Red Darkness

The Ninth Doctor Adventures Series 2 #4.3

Released: 8 February 2023

Listened: 3/14/23

Roy Gill wrote the last story in set 4, and does so again here. Big Finish is treating each set of four as a “series,” so this is again the series finale. This one is a base-under-seige story, with the Vashta Nerada, more or less, and that makes for a very tight story. The standout character in this one is a partially sighted teenager named Callen, and his companion dog Doyle, who speaks using an AI on his collar. Doyle’s got some amazing lines, and contributes to the story in the way that only a dog can, so props to Roy Gill for figuring out how to write like a dog. It also works nicely on audio, because you’ve got characters who might need to have described what other people are seeing, or need to relay other sense information verbally. As a bonus, the story ties very neatly to the first story of the set. It’s a tough listen in some places, because the monsters aren’t gentle, but these characters are so well-drawn they invite you to be invested. The Doctor seems to be softening even more here, and reacts well to both Callen and Doyle, so it’s enjoyable from that angle too. This is a quality set, consistently good throughout.