Review by Daniel Mansfield

---

After making their Big Finish debut in July’s Vampire Weekend, the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz return for more adventures in the aptly-titled The Return of the Doctor.

Written by Big Finish newcomer Rory Thomas-Howes, The Return of the Doctor takes us to a faraway world populated by a race of tunnel-digging armadillos – the Zaarians. Having saved them from an alien threat, the Doctor and Yaz depart in the TARDIS, only to return ten years later to find the Zaarians in turmoil.

Like in Vampire Weekend, Yaz takes centre stage, Thomas-Howes exploring her feelings towards the distance the Thirteenth Doctor puts between herself and those she meets. This leads to some emotional fireworks unlike any we’ve seen between the pair before, Mandip Gill rising to the occasion with a weighty performance that ranges from claustrophobic terror to seething anger.

Jodie Whittaker also gets to flex her acting chops here, giving a couple of memorable speeches, as well as revealing a slightly haunted side to the Doctor as she faces the idea of people becoming too attached to her. This culminates in a poignant scene at the story’s close where the Doctor and Yaz have a touching heart-to-heart.

The story itself is a fairly basic one of resistance and rebellion, and perhaps slightly overlong, but the side characters are well-drawn, and there’s a powerful through-line about how guilt and regret can corrupt. Overall, though, this is a showcase of just how good Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill can be. With two strong outings so far, The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures are already shaping up to be essential listening. Looking forward to more in November.

The Return of the Doctor is available on CD or as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com

The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures continue in November with Lionesses in Winter