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Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans #1
Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans - The Battle for Giant's Causeway
The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans has been going on for millennia. And is likely to continue for millennia more. A terrible conflict with no care for consequences or collateral damage. Billions have died with no end in sight. Its reach can encompass ancient Ireland and a forest world in the far future.
A temporal tidal wave leads the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz to the Giant's Causeway, Ireland 55BC, where the TARDIS drains of power and they encounter Sontarans who believe they’re Roman Legionnaires. What has caused this and what is the strange secret in the rocks?
A temporal tidal wave leads the Doctor, Charley and C'rizz to the Giant's Causeway, Ireland 55BC, where the TARDIS drains of power and they encounter Sontarans who believe they’re Roman Legionnaires. What has caused this and what is the strange secret in the rocks?
Audio CD
Published January 1, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 15, 2024
The Doctor, Charley and C'rizz find themselves on the Giant's Causeway in BC Ireland only to find themselves on the frontline of a very different war than they were expecting.
I think the performances here were good, and it's great to get more from this Tardis team, but I think the story was lacking, certainly when compared to the next two of this series. It lacks a good explanation for the scenario that's going on, or why what happens at the conclusion actually happens. A rocky start to an interesting idea for a series.
I think the performances here were good, and it's great to get more from this Tardis team, but I think the story was lacking, certainly when compared to the next two of this series. It lacks a good explanation for the scenario that's going on, or why what happens at the conclusion actually happens. A rocky start to an interesting idea for a series.
December 11, 2025
The 50 Prompt Eighth Doctor Reading Challenge - Historical Adventures - 26) A Book Set In An Ancient Civilization
It was really nice to go back to the 8th Doctor with Charley and C'rizz and the characterisation and writing for all three was fabulous. It was like it was 15 years previous before the Companions changed.
However, the story itself felt like it was lacking a little. I know that we're meant to be experiencing this story out of order as the Doctor is, but there was just so much that didn't make sense or will only make sense when we've listened to the other parts of the series.
However, I am excited for the rest of the series and learning more about the Rutans.
It was really nice to go back to the 8th Doctor with Charley and C'rizz and the characterisation and writing for all three was fabulous. It was like it was 15 years previous before the Companions changed.
However, the story itself felt like it was lacking a little. I know that we're meant to be experiencing this story out of order as the Doctor is, but there was just so much that didn't make sense or will only make sense when we've listened to the other parts of the series.
However, I am excited for the rest of the series and learning more about the Rutans.
July 27, 2024
Sontarans vs. Rutans is a most welcome, brilliant idea for a series to celebrate fifty years since Commander Linx first boldly claimed Earth for the Sontarans in The Time Warrior. Although they’ve gotten a little shorter, and a little goofier, our favourite potato-headed war-hungry clones are a gloriously ugly part of Doctor Who.
The Rutans are a much more enigmatic, mysterious lot. They have always been known as the Sontaran’s mortal enemies, but the closest we ever saw of them was in Horror of Fang Rock, wherein a lone Rutan – weak and isolated, camouflaged itself among humans. Frankly, the concept of a war between these two races is difficult to envision; the green jellyfish-like Rutans don’t appear to be a very appealing target for the very tangible, physical, bipedal Sontarans. Which is why it is so exciting that their enduring battle is finally being explored in greater detail.
The Battle of Giant’s Causeway is far from the heart of interstellar wargrounds however. Abundant with mysteries, the drama brings these two alien races down from the stars and onto Earth in the year 55BC. On the broken shores of Giant’s Causeway, two very strange, very different warring factions do their best to kill each other – a Roman legion of Sontarans, who have never heard of Sontarr or Rutans before, and a ‘death cult’ of Celts, whose dead rise from the volcanic earth to fight again. Many of the strange occurrences and circumstances permeating the narrative will not be resolved right away in this particular release. This is the first part of a four part series after all, but it certainly stands on its own as well. The few mysteries that are resolved within the hour are largely exciting, tension-raising, action-fuelling revelations; for this is quite the run-about episode.
Those doing the running-about may just be the best part of Giant’s Causeway. Paul McGann and India Fisher are back together once more after Doom’s Day and The Further Adventuress. But most exciting of all is the return of Conrad Westmaas as C’rizz! It’s been seventeen years since we last heard from C’rizz and it is a joy to hear his curious, earnest self return once more. Charley, C’rizz and the Eighth Doctor were my favourite TARDIS team from my favourite Big Finish era, and I can hardly be happier hearing them together again.
Read the full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
The Rutans are a much more enigmatic, mysterious lot. They have always been known as the Sontaran’s mortal enemies, but the closest we ever saw of them was in Horror of Fang Rock, wherein a lone Rutan – weak and isolated, camouflaged itself among humans. Frankly, the concept of a war between these two races is difficult to envision; the green jellyfish-like Rutans don’t appear to be a very appealing target for the very tangible, physical, bipedal Sontarans. Which is why it is so exciting that their enduring battle is finally being explored in greater detail.
