The Doctor and Bliss find themselves on Gallifrey at the end of the Time War – but no one can remember who they’ve been fighting…

Ah, the Eighth Doctor has amnesia. Again. Although he’s probably the Doctor who’s been in this situation more than any (in pretty much every medium, including his first TV appearance), at least this time around there’s a good reason, and it’s not just him – nearly every character is affected in some way or other in Lisa McMullin’s script.

Julia McKenzie’s The Twelve is as much fun as ever – I love the ways that the different actors have interpreted the previous incarnations over the years – and she’s central to the resolution that we all know has to happen. There’s some clever scripting as everyone – bar the Twelve – skirts around one particular subject (I love the idea of the Doctor having a collection of shuttlecocks!) but once the dreaded word is blurted out (and McKenzie has a load of fun imitating the creatures in question), things start to escalate.

We may have a new Rassilon (or two) for the Time War in the Big Finish tales, but it’s good to hear Ken Bones reprise his role from The Day of the Doctor. Helen Goldwyn keeps a tight control of the escalating tension, and Rakhee Thakrar in particular gives a strong performance as Bliss starts to put two and two together.

Verdict: A more measured piece than the two-part opener, and the threat promised for the finale which gives the audience and characters a chance to breathe. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Big Finish

Click here for our reviews of the earlier stories in this set