Big Finish: Doctor Who: ‘The Middle’ (Sixth Doctor audio)
By James Aggas
When the Sixth Doctor, Constance and Flip land on a colony world, why are they only seeing young people in “the Beginning”? Why are the middle-aged working in “the Middle”? And what awaits the Doctor at “the End”?
Fittingly the middle story in the Sixth Doctor’s latest season, The Middle begins with Flip at her most adorable yet. Having found out that it’s Constance’s birthday, she is super keen to give her a big celebration.
And it looks like the perfect opportunity has arrived. In the colony of Formicia, everyone is out having fun and enjoying themselves.
However, they quickly notice something odd. Why are they only seeing young people enjoying themselves? Why are people over the age of thirty-five forced to work in “the Middle”? And what happens when the eldest population reach “the End”? The Doctor is about to find out…
An ever changing story
The Middle is a really clever story. There are a number of really great layers to enjoy. There is of course the initial mystery, as presented in part one. A well-written Doctor Who mystery is always great, especially when it takes its time in the serial format.
But there’s also the radical directions that the story takes. You think you’re getting one story, only to be presented with something almost entirely different in the very next episode. The more you learn, the more the story changes.
A particularly enjoyable aspect of The Middle is how openly satirical it is. Young people are entirely focused on having fun, the middle-aged are only focused on work, while a terrible fate awaits the elderly. Writer Chris Chapman has taken some general concepts on how different age groups might be perceived by society, and has given them a great examination in sci-fi satirical form.
There’s a lot of heart to this story, too. Two characters I especially loved were Janaiya and her husband Roman. They were an absolutely adorable pair to listen to in this story, and they felt so fleshed out and three-dimensional. There are also some incredibly emotional scenes with them, which were handled beautifully.
A specific story for a unique team
I also need to point out how brilliant the current team of Six, Constance and Flip really are. As I mentioned earlier, Flip’s reaction to Constance’s birthday is just adorable. It also shows just how close they already are. This is evidenced even further with the other characters throughout the story. This team really is beginning to feel like a family.
One element I really, really loved about The Middle is how Chris Chapman has specifically written for this particular TARDIS team. With Flip as a teenager, Constance reaching thirty-five, and the Doctor being as ancient as he is, each of them gets sent to different zones.
The funny thing is, it’s hard to think of another TARDIS trio with such a distinct variation in ages. Even when there’s multiple companions, they’re usually of similar ages. The only other team that could have potentially fitted a story like this is possibly Twelve, Bill and Nardole. And even then, I’m unsure if it would have worked half as well as with this team.
Sometimes, it’s easy for writers to have a potentially great Doctor Who story, but then make the mistake of giving them the wrong Doctors or companions. Or just as bad, write them in a very generic way to fit the story.
Thankfully, The Middle doesn’t have that problem. The wonderful thing about it is that it’s not just a great Doctor Who story. It’s also the kind of story that fits this excellent TARDIS team perfectly. Another great entry for the Sixth Doctor, Constance and Flip.
Next: Review: ‘The First Doctor Adventures: The Destination Wars’ (audio)