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TARDIS Guide

Review of The Living Darkness by Joniejoon

4 April 2025

This review contains spoilers!

A disappointment that shares a lot of DNA with ‘Fugitive of the Daleks’.

Steven, now an old man, wakes up in a mysterious spaceship. Disoriented, he soon meets up with a ragtag group consisting of 2 women, a teenager and a dog. While looking around, they discover they’re in some kind of zoo. And a certain Time Lord is also one of the exhibits.

While this synopsis sounds fine on paper, the problem is that everything that happens, once again, lack emotion, growth and connection. Characters feel flat. The plot feels generic, and while the Doctor and Steven have one incredibly good talk, it is saved for the end so there’s no time to actually do anything with the character growth it presents.

You know what it reminds me of? An annual story. That alone isn’t a problem, but an annual story usually doesn’t drag on for more than 3 hours. The story tries a little with some location changes and small character dynamics, but it doesn’t lead up to anything. It happens, and we move on.

Honestly, I don’t think I have much more to add here. Take all the criticisms I gave to Fugitive of the Daleks, and apply them here. Flat, long, nothing to build on. Another character farewell ruined.


Joniejoon

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