A Life in the Day [AUDIO/2015.3.2]

★★★★☆

  After 12 consecutive adventures of constant running, breakneck danger, death and sadness, it was obvious that the Dark Eyes saga was in desperate need of a breather. Big Finish probably felt that as well, which is the only plausible reason A Life in the Day finds itself as the beginning story of the final installment, slap bang in the middle of the whole storyline. It functions as a bottle episode focused on characters, their interactions and their emotions rather than adventure and intrigue, and like the best of these bottle episodes found throughout Dr. Who, it's a bloody good slice of drama that leaves the audience wanting more. What was I thinking back in 2015, calling this an unremarkable drag? The soundscape's gorgeous, the performances are wonderful, and in true fashion of John Dorney at his best, the twist changes everything for the better. Imagine being Martin Donaldson, trapped in a single day for eternity and falling in love with a woman he really only spends hours with. Imagine having to make the sacrifice, no matter what he wants, and having to make that sacrifice for the rest of time. It's one of those Who moments that make you sit down and think.

  With Nicola Walker having the time of his life watching Buster Keaton films with a man she barely knows, and Paul McGann being chased around by androids of doom, A Life in the Day turns out to be an inspired method of bringing energy back to Dark Eyes. After the rather exhausting Rule of the Eminence -- a high-stakes, large-scale finale with a lot of time wasted -- it's nice to get a comparatively lowkey time loop love story which flows like butter.