Review by Daniel Mansfield

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The Paternoster Gang returns for three new adventures in the Trespassers series. Last time we heard them, Vastra and Strax discovered Jenny had been replaced by an alien doppelgänger, but inadvertently apprehended the actual Jenny instead of her duplicate.

Opener Doppelgänger by Ken Bentley takes place immediately after this cliffhanger, giving us an entertaining farce as the Gang try to work out which of them is real, and which is a deadly double. Bentley, who also directs this boxset, writes a hilarious story full of miscommunications, treachery and a surprisingly cheeky insight into the more private aspects of Vastra and Jenny’s relationship. Neve McIntosh, Dan Starkey and, above all, Catrin Stewart excel at playing both their regular roles, and their evil doppelgängers, who they embody with just enough of a difference in performance that we recognise who is who right away.

Following this, the Gang travel to the seaside in Jellyfish!, where they encounter strange locals and a terrible conspiracy. While probably the weakest story in the set, this is still an entertaining way to spend an hour, if only because of the delightful interplay between the three leads. McIntosh and Starkey prove themselves not only to be talented actors, but a great writing team too, crafting a script that rattles along at an astonishing pace and giving us a welcome interlude from the doppelgänger shenanigans that pervade the rest of the set.

Yet another Doctor joins the Gang in The Houseguest by Matt Fitton, as Michael Troughton‘s take on the Time Lord’s second incarnation is revealed to have moved into Paternoster Row. Appearing here is the ‘splinter’ version of the Second Doctor from recent Second Doctor Adventures sets, which adds an interesting frisson to proceedings, giving us a less trustworthy take on the Time Lord.

The big reveal of who (or what) has been impersonating the Gang throughout the Trespassers series takes place here and, while there’s a line in the first episode that might make you twig, I’ll be honest and say that I completely missed that on first listen and was shocked when I realised what was really going on. You’ll get no spoilers here, though – have a listen and see if you can work it out before I did!

Overall, this is the best instalment in the Trespassers series yet, full of gorgeous interactions between the starring trio, a great guest appearance from the Doctor, and some great reveals about the overarching storyline. Bring on the grand finale next year!

No Place Like Home is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com