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“SINGULARITY – TIMEY-WIMEY TECH-BABBLE AND A COLD WAR THAT NEVER HEATS UP”

James Swallow’s first contribution to the Big Finish Doctor Who Main Range, Singularity, is a bold swing into heavy sci-fi territory—but unfortunately, it never quite connects. Featuring the Fifth Doctor and Turlough in a near-future Moscow, the story wants to deliver a heady mix of time-bending conspiracy, dark future prophecy, and philosophical techno-horror. Instead, it ends up tangled in its own ambitious ideas, weighed down by exposition, meandering characters, and a narrative that never quite finds its footing.

COLD WAR, COLDER STORYTELLING

Set in a snow-covered Moscow of the not-too-distant future, Singularity is at least aiming for a distinct flavour. Unfortunately, outside of constant name-drops of landmarks and references to the chill in the air, the setting fails to make much of an impression. The Russian atmosphere never fully comes to life; it could just as easily be any generic sci-fi metropolis, and the thick accents among the supporting cast only further distract rather than immerse. The audio format can make unfamiliar settings rich and textured with the right sound design—but here, it feels flat and geographically anonymous.

THE DOCTOR AND TURLOUGH IN TURMOIL

Peter Davison gives a typically committed performance as the Fifth Doctor, but even he seems a little lost amid the techno-jargon and heavy exposition. There are hints of the morally concerned, melancholic Doctor—especially when he reflects on humanity’s grim future—but these moments are fleeting. Mark Strickson’s Turlough is largely underused, mostly tagging along and providing questions for exposition dumps, though he does get a few moments of independent agency.

Their main ally, Lena Korolev, and her companion Alexi fail to leave much of an impression. Despite a personal tragedy that forms the emotional core of the plot, they’re so burdened by dry exposition and grim stoicism that it's hard to connect with their journey. The story wants us to care about their loss, their choices, and their resistance—but they never come alive enough to anchor the narrative.

SOMNUS FOUNDATION: BIG IDEAS, SMALL IMPACT

At the heart of the story is the Somnus Foundation, a shady organisation promising godlike evolution for humanity via a trans-temporal hive mind called the Singularity. It’s a promising concept, with shades of The Bells of Saint John, The Next Doctor, and even The Invasion of Time—but Swallow never quite makes it land. The Foundation’s leaders are suitably sinister in tone, but are relegated to a lot of grandstanding and cryptic declarations until the final act. They know the Doctor, know of the Time Lords, and manipulate events from the shadows—but they lack the presence or menace to make them truly memorable.

The most effective idea in the script comes in Part Four: the revelation that the villains are the last remnants of a future human race abandoned by the Time Lords, trying to rewrite history by invading their own past. That’s a great science fiction twist on the invasion trope, and it gives the villains’ actions some emotional weight and a genuine grudge. Their desperation adds depth, and the connection to the TARDIS—being hijacked and tortured to link with the Time Vortex—is an evocative and unsettling concept.

SOUND AND FURY, SIGNIFYING… WHAT, EXACTLY?

Much of Singularity is marred by an overwhelming soundscape that tries to simulate collapsing timelines and unstable realities but mostly results in a disorienting mess. Audio drama thrives on clarity, even when the plot is complex, but this production too often resorts to noise and shouting instead of tension and stakes. The climactic confrontation in Part Four—packed with cries, crashes, warbles, and whines—feels like chaos without consequence.

There are also far too many stretches of dialogue that feel like extended infodumps. Even when the ideas being delivered are interesting, the delivery feels like a chore rather than a revelation. Temporal rifts, paradoxes, mind-links, future wars—it all blurs together without ever generating a meaningful emotional response.

NOT QUITE A SINGULAR SENSATION

To its credit, Singularity does try to tap into the grim, speculative tone of late Davison-era serials like Frontios or Resurrection of the Daleks. There’s a cold, clinical view of the future, a universe where idealism has curdled into techno-fascism, and a Doctor increasingly burdened by moral consequence. But unlike those stories, Singularity forgets to build characters we care about or a world that feels real. The thematic material is there—but the human connection is lacking.

📝VERDICT: 41/100

SINGULARITY wants to be a hard-hitting, emotionally complex sci-fi thriller—but instead becomes a confused, overstuffed, and emotionally distant story. While it contains a few compelling ideas (especially the Part Four twist involving the future of humanity and the tortured TARDIS), it ultimately falters under the weight of its own exposition and noise. Davison and Strickson do their best, but with forgettable supporting characters, murky antagonists, and an underwhelming sense of place, this chilly tale never really heats up. A misfire, albeit an ambitious one.