Thin Time [AUDIO/2020.8.12]

★★★★☆

  It's all about the superlative execution, this one. Multidimensional aliens wreaking havoc amongst a small, enclosed space with a handful of people is great, yes, but Scott Handcock's direction is the real star of the show here. Peter Davison, the kind of actor who relishes good direction and shines even more in those situations, is incredible here as this emotionally fraught, sharp and mysterious Fifth Doctor who's somewhat lost his way. This is a performance that works wonders with a haunted-house mystery (of sorts), one that navigates interactions between each characters so effortlessly. Davison really is a fantastic actor, and if I had to point to a relatively recent Big Finish releases that demonstrates this, it has to be Thin Time.

  By itself, it's still polished and exquisitely written to the extent that I would still have given the two-parter this high score. Then, of course (and a final spoiler warning for those who somehow managed to avoid seeing who's on the picture below), the Eleventh Doctor shows up to give his past self something of a pep talk, and Jacob Dudman works miraculously well with Davison to the point that it's actually hilarious. It's a brilliant sequence, something I wasn't expecting the monthly range to pull out, and it's of great joy to me that this cameo scene works like a charm with the ongoing emotional journey of the Doctor. He can't always win, and he can't always choose what's "best" for his companions. Remarkable closed-room mystery from Big Finish turned interdimensional invasion tale (with a side of character drama for the Fifth Doctor) -- Thin Time is an amazing experience.