Circular Time: Autumn

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

Previous Story: Renaissance of the Daleks

A fantastic character study of both the Doctor and Nyssa. Similar to the last story that focused heavily on cricket (Black Orchid), this isn't a story with some grand, world-ending stakes. It's an adventure I wish we'd see more of in Doctor Who, the Doctor and his companion(s) taking a break in one place for a while.

We get some narration from the Doctor himself, I love moments like these as they give you such a great insight into the Doctor's beliefs. I also really enjoy that he goes to the same place to play cricket all the time, so much so that they just let him play whenever he comes as his story has been passed down through generations.

Nyssa is arguably the focus in this story, she has a very interesting romance plot centered around her writing a book about her experiences. It's never explicitly mentioned that the book is about Traken but it's fairly clear from the way it's described. It's interesting to see her grapple with the fact that most stories need a villain.

This is a story with such a great atmosphere, a really poignant piece on the effect time has on us all. I liked that the story ended the same way it began, really fits in with the idea of Circular Time.

Next Story: Return to the Web Planet

The 5th Doctor and Nyssa are given so much life and agency in Autumn. Nyssa falling for a man in a slowly paced and believable way feels so *right* for a character which has been denied any real romance up until this point - it feels meaningful and groundbreaking for the character. Equally, The Doctor gets another shot at justifying his long held tangential relationship with cricket. I really get a sense of his passion for the sport which completes an element of his character that feels a bit random without this story (regardless of Black Orchid). Both characters are forever elevated by the story.
Paul Cornell knocked this out of the park.