The Battle of Giant’s Causeway is far from the heart of interstellar wargrounds however. Abundant with mysteries, the drama brings these two alien races down from the stars and onto Earth in the year 55BC. On the broken shores of Giant’s Causeway, two very strange, very different warring factions do their best to kill each other – a Roman legion of Sontarans, who have never heard of Sontarr or Rutans before, and a ‘death cult’ of Celts, whose dead rise from the volcanic earth to fight again. Many of the strange occurrences and circumstances permeating the narrative will not be resolved right away in this particular release. This is the first part of a four part series after all, but it certainly stands on its own as well. The few mysteries that are resolved within the hour are largely exciting, tension-raising, action-fuelling revelations; for this is quite the run-about episode.
Those doing the running-about may just be the best part of Giant’s Causeway. Paul McGann and India Fisher are back together once more after Doom’s Day and The Further Adventuress. But most exciting of all is the return of Conrad Westmaas as C’rizz! It’s been seventeen years since we last heard from C’rizz and it is a joy to hear his curious, earnest self return once more. Charley, C’rizz and the Eighth Doctor were my favourite TARDIS team from my favourite Big Finish era, and I can hardly be happier hearing them together again.
Read the full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
January 15, 2024
✅85% = 👍🏼14 ✊🏼5 👎🏼0 = Great!
Big Finish celebrates 50 years since the debut of the Sontarans (in "The Time Warrior") by giving us a series of releases focusing on the oft-mentioned but never seen (or heard) war between the Sontarans and the Rutans.
Lizzie Hopley opens the story with a creepy opening scene before bringing the Doctor, Charley, and Cr'izz to Ireland in the Celtic age (Giant's Causeway in 55 BC). There's inherently a mystical, tense atmosphere here that brings "The Stones of Blood" or "Image of the Fendahl" to mind.
The Doctor and Charley get involved with the Sontarans, who are fighting for the Roman empire against the Celts, while Cr'izz joins the Celts, who believe him to be some kind of chosen one. The Sontarans are very familiar here, but their usual traits are combined with typical Roman traits, which is the main source of mystery here (they don't know they are Sontarans).
Not a whole lot is going on, and there's a good while before we get the connection to the Sontaran/Rutan war. In the end, this is a rather simple plot, where the Rutans pretend to be Celts in an attempt to win the war, while the Doctor desperately tries to get the Sontarans to realise their true personas.
This is my first Cr'izz audio, and he's an intriguing alien companion with chameleonic powers. His role here isn't very central, though, as he is mostly present to give us a look into Celtic society, while the others are more directly involved in the adventure. The exploration of Celtic culture does, to be fair, remain fairly limited.
Paul McGann is in top form, and India Fisher is good as well. I also like the groovy soundtrack, which sounds a bit different than what I am used to. The guest cast is good.
The battle of the title finally takes place towards the end and pops up surprisingly well, giving this story an action-packed conclusion. The build-up is slow, but the final third of the story is bombastic and exciting, offering a promising beginning to this celebratory miniseries.
Big Finish celebrates 50 years since the debut of the Sontarans (in "The Time Warrior") by giving us a series of releases focusing on the oft-mentioned but never seen (or heard) war between the Sontarans and the Rutans.
Lizzie Hopley opens the story with a creepy opening scene before bringing the Doctor, Charley, and Cr'izz to Ireland in the Celtic age (Giant's Causeway in 55 BC). There's inherently a mystical, tense atmosphere here that brings "The Stones of Blood" or "Image of the Fendahl" to mind.
The Doctor and Charley get involved with the Sontarans, who are fighting for the Roman empire against the Celts, while Cr'izz joins the Celts, who believe him to be some kind of chosen one. The Sontarans are very familiar here, but their usual traits are combined with typical Roman traits, which is the main source of mystery here (they don't know they are Sontarans).
Not a whole lot is going on, and there's a good while before we get the connection to the Sontaran/Rutan war. In the end, this is a rather simple plot, where the Rutans pretend to be Celts in an attempt to win the war, while the Doctor desperately tries to get the Sontarans to realise their true personas.
This is my first Cr'izz audio, and he's an intriguing alien companion with chameleonic powers. His role here isn't very central, though, as he is mostly present to give us a look into Celtic society, while the others are more directly involved in the adventure. The exploration of Celtic culture does, to be fair, remain fairly limited.
Paul McGann is in top form, and India Fisher is good as well. I also like the groovy soundtrack, which sounds a bit different than what I am used to. The guest cast is good.
