The Time Strategist has found a way to restore the Daleks to the universe…

Every so often, Big Finish puts out a story that really does deserve the title epic, and there’s no two ways about it – that’s the right word for Matt Fitton’s conclusion to this box set, which juggles multiple storylines with apparent ease, even providing Davros with a new little side project! It’s by no means the end of our encounters with the Eighth Doctor prior to his regeneration on Karn – or at least, given the cliffhanger, I hope so anyway – but it ties up many of the threads that have been running for the last few months.

Midway there’s a fascinating conversation between the Time Strategist and the Doctor that looks into the future (of the show and the Doctor’s own timeline) and adds an intriguing extra layer to everything that’s been going on – I hope that this is followed up at various points in the Time War series Big Finish are producing, and maybe even in their forthcoming releases for later Doctors. Nicholas Briggs, Paul McGann, Rakhee Thakrar and Terry Molloy are all at the top of their game for this and Helen Goldwyn works with sound designer Benji Clifford to ensure that what needs to be clear to the audience (and the characters) is.

Verdict: Epic. A terrific conclusion – and a cliffhanger that promises some intriguing possibilities for the future. 10/10

Paul Simpson

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