The Doctor, Mel and Hebe encounter some very unusual survivors…

Jonathan Morris plays with the listener’s expectations in this final story of the first Hebe Harrison box set, which seems to be set a bit of time after her adventures on the Moon – she’s got a clearer idea of what’s involved with space and time travel, and there’s more of a banter feel to the dialogue. She’s still a comparative newcomer to the TARDIS, though, something which isn’t forgotten at various salient points.

As with the Ninth Doctor Hidden Depths story that came out last year, use of a bathyscape is central to the plot, and some of the lines take on an extra meaning in light of real-world incidents (there’s one absolutely prescient one from Hebe, indicating Morris has, as you’d expect, done his homework). There’s also a very familiar trope – mind-swapping – but although there are certain developments that are precisely what you’d expect, it doesn’t all pan out as you might anticipate. Each of the core cast gets some strong moments – Bonnie Langford has a dual role, Colin Baker channels his inner Christopher Lloyd, and Ruth Madeley further expands our knowledge and appreciation of Hebe – and the guest cast similarly rise to the challenge of the scripts.

Iain Meadows is also given some real challenges with the sound design, given the nature of the planet, and some of the storytelling requirements, and working in tandem with director Helen Goldwyn, he ensures things are very clear without the need for unnecessary dialogue.

Verdict: Some unsettling ideas in a well-told tale. 9/10

Paul Simpson

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