Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor: The Time War Series 3

The Eighth Doctor: Time War #3

by Matt Fitton, John Dorney, Lisa McMullin

The Time War rages through space and time – two powerful enemies in a fight to the death. The Doctor keeps to the fringes of the conflict, helping where he can. He is not a warrior. Not yet. But this war takes no prisoners, and friends and enemies are drawing the Doctor ever closer to his destiny…

3.1 State of Bliss by Matt Fitton

Bliss has lost her home, her family, and her friends – an orphan of the Time War. The Doctor attempts to find out where things went wrong. Across a multiverse of possibilities, Bliss discovers the many paths her life could have taken – but do they always lead to the Time War?

And if Bliss can save her past, will she destroy her future – and the Doctor’s?

3.2 The Famished Lands by Lisa McMullin

Trying to make a difference far from the front lines, the Doctor and Bliss arrive in the Vale of Iptheus, where the Time War is starving populations out of existence.

The inhabitants have taken matters into their own hands – but are now on course for something worse. Bliss discovers exactly how the robot Enablers are helping the people, while the Doctor uncovers a terrifying secret...

3.3 Fugitive in Time by Roland Moore

Returning a favour for Major Tamasan, the Doctor and Bliss accompany her to extract a dangerous fugitive from an isolated medieval world.

Shonnath is the last of her kind and has her reasons to be wary of Time Lords. What’s more, the Daleks are also on her trail – and when the Doctor and friends arrive, the enemy is already closer than they think.

3.4 The War Valeyard by John Dorney

The Valeyard has returned to the universe amid the Time War – and the Time Lords see his potential to end the conflict for good.

When the Doctor discovers that his twisted future self has been conscripted, he sets out with Bliss to find him, braving a planet ravaged by Daleks.

But in a world where he can finally be a hero, will the Valeyard want to leave?

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, British Literature

6 pages, Audio CD

First published August 13, 2019

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best thing Big Finish have done in ages! So nice to have good stories and gender balance again!
The twisted origins of Bliss was a really nice story. It made her much more interesting, giving her a more detailed background, friends and skills. I loved the twists and turns and lots of Bechdel passing scenes. An encouraging start
The 2nd story by Lisa was also Brilliant! She created a super creepy scenario. It was a interesting story that really felt like it could have been a new series episode. It was very visual for an audio story. I thoroughly enjoyed it."
The 3rd story was the one I thought I would like the least, but it felt very much like a classic who episode so I was pleasantly surprised.
The 4th story was just superb. It was wonderful to have Jayston back as the Valeyard/Doctor. His performance was just magical and it was a fantastic story that could only take place in the time war. (even though I'm pretty sure it did fail teh Bechdel test :( )
Definitely recommend this one.

[Taksya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.1 State of Bliss by Matt Fitton
Episodio contorto, con sovrapposizione di linee temporali e diverse realtà per Bliss. Difficile da seguire, almeno per la prima metà, ma utile per fornire più consistenza al personaggio.

3.2 The Famished Lands by Lisa McMullin
Sempre con la guerra a fare da sfondo, il Dottore si ritrova sull'ennesimo pianeta vittima dei contraccolpi temporali.
Ma, non sempre, gli esiti della guerra sono peggiori dei tentativi fatti dagli autoctoni per sopravvivire.
Un nuovo assaggio di quello che la guerra del temoi riesce a fare sui mondi che vengono sfiorati dal conflitto.

3.3 Fugitive in Time by Roland Moore
La più volte rigenerata Tamasan si ritrova nei panni di chi deve cercare di convincere il Dottore ad unirsi alla guerra, coinvolgendolo in missioni che possano stuzzicare il suo interesse.
Scoprire informazioni sull'ultimo esponente di una razza eradicata dal tempo potrebbe essere una buona esca... ma, intervento dei Dalek a parte, si evince che i Time Lord non sanno ancora come comportarsi con il Dottore.

3.4 The War Valeyard by John Dorney
Se non puoi avere il Dottore perché non sfruttare un suo surrogato?
Il Valeyard, recuperato dai Time Lord, viene sfruttato per una missione suicida... ma viene sacrificato, come solo i Time Lord sanno fare.
Ma il risultato non è quello che si aspettavano e anche il Dottore deve ammettere la propria sorpresa e tornare sui suoi passi rispetto al rapporto che ha con il suo lato oscuro.

