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Doctor Who: Once and Future #7
Doctor Who: Once and Future - The Union
The Time War. The Doctor has been injured and brought to a Time Lord field hospital. His body glows with energy, but this is no regeneration into a future form – instead, the Doctor’s past faces begin to appear as he flits haphazardly between incarnations.
Staggering to his TARDIS, the Doctor sets out to solve the mystery of his ‘degeneration’. Who has done this to him? How? And why? From the Earth to the stars, across an array of familiar times and places, he follows clues to retrace his steps, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Tumbling through his lives, the Doctor must stop his degeneration before he loses himself completely.
The Doctor responds to a distress call from his granddaughter, Susan, taking him to the Diamond Array: a huge multidimensional space station. Once there, his instability increases, as the Fourth and Eighth Doctors discover the Array’s terrible purpose. Meanwhile, River Song has made a deadly alliance to try to save her husband. And the truth about the Doctor’s degeneration will finally be revealed.
Staggering to his TARDIS, the Doctor sets out to solve the mystery of his ‘degeneration’. Who has done this to him? How? And why? From the Earth to the stars, across an array of familiar times and places, he follows clues to retrace his steps, encountering old friends and enemies along the way. Tumbling through his lives, the Doctor must stop his degeneration before he loses himself completely.
The Doctor responds to a distress call from his granddaughter, Susan, taking him to the Diamond Array: a huge multidimensional space station. Once there, his instability increases, as the Fourth and Eighth Doctors discover the Array’s terrible purpose. Meanwhile, River Song has made a deadly alliance to try to save her husband. And the truth about the Doctor’s degeneration will finally be revealed.
Audio CD
First published October 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 27, 2023
I listened to this two days ago. The finale of a saga to celebrate the 60th anniversary; you’d think it’d be pretty memorable no? I can barely recall most of it. I have more distinct memories of the finale of The Legacy of Time, another celebratory saga, which was over four years ago.
It’s another story where I’m left questioning what the point was. There’s a plot, but it goes away after 20 mins and so the antagonist (who is a twist character, but sadly not that interesting a twist) just kinda loiters, ranting. She even handily explains her scheme, which is helpful as previous 6 hours have given listeners no way to piece it together themselves. This villain returning is not a big deal, as they’ve been a pretty regular occurrence for past 8 years, and this take is not a particularly revelatory take either.
The characters even telegraph that they’ve done this all before. Susan and River know each other already and Eight and Susan have met several times, and they acknowledge this! The story does make actual use the degeneration to give some nice moments between Susan and other Doctors, but that’s about the size of the character work here.
Ultimately; what was the point of Once and Future? As a series it doesn’t say anything particularly novel about the character nor why the show has been going for 60 years. The series is not about anything, it’s just a parade of characters. It’s shallow entertainment that plays and then you forget it.
If this was a one-off special like The Five Doctors or The Light at the End, I’d be more willing to forgive that and embrace it as a bit of meaningless fun. But for a 7 part series, with a coda to come next year (no idea what that will be about, there’s no obvious loose ends), I just can’t. Big Finish can do better, it should do better.
It’s another story where I’m left questioning what the point was. There’s a plot, but it goes away after 20 mins and so the antagonist (who is a twist character, but sadly not that interesting a twist) just kinda loiters, ranting. She even handily explains her scheme, which is helpful as previous 6 hours have given listeners no way to piece it together themselves. This villain returning is not a big deal, as they’ve been a pretty regular occurrence for past 8 years, and this take is not a particularly revelatory take either.
The characters even telegraph that they’ve done this all before. Susan and River know each other already and Eight and Susan have met several times, and they acknowledge this! The story does make actual use the degeneration to give some nice moments between Susan and other Doctors, but that’s about the size of the character work here.
Ultimately; what was the point of Once and Future? As a series it doesn’t say anything particularly novel about the character nor why the show has been going for 60 years. The series is not about anything, it’s just a parade of characters. It’s shallow entertainment that plays and then you forget it.
If this was a one-off special like The Five Doctors or The Light at the End, I’d be more willing to forgive that and embrace it as a bit of meaningless fun. But for a 7 part series, with a coda to come next year (no idea what that will be about, there’s no obvious loose ends), I just can’t. Big Finish can do better, it should do better.
November 15, 2025
2023 52 Book Challenge - Summer Road Trip Mini Challenge - Buddies - 3) A Book Featuring The Whole Family
Second Read Through
This was a much more enjoyable read, the second time around, and as I’ve now listened to the entire series, it actually makes more sense (go figure 😂). I’d been told that most of this series you could pick up any of them and understand what was going on without listening to the others, and for the most part, yes, I’d agree, but specifically this one, definitely not.
