Escape from Kaldor

Ravenous 2.1

Released: 9 October 2018

Listened: 12/22/21

The second boxed set starts off with Matt Fitton this time, and another divergence from the main plot. The Doctor thinks that they all deserve a break, and they’re already in Liv’s native time, so he takes them to Kaldor. Then he sends Liv and Helen off to the opening of a new upscale shopping mall, while he goes to contact Liv’s sister Tula, whom Liv hasn’t spoken to in years. Tula (played excellently by Claire Rushbrook) is a senior robot technician, which caused estrangement with her father, who wasn’t happy with robots’ affect on society. Liv and Helen’s day at the mall takes a turn when the robots lock the place down and start killing everyone, because of course they do. In a nice reversal, as soon as everything goes sideways, the Doctor mentions the events of “Robots of Death” and “Robophobia,” and because he’s in the company records, he’s immediately granted trust, if not full access. However, it’s Tula who goes to rescue Liv and Helen, and seeing her sister again immediately sets up a round of bickering and sarcasm. You might think Liv would know enough to put family squabbles aside until they’re out of imminent danger, but Nicola Walker plays it in such a way that you believe that her emotions about her sister are so strong that she’s incapable of acting rationally in the moment. It’s also nice to see Liv in her home environment, even though the social strata make her uncomfortable. She’s been traveling long enough that she doesn’t get confused much in a new place, but here, she knows how everything works, and explaining it to Helen also works for the listeners. If you’re fond of the robots of Kaldor, this is a very well-imagined exploration of their world. Note: This is also the point where the Big Finish logo is out, and the Jodie Whitaker logo takes its place.

-- For Liv, the “Robots” series goes here, but I don’t collect those. Liv takes a year off to stay on Kaldor, while the Doctor and Helen (presumably) pop forward a year. Then they meet up and continue their travels. --