Flatpack

The Ninth Doctor Adventures Series 2 #3.3

Released: 23 November 2022

Listened: 3/10/23

There’s an unexpected twist to this one, which of course means that John Dorney is involved. This story features Liv and Tanya, in post-pandemic London, after the end of “Stranded.” Fortunately, both of them know about regeneration, so the Doctor doesn’t have to spend any time explaining, although Liv goes through a bit of an existential crisis that the Doctor can’t really help with. The story involves people getting trapped in a DIY furniture store with a labyrinthine layout, which sounds exactly like IKEA to me, although Dorney says he didn’t have any particular store in mind. The reveal comes slowly, as the Doctor tries to keep Liv and Tanya out of the investigation, then they discover they’re stuck as well, and the Doctor still can’t figure out what’s going on for quite some time. In fact, depending on your ear for voices, you may work it out well before the Doctor does. The solution, as often, is less important than the problem; the Doctor does a thing, and that’s about it. There are a few interesting character touches, like the Doctor’s extreme dismay at losing the TARDIS, which mirrors what happens in “Father’s Day.” He also seems happier to see Liv than he’s letting on, engaging in some rather bad puns and slowly becoming more sociable. In fact, the Doctor is starting to lose his edginess as a survivor of the war. It’s kind of natural as Chris Eccleston settles into his Big Finish tenure, but that makes it a bit odd when the cycle of pain appears to start over with “Rose.”