I will say that the plot really isn’t that memorable, I still agree with that point, it’s literally a case of let’s go rescue Susan from the baddie that’s done all of this. However, it didn’t feel like the plot really had to be that deep because it was wrapping up all of the series, linking it to the anniversary and giving us those feel good moments that we’ve wanted for decades - ie, Susan and the First Doctor meeting again.
So, plot wise, not fantastic, but fan wise, it was so lovely.
First Read Through
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, especially the interactions between the Doctors and Susan and River, but it's not a memorable audiobook at all. I listened to this book yesterday, and I can't remember the plot already.
Second Read Through
This was a much more enjoyable read, the second time around, and as I’ve now listened to the entire series, it actually makes more sense (go figure 😂). I’d been told that most of this series you could pick up any of them and understand what was going on without listening to the others, and for the most part, yes, I’d agree, but specifically this one, definitely not.
I will say that the plot really isn’t that memorable, I still agree with that point, it’s literally a case of let’s go rescue Susan from the baddie that’s done all of this. However, it didn’t feel like the plot really had to be that deep because it was wrapping up all of the series, linking it to the anniversary and giving us those feel good moments that we’ve wanted for decades - ie, Susan and the First Doctor meeting again.
So, plot wise, not fantastic, but fan wise, it was so lovely.
First Read Through
I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook, especially the interactions between the Doctors and Susan and River, but it's not a memorable audiobook at all. I listened to this book yesterday, and I can't remember the plot already.
October 25, 2023
With his degeneration becoming ever more unstable, the Doctor (Paul McGann, Tom Baker) responds to a distress call from his granddaughter, Susan (Carole Ann Ford). Susan's distress call leads him straight to the Diamond Array - and the malevolent Union (Maureen O'Brien), her eyes set on converting yet another planet into a diamond. But who is she and what role has she played in the Doctor's degeneration crisis? And why, exactly, has River Song (Alex Kingston) teamed up with her? All roads lead to the Union; all answers threaten to be revealed. It's the end of the road for the Doctor. But can Susan and River save him before it's too late? What's most surprising about Matt Fitton's The Union is how character-driven it is. It finally answers the question of who caused the Doctor's degeneration and why, and that answer proves surprisingly personal - in the best way possible.
The less said about The Union's specifics, the better. But it's here where Once and Future finally lays all of its cards on the table. And sure, the story ends up feeling a bit exposition-heavy at times. But it's nice to finally have a proper understanding of what's actually going on. And to Fitton's credit, his script manages to cover all of this ground while remaining wholly engaging and giving its entire cast plenty to work with. Susan and River may not play a major role in the episode's narrative, but they play a vital one nonetheless. There's a bit of a missed opportunity in playing with the idea of River being Susan's grandmother, but their interactions remain delightful, and Carole Ann Ford and Alex Kingston play off of each other nicely.
Paul McGann is, once again, at his very best here. It's always enjoyable when he's given something other than angst to play with. And the chaos of the Doctor's degeneration crisis gives him a lot to work with here. Similarly, O'Brien (best known for playing the First Doctor's companion, Vicki) absolutely relishes her role as the evil Union. O'Brien delivers a performance that's equal parts over-the-top and surprisingly grounded. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising to longtime Big Finish listeners who the Union ends up being, but it works exceedingly well.
Despite how scatterbrained much of Once and Future felt, The Union somehow manages to tie together all of the series' disparate elements into some semblance of a cohesive whole. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it works. At its best, it offers a surprisingly touching celebration of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.
The less said about The Union's specifics, the better. But it's here where Once and Future finally lays all of its cards on the table. And sure, the story ends up feeling a bit exposition-heavy at times. But it's nice to finally have a proper understanding of what's actually going on. And to Fitton's credit, his script manages to cover all of this ground while remaining wholly engaging and giving its entire cast plenty to work with. Susan and River may not play a major role in the episode's narrative, but they play a vital one nonetheless. There's a bit of a missed opportunity in playing with the idea of River being Susan's grandmother, but their interactions remain delightful, and Carole Ann Ford and Alex Kingston play off of each other nicely.
