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

“THE END: LOOPS, SACRIFICE, AND A FRANTIC RACE AGAINST TIME”

Geronimo! wraps up with The End, an intense, time-twisting story that grips the listener from the very first second and never lets go. Featuring one of Big Finish’s more ambitious time-loop narratives, it expertly balances high-stakes tension, emotional drama, and classic base-under-siege thrills. It’s the perfect way to close out this first chapter of Eleven and Valarie’s adventures, leaving us with a cliffhanger that promises even bigger things to come.

DEATH IN THE TIME LOOP

The story wastes no time throwing us straight into chaos. The Doctor lies wounded on an operating table, dying in front of Valarie, who can do nothing but watch. Then, suddenly, we jump to another version of events—this time, it’s Valarie who is dying, while the Doctor is the one trying to save her.

From here, the narrative slowly reveals itself: Eleven and Valarie are trapped in a time loop aboard a besieged space station, with only one of them able to survive in each iteration. The only way to break the loop is for one of them to accept death. It’s a mind-bending premise, but the script manages to maintain a steady grip on the listener, ensuring that the twists and turns remain engaging rather than confusing.

As the loops repeat, we slowly begin to understand what’s happening, where they are, and why time is unravelling around them. The clever structure demands the listener’s full attention, but it never feels like an overly complex puzzle for the sake of it. Instead, it allows us to see how both the Doctor and Valarie tackle the same situation in different ways, highlighting their growing partnership and distinct approaches to problem-solving.

A BASE UNDER SIEGE—WITH A TERRIFYING THREAT

Amid the chaos of the time loops, we also get a classic Doctor Who setup: a base under attack by an unseen enemy. The crew of the station, initially distrustful of the Doctor and Valarie, soon become key players in the desperate fight for survival. The supporting cast is well-integrated into the story, providing more than just background noise as they each contribute to the struggle against the unfolding catastrophe.

And then there’s the monster itself—an unseen horror lurking in the shadows, creeping ever closer. The tension escalates as we hear the eerie sounds of the attacker long before we fully understand what it is. When the reveal finally comes, it’s a chilling one: the station is under siege by dimension-hopping insectoid creatures, time spiders, whose rapid reproduction threatens to tear apart reality itself.

The design and execution of the time spiders are fantastic. The sound effects are especially effective, making them feel truly alien and unsettling. The insect-like noises add a layer of body horror, making the threat feel not just dangerous but deeply unnerving.

ELEVEN AND VALARIE—FACING THE IMPOSSIBLE

Beyond the high-stakes tension and intricate storytelling, The End is also an excellent character study for both the Doctor and Valarie.

The story forces them to confront their mortality in a way that few adventures do. In each loop, one of them is dying, and the other must find a way to accept—or fight against—it. It’s a brutal dilemma that challenges their morals and their will to survive.

Eleven’s usual energy and quick-thinking brilliance are still present, but we see a more desperate and raw side of him here. Trapped in a cycle where he keeps losing his friend, his Time War trauma comes to the surface in subtle but powerful ways. Meanwhile, Valarie, despite being new to this life, refuses to simply accept her fate. She pushes back, determined to find another way, proving once again why she’s such a compelling companion.

Their relationship is strengthened immensely through this ordeal. They don’t just work together—they fight for each other, refusing to accept any reality where one must die for the other to live. It’s the kind of emotionally charged storytelling that Big Finish excels at, and it elevates The End beyond just a clever time-travel puzzle.

AN INTRICATE, MULTI-LAYERED NARRATIVE

One of the most impressive aspects of The End is how it plays with its structure.

Not only is the story stuck in a time loop, but the loops themselves run in tandem, intersecting and overlapping in unexpected ways. The listener is constantly jumping between perspectives, piecing together the truth as each new iteration provides another clue.

This kind of experimental storytelling can sometimes feel like a gimmick, but here, it works beautifully. The looping nature of the plot isn’t just a cool trick—it’s essential to the story’s tension, themes, and ultimate resolution. It also makes The End a story that benefits from multiple listens, as each re-listen allows for a deeper appreciation of its intricacies.

A CLIFFHANGER TO SHAKE THE TARDIS

Just when it seems like the dust is settling, The End delivers one final gut-punch:

The unknown force that has been manipulating the TARDIS throughout this box set is still at work. As the Doctor and Valarie escape, the cloister bell begins tolling—a classic sign of impending doom. Then, the TARDIS starts to explode around them, and everything spirals into chaos.

It’s an exhilarating and dramatic way to close out the set, leaving listeners desperate for the next chapter. Who—or what—is pulling the Doctor’s ship through time and space? And what fresh dangers await Eleven and Valarie in the next volume?

📝VERDICT: 8/10

The End is a bold and gripping finale, delivering a perfect balance of tension, emotion, and intricate time-wimey storytelling. The time-loop structure is cleverly executed, the monsters are genuinely unsettling, and the emotional stakes are sky-high.

Jacob Dudman and Safiyya Ingar give some of their best performances yet, selling every moment of fear, determination, and heartache. The supporting cast is strong, the sound design is top-notch, and the overall experience is one of relentless suspense.

Ending on a thrilling cliffhanger, this story cements Geronimo! as a must-listen for fans of time-twisting Doctor Who adventures.