Come sempre un buon gruppo di storie, con qualche chicca e vari tasselli importanti per l'insieme del conflitto.
Manca solo un capitolo prima del presumibile collegamento con The Night of the Doctor.

[Daniele Roccati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ogni storia di questo volume presenta un ritmo incalzante e tiene l'ascoltatore ataccato alla storia. Le prime due avventure si presentano più scollegate dalla Guerra del Tempo ma sempre con chiari riferimenti mentre le altre sono ambientate nel mezzo della battaglia.
Il co-protagonista della ultima storia "The War Valeyard" si presenta molto interessante e stimola la voglia di ulteriori avventure e approfondimenti su di esso, magari tramite un escamotage che solo la Big Finish potrebbe inventare inventare.

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bliss is certainly a unique companion. I rather enjoyed this set.

[Mikes Dw Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fugitive in time:
After listening to two other average at best stories. One in which was a nice idea but didn't get to do much with it "The Famished lands" and the other a complete lazy cop out reveal of where Bliss came from and how shes nothing more than an time enigma that has multiple timelines. Meaning Bliss was an absolute waste of a character and a good actress. I gave Matt Fitton a second chance and hes proved in my eyes how he is nothing more than a techno babble lazy writer and possibly a clone of Moffat. Which is a shame as I loved "The neverwhen". As a stand alone single story writer he can be quite good but for a boxset/build up writer he's incredibly lazy using the same old techno babble or a time enigma or anomaly nonsense. So if he's apart of future boxset finales or set ups, no way I will waste £30-40 on lazy technobabble. The fact Rakhee Thakrar could even explain much about who Bliss Is on a big finish interview says it all, as an actor I truly feel for her. But if you like Matt Fittons style that's absolutely fine too, it's ok to like things others don't, for me I just don't.

It's the same problems I have with new who companions, there all something special or destined to be this time thing or to save the Dr, it's so overused and lazy. How the hell can we the audience relate to that? Classic who companions get flack a lot but at least there were just characters we can connect with and not timey techno babble nothings born to save the world or Dr. They were there own person. I think it's quite poor/slightly dangerous to say to kids your nothing but a plot for someone else's life or you cant be just you it's boring you must be special, rather than you can be special as your own person.

So after all that thankfully I've got the Daleks back to look forward to. Although I did enjoy this more than the last two it's a slow build up story that has an odd ending to it. However I utterly loved the whole plot around timelords abusing there powers and the effect it has on others. Such as how it feels to be the survivor of a race that's been wiped out by timelords. It's incredibly well performed and developed and you really do feel for her, she lost her family and is hanging on the absolute life line to get her revenge and escape to any other place.

I thought it was well written the way characters and other plots all tie in to her story, she wants revenge and so the Daleks seek her to form an alliance when in reality they just want to steal her Genetic device that will hide them from timelords making it easier for them to attack. There's a great scene in which the daleks try to trick her into making her believe they want to form an alliance saying the words "trust me". I also really love how the Dr throughout this is trying his hardest to change her mind. It's lovely stuff however I did feel this could of justified a speech about his feelings towards the timelords too. My only complaint is why was there no scene with bliss and her? Bliss went through the same thing, timelords changed her entire history on her planet. I feel there was some Great drama and subtext sat there. I would of actually like to have of seen her life and family.

I also really enjoyed the timelord Tamasan, who seeks to find her out, why? Possibly to finish the job off? There was a brilliant scene in which she finally gets to be alone with the surviving woman and we are later told she died. I utterly loved how we get no clear answer for this, did she kill her or not. This is how an unanswered question can work, not like no real answer to a season build up. Finally the end we see the Valleyard finally appear, but in an incredibly poor way, he just says words. Like why I'm I here. Did the writers forget this was audio and not everyone knows how the Valleyard is. I do but not everyone will.

The story is a slow one with so much action and build up near the end, which will possibly leave you disappointed, theres no real pay off. The Valleyard has the last lines, but we cant see its him so it could be anyone, Michael Jayston could be playing anyone. It just feels like there was supposed to be another reveal or big moment. Personally I'd of had Bliss be reveled here, but not as a poor technobabble time enigma thingy, as something that doesn't take away her character and also stabs at the doctor's hearts, maybe something like a Dalek agent without realizing it, maybe by the timelords or the Daleks? I still wouldn't like it but at least it would've been a reveal actually important to the story and theme of a timewar.
Rating 3/5 6/10

The war valeyard:
For me time war is an okay series that useally always let's it's self down with missed opportunities and bad lazy technobabble. But 1 of 4 is usually good or sometimes one comes along and utterly nails it. This story was not only an incredible story. It's an incredible finale and a very well done timey plot that makes sense and feels satisfying in the end. It also makes you incredibly excited to see what happens next as there's a build here for the next set.

