Liv is injured at work and the Doctor is determined to find the culprit.

John Dorney’s second story in this new box set is the sort of tale that would be very difficult to do in any other iteration of Doctor Who – we’ve had the Doctor stuck on Earth before (notably in the Pertwee era, but also, to an extent in Series 10), but never quite so much forced to live an ordinary life. The Third Doctor clearly enjoyed a good lifestyle; the 12th could vanish in the TARDIS if he wanted to. The Eighth is, as the title notes, stranded. And it’s not something that he is finding easy.

All of which gives Dorney the perfect opportunity to ask who exactly is the Doctor if he’s not out there saving planets, and generally being the righter of wrongs. It also provides Paul McGann with a very different side of the Time Lord to play and there are some strong scenes between him and Hattie Morahan, as Helen tries to look after both of her friends who are in pain. Seeing the Doctor up against an authority that isn’t going to instantly turn to him for help is a neat reversal of so many Doctor Who stories; there’s a great line in one of Terrance Dicks’ novelisations about how the Doctor effortlessly seems to take charge every time that almost feels as if it’s being countered word for word.

We learn a bit more about Rebecca Root’s Tania, confirming that she is transgender (to which Liv’s attitude is, “and?”) and there’s some lovely moments as she tries to ascertain quite what the domestic set up is for the (former) TARDIS team. We know she has her secrets though…

Ken Bentley brings a very different feel to this story once more, in keeping with the atmosphere around the desolate Doctor. After the high drama of Daleks, the Eleven and the Ravenous, this is, quite deliberately, more down to Earth, and it’s making for a fascinating listen.

Verdict: Who is the Doctor when he can’t be the Doctor? We know one answer from the Time War; this presents a very different take. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Big Finish