The Gates of Hell

Out of Time #2

Released: 2 June 2021

Listened: 11/28/22

It’s a bit odd that these Tenth Doctor crossovers are occurring all in a row like this, but that seems to be the way they were intended. This time it’s the Fifth Doctor and the Tenth vs. the Cybermen. These are my two favorite Doctors, so you’d think that I’d be over the moon about this story, but unfortunately, I’m not. Unlike the last story, there’s no dancing around the Doctor’s identity, and no admiring each other unawares. They just meet up, recognize each other from “Time Crash,” and get on with the story. In addition, the Tenth Doctor defers to the Fifth a bit, instead of citing his greater experience as in the last story. Per writer David Llewellyn, this is a reference to Peter Davison being David Tennant’s father-in-law in real life; however, it makes the story seem somewhat odd. The Fifth Doctor comes off as being slower, more contemplative, which isn’t really fitting. Granted, anybody looks slow compared to the Tenth Doctor, but the Fifth was full of youthful energy. It’s like it was written for Peter Davison as he currently is, not the Fifth Doctor from the 80s. As for the story, it’s a Cyberman invasion of Paris in the 1800s, which messes up the timelines something fierce, which is what draws both Doctors to investigate. Although the plan is somewhat timey-wimey, it actually doesn’t take all that much effort to stop, which is a little disappointing. Of note in the guest cast is Mark Gatiss, unfortunately unrecognizable playing a Frenchman. Also Shelley Conn plays a Time Agent named Tina Drake, with an American accent that’s slightly more natural than most Big Finish Americans, but still not really great. It feels like Tina should be a recurring character, but she hasn’t, as yet. Unfortunately, this story is mostly unmet potential, which is a bummer.