The story is shown/written in the wrong order meaning scenes just happen for awhile until the main plot is revealed and letting us tie it all together and it's very well done and it did make me wonder and question what will happen next. Because of the constant techno babble laziness the time war stuff useally does I was waiting for the cop out. But it never came, what you see is all true and it's bloody brilliant, with great subtext and ideas here.

We follow the memories of the Valeyard as hes constantly been reliving his mission from the timelords to wipeout the Daleks. He succeeded. The Daleks lost, the Dr also lost. As we know the Valeyard is the all the bad stuff inside the dr, and this story does an excellent job at finally making him be what he secretly wants, to be the doctor. He got to save the day, and Michael Jayston is truly amazing here. But what's so great and also heartbreaking is that the Valeyard here for the first time is the Dr the Dr (8th) wants to be in this timewar. It's absolutely heartbreaking for the Dr to witness that even the Valeyard gets to be the hero more than him and do what he just cant. Although it would of probably worked better with the war Dr like it was intended, it still works.

It's really fascinating to see the Valeyard be the Dr, stop the Daleks, try to save the companion and people on this planet from being erased. John Dorney does a clever twist with having this Valeyard have his own true evil self as his own Valeyard. I also really loved how the Daleks here also think there the Dr, which later turn out to be because of the Valeyards memories.

Having the Valeyard be involved in the timewar does feel like a fan fiction idea, but seeing how well it works does make you wonder why he hasn't been in it more. The timelords constantly want the Dr in the timewar so why wouldn't they break there own rules and just use the Valeyard, he is the Dr but without the moral dilemmas. He's the perfect Dr to be able to go to this planet and stop the Daleks getting the time weapon and wipe them out before they get the chance to. But this also means the other people on the planet must be sacrificed too. Something the Dr couldn't do. It's just brilliant subtext and a clever twist. Yes it's alittle confusing at times but it all works out very well in the end.

The final moments we hear the Dalek time strategest has escaped just in time and threatens the Valeyard that the Daleks have not been defeated, the restoration of the Daleks will come and you and your people will burn in pain. Creepy and yet an exciting threat. The Dr and bliss escape to find him to stop from bringing back the Daleks. In boxset 4. Incredibly exciting stuff to look forward to.

Boxset 3 is definitely a more weaker set than the second and for me is probably on par with boxset one, there alot of interesting ideas that don't get fully explored where as with boxset one had a full set to explore yet decided not to and still added more cooks in the kitchen. So there both the same in quality but boxset 3 is just the slightly better set as it's finale is far superior to that poor one in boxset one. I'm just incredibly annoyed at how utterly wasted Bliss is as a companion, whatever happens next with her will have barley any effect on me and that's your fault. Listening to these sets back to back has been enjoyable at times and made me see Matt Fitton can be good sometimes but mostly writes lazy technobabble. John Dorney is definitely the strongest of the two, don't get me wrong he to does his fair share of techno babble but I can at least expect a story from him and and a clear enough answer.
Rating 4/5 8/10
Boxset rating 2/5 5/10

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“STATE OF BLISS”

Questo terzo boxset si apre su una storia incentrata principalmente su Bliss, con il Dottore ad assumere un ruolo quasi secondario. E ci voleva proprio, dato che nel primo volume è piombata direttamente in mezzo alla Guerra del Tempo con ben poche spiegazioni, e nel secondo solo The Lords of Terror ha iniziato a costruire il suo background sul suo pianeta di origine.
Qui vediamo finalmente come si sia ritrovata a bordo della Nave Teseo, quali fossero i suoi amici e come viveva la sua vita da universitaria. Ma non solo vediamo questo passato, ma molti altri che avrebbe potuto avere, da uno in cui non aveva mai lasciato il suo pianeta, conquistato dai Signori del Tempo, a un altro in cui la Guerra del Tempo non esisteva proprio, e lei aveva scelto tutt'altro ramo di studi (questa era la versione che il Nove aveva rapito in Ravenous). Viene inoltre cercato di spiegare la sua importanza nel grande schema delle cose.
Se da una parte questo concetto mi è piaciuto molto, ho trovato la sua realizzazione un po' confusa, specialmente nella risoluzione finale.
La storia sembra dividersi in due metà: la prima, in cui si passa da un universo all'altro, che, benché possa essere un po' difficile da seguire se non si presta abbastanza attenzione, credo che funzioni abbastanza; la seconda, in cui il Dottore e Bliss vanno alla ricerca dell'origine dell'anomalia e ad individuare il responsabile, mi è sembrata invece un po' affrettata e ha lasciato alcune cose poco chiare. Però �� stato interessante scoprire l'identità dell'antagonista, che prima ci fa credere una cosa per poi rivelarne un'altra.
Forse questa storia avrebbe beneficiato di essere divisa in due episodi per essere approfondita, ma è comunque un inizio interessante per il volume, dando più spessore a Bliss e mostrandoci ancora una volta quanto possano essere instabili le linee temporali quando la Guerra del Tempo è coinvolta.



