Wonderland

4/5

This might be the single most trippy Doctor Who story I’ve ever seen. I don’t really know exactly what is going on other than the fact that the Doctor and Charley are both clearly trying to find something out that will somehow save them from the Anti-Time explosion and Zagreus. It was cool to have so many previous Doctor Who actors come back to voice characters and it led me to try and figure out who every single character was being played by. I have to say that this has definitely intrigued me for the rest of this story and hopefully an explanation to follow as to what is happening exactly.

Heartland

4.5/5

The start on Gallifrey with the Vampires and the Sisterhood of Karn was cool, especially since those aspects of Time Lord history were largely glossed over by the show in their respective episodes. I also liked that Rassilon is once again presented as an evil character, literally never going to trust him in anything he appears in ever. Also the stuff surrounding the divergents is interesting and I’m wondering how that will tie into the Zagreus stuff.

Then the section in the theme park with the animatronic animals fighting the animatronic humans was very weird and the sort of thing that just wouldn’t work in live action, so makes sense to be in audio form. Also the idea that that’s what is at the end of the universe is just so funny.

I liked that throughout these parts so far they have kept the voice actors from each Doctors era separated until all the Doctors actors unite at the end. Also the TARDIS working with Rassilon is weird and I want to know how that will be resolved and how the Doctor gets back control of the TARDIS, as well as removing the Anti-Time.

Wasteland

5/5

Having Rassilon be the main villain of this story is great and I like that the Doctor at the end mentions how all people in power on Gallifrey usually turn evil in some way. Speaking of that scene you can really start to see the 8th Doctor becoming darker and darker after going through so much already. I liked that this story also decided that the 8th Doctor is very much a romantic and it gives him a romantic connection to Charley. Overall, this felt like a very interesting way of doing an anniversary story by having many actors return but playing different characters through the Matrix, even though some do play their original characters as well. It also left me intrigued as to how the Doctor’s adventures in the Divergent Universe will play out and how he will return to the regular one.

Part One

5/5

This was a mammoth of a first part to this story so I’ll try and tackle stuff in a somewhat chronological order.

The start with the Doctor and Charley where they fled from the Time Lords was intense and thrilling. Then it was followed by the scene between the Doctor and Charley where she likens the Doctor to Peter Pan and that was one of the sweetest and most heartfelt companion moments I’ve ever seen. That ending with Charley refusing to let the Doctor suffer for her choices and attempting to take the fall for her own actions was very cool.

Then getting another look into Time Lord society and having Romana be president was so fun. It’s always nice when a previous companion returns, especially one that I liked so much as Romana. Although I wonder how she left E-Space, I’m sure it’s probably explained in some story I haven’t seen yet.

The concept of Anti-Time is really cool and while I can’t pretend to know exactly what it means it’s explained and presented in a way that makes it interesting nonetheless. Also the Neverpeople are a cool concept and I wonder if I re-listened to previous audios I would notice them appearing?

Finally, the introduction of Rassilon and his TARDIS was unexpected but the further the story went the more it made sense. I’m interested to see how it will tie into the Rassilon seen in the Five Doctors and why he was battling Zagreus in the Anti-Time dimension.

Part Two

4.5/5

This part of the story was much more focused than the first part and dealt almost exclusively with the Neverpeople trying to destroy Gallifrey and the Web of Time using an Anti-Time bomb. There were some very nice scenes in here between the Doctor and Charley, especially when she is trying to convince the Doctor to kill her to save the Web of Time. I also liked that Rassilon wasn’t actually in the casket. Finally, the Doctor’s sacrifice was interesting and him turning into Zagreus was something I didn’t expect.

Part One

3/5

It’s fun to see manipulative Daleks again and they seem to be operating without Davros as well, which didn’t happen in the later classic era. Although the actual plot itself isn’t all that interesting.

Part Two

2.5/5

This is a pretty dull Dalek story. I mean it feels so derivative of other stories we have seen before with the Daleks and a lot of its unique elements just feel out of place. Also I just don’t think Dalek action scenes work all that well in audio form as hearing gun shots and Dalek lasers for like 15 seconds straight doesn’t really explain what is happening.

