1963

I don't think I connected with this one quite as much as others, but I can appreciate the audio for what it is as a little bit of character insight into Ian and Barbara. It's well enough performed and certainly has a quality of being put-together. I don't know if these early Short Trips are worth recommending, though. There just isn't much substance to them, even by the standards of a short form bit of media. In comparison the newer, much longer shorts, and Big Finish's own past literary Short Trips, feel like they can offer a lot more compared to these Short Trips I've checked out in volumes one and two.

Such an amazing 20 minuets let me tell you this story is worth every second such a good Ian and Barbara story I love them

It’s happened. The Tardis finally lands in 1963! Ian and Barbara are home! But…… Everything is frozen into place. Time isn’t moving.

And if that isn’t one of the most exciting story premises for this party, I don’t know what is. They have all they wanted back in reach, but it is unwelcoming and cold. Not even noticing they are there. This should be character defining.

But this doesn’t live up to it. Ian and Barbara have a stroll around all they knew. They talk about recent events from their time. But it is shockingly emotionless. It’s very static “Do you remember that JFK died” remarks. No personal touch is shown.

And dangit, I was so ready for this. It has Barbara in the lead, which hasn’t happened in ages. It has the biggest opportunity to do something with this cast, but it is just nothing. This is not the moment to make these characters stoic. This is the moment to let them experience all that you can. Make Ian and Barbara angry! Make them be unreasonable! Make the doctor show some regret for what he has put them through in the first place! Instead. It is nothing. Absolute objectivity in one of the most subjective settings imaginable. No “Why does this happen to us?”, but “hmmmm, who could have caused it, was it Russians? America is weak in this political climate after all.”

And there’s just the smallest, tiniest glimmer of what could have been. Barbara decides to visit her aunt, who she was planning to meet. And just for a moment, it feels like she, in her frozen state, is looking at Barbara.

MORE OF THAT PLEASE. It’s sooooo close to getting there. To getting that emotional reaction a story like this deserves. But it is too afraid to take the leap. And that’s thoroughly disappointing. This story is given the world, but decides to make do with a pebble. An utter disappointment.