“THE FAMISHED LANDS”

Il Dottore e Bliss arrivano su un pianeta povero di risorse, il quale, per via dell'interruzione delle tratte mercantili a causa della Guerra del Tempo, non può più ottenere rifornimenti dall'esterno. La popolazione muore di fame, e mentre sono in fila per delle razioni alcune persone vengono fucilate. Altri vanno avanti con la loro vita come se nulla fosse, ma ugualmente deperiti, e la causa sembra essere un intruglio di dubbia provenienza che viene spacciato per cibo.
Qui non si parla della Guerra del Tempo come è vissuta in prima linea, ma ce ne vengono mostrate le conseguenze indirette. Gli abitanti non conoscono neanche la differenza tra un Signore del Tempo e un Dalek. Ma il risultato è comunque raccapricciante, e porta a scelte morali decisamente discutibili. Ho apprezzato che il grande “cattivo” dietro tutta la faccenda non fosse spinto da motivi egoistici, bensì fosse arrivato a certi estremi a causa della paura e dell'impotenza.
Malgrado l'orrore della situazione, ci sono dei brevi momenti di ironia che alleggeriscono un po' l'atmosfera.
Pur non essendo una storia particolarmente memorabile, permette di dare un po' di respiro tra le altre che sono più cariche di azione.



“FUGITIVE IN TIME”


Se i primi due episodi erano più distaccati dalla guerra in sé, qui ritorniamo al centro dell'azione.
Tamasan chiede al Dottore di aiutarla a rintracciare l'ultima superstite degli Helixara, una specie che secoli prima è stata cancellata dalla storia dai Signori del Tempo. Trovare il modo in cui sia riuscita a sopravvivere sembra poter essere utile ai fini della guerra. Ancora una volta si pone quindi l'accento su quanto possano essere spietati i Signori del Tempo, pure prima che il conflitto li spingesse a misure drastiche.
L'ambientazione è quella di un pianeta medievale, ma che comunque ha avuto contatti con la tecnologia aliena. I due aspetti sono ben bilanciati ed è piacevole sentire qualcosa di un po' diverso in questa saga.
È facile simpatizzare con Shonnath e la sua tragedia, e molto spazio è lasciato al ribrezzo che il Dottore prova per quello che la sua gente ha compiuto. In contrasto, Tamasan è come sempre indifferente alle questioni morali e si limita ad eseguire gli ordini, creando forti screzi tra i due.
Ritornano anche i Dalek in primo piano, nonostante si tratti più di una scaramuccia piuttosto che una battaglia vera e propria, ma si apre la strada per il gran finale.



“THE WAR VALEYARD”