Part Three

2.5/5

The Shakespeare stuff is so incredibly out of place and really not at all interesting. Like I feel like you can do a story about Shakespeare being taken out of time or a Dalek story but not both at the same time as they are just such clashing concepts. Glad to see an explanation for the Dalek voices in Seasons of Fear, it’s cool that things from these last few releases are tying together so much.

Part Four

3/5

The greater focus on the Daleks actual plan of ruling time made this part more enjoyable. I also like the continued issues that the Doctor is facing in regard to saving Charley from her fate in Storm Warning.

Part One

4/5

The horror elements to this with the crew being stuck in a pitch dark environment with alien creatures around them in cool. I like the Doctor trying to reason with the robot as well.

Part Two

4/5

I like the ROSM robots they are just kinda funny and I like that the Doctor has to convince them to do things by making it sound as logical as possible. Also the Cimmerians are kinda terrifying and I cannot stand Orllensa like truly praying on her downfall.

Part Three

3.5/5

The Cimmerians destroying all lights to prevent their ancient enemies from finding them is an interesting twist and I like that the Doctor ended up reactivating the suns therefore doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

Part Four

3.5/5

The Solarians actually just being ancient Cimmerians is a pretty cool twist although I don’t think the events surrounding the sun’s destruction were described very well because of that.

Part One

3.5/5

I like the setting of ancient Britain under the Roman Empire. The Doctor going to Singapore for Charley’s date only for it to be a trap is cool and then having the Web of Time destroyed so the Doctor can break the laws of time is cool. Wasn’t expecting narration, especially as it hasn’t been in any other of these.

Part Two

4/5

The Doctor chasing Grayle throughout the centuries to stop his plan is a great way to keep each part fresh with a new time period and set of problems.

Part Three

4/5

I had actually things to say about this part but never mind because ‘Nimon be praised’. I do like that the Hellfire club made a reappearance as it’s a nice tie into Minuet in Hell. I’m not sure how this story will wrap up in the next part though?

Part Four

4.5/5

The conclusion of the main story was fun and I liked the Doctor returning to the Roman period to change the future and breaking the laws of time even further. Clearly all the Doctor’s interferences with time are going to have some consequences as some big villain is clearly being set up and I wonder who the Doctor is talking to at the end, which explains the narration.

The Doctor and Charley tricking the aliens into arguing with each other by pretending to have future knowledge of them was funny. I also like the setting of Italy after they won the 1982 World Cup.

Part One

5/5

What an incredible way to start the story. The christmassy atmosphere adds a layer of familiarity and warmth to the story but it feels distorted by the mystery surrounding the story. The Doctor and Charley not being able to properly interact with anything but still having a small impact is cool but the really interesting part is that the story switches between their perspective and the servants in real time showing the small changes being made by the Doctor and Charley.

Part Two

5/5

This is an excellent murder mystery that is really engaging as we as the audience have no more information than the characters themselves and are therefore learning at the same time. Then the time distortion elements and other general weirdness add further to it as we are getting very specific information like a murder happening every hour or stuff about Edward. It’s like one big game of Cluedo except the characters are part of the game.

Part Three

5/5

Edward Grove being the house is truly something I didn’t expect and I was definitely right that it’s like sentient Cluedo. Then the Doctor actually being so afraid of the situation that he decides it’s best to just leave is something I don’t think I’ve ever truly seen in Doctor Who and it’s making the story all the more chilling. I’m actually so enthralled to see how this will end.

Part Four

5/5

This story being a direct consequence of the Doctor saving Charley in Storm Warning is a cool way to tie back into the fact that the Doctor did change history and the problems surrounding that. I also liked how essentially the solution to all the problems was simply to ensure that Edith knew she was somebody and she was valued.

Part One

3/5

Using the radio play of War of the Worlds as a framing device is a cool idea and feels very meta due to this being an audio drama. I also like the inclusion of the mafia, who I assume may actually be aliens. However, the story just hasn’t gripped me and this is another earth set story, which I feel the 8th Doctor has had too many of without others now.

Part Two

3.5/5

Tying this into the beginning of WWII by having the aliens attempt to sell some kind of atomic weapon to the highest bidder is a cool way of utilising the time period. That was a good cliffhanger as I didn’t expect Miss Bee to actually be a Russian spy.

