Review by Scott Lopes

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Dead or Alive is a refreshing step in the right direction for the Fugitive Doctor Adventures. Big Finish has been in a bit of a strange place recently, many series feeling stale and directionless, the focus being more on the groups of characters they can get together rather than the story. The previous Fugitive Doctor release, Most Wanted, was a good example of this, kicking off with a boring, barely thought-out Doctor VS Dalek story that focused its whole existence so heavily on just having Jo Martin’s Doctor talk to a Dalek, it forgot to establish a real engaging plot for the series opener.

Paired with the fact that, right before the release, Big Finish claimed the series would not heavily delve into the mysteries of this incarnation for the foreseeable future, it wasn’t the brightest start. Dead or Alive, however, has me cautiously excited for the future of the series going forward.

In pretty much every way, this boxset is a step up from Most Wanted. The stories feel more engaging, with Tim Foley‘s Hereafter being a particular standout, and overall, the entire experience was more exciting and enjoyable. Characters feel more fleshed out and relevant, and I found myself more invested compared to Most Wanted, where, beyond the Doctor herself, no one felt that compelling.

Alice Krige‘s Cosmogon was a particular highlight here; while she was barely present and completely uninteresting in Most Wanted, she felt like a real character here and had a great dynamic with the Doctor. All the performances were fantastic as well, but I’d be lying if I said Jo Martin didn’t steal the show yet again.

Overall, I’d absolutely recommend this to any Fugitive Doctor fans and anyone who was a bit skeptical after Most Wanted. It’s a promising look at what’s next for the Fugitive Doctor and with Circuit Breaker, a whole multimedia event focused on her right around the corner, it’s never been more exciting to be a Fugitive Doctor fan.

Dead or Alive is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com