Seeking help for the Eleven, the Doctor travels to a medical outpost that has problems of its own…

The last box set of Ravenous ended with the revelation (although it wasn’t a huge surprise) that the Eleven was faking his condition, and that his other incarnations were still as present and correct as ever. It doesn’t take that long in this opener for Liv to realise the truth, leading to one of the many dramatic confrontations within Matt Fitton’s episode – and the opportunity for Paul McGann’s Doctor to be surprised by his companion’s actions.

It’s a clever script, with the nature of the problem that’s facing the crew of the Still Foundation occasionally, and deliberately, getting pushed to the background by the psychodrama between the members of the TARDIS crew. Things between them have been put on hold because of the fight against the Ravenous, but now tensions spill over at just the wrong time… because they’re facing an enemy that hunts by sound.

There’s strong performances from all the regulars – McGann, Nicola Walker, Hattie Morahan and Mark Bonnar – with equally good work from guest stars Nicola Simpson and Clifford Samuel. Benji Clifford’s sound design is an essential part of the story, with Jamie Robertson’s score used appropriately, and Ken Bentley’s direction ensures that our attention is where it needs to be.

Verdict: A solid start to the concluding set. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order Ravenous 4 from Big Finish