Part Three

3.5/5

Listening to this immediately after Minuet in Hell is so funny as this is the perfect example of the campiness I expect in Doctor Who. I mean aliens in New York at the same time as War of the Worlds and then plots by the Nazis, Soviets, and CIA to get the weapons first.

Part Four

3.5/5

This story felt like a perfect spoof on 50’s sci-fi B movies and I honestly like it for that. The concepts in this story are so silly but all come together really quite nicely. The Doctor and others staging another radio play to trick the aliens was also really fun.

Part One

3/5

This episode is just deeply comfortable. Like do we really need to have Charley be trafficked, it just doesn’t feel like a plot line that fits in Doctor Who. It’s nice that the Brigadier is in this and I’m glad that he takes a somewhat more sympathetic stance towards the characters suffering with mental health issues.

Part Two

3/5

Both the Doctor and Charley having amnesia means that there really isn’t a main character in this story so far. The Brigadier probably comes closest but he’s not in it enough to be considered the main character.

Part Three

2/5

This just isn’t really that engaging at all. Apart from everything the Brigadier is doing I just don’t care.

Part Four

2.5/5

Having the 8th Doctor meet the Brigadier was always nice as is any time the Brigadier meets a new incarnation of the Doctor. Although the story itself is pretty weak and honestly not that enjoyable, outside the aforementioned parts with the Brigadier.

Part One

4.5/5

I really love the setting of Venice in the future when it is being sunk by rising water levels. I think the different groups within the city are also an interesting idea. The beginning of this episode cemented that I am really enjoying the Doctor and Charley together.

Part Two

4/5

Charley having to pretend to be Estella was fun and then realising that the people expect for her to save them all when in reality she can’t do anything. Also the Doctor seems to always be being caught up in cults’ activities.

Part Three

4/5

The gondoliers actually being sea creatures is the kind of whacking thing that only Doctor Who could get away with. There is definitely something going on with Ms Lavish as usually most people don’t just start monologuing to themselves like that.

Part Four

4/5

Venice crumbling around them while everyone attempts to return to the palace was cool and the sounds made it very easy to visualise. I do like how the story concluded by essentially throwing every single positive message at you all at once.

Part One

3.5/5

This part felt fairly inconsequential as most of the time is spent simply trying to reach the Star Destroyer, which I assume will be the main setting for the rest of the story. I still enjoyed this part though as it does spend a lot of time on properly establishing the Doctor and Charley’s dynamics.

Part Two

3.5/5

This part felt like it was dragging its feet until the Cyberman reveal. Especially because of the murder mystery that wasn’t really a mystery as it was obviously the Cybermen that did it.

Part Three

3.5/5

The early parts with the Doctor and Deeva exploring the Star Destroyer and gradually finding more and more about what the Cybermen were doing was cool. It’s nice to see the Cybermen’s main goal being converting humans as well. There is definitely something suspect about Deeva as well, my guess is she is a military commander sent specifically to eliminate the Cybermen.

Part Four

3.5/5

Having both sides of the war be willing to use a moral tactics invoking Cyber-conversion felt like a good way of showing the lack of morality in war even if one side may have a more moral reason for fighting the war.

Part One

4/5

The 8th Doctor mentioning how he really needs to stop talking to himself is a really fun way to reference the necessities of the audio format. I’m glad that the TARDIS fell off the ship as if it didn’t I would be questioning why the Doctor doesn’t just leave and it turns it into a story where the main goal is simply to return to the TARDIS with something stopping them.

Part Two

4/5

The Doctor and Charley are already a fun pairing even in the limited time they have spent together in this episode. I really thought I was in for a pure historical based on the first part but I suppose it makes sense that there would be a Sci-Fi element to this story, given there hasn’t been a pure historical since the 5th Doctor.

Part Three

4.5/5

The three different parts of the Triskele are a cool way of splitting an alien species, with them each representing a different aspect of humanity. I think the Doctor gets a lot to do in this episode and you can really feel the characterisation of the 8th Doctor starting to form.

Part Four

4/5

I really liked the character of Tamworth and how he decided to stay with the Triskele after he realised how badly the people of earth intended to treat them. The Doctor being presented with the difficult choice of allowing history to be altered or to spare Charley was also a good moment for him as he does decide to allow Charley to live, which shows that maybe the Time Lords have a point about how much the Doctor interferes.