Whilst RTD gives this story an interesting setting, engaging characters and a strong premise, it comes off quite slow and slight. Not as well paced as the rest of the series and feels incidental when looked at in its own context. It might even take less risks than most of the series around it.

Part of the issue is that the main villain is a big blob on the ceiling (not to be confused with the big blob on the floor in Rose). Simon Pegg does a marvelous job selling the importance of his monster boss with a long name (again, lifted from Aliens of London) but it is unable to be intimidating or do just about anything. The dialogue sells the situation well, it’s just the plot that is lacking.

Eventually the room blows up around the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe in the same way it blew up around the Nestine Consciousness. And the Gelth. And the group of Slitheen. Similar to how Cassandra blew up. And we saw a Slitheen blow up due to being hit by vinegar. And the Dalek from last week blew itself up.

The difference is that all of the above stories had a USP. The Long Game’s USP could have been using the news to spread disinformation, an idea that it dangles but never really goes for the jugular with.

What it does succeed in is showing Adam as a failed companion and what a time traveler should *not* be like. It’s realistic that some ambitious people when given a TARDIS would try and use it for their own ends, so The Doctor ends his journey short. There’s a nice bit of tension between Rose, The Doctor and her “new boyfriend” which ultimately plays out as Rose treating it like a failed date.

The characters carry the whole story.