Paul McGann is, once again, at his very best here. It's always enjoyable when he's given something other than angst to play with. And the chaos of the Doctor's degeneration crisis gives him a lot to work with here. Similarly, O'Brien (best known for playing the First Doctor's companion, Vicki) absolutely relishes her role as the evil Union. O'Brien delivers a performance that's equal parts over-the-top and surprisingly grounded. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising to longtime Big Finish listeners who the Union ends up being, but it works exceedingly well.
Despite how scatterbrained much of Once and Future felt, The Union somehow manages to tie together all of the series' disparate elements into some semblance of a cohesive whole. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it works. At its best, it offers a surprisingly touching celebration of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.
October 28, 2024
Susan (Carole Ann Ford) is back! River Song (Alex Kingston) is back! Paul McGann is back! And so is Tom Baker & Stephen Noonan & Michael Troughton & Tim Treloar & Peter Davison & Colin Baker & Sylvester McCoy & Jonathan Carley & Jacob Dudman & the Meddler (Rufus Hound) & Maureen O’Brien & Michael Maloney & … oh my … David Tennant! Good grief! It’s chaos! Utter chaos! And I loved every second of this chaotic mess!
Update: This is my second listen, I’ve revisited the entire series in anticipation for the finale, the coda. I’d forgot how crazy and bonkers this one is, with the Doctor degenerating again and again, often in mid-thought, mid-sentence. Great fun!
Update: This is my second listen, I’ve revisited the entire series in anticipation for the finale, the coda. I’d forgot how crazy and bonkers this one is, with the Doctor degenerating again and again, often in mid-thought, mid-sentence. Great fun!
October 25, 2025
The last regular episode in this 60th anniversary series (a "coda" followed a year later) sees the Doctor transform into his Eighth self. It's this episode that pulls the framing device to the fore by addressing the cause of the Doctor's random wander through his incarnations. Up to this point, that's been a B-plot at best, and frequently incidental to the actual story. This does, of course, mean that this episode isn't standalone in the way that many of the others have been; you do need to be familiar with those, especially as some of the plot points in those come around here.
Oh, I should add that apparently it was supposed to be a surprise to learn which Doctor had been the one originally struck by the weapon. This had seemed obvious to me from the beginning; I'd never thought it was anyone else. So 'oops' for somebody... but I don't think I can count that as a mark against this episode.
Picking River and Susan as the guest characters for this episode works, too, bringing back the mix of the old and new series that some of the earlier episodes had. However, this story also pulls in even more, giving almost every Doctor up to this point a cameo (Nine is the only one I didn't spot). Against some of this, the plot is almost irrelevant. It sees the Doctor arriving on a space station during the Time War and encountering the developer of the weapon that kicked off the plot arc. That villain is significant because it's by contrasting her against the Doctor that we really get the 60th anniversary boost here - celebrating a key element in what has kept the show going for so many decades.
And that's what it is, and should be. A celebration of the show, throwing in as many elements as it can get away with, from Hartnell's very first serial to one of Capaldi's later ones. Yes, it ties up the arc nicely, but it's the larger themes that make this a fitting anniversary story.
Oh, I should add that apparently it was supposed to be a surprise to learn which Doctor had been the one originally struck by the weapon. This had seemed obvious to me from the beginning; I'd never thought it was anyone else. So 'oops' for somebody... but I don't think I can count that as a mark against this episode.
Picking River and Susan as the guest characters for this episode works, too, bringing back the mix of the old and new series that some of the earlier episodes had. However, this story also pulls in even more, giving almost every Doctor up to this point a cameo (Nine is the only one I didn't spot). Against some of this, the plot is almost irrelevant. It sees the Doctor arriving on a space station during the Time War and encountering the developer of the weapon that kicked off the plot arc. That villain is significant because it's by contrasting her against the Doctor that we really get the 60th anniversary boost here - celebrating a key element in what has kept the show going for so many decades.
And that's what it is, and should be. A celebration of the show, throwing in as many elements as it can get away with, from Hartnell's very first serial to one of Capaldi's later ones. Yes, it ties up the arc nicely, but it's the larger themes that make this a fitting anniversary story.
September 3, 2024
Concluding a bumpy, winding and eventful diamond anniversary, Matt Fitton must knit together the eclectic mix of colourful and contrived stories into a fully formed, comprehensible and satisfying conclusion. Once more crammed to the brim with iconic, beloved characters and guest appearances,
The Union pivots away from the ‘dartboard’ method of selecting characters utilised previously, in favour of featuring a select few prominent individuals tied to the overarching plot, and the history of Who, and Big Finish as a whole. Despite The Union’s sudden resolution, each plot point and lingering thread are successfully collected and woven together to create a satisfying, coherent and jam-packed story that celebrates what makes Doctor Who special. It’s not perfect, or seamless, but it is an effective and entertaining conclusion to a thoroughly turbulent series.