The battle of the title finally takes place towards the end and pops up surprisingly well, giving this story an action-packed conclusion. The build-up is slow, but the final third of the story is bombastic and exciting, offering a promising beginning to this celebratory miniseries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2024
When the TARDIS gets caught in a temporal wave, the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann), Charley Pollard (India Fisher), and C’rizz (Conrad Westmaas) find themselves in the middle of an ancient Irish battlefield. But, to the TARDIS team’s surprise, a squadron of Sontarans arrive, wholly convinced they’re members of the Roman army rather than military generals from outer space. With the TARDIS out of commission, can the Doctor and his friends uncover the mysteries of this deadly battle before history irrevocably changes? Or is the Battle of Giant’s Causeway destined to become another casualty of the Sontarans’ endless war with the Rutans? Lizzie Hopley's The Battle of Giant's Causeway offers a rip-roaringly fun start to Big Finish Productions' Sontarans vs Rutans miniseries.
By far the most intriguing part of the story is the idea of the Sontarans having no clue who they are. There's just something funny about a group of Sontarans being wholly convinced they're members of the Roman Empire. You get a similar vibe in Doctor Who: Flux when the Sontarans fight in the Crimean War, but here, that humor is amped up to an eleven. Hopley perfectly captures that fish-out-of-water element, marrying it with the very real dangers of an intergalactic war while still holding onto the inherent humor. McGann is top-notch too, perfectly balancing the Doctor's hopefulness and utter disbelief. The one downside of the story is how little C'rizz and the Rutans are used. Their subplot makes up most of the story's intrigue, but the script never fully dives into it.
Still, The Battle of Giant's Causeway makes for a gripping opening story. Packed with humor and mystery, it offers a great glimpse at the complexities of this galactic war while making for a devilishly enjoyable Doctor Who adventure in its own right.
By far the most intriguing part of the story is the idea of the Sontarans having no clue who they are. There's just something funny about a group of Sontarans being wholly convinced they're members of the Roman Empire. You get a similar vibe in Doctor Who: Flux when the Sontarans fight in the Crimean War, but here, that humor is amped up to an eleven. Hopley perfectly captures that fish-out-of-water element, marrying it with the very real dangers of an intergalactic war while still holding onto the inherent humor. McGann is top-notch too, perfectly balancing the Doctor's hopefulness and utter disbelief. The one downside of the story is how little C'rizz and the Rutans are used. Their subplot makes up most of the story's intrigue, but the script never fully dives into it.
Still, The Battle of Giant's Causeway makes for a gripping opening story. Packed with humor and mystery, it offers a great glimpse at the complexities of this galactic war while making for a devilishly enjoyable Doctor Who adventure in its own right.
December 13, 2025
The first in a set of four stories featuring different Doctors but linked by a common arc. This one stars the Eighth Doctor, here accompanied by Charlie and (after a break of several years real-time) C'rizz. They arrive on the eponymous Irish geological feature during the last century BC to find an attempted Roman invasion led by the Sontarans. This sets up the central puzzle, along with the fact that the Celts also seem to have acquired supernatural powers - the title of the series may give some hint as to where this has come from, if not the details.
It's an entertaining story, drawing parallels between Roman and Sontaran military endeavours, and not overusing the "comedy Sontaran" shtick most commonly seen in the modern series (although there is plenty of humour). The use of C'rizz after such a long gap takes us back to the earlier Eighth Doctor audios. It might seem an odd decision (he was hardly the most popular audio companion), but it does have relevance to the plot here, his visibly nonhuman nature allowing him to interact with the Celts in a way that other characters could not.
Part of the appeal, for fans of the classic series, is seeing Sontarans and Rutans together in the same story. In this one, at least, they don't interact very much, but that's to be expected when they are so mutually hostile. It plays up the difference between the two, in particular giving us more of an insight into the Rutans than we normally get. It's a decent story, with a mystery at the core of it and some fun elements for fans of historically set stories (or of Romans in particular). While it may be part of a larger arc, it also works as a standalone, with the linking elements limited to a few minor unsolved questions at the end.
It's an entertaining story, drawing parallels between Roman and Sontaran military endeavours, and not overusing the "comedy Sontaran" shtick most commonly seen in the modern series (although there is plenty of humour). The use of C'rizz after such a long gap takes us back to the earlier Eighth Doctor audios. It might seem an odd decision (he was hardly the most popular audio companion), but it does have relevance to the plot here, his visibly nonhuman nature allowing him to interact with the Celts in a way that other characters could not.
