All Hands on Deck

Short Trips #7.10

Released: 3 October 2017

Listened: 1/15/22

This 2017 Short Trip serves as a prequel to the "Susan's War" boxed set, although Eddie Robson didn’t intend it that way. It’s narrated in the style of a Companion Chronicle, read by Carole Ann Ford, which feels very natural. Susan is still living on Earth, after the events of the Eighth Doctor Adventures, so she’s on her own, without David or Alex, and feeling somewhat melancholy. She lives in a flat built from the remains of Coal Hill School, with a tree dedicated to Ian and Barbara growing in the quad. She’s still serving as a scientific advisor to the world government, so she’s called in when strange, alien-ish stuff happens, which suddenly occurs quite frequently…because the Doctor is trying to distract Susan and keep Gallifrey from contacting her to drag her into the war. I’m not sure what I think of Susan’s choice, really, but I do agree with her reasoning that there’s nothing left for her on Earth.