Paul McGann features as the lead Doctor, the most stable incarnation in his present state of ever-shifting faces. As Big Finish’s outstanding star, and the Doctor most linked to a particular time-travelling granddaughter aside from William Hartnell, it only makes sense for him to close out this celebration. McGann’s not the only Doctor to bask in the limelight however. Tom Baker, the very embodiment of the Doctor, swaps in from time to time with plenty of cheeky quips, humble brags and a touching, meaningful scene with Susan. Various other incarnations pop up to have their say too, but their scenes are best left as a surprise. But suffice it to say, all are represented in one way or another.
Read my full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
The Union pivots away from the ‘dartboard’ method of selecting characters utilised previously, in favour of featuring a select few prominent individuals tied to the overarching plot, and the history of Who, and Big Finish as a whole. Despite The Union’s sudden resolution, each plot point and lingering thread are successfully collected and woven together to create a satisfying, coherent and jam-packed story that celebrates what makes Doctor Who special. It’s not perfect, or seamless, but it is an effective and entertaining conclusion to a thoroughly turbulent series.
Paul McGann features as the lead Doctor, the most stable incarnation in his present state of ever-shifting faces. As Big Finish’s outstanding star, and the Doctor most linked to a particular time-travelling granddaughter aside from William Hartnell, it only makes sense for him to close out this celebration. McGann’s not the only Doctor to bask in the limelight however. Tom Baker, the very embodiment of the Doctor, swaps in from time to time with plenty of cheeky quips, humble brags and a touching, meaningful scene with Susan. Various other incarnations pop up to have their say too, but their scenes are best left as a surprise. But suffice it to say, all are represented in one way or another.
Read my full review here:
https://sonicreviewwho.wordpress.com/...
October 25, 2023
Once & Future has been a wild series, a range where my thoughts and opinions have changed a lot throughout but now here we are at the very end (well, until next year that is...), it is time for The Union.
The Doctor is now back in their 8th incarnation and time is running out as he finally arrives at the Diamond Array: a multidimensional space station. River Song has come to rescue Susan Foreman and she seems to know what's going on. Old friends and foes come together as The Union is finally revealed. Will The Doctor save the day or will The Time War finally catch up with them?
Matt Fitton has written an incredible script that ties up all the elements set up in this series brilliantly. This story is jam-packed with cameos and explanations but it still remains wonderfully epic, emotional, and thrilling. I'm really happy to see this series whilst being very mixed with audiences overall has a really great conclusion. We still have one story left of course, however...
Overall: An outstanding story that concludes a decent story arc. 10/10
The Doctor is now back in their 8th incarnation and time is running out as he finally arrives at the Diamond Array: a multidimensional space station. River Song has come to rescue Susan Foreman and she seems to know what's going on. Old friends and foes come together as The Union is finally revealed. Will The Doctor save the day or will The Time War finally catch up with them?
Matt Fitton has written an incredible script that ties up all the elements set up in this series brilliantly. This story is jam-packed with cameos and explanations but it still remains wonderfully epic, emotional, and thrilling. I'm really happy to see this series whilst being very mixed with audiences overall has a really great conclusion. We still have one story left of course, however...
Overall: An outstanding story that concludes a decent story arc. 10/10
May 14, 2024
A pretty exciting conclusion to the Once And Future arc. Although the answer that the Eleven was responsible for the degeneration weapon isn't too surprising, there are some fun callbacks to the Doctor's 1963 origins here, with the Doctor and Susan during caveman times at one point in the narrative, and references to Ian and Barbara.
It is also nice to hear Susan and River interact, given that they are technically family. It gives The Union a sort-of "Lost In Space" feel, with the Doctor, Susan, and River basically being the TARDIS team of this adventure.
I am still disappointed that it was Jacob Dudman voicing the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, as opposed to Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. He does do a good job with Matt Smith, but you can really tell that his Peter Capaldi isn't the real deal.
Nice if not surprising that it was the War Doctor who was hit with the degeneration weapon. It ties in thematically with the idea of the Doctor's incarnations being mostly united, and the War Doctor being the only incarnation they openly reject.
It is also nice to hear Susan and River interact, given that they are technically family. It gives The Union a sort-of "Lost In Space" feel, with the Doctor, Susan, and River basically being the TARDIS team of this adventure.