Part of the appeal, for fans of the classic series, is seeing Sontarans and Rutans together in the same story. In this one, at least, they don't interact very much, but that's to be expected when they are so mutually hostile. It plays up the difference between the two, in particular giving us more of an insight into the Rutans than we normally get. It's a decent story, with a mystery at the core of it and some fun elements for fans of historically set stories (or of Romans in particular). While it may be part of a larger arc, it also works as a standalone, with the linking elements limited to a few minor unsolved questions at the end.
January 10, 2024
I've been excited for Sontarans vs Rutans ever since it was announced, but when it was revealed that Conrad Westmaas would finally after a great many years return as C'rizz I was ecstatic. I have mixed feelings about C'rizz as a character but that's due to the fact I don't think the writers back in the day ever really utilized him to his full potential or poorly characterized him. But fingers crossed now he's back, they can give C'rizz the material he deserves!
After crashing through the vortex, The Tardis arrives dead on impact on the Giant's Causeway in Ireland in 55 BC. What has brought The Doctor, C'rizz, and Charley to this, and how come an army of Sontarans are pretending to be Roman soldiers, despite being a few hundred years early? Something very strange is going on and it seems one of Earth's greatest mysteries is about to be solved. Lying in wait an army of dead is about to arise, The Rutans are coming.
Lizzie Hopley has written an incredible script that wonderfully opens up this mini-series with an explosive bang. This is a very action-packed story with a terrific mystery at the heart of it. It's great to see some expansion on the Sontaran and Rutan war, but also the return of C'rizz! You wouldn't have thought Conrad had ever left the role, he truly comes back with a bang and his performance is fire!
Overall: Very interested to see what happens next in this mini-series, especially since we still don't have all the answers to the mystery this story presents us with. Loved it! 10/10
After crashing through the vortex, The Tardis arrives dead on impact on the Giant's Causeway in Ireland in 55 BC. What has brought The Doctor, C'rizz, and Charley to this, and how come an army of Sontarans are pretending to be Roman soldiers, despite being a few hundred years early? Something very strange is going on and it seems one of Earth's greatest mysteries is about to be solved. Lying in wait an army of dead is about to arise, The Rutans are coming.
Lizzie Hopley has written an incredible script that wonderfully opens up this mini-series with an explosive bang. This is a very action-packed story with a terrific mystery at the heart of it. It's great to see some expansion on the Sontaran and Rutan war, but also the return of C'rizz! You wouldn't have thought Conrad had ever left the role, he truly comes back with a bang and his performance is fire!
Overall: Very interested to see what happens next in this mini-series, especially since we still don't have all the answers to the mystery this story presents us with. Loved it! 10/10
July 1, 2024
Well, this was an entertaining story.
Some nice use of the Sontarans and Rutans (and the Rutans just do come across as more of a horror-race, don't they?), however, the whole setup was not really that new or original (Sontarans misplaced in time to fight some old human battle and being kind of confused about it).
It also made good use of C'rizz, even if he got his usual BF role of running off and befriending the enemy (which is later on lamp-shaded by the characters themselves).
I had hoped the re-union with him would be a bit more daring, and new, but hey, it fits nicely with the previous stories even if it does nothing to expand his character.
Performances were all very good.
And I was happy to have another outing with Charley and the Divergent era Doctor.
Great start to the series.
Some nice use of the Sontarans and Rutans (and the Rutans just do come across as more of a horror-race, don't they?), however, the whole setup was not really that new or original (Sontarans misplaced in time to fight some old human battle and being kind of confused about it).
It also made good use of C'rizz, even if he got his usual BF role of running off and befriending the enemy (which is later on lamp-shaded by the characters themselves).
I had hoped the re-union with him would be a bit more daring, and new, but hey, it fits nicely with the previous stories even if it does nothing to expand his character.
Performances were all very good.
And I was happy to have another outing with Charley and the Divergent era Doctor.
Great start to the series.
January 12, 2024
A great start to celebrating 50 years of the Sontarans, bringing the old 8th crew back together!
Sontarans and Rutans displaced in time seems to be the underlying arc across the 4 stories announced by Big Finish
As a standalone story, still works great but I can see why it's advised to listen to them all, as this story leaves us with many questions unanswered.
Fun story with a great cast, what more could you want!
Sontarans and Rutans displaced in time seems to be the underlying arc across the 4 stories announced by Big Finish
As a standalone story, still works great but I can see why it's advised to listen to them all, as this story leaves us with many questions unanswered.
Fun story with a great cast, what more could you want!
January 25, 2024
Gotta respect the possibility that this story was probably born out of someone making a pun combining “Sontarans” and “centurions.” The Sontarans not knowing who they are exactly is an intriguing concept.
January 23, 2024
3.5 Certainly a different type of Sontaran. 1st in a new series, so it feels unfinished.
April 19, 2024
A brand-new “classic” (Eighth) Doctor adventure with Charley & C’rizz. Oh man, I do love Big Finish! This was a blast.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews