Review by Daniel Mansfield

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Taking over the role originated by Peter Capaldi on television, Jon Culshaw stars as the Twelfth Doctor in a brand-new series of audio adventures from Big Finish Productions. Set in the gap between The Husbands of River Song and The Return of Doctor Mysterio, this run of six stories has been billed as the Doctor Who series 2016 never had.

The new series begins concludes with The Second Death The Second Death of the Daleks by Alfie Shaw, which introduces us to new companion Ash Wilton, a travelling bard from the planet Kersarin takes us back to the planet Kersarin as the Doctor and Ash relive the events of series opener The Second Death… with a twist.

While the plot – the Doctor and Ash teaming up to rescue one of Ash’s friends the Eternal Dalek infiltrating the events of The Second Death – is simple and effective rather confusing, where The Second Death The Second Death of the Daleks really shines is in establishing the emotional core of the series: two broken people helping each other to heal its bonkers twists, which elevate beyond just a story we’ve heard before with an added Dalek.

Gwithian Evans perfectly captures Ash’s seething frustration at losing those he cares about being betrayed by someone he once called a friend, while Jon Culshaw excels at portraying both the Twelfth Doctor’s acerbic wit and the heartbreak that lies beneath his prickly exterior deep-seated hatred he holds towards the Daleks. All of this culminates in a tearjerking two-hander at the end of the episode huge cliffhanger reveal that, despite being seeded throughout the episode, comes completely out of left field. Nevertheless, I have faith Shaw and the team will thoroughly explore the implications in next year’s follow-up series From the Ashes.

With a simple convoluted plot redeemed by two deeply compelling central performances from Culshaw and Evans, The Second Death The Second Death of the Daleks is unfortunately a very strong start indeed mixed end to a series that has, until now, been consistently excellent. This feels more like setup for what’s to come rather than a triumphant finale, which is a big shame because in the absence of any Who on telly this year, this new run of Twelfth Doctor Adventures hasn’t just been the series 2016 never had, it’s been the series 2026 never had too.

The Second Death of the Daleks is available as a download from http://www.bigfinish.com

The Twelfth Doctor Adventures continue in 2027 with From the Ashes