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

“SUNSET: KRYNOIDS, CHAOS AND A DOCTOR IN THE DARK”

Sunset, the second episode of Planet Krynoid, hurls us into the thick of a full-scale infestation with barely a moment to breathe – and it’s all the better for it. Where Sunlight simmered, Sunset explodes with tension, visceral soundscapes, and rapid developments as the Krynoid invasion reaches its brutal apex. The result is a taut and terrifying continuation that pits the Eighth Doctor against some of the nastiest greenery the universe has to offer.

There’s a deep sense of dread here from the get-go. The sound design is vivid and gruesome, evoking classic body horror with modern apocalyptic flair. You can feel the plant tendrils curling through the cracks of society as the colony splinters under pressure. It’s The Last of Us meets The Seeds of Doom with just a dash of The Walking Dead’s bleakness – all filtered through a particularly audio-centric lens.

A DOCTOR OUT OF TIME

Paul McGann's Doctor arrives late to the party, and that’s very much the point. He emerges from cryogenic sleep, having placed himself there to halt a Krynoid infection – a decision that instantly paints him as vulnerable, enigmatic and out of sync with the chaos around him. His presence here is unusual, almost mythic: a lost figure returned, dragging mystery and half-answers in his wake.

We’re told he arrived with Liv Chenka, but her fate is left deliberately unclear. The mystery is compelling, with the listener learning the truth alongside the colonists. Rather than dominate the narrative, the Doctor becomes one thread in a broader, desperate tapestry – his arc unfolds at the same pace as those around him, which is both refreshing and tantalisingly incomplete.

FAMILY, FRAGMENTS AND FOLLY

The colonists' tensions reach boiling point. Social fractures are exposed between the elite and the underclass, and there's a palpable sense of rising panic as secrets are uncovered. The moral rot in the leadership is particularly striking – we discover that Holden deliberately unleashed the Krynoid pods, hoping to find a cure for his infected wife. A risky gamble, and one that spirals horrifically out of control.

The emotional core here is Holden’s family, now twisted beyond salvation. His wife’s grotesque transformation and her callous hunger, even in front of their terrified daughter, makes for some truly chilling scenes. Reece Shearsmith delivers a standout performance as the Governor, his desperation escalating into madness as he’s taunted by his Krynoid wife and ultimately driven to suicide. His journey is a bleak but compelling descent.

PLANTS VERSUS PEOPLE

If Sunlight was eerie and simmering, Sunset is explosive and action-driven. Gunfire is a frequent – and fatal – mistake, with the colonists failing to realise that heat accelerates the Krynoid spread. The constant firefights raise the pace, but also the stakes, with one particularly haunting moment seeing a colonist sacrifice herself so the Doctor can escape. It’s horror steeped in nobility – a classic Doctor Who moment in the midst of chaos.

There’s also something deeply satisfying about the reveal that the planet – Verdana – is actually the Krynoids’ homeworld. The colonists’ terraforming efforts have awakened something ancient and vengeful. It’s a sharp thematic undercurrent: nature reclaiming its own, fighting back against exploitation by wealthy settlers who see the land only as a commodity.

STRONG ATMOSPHERE, SLIGHTLY MUDDLED STRUCTURE

The pace is relentless, and while that keeps the adrenaline high, it occasionally comes at the expense of clarity. The large ensemble cast still feels hard to track at times, and while the societal dynamics are intriguing, they’re not explored in much depth. The story’s action and atmosphere are prioritised over characterisation – understandable, but it leaves some interactions feeling undercooked.

Similarly, the narrative shape feels more like a bridge than a full story in its own right. While there's progress – the Doctor regains his TARDIS, the mystery of Liv lingers, and the Governor’s downfall plays out – it still feels like a lot of running in place. The ending, though dramatically satisfying, leaves us with a colony blinded and doomed, and the Krynoids advancing – a cliffhanger, not a conclusion.

📝VERDICT: 9/10

Sunset is a brutal, breathless entry in Planet Krynoid, ramping up the horror and action with some truly grisly moments and fantastic sound design. The Eighth Doctor’s mysterious re-entry adds intrigue, while the central themes of ecological backlash and colonial exploitation give the story weight. It may not answer many of the bigger questions, and it’s more about the ride than the resolution, but what a ride it is. With plant-based peril, high-stakes sacrifice, and an atmosphere thick with dread, Sunset continues the Krynoid saga in savage, style-soaked fashion – and leaves the door wide open for more green horrors yet to come.