes no time plunging us into its unsettling premise, with the Eighth Doctor and Charley stranded inside the TARDIS, pursued by an unseen terror at the very edge of existence. Forced to flee, they emerge into an unfathomable void—a place where sight, touch, and taste are meaningless, and sound is their only guide.

This marks the true beginning of the Divergent Universe arc, the Doctor having exiled himself to Rassilon’s experimental pocket dimension—an alien reality where time itself does not exist. Stripped of all familiar comforts, the Doctor and Charley must navigate this bizarre new world while coming to terms with the fallout from Zagreus and the deeply fractured state of their relationship.

A TWO-HANDER LIKE NO OTHER

Robert Shearman (Jubilee, 2003; Dalek, 2005) crafts an audaciously experimental script, relying solely on the interplay between Paul McGann and India Fisher to drive the narrative. With no guest cast, no music, and no traditional action, Scherzo leans entirely on dialogue, sound design, and atmosphere to tell its story.

McGann and Fisher rise to the challenge spectacularly. Their chemistry has always been a highlight, but here, stripped of external distractions, they deliver some of their most raw and emotionally charged performances. The Doctor, reeling from his decision to exile himself, oscillates between anger, arrogance, and tenderness, while Charley is left trying to navigate the shifting emotional landscape of a man she no longer fully recognises. Their bond is tested in ways that are as painful as they are profound.

SOUND AS A WEAPON

The sound design is a character in itself—minimalist yet deeply unnerving. The oppressive silence is punctuated by distorted echoes, unsettling distortions, and bursts of overwhelming, ear-splitting noise. The absence of music only heightens the sense of alienation, forcing listeners to engage with every whispered breath, every strained exchange, and every disturbing moment of auditory horror.

The concept of sound taking on a tangible, even predatory quality is executed masterfully, making Scherzo a story that simply would not work in any other medium. It is uniquely suited to audio, using the format’s limitations as a strength rather than a restriction.

A STORY THAT LINGERS

Beyond the experimental format, Scherzo excels in its exploration of existential themes—identity, love, sacrifice, and survival. The eerie imagery of the Doctor and Charley unknowingly consuming the flesh of dead bodies is just one example of how the story seeps under the skin, slowly revealing its deeper horrors.

The story expertly maintains a slow-burning tension, punctuated by moments of creeping dread and sudden, visceral intensity. As the Doctor and Charley’s relationship mutates along with their environment, Scherzo refuses to offer easy resolutions, instead leaving us with an experience that is haunting, moving, and impossible to forget.

VERDICT: A BIG FINISH MASTERPIECE

Wildly original, emotionally devastating, and utterly unique, Scherzo is Big Finish storytelling at its boldest. With a story that could only work in audio, two powerhouse performances, and a creeping sense of unease that lingers long after the credits roll, this is not just a standout Doctor Who release—it’s one of the finest pieces of audio drama ever produced.

📝100/100