The aftermath of the Doctor’s matchmaking at The End of Time…

I am quite sure that there have been hundreds of stories written charting – in various levels of detail – exactly what happened when Midshipman Frame and Captain Jack Harkness got together. As you might expect, James Goss doesn’t take the obvious route (although a few of the obvious jokes are front and centre), and throws the pair into yet another perilous situation. And here’s the thing – Frame doesn’t know how to cope, and underneath the sci-fi trappings, Goss has presented a great character portrait of a man who’s really struggling, and only just managing to keep his head above water. Russell Tovey picks up the character of Frame easily and gives a terrific performance.

That’s not to knock the aforementioned sci-fi trappings, giving a certain former companion a chance to really let loose. (I hadn’t realised who was playing the all-eating and burning alien and won’t spoil it if you don’t know.) Their scenes with John Barrowman are well pitched, with Barrowman playing up to all the many aspects of Jack that Goss brings out in the script – particularly in the last few scenes which demand some form of follow-up.

Verdict: Strong work across the board. 9/10

Paul Simpson