So, after so many years away from the role, Christopher Eccleston returns to Doctor Who in a story that, quite frankly, left me dismayed.

It is possible that after a decade and a half with no Ninth Doctor, I had built into myself a sense of unrealistic expectations. But I see I am not alone in people feeling a little underwhelmed with Ravagers. It's a relief to know that Ninth Doctor Adventures will improve going forward, but for now, it's really rough to start with an audio that -

1. Is in three parts
2. Drops you right into the action with a new companion and a pretty creative setting
3. Is fairly experimental in its story structure (although nothing too new in the larger world of Doctor Who)

I really get confused by this because these audios really feel like something that should be better designed to get people into Big Finish. Eccleston is a draw, something that can bring in the larger Doctor Who community, and instead of something a bit more traditional we get a story that jumps around a lot, ends on a cliffhanger, and perhaps overindulges in its alternate reality premise a bit too much for my preferences.

I liked Audrey enough even if I saw the twist with her coming a mile away, while Nova I am pretty neutral towards at the moment. I don't think Sphere of Freedom gives enough for Eccleston to do to really stand out for his big return.

"Disappointing" is the word that most comes to mind for Sphere of Freedom. It leaves me really worried about the next two parts of Ravagers.