Doctor Who: The Unbound Universe is a great jumping-on point for Bernice Summerfield

Lisa Bowerman gets a lot to do in this episode, as Bernice takes charge when the Doctor finds himself somewhat distracted.

(Photo: Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield cast.. (L to R) Lisa Bowerman, David Warner and Sam Kisgart. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions.)

Having finished reviewing each of the four episodes in the box set, it’s time to take a look at Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield: The Unbound Universe as a whole. How strong is it as a box set, and how accessible is it for newcomers to the archaeologist?

In 2014, Big Finish released the first box set in a new series: Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield. After well over a decade of audio adventures on her own, this new series was designed to be a fresh jumping-on point for those new to Bernice. While it basically continued some time after her previous series, Bernice herself was the only returning character from it.

Of course, that’s not to say that there weren’t any other familiar faces at all. Years after she had separated from them, Bernice was reunited with her old friends, the Seventh Doctor and Ace. The Doctor needed Bernice’s help with not just one grand adventure, but two: first facing the Daleks in volume one, then fighting the powerful godlike being Sutekh in volume two.

Each of these worked well as an accessible jumping-on point for those new to Bernice. But perhaps the best jumping-on point for the character was in volume three, when she met a brand new Doctor, (or at least, brand new to her,) played by David Warner. Unlike all the others she’s met over the years, Bernice doesn’t have a shared history with Warner’s Doctor, as he’s from another universe entirely.

As The Unbound Universe proved, this presented a fresh starting point in several ways…

Beginning from scratch

Firstly, for many listeners – whether they’ve listened to Benny before or not – they immediately share something in common with the character: they know who the Doctor is. They know about the different incarnations, their different personalities, and how they always save the day.

As such, they’re on an extremely similar footing with Benny when she meets the Unbound Doctor. She’s getting to learn who the Doctor is essentially from scratch, in a way even more significant than if it had been a regeneration. Benny knows not just the Seventh but also the Eighth and even the Twelfth Doctors well, so she’s used to that concept, at least.

But Warner’s from a universe where things happened so differently. For starters, not only is he in his third incarnation, but he’s lasted a very long time. He’s even survived a war that came close to destroying his universe. So he’s done a lot of things differently, even before he met Benny, as we heard in Sympathy for the Devil and Masters of War.

The fact that Benny’s friendship with the Doctor – or at least, this Doctor – is completely starting from scratch actually makes the character more accessible than in her previous two volumes. Don’t get me wrong, volumes 1 and 2 of The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield are great standalone box sets to listen to, and there isn’t too much continuity in them. But the relationship with her, Seven and Ace had been established for a long time, while in The Unbound Universe, she’s only just getting to know Warner’s Doctor, just as he is getting to know her. So there’s a great new beginning there.

Focus was divided between Benny herself and David Warner’s Doctor throughout The Unbound Universe.

(Photo: Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield – Planet X. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions)

David Warner’s Doctor

Just as Benny learns more about this Doctor, so do we. This Doctor had appeared twice in Big Finish audios before, back in 2003 and 2008. But The Unbound Universe came out a long time afterwards, and so had to reintroduce his Doctor essentially from scratch.

It was a reintroduction that worked well for the character. As I pointed out in my review for opening episode The Library in the Body, a similar approach was taken with Warner’s Doctor as it was with Eccleston’s Doctor in Rose. Specifically, by making a huge time jump after the last story, people who’ve listened to previous stories of Warner’s Doctor know almost as little as the newcomers. Even a huge war happens between the big gaps in both cases, although the war in the Unbound Universe is definitely worse.

As for the Doctor himself, David Warner is absolutely brilliant to listen to. What really helps are the scripts: he’s given just the right amount of both gravitas and humor. His Doctor isn’t quirky or eccentric like some of the newer Doctors, but he certainly enjoys giving a lot of banter, especially with Benny. Warner really does throw himself into it, and gives us a very interesting and likeable take on the Doctor.

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New adventures in a new universe

On top of that, we get a great mix of adventures in this very different universe. Even when most of it has been wiped out, the Doctor and Benny still find time for adventures. Ones that are so unique and so different from each other that it’s difficult to pick a favorite.

The Library in the Body is a really fantastic opening episode that sets the scene for this new arc and the major characters very nicely. Planet X is a great satire that still has a convincingly major threat. The Very Dark Thing starts off strange, but explores some major mythology in the Unbound Universe, as well as asking some very deep questions of morality. And The Emporium at the End rounds off the box set very nicely by reintroducing a major villain.

Overall, The Unbound Universe features a great mix of adventures, while also setting up a new relationship for the Doctor and Benny. Combined, it forms arguably one of the best jumping-on point for fans new to Bernice Summerfield. Not only that, but it also sets up the following box set perfectly. Ruler of the Universe is extremely different to Unbound, but it also provides some amazing storytelling, as you’ll find out very shortly.

Have you listened to The Unbound Universe? Do you think it’s a good starting point for the character of Bernice Summerfield? Are there easier jumping-on points for the character? Let us know in the comments below.