The Time Machine

Destiny of the Doctor #11

Listened: 12/29/22

This one is unusual for a number of reasons. It’s the final part of the “Destiny of the Doctor” series, released in 2013, so it’s also an anniversary special. It’s read by Jenna Coleman, even though Clara doesn’t appear in the story. That makes this Coleman’s only appearance in this project. The intent was to wrap up all the threads from the previous 10 stories, a tall order for anybody. Although Matt Fitton is fantastic at writing character relationships, tricky plots have never been his specialty. He gives this one a game try, introducing a timey-wimey threat great enough to require all 11 Doctors to do their bit. However, when it all comes together, it seems like an overly convoluted plot, even for the Eleventh Doctor. Much like Katy Manning before her, Coleman doesn’t quite get the Doctor’s intonation right. The rapid-fire part she can do just fine, but the changes in pacing just aren’t there, which makes the Doctor sound somewhat unhinged (more than usual). It’s a reasonable story, and credit for all the logistics involved in pulling it off, but I’m glad we had other anniversary stories as well.