Daniel Mansfield reviews the first volume of this epic twelve-part release chronicling the Seventh Doctor’s final day

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Almost four years since it was teased in 2020’s Dark Universe, the Seventh Doctor’s Last Day has dawned. Well, half of it. The Last Day (Part One) gives us the first six parts of this epic twelve-part story, uniting characters from all across the Seventh Doctor’s era as they face off against a foe like no other.

Before going any further, I should warn you that this is probably the most inaccessible Big Finish release for new listeners I’ve ever heard. Plotlines and characters from The Quantum Possibility Engine, The Transcendence of Ephros, Dragonfire, Dark Universe and the entire Hex arc all factor very heavily into this story, and I think you’d be very lost if you hadn’t heard these before, particularly the last two.

Even with all of this foreknowledge, The Last Day is rather a confusing listen. We jump around from location to location, character to character, and possibly even timeline to timeline (it’s not clear just yet), with none of the six individual episodes actually leading into the next like a traditional Doctor Who story, or seeming to build to anything in particular. By the end, some storylines are starting to interlink, but with such a busy release, by the time certain plot points get revisited, so many more have been introduced that you’ve almost forgotten what happened before.

I think part of the problem is that there are just too many characters. Of course, I haven’t heard the full story- the second part is coming out next June- but as it stands it’s not quite clear why certain characters are in this except for the fact the writers wanted them to be. Garundel, Kane and Mother Finsey in particular seem surplus to requirements, none of them actually doing anything apart from their most basic functions (Garundel being slimy, Kane being cold and Mother Finsey hating the Master). There are also Ogrons and Sontarans thrown in just for the hell of it, but nothing interesting is done with either of them.

There’s also very, very little of the Sylvester McCoy in this release. Some parts he doesn’t even appear in, and even when he does it’s only briefly. Part three features him most heavily, but even that doesn’t feel like a celebration of the character, as he spends most of the time flitting around random planets making enigmatic comments and talking to people about orchids. In all honesty, these first six parts feel more like the Ace show – though, admittedly, Sophie Aldred puts in a very strong performance here.

Now, I’ve said a lot of critical things about this boxset so far, but that’s not to say I totally hated it. In fact, there are a lot of things that worked here. The storyline with Hex and Sally, for example, is great, showing us what their lives have been like since we last saw them. I also enjoyed the tomb-raiding episode with Mel and Benny- while perhaps not the most exciting, it was at least simple and easy to follow. The plot itself is also intriguing, once you start to wrap your head around all of the different strands, and I’m very interested to see what happens in the next set.

I can’t help worrying, though, that it might all go a bit pear shaped. Six months is a long time to wait with a storyline as complex as this, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve forgotten what happened by then. The cliffhanger at the end of this set is hardly the most enticing either, so it’s not like there’s a super exciting hook to keep us waiting. There’s also the fact that even more characters are being added to the roster, with Chris and Roz popping up, alongside, I would assume, more people who have yet to be announced.

There’s every chance The Last Day (Part Two) will tie this all together beautifully, retroactively making this essential listening. As it stands, though, this release is a mixed bag: aimless and confusing with far too little of the Seventh Doctor and far too many random side characters brought back for no apparent reason.

The Last Day (Part One) is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com