This is a brilliant closing story for The Doctor and Clara. A fantastic payoff for anyone who has followed their story since the beginning. And a different kind of tragedy for our hero who will never remember Clara again. I’m glad she escapes her certain fate, it seems right.

This is the best of the four performances from Maisie Williams, even if her presence in the series is hardly needed. Capaldi and Coleman steal the show with a highly emotional performance that connected well enough for me to forgive the stories’ flaws.

You have to put the whole hybrid stuff aside to fully enjoy proceedings. It doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense. The idea that this ill defined prophesy could be taken as seriously as portrayed across this three parter is ridiculous. It’s so easily dismissed, which is crazy given the lengths the Time Lords go to to torture The Doctor.

Beyond this though you finally see a satisfying series of sequences on Gallifrey and how it’s people respond to The Doctor since the events in the 50th anniversary. The Time Lords and Ohelia are well drawn and propel what is more of an emotional rather than plot driven story.

I don’t think I appreciated Clara enough at the time. I will miss her.

The best Doctor Who story of all time? It really could be. It’d be terrible if the show was like this every week, it would be an even worse introduction to the show, but for Moffat to give over one episode to present our little children’s programme as an art house theatre production is truly electrifying.

Capaldi is in his element. It’s just him being his absolute brilliant best. A puzzle box of a story with a satisfying conclusion and an amazing character actor at the centre of it. The tension ratchets up and up and up until a big cathartic payoff at the end. One hell of a bird!

The setting of Highgate Cemetery in the 70s is a fascinating choice, a very spooky setting for an atmospheric and well realised vision. Given it’s her last story it’s, quite rightly, the Clara show - she gets to be the person who the plot hinges off of. I will miss her.

I enjoyed all the character interactions, including the distinct lead guest characters (paranormal activist vs. cult leader) both of which are very well drawn.

It is let down by a surprisingly flimsy resolution which does not live up to the rest of the story.

Considering that this comic hits you with a large cast of previously unseen characters and kicks off proceedings right in the middle of the action, it’s impressive how fleshed out they are. And the sense of “world” which is often missing from this far flung future based comics. There’s a weapon, a “living” robotised planet and most curious of all… Danny Pink as a visual interface based on Clara's memories.

It tries to pull a tricksy ending in the last third which ends up being a bit of a “so what?” I appreciate the twists and turns, but it turns what could be a well paced, considered ending to an entertaining story, into a rush to the end.

An intriguing set up with clever ideas falls flat as soon as Me enters the story. The momentum of the story relies on the audience looking forward to seeing Ashilder back and Maisie Williams having enough charisma in the bank as an antagonist, but for me she is a limp baddie.

The pairing of Rigsy (“local knowledge!”) Clara and The Doctor is a real treat though. I wish I could have seen a bit more of them outside of the contexts that didn’t work. Rigsy made for an excellent recurring character.

The way that trap street worked and how the masked aliens behaved didn’t always make sense to me. Why is a friendly Cyberman being repaired by an Ood? Some of the pairings didn’t quite ring true.

While Clara’s exit, and the exact rules around how the raven works is a bit contrived, the emotional beats really work and there are some powerful scenes between The Doctor and his companion.

I am a big Stewart Lee and Richard Herring fan. Real Time is the only time their worlds collide with Doctor Who - it also marks one of their very last (if not their last) professional engagement as an ongoing double act. On his website Stewart Lee describes a picture of him standing next to a Cyberman as a career low (he may have been joking) and Herring did not speak highly of this either on his RHLSTP podcast. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as they describe.

The main issue with this story is how thin the plot it. It could be stretched across 45 minutes but not 70. Various parties spend most of the run time trying to get through a couple of doors. Big Finish have done much better in audio, so it’s a shame that it’s this one that got the animation treatment. While the animation is much improved compared to Death Comes to Time, it is still ultra low budget.

The cast are quite good - Herring’s initially dodgy accent aside. It’s always good to see the 6th Doctor and Evelyn in Big Finish, not that Evelyn is given all that much to do.

The story has a slow paced charm of its own.

