Other Worlds
Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon #2
Released: 13 October 2022
Listened: 11/19/22
It looks like pandemic interrupted plans for the follow-up boxed set, but it was eventually released in 2022. It’s a truncated boxed set, though, with only three stories instead of four, and Shaun Dingwall is missing this time (explained by Pete being off handling a “Torchwood emergency”). This set is called “Other Worlds,” which is a bit on-the-nose, because they’re all “other worlds,” but anyway.
Saltwater
Rose is on her own again, and finds yet another Earth under a death sentence, except this time it’s not a massive threat, and she’s not helpless. Something is stealing salt from the oceans, which is accidentally sinking warships, which has the world’s nuclear powers on edge and ready to fight. The British government, at least, is covering everything up, which Rose immediately objects to. She jumps into full Doctor-mode, assuming that she can just barge into any office at the highest level and take over with a charm offensive. Unfortunately, this world is a bit more realistic than the one she’s from, and she’s not the Doctor. This story is somewhat more hopeful than the ones from the previous box, because there’s at least something they can do about the situation, and Rose makes the choice to stay and help even when given plenty of reason to leave.
Now is the New Dark
Seems like bouncing through worlds that are all in the early 21st century gets a bit boring, so AK Benedict brings in a twist this time. The year is still 2010, but on this world, germ theory was never discovered, leaving technology stuck a few hundred years in the past. (Why there was no mechanical or electrical development, I couldn’t say.) On this world, people are sorted into groups according to the four bodily humours, although it’s pretty easy for the “justice” system to twist someone’s actions to reflect whatever outcome they want. Rose quickly concludes she won’t find the Doctor here, but they get held up when they’re arrested for breaking curfew. And there’s a curfew because there’s somebody called “the Shadow” killing Melancholics. Alterna-Jackie is the Assessor’s Assistant (which she likes saying), and immediately feels a kinship with Rose, offering to take her to see her friend…the Doctor. That tension runs for a while, and Benedict plays it really well, not giving enough evidence one way or the other. Evidence is also on Clive’s mind, because he’s accused of being the Shadow, but musters enough amateur forensics skills to throw doubt on the case. Despite a somewhat dark and backward setting, it’s not all just doom and gloom this time, and the twists are tightly plotted and tricky to see coming.
The Rogue Planet
For the final mission of this set, Jackie tags along with Rose, and they find a world very like their own (again). Except here, Rose is a single mum and cafe owner (still living on the Powell estate), Jackie is a talk-show host, and they’ve had a falling out. Of course we’ve got impending doom here, a rogue planet 12 times the mass of Jupiter, which will disrupt the Earth’s rotation and most likely kill everybody. Or everybody who isn’t in underground bunkers. Emily Cook is the writer of this story and the producer of the whole set. Her science may be somewhat sketchy, as it’s not really clear what’s science and what’s prophecy. But the point is the relationship between the two mother-daughter pairs, as our Jackie gives the alterna-Rose the love and support that she’s not getting from her own mother. Billie Piper is fantastic as both Roses; it’s always entirely clear which one you’re hearing, which is impressive. And rather than just fading out, the story ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, so I assume there’ll be more in the near future.