I am still disappointed that it was Jacob Dudman voicing the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, as opposed to Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi. He does do a good job with Matt Smith, but you can really tell that his Peter Capaldi isn't the real deal.
Nice if not surprising that it was the War Doctor who was hit with the degeneration weapon. It ties in thematically with the idea of the Doctor's incarnations being mostly united, and the War Doctor being the only incarnation they openly reject.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2023
Outstanding conclusion to the Once and Future story. The Doctor, still flickering back and forth between his incarnations, teams up with his granddaughter Susan and future wife River Song to confront the Union, the villain who caused his degeneration in the first place.
The reveal of who the Union is and their motivation was more satisfying than I expected it to be, and definitely a payoff if you’ve listened to other Big Finish stories. Of all the enemies the Eighth Doctor has faced during his 20+ year tenure on audio, in my opinion the Union and their incarnations is the definitive adversary of Paul McGann’s Doctor. I appreciated that Matt Fitton’s script highlights the key difference between the Doctor and the Union, and why the Doctor will always win.
This felt like a true culmination of plot threads Big Finish has seeded for years across various ranges as well as a love letter to the first 12 eras of Doctor Who. Highly recommend.
The reveal of who the Union is and their motivation was more satisfying than I expected it to be, and definitely a payoff if you’ve listened to other Big Finish stories. Of all the enemies the Eighth Doctor has faced during his 20+ year tenure on audio, in my opinion the Union and their incarnations is the definitive adversary of Paul McGann’s Doctor. I appreciated that Matt Fitton’s script highlights the key difference between the Doctor and the Union, and why the Doctor will always win.
This felt like a true culmination of plot threads Big Finish has seeded for years across various ranges as well as a love letter to the first 12 eras of Doctor Who. Highly recommend.
November 2, 2023
I am afraid this series just was not for me.
Yes, it is a fun run around. Nothing more.
However, as with the previous releases, it just was too many characters crammed in, running around, doing things, and it got a bit confusing.
There just is no room to breathe.
It is okay.
But there is room for improvement.
Sadly, a flawed anniversary release.
Maybe this will improve and be easier to follow on a second listen?
I just hope that the upcoming 7th Doctor Last Day release does a better job juggling the many characters.
Yes, it is a fun run around. Nothing more.
However, as with the previous releases, it just was too many characters crammed in, running around, doing things, and it got a bit confusing.
There just is no room to breathe.
It is okay.
But there is room for improvement.
Sadly, a flawed anniversary release.
Maybe this will improve and be easier to follow on a second listen?
I just hope that the upcoming 7th Doctor Last Day release does a better job juggling the many characters.
October 25, 2023
I was tempted to give this a 4 due to a certain impressionist’s voice being convincing only half the time. And the identity of the Union wasn’t very surprising. But I was surprised by the reveal of which Doctor had been degenerating, which I’m surprised I never guessed. It does lead to a message of self-acceptance. And there was a bit of closure with Susan that was so satisfying to hear. River Song was a bonus.
October 27, 2023
Great performances as usual from Carole Ann Ford and Paul McGann, whilst Maureen O'Brien is given the chance to play a slightly different character that normal, in the form of the villainous Zero, and excels in doing so! Not sure why Tom Baker was here, maybe he had a free day for recording. A bit of a messy and over-stuffed ending to a pretty lacklustre series. 3 stars.
November 6, 2023
コロコロとリジェネしたりディリジェネしたりしながらマダム・ユニオンと対峙するドクター。
リバーとスーザンと再会。
スーザンが爺と一瞬再会するのが泣けた。
タイムウォーの真っ最中ということで。
マダム・ユニオンもタイムロードだよな。
War Doctorもでた。
他のドクター、Warがしたことを怯える必要ってない感じだけどな。モンクもタイムウォーいやなんだな。
いまいち何と何を戦っているのか分かりにくいのがモヤるけど、60周年記念って感じでいい具合にドクターの旅を表現していたと思う。
8はいろんな世界やキャラを繋ぐのに本当にいい仕事してると思う。どのドクターも大好きだけど8がmy doctorだなぁと思ってしまう。
リバーとスーザンと再会。
スーザンが爺と一瞬再会するのが泣けた。
タイムウォーの真っ最中ということで。
マダム・ユニオンもタイムロードだよな。
War Doctorもでた。
他のドクター、Warがしたことを怯える必要ってない感じだけどな。モンクもタイムウォーいやなんだな。
いまいち何と何を戦っているのか分かりにくいのがモヤるけど、60周年記念って感じでいい具合にドクターの旅を表現していたと思う。
8はいろんな世界やキャラを繋ぐのに本当にいい仕事してると思う。どのドクターも大好きだけど8がmy doctorだなぁと思ってしまう。
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2023
A tremendous end--well, until whatever the Coda is--for this Diamond Anniversary Tour through the ages. Great payoff for an ending I only saw coming until it didn't matter (read: didn't spoil anything) and boy howdy was it fabulous. Matt Fitton is king.
