Doctor Who review: Old friends and old foes come together in Ravenous 3

An ancient enemy of the Time Lords returns. To stop it, the Eighth Doctor will need help from an unlikely ally in the latest Doctor Who box set, Ravenous 3!

Like the previous Eighth Doctor series Doom Coalition, Ravenous has been a series that’s been slowly building up across each of its volumes so far.

The series had a bit of a weak start at first, as the first volume combined a major search for missing companion Helen with a random adventure with Churchill and a black comedy. While the stories themselves were OK, they clashed with the key arc of the box set, so it didn’t quite gel as a whole.

The second box set was definitely a huge improvement. With Helen back, the series found a much better balance between telling standalone stories and arc focused ones. It also gave us quite possibly one of the best Eighth Doctor stories we’ve had in years: Better Watch Out/Fairytale of Salzburg, a Christmas themed story focused around a mythical monster, the Krampus.

The box set ended with our first look at the Ravenous. While Seizure worked well as a spooky story on board a dead TARDIS, the Ravenous didn’t particularly stand out in this episode. After waiting half the series for the titular monsters to finally show up, they honestly seemed to be rather basic. But would that change in the subsequent volume?

Old friends and old enemies

Ravenous 3 has a lot of selling points for it. Not only did the previous volume end on a huge cliffhanger. But we also learned that both the Ravenous and the Eleven – an evil Time Lord with the personalities of all ten of his previous incarnations stuck in his head – would have a far greater role in this box set. In fact, the Eleven actually ends up as one of the Doctor’s companions!

And if the Eleven wasn’t enough, we also have the return of one of his earlier incarnations – the Nine. Originally introduced in Doom Coalition 3, the Nine finally returns in this box set with an insane scheme to collect something very precious to the Doctor.

Can a team up of several of the Eighth Doctor’s friends work together to stop the Nine’s mad scheme? And when the full force of the Ravenous is unleashed upon the universe, can the Doctor and the Eleven hope to stop them? Let’s find out, beginning with the first episode, Deeptime Frontier.

On board a Time Lord research station, an ancient evil is about to awaken in Deeptime Frontier…

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Deeptime Frontier

Deeptime Frontier gets the third series of Ravenous off to an extremely strong start. Continuing directly from where the previous series left off, this is an episode that features a great deal of atmosphere and build-up. In fact, despite not appearing for half the episode, the Ravenous have a far stronger presence here than in Seizure.

What really helps is that while Seizure gave us a very simple introduction to the Ravenous, Deeptime Frontier helps to give us a much more detailed explanation. Before, we only knew that they were creatures that are constantly hungry, and while they’d be happy to devour any life, they’re particularly keen to devour the regeneration energy of Time Lords.

But Deeptime Frontier takes the time to give us a great deal more information. Sometimes, knowing too much can ruin a monster’s scare factor, but the origins of the Ravenous actually enhance it. It probably helps that it’s told in more of a mythological way than a factual one. That plus the fact that, the more we hear about them, the more we learn about how dangerous they really are.

The first half of the episode really builds up the tension, as we know that, despite some of the characters believing otherwise, the Ravenous are coming. It’s not simply a case of if they return, but when. So that, when they do arrive in force, it’s a satisfying payoff.

The second half goes into full-on fast-paced horror, with the Ravenous feeling like a far greater threat than before. It’s made very clear that the stakes are much higher, not just for this episode, but for the whole series.

Overall, Deeptime Frontier is a fantastic mix of both atmospheric horror and major arc episode, and it really pushes the series into high gear. An instant highlight for the series.

River Song, Charlotte Pollard, Bliss, Liv and Helen all have to work together to fight against the Nine.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Companion Piece

Companion Piece is an unusual little episode. In some ways, it’s probably the episode in this box set that’s the least connected to the main arc, plot wise. And yet, at the same time, it’s a huge selling point. Because this is the episode that features a meeting of companions past, present and future.

River Song is just one of the companions who features in this episode. She was last seen in The Eighth Doctor Adventures in Songs of Love from Doom Coalition 4, and I must admit, I was a little worried that this would be an appearance too far for the character.

Because while she worked brilliantly in the previous series, her final scene with Eight was a beautiful goodbye. So her role seemed to be pretty well wrapped up, at least as far as The Eighth Doctor Adventures were concerned.

Thankfully, her presence here works well, and that’s partly because Companion Piece is very much a Doctor-lite episode. Light on the Doctor, but very strong when it comes to his companions. Several of his companions, in fact.

Friends past and future

What was particularly exciting was the return of India Fisher as Charlotte Pollard. While this sadly isn’t after her time of travelling with the Doctor – and so, there’s no genuine reunion between her and the Eighth Doctor just yet – it’s still fantastic to hear more from the character. Especially as she was Eight’s first companion on audio, so her meeting Helen and Liv is fantastic.

But if that wasn’t intriguing enough, we also have Bliss – the Eighth Doctor’s companion from The Time War audios. Despite the fact that Ravenous actually takes place some time before then.

