Review by Daniel Mansfield

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Jon Culshaw and Gwithian Evans return as the Twelfth Doctor and Ash as they embark upon their first trip together in the TARDIS. Their destination? Scotland! Their mission? Steal an artefact uncovered by an archaeological dig to reassemble the mythical robotic titan known as the Amber Giant.

Linking up with archaeologist Maddie Burns (Dee Sadler), the Doctor and Ash reassemble the Amber Giant… then realise that it wants to kill them. While Maddie must contend with the Giant in the present day, the Doctor and Ash journey back in time 5000 years to discover just what they have done to invoke its wrath. Like season opener The Second Death, the plot is uncomplicated but satisfying, playing second fiddle to some excellent character work that further deepens Ash’s journey and his fledgling bond with the Doctor.

If you’ve listened to The Second Death, you might have guessed that the title of this one, The Broken Man, has a double meaning, referring not only to the disassembled Amber Giant, whose booming presence is brilliantly realised by Jan Giedroyc, but also to both the Doctor and Ash, who remain haunted by the losses explored in the previous story.

It’s a joy to hear Ash in a more optimistic frame of mind after where we left him last time, with Evans perfectly capturing his shock and delight at seeing grass for the first time after a lifetime on dry and dusty Kersarin. More importantly, though, this episode shows us how he’s becoming increasingly like the Doctor. Standing up to the Amber Giant and risking his life to save humanity, Ash proves himself a worthy companion to the Time Lord, while also stepping away from his own grief to help the Doctor confront his.

Culshaw’s Doctor likewise continues to take Ash under his wing, pushing him to talk about his grief even when he doesn’t want to, while also nursing his own heartache for River, culminating in a quietly moving scene towards the end of the episode.

The emotional beats of Rochana Patel‘s script are enhanced by Borna Matosic‘s score, with his stirring new theme for the Twelfth Doctor making a memorable appearance during the climax. Elsewhere, well-judged bagpipes lend the story a distinctly Scottish flavour. Maddy Searle‘s sound design is equally impressive, conveying the immense scale of the Amber Giant through both its thunderous movements and the imposing treatment applied to Giedroyc’s voice.

With The Broken Man, this new series of Twelfth Doctor Adventures goes from strength to strength, delivering a classic Who adventure while pushing the Doctor and Ash in compelling, and often poignant, new directions. How great is it to have one of these to look forward to every week? Bring on the next instalment!

The Broken Man is available as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com

The Twelfth Doctor Adventures continue on July 29th with The Beautiful and the Damned