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“THE GHOSTS OF GREENWICH: TIMEY-WIMEY TROUBLE IN THE MERIDIAN MIST"

Closing out the first Paternoster Gang box set, The Ghosts of Greenwich plunges us into well-trodden Victorian territory: ghosts, fog, and a mystery afoot. But the twist here is delightfully strange—even by Doctor Who standards. These aren’t the ghosts of the dead, but eerie apparitions of living people, glimpsed wandering the streets of Greenwich, only to be found moments later as withered husks, aged beyond recognition.

This central hook offers a rich starting point for a classic investigative setup, allowing the Paternosters to do what they do best: interview locals, piece together clues, and quietly unravel the nature of this supernatural menace. It’s a quieter, more contemplative outing for the trio, but one with a distinctly unsettling core—especially as the victims are robbed of time itself in the blink of an eye.

A SLOW-BURN MYSTERY

More than any of the other stories in this first set, The Ghosts of Greenwich leans fully into mystery over action. This is a deliberately paced tale, where the thrills are found in atmospheric reveals, theoretical discussions, and intellectual deduction rather than battles or chase scenes. It’s a proper case file for the gang, with interviews conducted, patterns traced, and theories tested across the cobbled streets of Greenwich and within the halls of the Royal Observatory.

The scientific underpinnings are especially notable here. The Meridian Line, astronomy, and royal timekeeping provide a grounded thematic spine, linking the mystery back to historical scientific institutions. It’s a thoughtful way of anchoring the story’s more speculative elements in a real-world setting, even if the execution sometimes feels a bit too slow for its own good.

A VILLAIN LOST TO TIME

Unfortunately, the villain—while logically constructed and given a sensible, if familiar, plan—never leaves a lasting impression. Their presence is subdued, their threat mostly theoretical until the final act, and even then, it never quite lands. The time-thief at the heart of it all operates through stolen seconds and paradoxes, all to free a malevolent other-dimensional entity—again, a fairly traditional Who plotline. But when the stakes are finally raised to world-ending proportions, the script deflates them almost immediately. The resolution arrives too easily, and without the payoff that such a long build-up deserves.

Also missing in action is much of the trademark Paternoster banter. Strax, in particular, feels oddly muted here. Without the comedic edge that normally balances the gang’s gothic adventures, the tone skews overly serious. While it’s admirable that the writers are willing to tell a more sombre story, it leaves this finale feeling more subdued than satisfying.

A FINALE THAT FADES

While the supporting cast is one of the stronger aspects of this story—realistic, grounded, and believably sketched—they’re not enough to elevate the overall narrative. There’s a strong attempt to give this story more thematic weight than the previous two, and in many ways it is the most serious, character-rich entry in the set. But it lacks energy. The pacing is too gentle, the villain too nebulous, and the conclusion too neat. Despite world-shattering stakes, it never quite feels like the gang is in real danger.

📝 VERDICT: 5/10

The Ghosts of Greenwich is the most thoughtful and serious instalment in the Paternoster Gang’s debut box set, leaning into a ghostly mystery built around lost time and scientific intrigue. But despite its strong premise and well-realised supporting cast, it never quite finds the tension or urgency it needs. A lacklustre villain, a forgettable resolution, and a surprisingly muted tone make this a finale that lingers like mist—atmospheric, but ultimately insubstantial.

While the previous story in the boxset was the most fun of the bunch, this one was the best. It has humour, expands the world of Paternoster Row, has a very engaging mystery with lovely mechanics, twists and an interesting resolution. I just think that sometimes it's atmosphere wavered, from very good in the first two-thirds to a little bit neglected later on, when the technobabble came back again.

Though I still prefer Jago and Litefoot, as this series does not have an equally good sense of atmosphere and camaraderie, this boxset is promising indeed.