The Miniaturist

First Doctor Adventures #1.2

Released: 12 April 2022

Listened: 4/20/22

The second story of this boxed set is only a two-parter, but it’s lengthy for a two-parter. Still, it feels like it has just the right pacing, keeping things moving while preserving the mystery. It’s a very mysterious, almost dreamlike story, one that wouldn’t be out of place in the modern series, something like “Midnight” or “Amy’s Choice.” Writer Lizzie Hopley drops in some scientific facts, like the Zechstein seabed, and geological quiet points. The mystery, though, revolves around a psychic entity that seems to pull images from people’s minds, and also plays with dimensions, leading to some very surreal experiences. Dodo is on her own for a while, and there’s some vague hinting here about traumatic events in her childhood, which weren’t revealed on TV. I liked Stephen Noonan’s performance better in this story; he spends more time pitching the Doctor at a threatening growl than the high-pitched giggle. While both stories are decent, I much prefer this one.