This is my vote for the most underrated episode of Doctor Who of all time. I simply don’t get the hate. I love the tone and the naturalistic POV direction made in an effort to match the found footage format. It sees Mark Gatiss on very fine form, working in the horror arena. There has never been such a “slice of life” approach to a darker Doctor Who story, it leads to a captivating tone. The monsters  are pretty freaky, and the darkly lit environment matches them perfectly.

I remember watching this for the first time in my year after uni. My two housemates and I were spellbound. They thought it was one of the best ever!  

It’s not all about that speech. But my God that speech has to be Capaldi’s defining and proudest moment as The Doctor. The show has a chance to breathe and focus on something which defines it: peace.

This second half is a showcase for a killer cast who are given the chance to slow down and have a series of compelling character moments. It’s odd that this is what comes out of a sequel to The Day of the Doctor, and the follow up to last week’s globe trotting adventure. Such a serious and well composed piece of small scale drama, the world away from a romp.

I don’t think I appreciated at the time what a fantastic team the Twelfth Doctor and Clara were. I didn’t realise how good I had it.

I was wowed by just how detailed the plot is and the amount of effort put into building out the characters. I do feel modern day UNIT stories could learn a thing or two from The Zygon Invasion, Kate Stewart’s finest hour as she gets stuck into the action in New Mexico, lost in the moment of her new mission. And Osgood makes up the second half of the perfect double act. Nerdy, courageous, relatable.

There are thought provoking themes in this story about terrorism and forces trying to disrupt multiculturalism, giving The Doctor the perfect set up to talk about the sort of world he passionately believes in.

The Zygon’s now being able to take on the form of loved ones is an exciting new detail, even if it does lead to the only clunky scene in the whole story of gormless soldiers marching to their death.

Peter Capaldi is on excellent form - he is in funny mood trying to be cool. Potentially the most Doctor-ish mode we’ve seen him in up to this point. Jenna Coleman gets the meaty task of playing two characters, one of whom is evil - and she is living up to the task beautifully. I wish I hadn’t seen the story before so her turn could go unnoticed! Brilliant drama.

The high level concept for Me is very interesting, combining this with a formidable actor like Maisie Williams seems like a sure fire bet on paper. Unfortunately somewhere in the execution (either the writing, performance or both) it just doesn’t click.

The writers have been working hard to bring levity back into this series, but the balance of comedy and serious, thought provoking drama in this episode are awkward and clunky. Neither end up landing as a result.

Rufus Hound as Sam Swift though is phenomenal. The way he churns out gallows humour in front of a rowdy crowd in the style of a late night club comic is the definite highlight of the story.

There are some cool character moments and a nice arc for our characters, but at this point in the series they are just too obsessed with what has come before, and making sure each comic feeds into the overall arc, making sure it all adds up. The inability for them to have a monster of the week which is not linked to a larger narrative is a little suffocating and means that every issue has to be an epic - which is not my favourite mode for Doctor Who.

A touching story which has an impact which outsizes its word count. The idea that the Thirteenth Doctor would go out of her way to right the wrong of previous incarnations (and that Paul Cornell would himself encourage this) is a significant piece of rare character development. One which is welcome.

Cybermen in the land of fiction leads to them having some pretty mind bending, it generates compelling Cyberman dialogue. A very rare thing! I like their plan. Taking away humanity’s ability to use their imagination is a creative way of Cyber converting.

Some of the twists you can see a mile away (Jamie and Zoe being fictional). Others are a bit more of a surprise (Zoe being the Mistress of the Land of Fiction). By the beginning of part 4 though all of these threads come together in a very satisfying way.

Jamie’s emotional speech (why did The Doctor never come back?) is a touching moment, as well as the continuation of Zoe’s story, even if it isn’t “real”.

Elsewhere the plot was a bit fluffy for my liking, which is the danger of a land of fiction story. At points it threatened to tip into “and then this happened, and then that happened” with no real consequences.

All in all it’s a very rewarding listen.

I like the idea that covid prompted Paul Cornell to rethink the fate of the little girl with the red balloon. The Doctor can, on rare occasion, doll out cruel but fair justice. But maybe once in a while they are compelled to undo their worst excesses. I think my Doctor does.

I like this version of The Doctor. The one who acts strange and silly and alien. The one who's motivations for acting strange and silly and alien are to protect those around her, or to deflect from her own emotional vulnerability. I like this very open and expressive Doctor. Paul Cornell writes for the Thirteenth Doctor very well. What a pity we never saw him write for her on screen!