Un nome, una garanzia: ecco John Dorney che ritorna per chiudere in bellezza il terzo volume!
In mezzo alla miriade di possibilità che si aprono parlando di una guerra che può letteralmente distorcere la natura delle cose, introdurre il Valeyard è già di per sé una grande idea; ma il modo in cui viene utilizzato qui è diverso da tutti quelli in cui l'ho visto finora.
Partendo da delle visioni che tormentano il Dottore, lui e Bliss scoprono che i Signori del Tempo hanno assoldato il Valeyard per porre fine alla Guerra del Tempo una volta per tutte. Su un pianeta protetto da un sigillo temporale, la sua missione è quella di trovare e attivare un'arma che cancellerebbe definitivamente i Dalek dall'universo.
Tuttavia il Valeyard non è affatto come lo ricordiamo: egli crede infatti di essere il Dottore! E, comportandosi come tale, vediamo questo personaggio sotto tutt'altra luce. Determinato a portare a compimento la missione a qualunque costo, è comunque compassionevole nei confronti degli altri, cosa che lo porta ad essere molto simile al War Doctor, avendo in pratica intrapreso un percorso opposto e speculare. In aggiunta a questo è tormentato da visioni del suo io passato (in pratica il Valeyard del War Valeyard). La distinzione tra Valeyard e Dottore diventa così labile che non è difficile immaginare che l'uno sia originato dall'altro; e porta a ipotizzare che tutto l'astio provato dal Valeyard originario non fosse altro che invidia per non essere il Dottore.
Questa grande introspezione psicologica è coadiuvata dall'interpretazione di Michael Jayston, capace di dare una nuance tutta nuova al personaggio pur mantenendone le caratteristiche basilari e riuscendo a distinguere il nuovo Valeyard dalla sua versione più oscura.
In questo episodio, Bliss e il Dottore hanno una grande chimica: i loro dialoghi sono vivaci, e Bliss è meravigliosamente sarcastica (specialmente quando il Dottore cerca di spiegarle, in maniera molto confusa, chi sia il Valeyard).
Ma il bello non finisce qui, perché Dorney ci spiazza ancora una volta con uno di quei plot-twist che ti lasciano di stucco. Riascoltandolo una seconda volta ci sono dei piccoli indizi, ma di primo acchito alcune omissioni mirate ci ingannano su quale sia il reale contesto della situazione, per poi ottenere un senso solo alla fine.
Il cliffhanger finale ci introdurrà all'ultimo volume, che si prospetta davvero interessante dato che in questo episodio sono state decisamente rimescolate le carte in tavola.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four stories in this collection see the Eighth Doctor and Bliss still trying to stay out of the Time War while inevitably embroiled in its repercussions. Each of the stories would work as a standalone, although they are shown as happening consecutively.

State of Bliss – The first story sees the Doctor trying to unravel Bliss’s past, scrambled as it is by the temporal shenanigans of the Time War. On the plus side, it’s a good vehicle for Rakhee Thakrar as Bliss, who is the central character throughout, with the Doctor reduced to a supporting role. The expansion of Bliss’s backstory is certainly welcome, building on what we’ve previously seen and showing us more of who she was before she met the Doctor. Unfortunately, it’s rather difficult to follow and not just because of the jumping about between different time streams. Indeed, much of that element is good, assuming you’re okay with timey-wimey plots. But once it’s over and we return to something more straightforward, it’s not very clear what the villain is up to, except in the broadest of strokes, and the resolution seems to come out of nowhere. 3.5 stars.

The Famished Lands – Next up is a rather more traditional story that’s only tangentially about the Time War; as in some previous stories in this series, it’s about the fallout of the war rather than the conflict itself. In this instance, the Doctor and Bliss arrive on a non-agricultural planet cut off from its usual supply routes by the fighting and consequently in the middle of a famine. It’s clear from early on that someone is resorting to desperate measures to end the famine and the full story of what they’re up to escalates as it progresses. It feels traditional in the sense that any interstellar war would presumably have done as a backdrop, but it does fit with the overall theme of this series, with the Doctor staying out of the fighting and trying to help its innocent victims. 4 stars.

Fugitive in Time – The third story sees the Doctor going on a reconnaissance mission to a planet where a race previously destroyed by the Time Lords may have somehow survived. Although this initially appears to have no connection to the Time War beyond the Doctor being accompanied by a Gallifreyan military officer, naturally that doesn’t remain the case for long. Nonetheless, most of the story is about infiltration, with the Doctor having to decide whether to help or hinder the plans of an alien scientist played by veteran actor Wendy Craig. There’s also a minor mystery about the identity of a traitor, although, with such a small cast of characters, the number of options as to who it might be isn’t exactly large. The result is a decent enough story but there’s not much about that’s likely to stand out as especially memorable. 3.5 stars.

The War Valeyard – The Valeyard is himself something of a paradox, with multiple different explanations for his background having been given in different sources down the years, all of which have something to do with mucking about with the Doctor’s personal timeline. So it should be no surprise that when we add him in to a story about the Time War, the result is very much on the ‘timey-wimey’ side. Having said which, I found it easier to follow than the first story in this collection even though what’s going on is at least as complicated, if not more so. It is something that you’d want to pay close attention to, since there are a lot of timelines jumping about and people not being what they appear. But, while it may not shed any more light on what the Valeyard actually is, it does a good job of showing him as an incarnation of the Doctor, darker than the War Doctor but clearly distinct from the Master, too. It’s a complex and adventurous story in many ways, but whether that will appeal is likely a matter of taste. 5 stars.

