This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: The Iron Shore (Unreviewed)

A fittingly spooky story just in time for Halloween. The vibes here are incredible. Victorian manor house on an endlessly stormy planet far from any civilisation, inhabited by an odd couple and a creepy singing girl. I mean, what more could you want. Tim Treloar and Katy Manning arrive on the scene with their fantastic chemistry and uncover the mystery behind the house. Manning gets a lot of time with the little girl, Emmeline Pepperdine (played by Felicity Cant) and it's sweet to hear her adopt a grandmotherly role (literally at one point). Treloar on the other hand is busy interrogating the couple, he inhabits the Third Doctor so well. While it's obvious he's not Jon Pertwee, he brings 3 to life in his own unique way and as usual captures him perfectly here.

This is a refreshingly unconventional Mondasian Cyberman story, largely ignoring them in favour of deepening the relationship between the Doctor and Jo. If I'm being honest, I prefer it this way. I absolutely love this version of the Cybermen (their voice in particular is haunting, and it remains so in this story) but by not focusing on them too deeply it prevents them from becoming generic robot soldiers. I wouldn't say this story is quite on Spare Parts level, but if you enjoyed the body horror and tragedy of that story, then this one feels quite similar. It's similarly set towards the beginning of the Cybermen.

I enjoyed the ending, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this Jo Jones arc progresses. I think Jo Jones is 3's best companion on audio right now, so I hope they give her a proper ending rather than keeping her in Big Finish limbo. Overall, a great, spooky little adventure.

Next Story: (Unreleased)