The Ninth Doctor #6

'Ravagers: Sphere of Freedom' (2021) from The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Series 1.

A really, really wobbly start to the Christopher Eccleston Big Finish run for me here. The non-linear narrative I found to be exceedingly confusing, especially as this three-part story goes on and becomes more and more convoluted. Reading over the wiki plot synopsis, it's making more sense, but personally as a whole the entire project failed to grasp me narratively, likely due to completely refusing to hold my hand through the storyline. Maybe this is a me problem, but I felt a big disconnect as a result of this. As for this first episode itself however, I can commend Eccleston slipping straight back into the role nicely, and Nova is... okay? She's introduced neatly enough and performed fine, but nothing that stand-out as a companion introduction. Similiar to The Bleeding Heart, it does take some getting used to having Nine in a big maximalist science-fiction planet setting after his Earth-bound Series 1 run, and while the immersive gaming set-up doesn't really work for me, nor make it's way into the story even that much, it's nice to imagine The Doctor in these new overwhelming settings some more.

"Christopher Eccelston is back as the ninth Doctor at Big Finish" How exciting must it have been hearing this News after thinking the Chance of getting Eccelston back for anything was non-existing? Very exciting!

And yet this is neither a great grand Return and feels more like a "Business as Usual" Story. If I had to compare it, imagine the Bond Movie "Diamonds are Forever" and it bringing back Sean Connery after he left the Part and a Movie came out without him. That Movie was at its core 'lucky' to have Connery back and yet it doesn't feel grand at all. Same can be said about this one.

But that would be okay if the Story was any good. And well.. it wasn't. It's at worst boring, at best confusing and messy. There are some solid Perfomances but really a forgettable Story and a slight Disapointment for being the 'grand' Return for Eccelston into that Part all those Years later.

So far Briggs is painting the 9th Doctor as the intellectual working class hero Doctor. Someone who is going to support the oppressed and challenge the privileged. It is not a script that would work quite as well with any other Doctor but its SO perfect for Eccleston.

I adore how they have ditched the "sense of occasion" that would usually come with these releases and just pushed on straight with the action. Having not had new Eccleston for 16 years it was thrilling to hear him inhabiting the role from the word go, owning the space and just making it feel like a natural part of the ongoing narrative. First episodes often get caught up with a lot of fanfare, instead Briggs just gets straight in with the plot. And its a great plot, setting up the Ravagers arc.

Any fan of Doctor Who should love the idea of time eddies, its a neat concept which will give way for a bunch of interesting scenarios for The Doctor. Nova and Audrey are very intriguing. Having a companion with a unique back story - former indentured servant from a game station (I know - very series 1) who was forced to turn her back from her family - is another interesting set up which I think will pay dividends.

I've always heard for so long about how bad the first volume of the 9DA's are... and I understand this sentiment, but I still quite liked this first story! I thought it was neat!

B.