[Adam Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

E01 - State of bliss - This story picks up where the previous box set left us, with the doctor finding out that Bliss is a ‘time trap’. So to resolve this the doctor has Bliss stick herself into the telepathic circuits of the TARDIS to find out where and when the trap is coming from. This allows us to explore a bit more of Bliss’ backstory, but at this point, we know here enough that adventures/backstory before the doctor is inconsequential. Overall, I understand what the story was trying to do, but I found it pointless. But as usual, the performances are great and the sound design is on point. 5/10

E02 - The famished lands - This is a smaller story, concerning itself with the worlds that are affected by the war but not necessarily through the fighting itself. In this story we see the majority of the world slowly starved to death due to supply lines to food being cut off due to the time war, however, the rich and wealthy get to eat enough and aren’t starving. The moral questions raised throughout do get quite dark and it’s such an interesting story overall, especially compared to the previous one 8/10

E03 - Fugitive in time - The first story in the box set that explicitly has the Daleks in them and having the restraint meant when the time-controller rolls in with his booming voice, it sent shivers down my spine. Overall, I didn't really understand what was happening throughout the story, but there were definitely moments I enjoyed such as Bliss’ fish out of water scenes. I will say that I really enjoyed the sound design with the rustic medieval chimes clashing with the metallic sci-fi sounds. 6/10

E04 - The War Valeyard - So I usually don’t like the idea of the valeyard, a secret evil incarnation of the doctor is just dull. But this audio does something very interesting with him. Set on a planet, which holds a weapon that can wipe the Daleks from history but everyone on there has their memories distorted. We see the valeyard fighting through waves of Daleks with a pseudo-companion to get to the weapon. Although the exposition at the start is a bit heavy-handed to get everyone up to speed, once the story gets going it’s an emotional rollercoaster and that ending and twist were so unexpected and dark. 8.5/10

[Gabriel Mero · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite story in this set was the first one, State of Bliss. It was both interesting and sad to see how no matter what little changes were made, Bliss's family were still taken away from her. The other three stories were decent. I'd have enjoyed the War Valeyard more had I any experience with the Valeyard from Classic Who.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inclusion of The Valeyard made things interesting, and I like how things seem like they’ll bleed into the next box set.

[Jurgen]

3.1 'State of Bliss' by Matt Fitton: 5*
3.2 'The Famished Lands' by Lisa McMullin: 5*
3.3 'Fugitive in Time' by Roland Moore: 4*
3.4 'The War Valeyard' by John Dorney: 5*

[Ellen Schoener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall-
great set of stories.
Amazing performance by the cast, great writing and some lovely sound-design.
Pretty much the high production values we have come to expect from Big Finish.
This was one of my most anticipated releases this summer and I have not been disappointed, however, I admit, it also did not exceed my expectations.

As for the individual stories:

State of Bliss:
We get some more character development for Bliss.
This really was much needed, she had been a bit of a blank and bland slade so far.
You have to pay close attention to the story, because it can become confusing otherwise.
For the most part, the story is told in a non-linear way spanning multiple alternative timelines.
I thought the story was well thought-out and written, however, the "villain" of the story is a bit... hit and miss.

Famished lands.
Well, that got.... psychedelic rather quickly.
This is by far the most horrendous and, at the same time, most humorous story of the set.
First off... this basically took an artistic license and ran away with it over the hills.
No, this is not how biology and physiology work. Heck, this is not even how physics work if we apply the very basic system of levers and pullies to a body and it's bones and muscles.
So yes, please suspend your disbelief before you enter.
The story itself is great!!!
I am amazed how well it works, especially how well the comedic elements are mixed in with the deadly serious and horrendous. This was done VERY well. I sometimes was not sure if I should laugh or cry when the subject matter was so horrific, it really plays with the emotions here.
Especially, there is one scene where we learn about the hilarious effects poison gas has on the Doctor....
accompanied by the almost perfect sound design.
In addition, I am very happy about how the story completely subverts the listeners expectations as to what is really going on on that planet. Well done.