This is such a sweet piece of writing which whips me right back to the covid era, but in the best way possible. Its a beautiful message that even The Doctor needs cheering up sometimes and that she has lived through more than her fair share of pandemic-like scenarios. Without breaking the fourth wall too much Pete McTighe writes the perfect love letter to a fandom in hard times.

Its a very curious piece. There is a deliberately mysterious, gently sweet and sad figure at the heart of this story. Many questions are raised and very few are answered. Not all of the threads go anywhere either. Some of the news articles add up to the culmination but many don't. Perhaps its a just a slice of life view on a mysterious creature who is mildly supported by an unspecified Doctor?

A very sweet story which brings up some very complex ethical questions that it doesn't really have the opportunity to develop. The idea of ordinary people performing roles for a malignant broader course in order to support their families is a very relevant and interesting topic, but its a bold to raise something so monumental with only 2 pages of a short story left to go!

Elsewhere its nice to get a little more Graham action. I actually felt quite fondly reading about him after a bit of space. Go on the Hammers!

I loved the prose in this short but energetic story. A full life is breathed into a character who's existence only ever lightly flickered onscreen. We learn of their multiple lives; their talking parrot; and their space-pirate rollicking adventure vibe. Matt Smith's reaction to their demise will surely have greater impact for anyone who has read this. Even the idea of the infinite staircase is a charming one. There are so many little hooks which give a peak into a bigger universe. A little treat.

The pacing of the story is excellent. The drawn-out, thoughtful and introspective moments suit Jenna Coleman and Peter Capaldi’s performances perfectly. The seriousness with which Ashilder’s death and eventual revival are treated adds real emotional depth to the storytelling.

Much of the comedy works well too. Odin magically appearing in the sky at the beginning of the episode is a truly surprising moment. It’s refreshing to see horned Vikings embraced over historically accurate ones – these are the Vikings that should exist in the world of Doctor Who. The Doctor giving villagers humorous nicknames and teaching them to fight delivers broad, effective humour.

Where the comedy falters is in the characterisation of the fake Odin and his sentry bots. Their tone feels mismatched – potentially too camp to sit comfortably alongside the rest of the story. Unlike Peter Capaldi’s well-timed comedy, these elements feel a little thin. It’s as if you’ve gotten the Max from Voyage of the Damned and put him in The Well - it just doesn’t work.

The weakest aspect though is the electric eels resolution, which feels underdeveloped and lacks sufficient foreshadowing. Although I do like “Odin” being tricked and scared by the wooden horse.

While not as strong as Jamie Matheson’s earlier scripts, the story remains compelling, buoyed by its warmth and heart.

Any of these three ideas, especially that of the Twelfth Doctor at a comic convention is a good start for a story, but none of these get a chance to develop into anything more than little flourishes. I personally found the way they connected up together a tad confusing - but maybe I'm just dense!

It is such a generous gift to receive such a gorgeously detailed piece of world building and character introduction in advance of a new episode. There is a sensitive and open heart to the prose which, while it didn’t set my imagination on fire, certainly did raise a smile and was as evocative in bringing to life the Nigerian setting and the character of The Doctor as it’s accompanying television episode.

Purely based on atmosphere, energy and vibes I enjoyed this one. A simple plot, well executed with some familiar and enjoyable performances at the heart of it.

Dives straight into a some social issues (inc. those of gender) that, despite only having been written 8 years ago, feel like they were written 20 years ago. Big topics are skated over with a lightness of touch which is a little clumsy.

Only some of the comedy lands, but it’s most definitely a ROMP. Tennent and Piper are playing up to their giggling series 2 selves and it’s fun but for some would verge on annoying.

The Jazz Monster feels like it’s going somewhere until it doesn’t. I love the set up and the setting and seeing the companions in period outfits. The idea of a monster that spreads itself through Jazz is good fun, but then it develops into something a little blander, safer, more generic.

I have had enough of monsters which are big balls of energy taking over people. They try one thing to kill it and that doesn’t work, they try another thing and that does work. It felt like the conclusion came along for no reason other than the team needing to fill a certain number of pages.

I did not feel a connection with the guest characters, so the impact of character deaths was limited.