This one's really fun. Need to hear the rest.

✅(8.1) = VERY GOOD!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

Sphere of Influence revisits the Sense-Sphere, first introduced in The Sensorites (1964), as Susan embarks on a mission for the Time Lords amidst the Time War. She rejoins her old teacher, Ian Chesterton, in an attempt to ally the Time Lords with the Sensorites.

The action thrusts us directly into the story, requiring the listener to adjust their perspective. However, the story swiftly unfolds, showcasing the masterful integration of Susan, the Sensorites, and Ian in this sequel to The Sensorites.

This is the first time the Sensorites appear in a Big Finish audio, and Eddie Robson uses the opportunity to tell us how their society has changed and evolved since the last time. What’s more, there’s a beneficial time for Susaqn and Ian to catch up on their experiences since Susan’s departure from the TARDIS in The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

The narrative is similar to The Sensorites in that it centres a lot on the telepathic aliens discussing politics and other stuff, which isn’t very engaging. It also puts Susan's telepathic skills to use. However, this story adds the element of the Time War, which comes with backstabbings, assassination attempts, and added tension.

I like the tail end of the story, which goes deeper into Sensorite lore and sees Susan and Ian enter another dimension to reveal hidden secrets. It's no surprise that there's a Dalek influence involved, but at least this story remains faithful to its base ideas when involving them.

Carole Ann Ford excels at portraying a more mature Susan. Susan chooses to be a diplomat for the Time Lords during the war, participating on the fringes and doing what she can. She captures the sense of having grown a lot over several decades while still retaining some of her energy.

William Russell (may he forever rest in peace) is very lovely to hear back as Ian, and he has lost none of his charm, warmth, or chivalry. Ian and Susan's reuniting is a delightful moment in the story, and both Russell and Ford are lovely and magical together. However, Ian occasionally outshines Susan, who is sometimes overly reminiscent of her TV appearance.

Commander Veklin and Rasmus also appear here. The Sensorite characters sound believable, even if they don’t stand out a lot.

The sound design and music do enough to bring us back to the Sense-Sphere, but they also let us understand that this is during the Time War.