The House of Kingdom [AUDIO/2021.4.14]

★★★☆☆

  No matter how many adventures in time and space you go on, no matter how many monsters and villains you defeat... familial pains will always trump all. Anya Kingdom finds this out the hard way in The House of Kingdom, a much more character-focused tale (at least for the first half) than its predecessor, and one that provides a fresh set of introspective depth for our Space Security Service companion.

  I've always found Jane Slavin to be one of those actors that initially sound monotonous, but are actually pros at evoking and conveying emotions as a hardened, perhaps emotionally stunted characters. Plus, the usually stoic Anya gets to portray actual discomfort and regret, and Slavin shines like never before. Understandably, David Tennant and Joe Sims take a step back to let the main character of the piece take center stage; they're both fantastic regardless, showing remarkable chemistry between the two. It's also always nice to have Varga plants again; I just love the concept of these nasty things, and I really do hope they return to the small screen sometime soon. 

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  It's never easy when you attempt to reconcile with a family member you consider responsible for your mother's death. Forgiving is much harder than forgetting, and it takes a great deal of courage to reach out. Anya Kingdom has so much bravery inside her; to try and reach out to her estranged uncle when she herself was seeking forgiveness from the Doctor takes guts, and that nerve makes her special. The House of Kingdom is about family, the pain and joy that can occur within a single family and the lies that are given unquestioned. Through these two stories of the first boxset, I've come to appreciate the trio of Ten, Anya and Mark Seven quite a lot — here's hoping they wow me even more in the next one.