Doctor Who: Time War Uncharted, Vol. 2: Pursuit

The Eighth Doctor: Time War #7

by Mark Wright, Katharine Armitage, James Moran

The Doctor and his great-grandson Alex have been driven apart. In an uncharted universe, the Time War is on a very different path. A new force rules Gallifrey and will stop at nothing to gain the military advantage. As Alex and Cass career through the cosmos in a stolen TARDIS, the Doctor is in hot pursuit, with a duplicitous Friend by his side.

7.1 Spoil of War by Mark Wright - Alex and Cass arrive at a sinister stately home to find they are expected... Guests are assembling for an exclusive auction, but what unique item are they bidding on? And who will profit? The Doctor and Hieronyma Friend are on Alex and Cass’s trail - the Doctor will find them, whatever the cost.

7.2 The Tale of Alex by Katharine Armitage - The hero Alex is known throughout the cosmos as the saviour of planets and righter of wrongs. So, when he lands on the starving world of Igg, the locals feel all their prayers have been answered. But Alex's greatest enemy is hot on his tail, and the villainous Doctor has plans of his own.

7.3 See-Saw by James Moran - Cass and Alex pick up a distress signal that takes them to 1920s London. But the city is deserted, as if abandoned mere seconds ago. The Doctor and Friend arrive at the same time, in the same place - but neither pair can see or hear one another... Why can they hear unfinished nursery rhymes? And what happens if they complete them?

7.4 The First Forest by Tim Foley - A long time ago, before the Time Lords ever left their shores, they imagined what lay beyond them. When the Doctor crash-lands in a weird woodland, surrounded by friends and enemies, he will discover he has travelled further than his people could possibly imagine.

Genres: Doctor Who

Audio CD

First published June 18, 2025

Reviews

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is generous. But it's the best I can do. Bringing back Alex -- albeit perhaps an Alex from an alternate timeline -- was a great idea, and when he first popped up, I was intrigued where this was going to go. But I'm afraid the episodes in this (and the previous box set) are just too . . . too . . . I dunno . . . "weird"? Once things go into alternate universes it feels like nothing matters anymore. It's like those "it was all a dream!" endings where the big red reset button gets pushed and all those hours you spent trying to make sense of the plots turn out to be worthless, because in the end you're right back where you started.

So we have a bunch of episodes in some uncharted time and space where anything can happen. But if the rules of the established Whoniverse are all tossed out the window, then it feels a bit like a writer's cheat. And as a listener, I'm stuck here going "Why is Hieronyma Friend always changing faces? Does that mean anything, or do the writers just think they're being clever? Why are the Sontarans Time Lords now? Is that supposed to be an important plot point or is it just for kicks?" Lots of other questions, too, but I'm not even sure the answers matter because that big red reset button is hovering around over there.

I suppose I should listen to Volumes 5 through 7 again and try to make sense of what's going on, . . . but that's a commitment.

It's just that I'm not sure what plot points are really important to follow and what's just . . . window dressing.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Who: Pursuit proves exactly why Big Finish's ongoing Time War series is some of its most experimental and intriguing work. Sure, it's still very Doctor Who-shaped, hardly straying away from the general structure of a Doctor Who story. But it pushes the Doctor Who format down such unusual avenues, often eschewing the kinds of plots Doctor Who often tackles in favor of telling these very introspective stories set against an almost incomprehensible, unknowable conflict. And that dichotomy is exactly what makes these stories so compelling. They're not bogged down by the immense lore that comes with the Time War, instead the freedom of the Time War's strangeness gives them this palpable energy that permeates every single story. It's Doctor Who at its very best and a must-listen for all Whovians.

Full review on Geek Vibes Nation.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the interactions with The Doctor and Alex here. Also a different take on the Sontarans given a different history.