December 16, 2023
I'd say this was a mess, though it was an entertaining mess that had some interesting things going on in it. Unfortunately, while the recast War Doctor sounded like himself, the voice actor handling 11th and 12th wasn't always successful (a bit jarring, actually).
November 30, 2023
A villain "reveal" that is so obvious I didn't think the story would actually go there. It did. A terrible end to a terrible series. What a waste of money this was.
December 20, 2023
Love all the crossovers, true tear to eye when 4th Doctor and Susan reunite.
Only complaint is that story gets rapped up in BigFinish only storylines, that someone new to BigFinish might be lost.
Only complaint is that story gets rapped up in BigFinish only storylines, that someone new to BigFinish might be lost.
August 25, 2024
A star-studded cast can’t save this mediocre, messy, convoluted but especially very boring ending to an already hit and miss boxset. The sixtieth anniversary deserved better stories.
December 21, 2024
this was fine!!! great performances but wasn’t too bothered about the story. was surprised by the big bad being the seven/union and voiced by MO’B. lovely surprise bc she’s a fave of mine <33
3/5
3/5
December 14, 2023
So, barring the Coda next year, we've finally reached the conclusion of Big Finish's 60th Anniversary offering Once and Future with The Union. Here, we get the answers we've been seeking this whole series. We learn who shot the Doctor and Master with the degeration weapon and which incarnation actually got shot. The main incarnations of the Doctor featured here are the Fourth (Tom Baker) and Eighth (Paul McGann) as the Doctor finally reaches the Diamond Array. With the help of his granddaughter Susan and future wife River Song, the Doctor works to beat The Union who is behind all this. I had a lot of fun with this release. It wrapped things up nicely and while the series still has its faults and wasn't the most straightforward of arcs, this still wrapped things up fairly well and was a wonderful celebration of Doctor Who. The Union was brilliantly played and I'm always game for a Paul McGann story. Is it perfect? No. But it stuck the landing in the end.
October 4, 2025
The Union as a story is kind of like a boulder rolling down a hill. Slow to start but begins to hit break neck speed by the end! Paul McGann, Alex Kingston and Carol Ann Ford steal the show throughout and work as a strong backbone to carry the narrative. The themes of unity and family are strong and it all feels rather fitting with The Doctor being forced to deal with his past (and future) incarnations. There’s some lovely moments too with other incarnations talking to Susan for the first time which is very sweet!
This is also the episode which begins to piece together the ‘overarching plot’ from across the whole season. It’s a shame really, because although there’s attempt to make every adventure relevant, it’s really clear how that’s not the case and the act of shoehorning references feels a little forced. The actual plot itself however, I did really enjoy. Unlike in the last adventure of this season (‘Time Lord Immemorial’) which felt like it was adding more Galifrayian lore for the sake of it, ‘The Union’ builds on what’s been established this season and works to expand the Big Finish Whoniverse effectively!
All in all, I really enjoyed this! I did feel I needed to focus on this story more than most as The Doctor changes incarnations at quite a speed and without visual queues sometimes it was hard to keep up! But that’s a small price to pay for some really hard felt speeches and genuine pathos for The War Doctor, which was lovely to see.
This is also the episode which begins to piece together the ‘overarching plot’ from across the whole season. It’s a shame really, because although there’s attempt to make every adventure relevant, it’s really clear how that’s not the case and the act of shoehorning references feels a little forced. The actual plot itself however, I did really enjoy. Unlike in the last adventure of this season (‘Time Lord Immemorial’) which felt like it was adding more Galifrayian lore for the sake of it, ‘The Union’ builds on what’s been established this season and works to expand the Big Finish Whoniverse effectively!
All in all, I really enjoyed this! I did feel I needed to focus on this story more than most as The Doctor changes incarnations at quite a speed and without visual queues sometimes it was hard to keep up! But that’s a small price to pay for some really hard felt speeches and genuine pathos for The War Doctor, which was lovely to see.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews