Food Fight [AUDIO/2021.5.13]

★★★☆☆

  As something of a rule for myself, if the title of a Dr. Who adventure doesn't outright state that it's one part of a multi-part story that spans for more than two parts, I generally consider these stories standalone -- or at least, I treat them as such. Ravagers from Big Finish has to be the most interconnected boxset I listened to in some time; every part relies heavily on something revealed/dealt with before, and the resolution really doesn't make a lot of sense unless you're listening to the boxset in chronological order. 

  Now, with that being said, I still believe each installment of this boxset works (in a baseline way) as a standalone adventure -- with the caveat that these stories are heavily connected -- and that if I tossed you Food Fight on its own, you'd still be able to follow it. This is a good end to a pretty good boxset, tying up loose ends and taking the listener to new, boundless worlds; it's entertaining. The titular Ravagers are less outright evil and more hellbent on survival (hence their hunger), Nova remains throughout as a good one-off companion to Chris Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, and Eccleston himself has a whale of a time. One big complaint of mine, though, is that Audrey is given a really interesting resolution (as in, she's "influenced" by the Doctor throughout her timeline) and that ironically diminishes her effectiveness as a boxset villain.