Fugitive in Time.
I would say this is a pretty standard story.
Not to say it is bad, but it is not exactly original and it is pretty predictable how this would play out.
Plus we get some Daleks with Stormtrooper battle skills screaming around- which I personally find a bit disappointing. If this is all there is to Dalek strategy, the devious Time Lord schemers would have outwitted them 2 weeks into the time war.
This brings me to a general critique- while we have seen how devious and cruel and heartless the Time Lords have become, the Daleks are seriously lacking in character development. Is there really everything said already that needs to be said? I wish we would get to see a more subtle and sinister side to them, showing them as the threat they are instead of degrading them to mindless screaming cannon fodder that could not hit the ground they were standing on.
Maybe we really need to get Davros on board.

The War Valeyard:
In my opinion the best story of the set.
I enjoyed the non-linear writing of the story and also how the expectations of the listener were subverted.
So I can understand if some people might not really like this story so much, if they just expect to get a story with a villain who is laughing maniacally in the background (nice touch by the writers to point out exactly that expectation several times in the story!).
No, this story goes much deeper and offers much more on a different level.
I think this was the best way of presenting the Valeyard to us here.
If they just had gone down the expected route, this would have been much too similar to the story in Rage of the Timelords where the Doctor confronts the Master.
And we already got a great story of the villain Valeyard in the 6th Doctor regeneration story.

So in conclusion-
great set of stories for Time War 3.
The Doctor is really put through the wringer in this set, and has to endure torture several times and is nearly killed by poison gas (which has some hilarious side effects on him). Sadly, there does not seem to be an option lately to give the man a break...

This set is certainly better than the first 8th Doctor Time War set and on par with the second set.

How do the stories shape up?
Well, none of the stories is as great as Planet of the Ogrons from the second set, or, for that matter, as good as the recent 8th Doctor Time War stories in War Master Rage of the Time Lords and of course, Lies in Ruins in the anniversary set. These were, at least for me, on the next level up.
And I still think the recent Doom Coalition/ Ravenous sets just work and flow much better for the 8th Doctor (that's why they are among my favorites).
Still, great effort.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

State of Bliss:
8/10
Verdict: Recommended

This story is seriously existential, and I love it for it. It's such a messy story but it works so well because of that, so many timelines, so many elements that don't fit, a real frankenstein of a story, though don't get me wrong, this is all intentional and all works amazingly. The antagonists are pretty good as well, though for spoiler reasons I won't go into that.

The Famished Lands:
7/10
Verdict: Optional

Fun, solid story, not exceptional but definitely great. The doctor getting high on fumes is the best highlight from this story. The plot is pretty predictable, but it's got a few curves to it, and the journey isn't as methodical as it seems at first.

Fugitive in Time:
6/10
Verdict: Optional

Fun story with a good setting, iffy side characters and an underutilised concept. I feel with the main idea of this story, which I can't say as it's a spoiler, they didn't go far enough and should have dedicated a lot more of the story to it. The side characters in this one are all pretty dull, and I'm pretty annoyed at how little the Time Strategist actually played a part in this, seriously there was no time travel in this, why is he here? Overall I still ended up enjoying it but I'm not sure if I can recommend it, you need to be really sold on the setting, which was a definite high point of the story.

The War Valeyard:
7/10
Verdict: Recommended

Apart from some iffy pacing, this is a pretty great story that survives on it's twists. It's hard to describe this story without spoilers, but it's a very important story for the overall plot. This version of the Valeyard is pretty great, which is good because the entire story needs him to be as there isn't a lot else going on without him. This story does something that properly intrigues me and I'm pretty excited to see how it will develop in future boxsets.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole, the Eighth Doctor Time War series has been sort of fair-to-middlin'. But I think this set of episodes has been the best of them so far. I'm still having difficulty with the character of Bliss. Sometimes her stumbling, babbling, nervous energy just grates, and other times I find it completely charming. But she still doesn't seem to have emerged as a fully fleshed-out character yet, though clearly the writers are trying to give her more backstory and make us care about her. But . . . still not there for me yet.

Both the first and last episodes are a bit hard to follow given that much of what transpires involves alternate timelines of a sort. I'm still not entirely sure where the final episode leaves us, and that might require a relisten, but I enjoyed how the Valeyard was used.

[Joseph S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait, WTF?

[Danny Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

State of Bliss: 9.5/10
The Famished Lands: 8.5/10
Fugitive in Time: 9/10
The War Valeyard: 10/10

[Debra Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The doctor and bliss get caught in the time war.