I was curious about how well Bliss would work in this, but I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. She is from the Doctor’s future, but it’s also even more complicated than that. There’s a neat little twist here, one that acknowledges the impact of the upcoming war without actually naming it. John Dorney has definitely been clever with his very original use of this character, that’s for sure.

A companion focused episode

But it’s not just which companions are included in Companion Piece that make the episode interesting. It is, of course, how well they interact with each other, too.

John Dorney has written a plot that’s very light and straightforward – essentially, it’s a story about how the companions work together to escape from a seemingly inescapable prison. Which is great, because it means that there’s much more focus on the dialogue and character exploration than there is on an over-complicated story.

Dorney also knows how to really write to each companion’s strengths. It’s not surprising, as he’s written for each and every one of the featured companions by this point. So it’s really satisfying to hear them work together and remind us of what makes each of them such great characters.

Like I said, Companion Piece is, considering the major team-up it features, surprisingly the lightest episode in the set, both arc and plot-wise. But it more than makes up for it with a great examination of some excellent companions. Definitely my favorite episode of Ravenous 3.

L.E.G.E.N.D. is a story where fairy tales meet reality. But is it a story that works?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

L.E.G.E.N.D.

Many of the stories of Ravenous have either been influenced by horror, or by fairy tales. Sometimes, both at the same time. (The Krampus episodes from the previous volume spring to mind.) L.E.G.E.N.D. tries to go for that feel, but somehow doesn’t quite manage it.

There are a number of key fairy tale influences in this episode. The fact that the Brothers Grimm are major characters in this should give you a clue as to how much the episode pays influence to their stories.

Their inclusion in this episode, or at least one of them with Wilhelm, is probably my favorite part of the story. Not only because Wilhelm gets to see some of the fairy tales come to life, but also because of how Helen reacts to meeting him.

There is an interesting idea here of what happens when technology makes mythology into reality. But it doesn’t seem to capture that distinct fairy tale feel, which this episode really needs. Perhaps it’s because the Christmas episodes of the previous volume handled this balance so incredibly well, and so, I’m comparing L.E.G.E.N.D. unfavorably as a result. But this one, despite having a brilliant idea, doesn’t quite live up to its full potential, somehow.

It’s not a terrible episode, and the main threat of L.E.G.E.N.D. is a strong one. Also, Professor Marathanga is a great character. Despite her title, she is definitely far more concerned about her reputation and money than she is about science and actual knowledge. She’s brilliantly played by Tanya Moodie, and creates the situation that kicks off the episode’s main story. So the episode certainly isn’t without its strong elements.

Still, while its more tied to the main arc than Companion Piece, L.E.G.E.N.D. still feels a little more throwaway. An interesting episode, but one with the potential to be a lot more.

The Odds Against is a different kind of finale for Ravenous 3. Does it end the box set in a satisfying manner?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Odds Against

The final episode of Ravenous 3, The Odds Against begins in a very typical way. Looking into the history of the Ravenous, the Doctor and his friends arrive at an abbey that was once supposed to be a prison for the monsters. Of course, it’s not long before they stumble across a dead body.

What’s been happening to the inhabitants on this small moon? What are the mysterious “Stitches”? And are the rumors of a powerful and ancient evil returning true?

If you think that this is a very by-the-numbers Doctor Who story, well, that’s because it pretty much is. Deliberately so, in fact. Reading the description of the episode, this was the story that I was least excited by. Which is surprising, considering that this is the finale to the box set, and the finales are usually major on some level.

Of course, there’s a lot more to the episode than what’s on the surface. And I mean a lot more. I definitely don’t want to give too much away here, but there’s a nice little development halfway through that instantly increases the stakes. It also makes you realize that this is definitely an episode that will benefit from a re-listen.

The Eleven: friend or foe?

One thing that stands out about The Odds Against is how well the Eleven is used. The villain has appeared throughout this whole box set, in some form or other, and had an important role in L.E.G.E.N.D.

More from Winter is Coming

But it’s in The Odds Against that the character has his most major role yet. Something happens to him that really shakes him up, and we get to see the psychopath at his most vulnerable. More than that – we get to see him at his most dangerous.

Mark Bonnar has always been fantastic to listen to in the role, but I think this episode gives us one of his best performances yet. Which is impressive, considering who the real villain of the piece is in this one.

While it takes a while to get going, The Odds Against is definitely very effective as a finale to the box set. The scale is overall rather small compared to some of the other finales, but the personal stakes really do feel at their highest, and it ties the whole box off very nicely. It also introduces an element that means that, by the end of the episode, the Doctor and his friends are in more danger than ever.

Ravenous 3 has, on the whole, been a very strong box set. While not all of the episodes were quite to my taste, most of them were extremely effective. After a shaky start, the series is now more confidant in its identity, and as a whole, series 3 just might be my favorite volume yet.

As a result, we can’t wait to listen to Ravenous 4. Especially since, along with the Eleven, another old enemy of the Doctor’s is returning. Several of them, in fact…

Next. The one companion the Doctor said they loved. dark

Will you be listening to Ravenous 3? Which episode are you most keen to listen to? Let us know in the comments below.

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