This one is way more engrossing than I thought it would have been. I usually disregard these Short Trips and the Companion Chronicles. Not anymore. William Russell's narration is incredible and pulls you in.

I want to know more about these horse folk. Every blip we get of them fascinates me. Love the take on religion and mythos here, how we inadvertently study what might not actually be the case. Wow.

I can see why this story has some fans, as it does have some potential, but I definitely lean more towards it somehow being a pretty mediocre experience - in spite of us watching a civilization literally Rise and Fall in the narrative. It just seems a little too simple and short to really get anything out of me. There are some thoughtful enough moments to the audio, but I didn't really engage in Russell's narration like I have in other audios.

Perfect start to the short trips range

Rise and Fall is a must listen for all fans of Doctor Who (particularly as it’s available on Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud, the latter being completely free and without a subscription). It’s a genius concept executed incredibly well and, in my opinion, is a pinnacle of the audio short story format.

Boring and routine to a fault. This is the simplest concept to get, but the story does not do anything of value with its concept. The Doctor and Ian watch over a society that grows and dies faster than they can conceive. Problem is that there is no real stakes, message or anything else of value to make the story interesting. It just skips over some (pretty safe) highlights from the civilization and call it a day. Could have been much more.