Relative Time [AUDIO/2019.7.17]

★★★☆☆

  See, this was just meant to happen at some point. Peter Davison and his real life daughter, Georgia Moffett (now Tennant, I suppose, though it still feels awkward calling her by that family name when I've known her as her father's for the longest time...) sharing an adventure — it may be quite a fumble for people who are hung up about Doctor Who's "continuity", but when has that ever stopped Big Finish? They go with the typical 'everybody forgets' solution that literally nobody is surprised by at this point and gets on with delivering a solid story. Cool, yeah?

  Relative Time has all the markings of a specific kind of Doctor Who story that can get really stale for me (especially on audio, judging from experience): spaceship-bound, disagreeable ship crewmates, an intergalactic being with some immense power (in this case, being unable to die from normal critical injuries) and a finale with the usual explosive TARDIS tomfoolery. However, Matt Fitton (remember what I said in my Monsters of Gokroth interview about his ability to normally write scripts much better than that disaster?) manages to make it entertaining, thrilling even, with glowing dialogue for both the Doctor and Jenny and for the villain of the piece, the Nine. The Nine, the Eleven, the Twelve... there's no denying that Doom Coalition created one of the most iconic original villains from the Big Finish mythos, and I welcome their kleptomaniac appearance anytime with open arms. John Heffernan is having the time of his life, and that calm and manic mismatch of demeanors is infectious.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  While not the best piece from The Legacy of Time (that honor would still go to Lies in Ruins), Relative Time has something truly unique with father and daughter playing... faughter and daughter, who else? Jenny's a fantastic character with all the bursting enthusiasm, quick wit and kindness of the Doctor, and I have to say she makes an addicting match with the Fifth Doctor. Highlight of the story? It has to be when the Doctor says he really wishes what Jenny's told him is true, that she really is his daughter. A radiant character moment in a bundle of great character moments, played by two wonderful actors. The Legacy of Time is shaping up to be a great big pleasure fest.