Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Return of the Doctor from Big Finish Review

It’s fair to say that The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures kicked the series off with a bang! Vampire Weekend reintroduced the audience to the Thirteen and Yaz dynamic triumphantly. It succeeded in reigniting my passion for this TARDIS team, as Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill proved instantly just how naturally the Doctor and Yaz fit into the audio world of Big Finish.

Serving as the second instalment to the range, The Return of The Doctor, written by Big Finish newcomer, Rory Thomas-Howes, looks to continue to build upon what Vampire Weekend did so well.

Synopsis

Having saved the peaceful Zaarians from an evil alien threat, the Doctor and Yaz sail off to their next adventure. Only this time, Yaz wonders if they’re moving on or running away.

Convincing a grudging Doctor to return to the planet, they are shocked to find the Zaarians in turmoil. What did the Doctor do? Why is the city in ruins? And what’s that voice in Yaz’s head…?

The Return of the Doctor is written by Rory Thomas-Howes, produced by Noga Flaishon and directed by Bethany Weimers. It stars Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor), Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan), Will Kirk (Talpa), Charlie Kelly (Azaan), Stephan Bessant (Taav) & Belinda Stewart-Wilson (Vashir).

My Review

Delivering his Big Finish debut, writer Rory Thomas-Howes shows he gets the thirteenth Doctor’s era inside and out. This story is a far more character-driven piece than a standard ‘monster of the week’ affair. The Return of the Doctor probes at the lasting impact the Doctor has on the worlds she leaves behind, and whether just saving the day and quickly leaving is always enough.

It’s a familiar trope for Doctor Who, but it feels especially well-suited to Jodie’s Doctor, as her whimsical optimism and jokey manner are put to the test as the story unfolds.

The real meat on the bone in this script is the relationship between the Doctor and Yaz. Mandip Gill is given some of her strongest material in the role to date, brilliantly portraying Yaz’s inner frustration and doubt in the Doctor.

Jodie Whittaker gives another expert performance as the Doctor, playing into the emotional rift created between her and Yaz, mixing her usual warmth with moments of defensiveness and guilt when forced to see that sometimes her well-meaning actions have dire consequences. The scenes that the two share are full of tension and grit, which is what really makes this story shine.

If I have criticism, it would be that the weight of the fallout between Yaz and the Doctor feels somewhat undermined once the reason for Yaz’s hostility is revealed to be the mind games of The Whisper instead of a consequence born entirely from the Doctor’s actions.

Going that route with the story, I feel, would have made for more of a lasting impact, forcing the Doctor to fully take responsibility for her mistakes rather than allowing The Whisper to take most of the blame in the end, making the reconciliation between her and Yaz at the climax of the story all the more emotionally impactful.

Thoughts from the team

Harry

After a delightful first instalment, I could not wait for The Return of the Doctor. Immediately, I was drawn in with this title… exactly where is she returning? Well, the planet that she just saved. A simple, but original idea of confronting the question “does the Doctor really not think about the people she saves and leaves behind?” makes for a story of great character development and some Sci-Fi outlandishness.

And really, these were the things that were missing in the Thirteenth Doctor’s TV era. Yaz and the Doctor both had time to breathe in this story. Well, poor choice of words, considering Yaz being forced to hold her breath at one point (amazing sound design at this particular moment), but it sure leads to an amazing scene of her getting angry at the Doctor (rightly so). Mandip Gill is just so good and excels at portraying Yaz as she is written here, with more genuine wants, needs, and grievances. And Jodie is incredible too, playing her Doctor effortlessly.

But despite a sprinkle of conflict, the overall tone of this story is optimistic, and I finished listening with a pep in my step. If we continue with terrific ideas, charismatic guest performances, and new and interesting places for the Doctor and Yaz, this series of stories may be the retroactive highlight of the thirteenth Doctor’s era.

Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Return of The Doctor is available to purchase now, priced from £9.99 on the Big Finish website.

What are your thoughts on The Return of The Doctor? Let us know by commenting down below, through the socials or by joining our awesome free Discord server where we chat all things Doctor Who on a daily basis.