Till Death Us Do Part

This is one of my all time favorite episodes of Big Finish ever. The story came as a complete surprise to me. Given the Doctor shows up, I expected something a lot more fan-servicey along the likes of something in a River Song boxset, but here it doesn't feel that way at all. The central premise being about a shape-shifting enemy made the proper 8th Doctor's presence feel more earned, and McGann's performance seamlessly fits into the world of the Paternosters.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the Paternoster range. I love the characters, but Heritage was a bit of a letdown for me, and one of the reasons for this was that the series did not actually explore what the ins and outs of Jenny and Vastra's relationship are. Developing a backstory does not inherently create character depth, which was the major mistake in this range. Often, I feel Big Finish have such a perfect chance to jump on developing their central characters, but they frequently skirt the edges of any real growth, especially in the Paternoster Gang area. So, when this episode gives us such a fantastic examination of what make Jenny and Vastra a couple while still maintaining that crazy Paternoster wackiness, it's SO good! From beginning to end, the story kept my attention as the twists are unraveled, the characters bicker, and then such a sweet wedding at the end - only for the rug to be pulled from under us with the cliffhanger! It's the perfect balance of fan service craziness, stellar comedy, and romantic drama in a story that's frankly too short. I want more! Which I never expected to say about this range. 10/10