Doctor Who review: The Eighth of March – Inside Every Warrior (The Paternoster Gang)
By James Aggas
Fans of Steven Moffat’s era of Doctor Who are sure to love the third episode of The Eighth of March, as the Paternoster Gang are given their very own adventure in Inside Every Warrior!
Inside Every Warrior, the third episode of Doctor Who box set The Eighth of March, is something very special. This is true for all the episodes, with much-loved characters meeting each other or new eras being explored. But this is perhaps even more so for Inside Every Warrior, as it’s the first time that the entire Paternoster Gang have featured in a Big Finish production.
With the exception of Jenny Flint, we’ve had stories with some of the characters separately, such as Madame Vastra in the second volume of The Churchill Years, or Strax in the crossover Jago & Litefoot & Strax. But this is the first time that we’ve had all three in one single audio. And it’s the first time we’ve heard them have an adventure of their own, away from the Doctor.
So how is Inside Every Warrior? Well, writer Gemma Langford seems really keen on subverting expectations with this one. Initially, the story seems to be about the gang searching for a werewolf, which is perfect for this kind of setting.
But then the story takes a few surprising twists and turns about halfway through, and it heads off in directions that you don’t expect. So it’s a little difficult to discuss the plot without giving too much away.
For the first time, we get to hear the whole Paternoster Gang in an adventure without the Doctor. How well does Inside Every Warrior work?
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
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Rich themes
What I can say though is that there are a lot of strong and interesting themes in Inside Every Warrior. Not just in terms of feminism – although there is a very clear streak of it throughout this episode.
But Langford also explores themes of class and privilege, too. Particularly when people feel the need to abuse it, and how it affects the victims of such abuse. And it’s written in such a way that Inside Every Warrior still feels like an actual story, rather than just a thinly veiled political message in disguise. So there’s a very strong balance there, and Langford gets that completely right.
I quite enjoyed Inside Every Warrior. It’s a strong starting point for the Paternoster Gang’s upcoming spin-off later this year, and it’s a great reminder of why we loved these three very different characters.
It’s not Jago & Litefoot, which also featured investigators of strange cases in Victorian London, and was one of Doctor Who‘s greatest ever spin-offs, but it’s very much its own thing, and I’m already looking forward to listening to more.
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Are you keen to check out the Paternoster Gang’s adventures without the Doctor? Which is your favorite TV episode featuring the characters? Let us know in the comments below.