Two Doctors. One enemy.

The idea of a double-sided adventure isn’t new – Jonny Morris’ Flip-Flop was a 7th Doctor story that played with the similar idea, and it didn’t matter which disc you played first. This isn’t quite the same thing – it’s not as if the TARDIS materialises at the start of the adventure in the same place but events play out differently depending on whether the 8th or the 10th Doctor steps out. There’s a distinct chronology to it, and although this may not have been writer Alfie Shaw and director Scott Handcock’s intention, to me it plays better as done in chronological order of Doctor.(Equally when I finally have another listen, I’ll do it the other way round and see…!)

Peter Doggart’s sound design and Ioan Morris’ score play well together, and Hancock has gathered a great cast of very familiar names – including Burn Gorman, Arthur Darvill and Paul Clayton – none of whom are playing characters that we associate with them… in fact, in more than one case playing against type. It gives the story an odd sense of familiarity and difference which works in its favour with nicely drawn representations of both 8th and 10th incarnations. There’s also a little coda for Tennant’s Doctor as he reflects back over the last centuries.

Verdict: A belated coda to a brave experiment across the Doctor Who media. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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