Doctor Who review: Bernice Summerfield: Dead and Breakfast

The third episode of The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield offers a strong balance between fun Benny adventure and strong emotion in Dead and Breakfast.

"Bernice and the Doctor are trapped on a planet where people who are unusual have a habit of dying. They’re in trouble."

April McCaffrey’s debut story for Bernice Summerfield is definitely an easy one to recommend. Dead and Breakfast – the third episode in The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield: Buried Memories – is just so quintessentially Benny. From the tone to the story to the strong mix of characters, this fits the time-travelling archaeologist perfectly.

For a start, there’s actually a focus on archaeology. Just as opening episode Pride of the Lampians focused heavily on Benny actually researching, Dead and Breakfast focuses on another side: digging. There’s a secret on the planet Neirut, and Benny is determined to uncover it.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Neirut doesn’t exactly have the most progressive of societies. They look down on anything or anyone unusual, and it’s very easy to find yourself committing a crime on this world. But why?

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Strong characters

There’s a good mystery in Dead and Breakfast, but that’s not the only thing McCaffrey includes in her story. She also makes sure to include quite a few rich and distinctive characters. Not too many – this is only an hour-long, after all – but just enough to give the story plenty of depth and emotion.

Jaqueline King is great as Flor. A cyborg with a hidden past, when it’s revealed, it’s quite an emotional moment, and helps to make the character feel that much more relatable. Unsurprisingly, King plays the role beautifully.

Sam Hallion is also great as Rylan. Not only does this character have several sides to them, but they also share an interesting relationship with Bernice. And that relationship adds a lot to both the story and the characters, especially when we reach the ending.

Dead and Breakfast is a fantastic debut story. April McCaffrey knows Benny inside and out, both with the character and her stories. As a result, Dead and Breakfast offers a great and fun little story, but it also offers plenty more beneath the surface, too.

What do you think makes a good story for Benny? Do you have any particular favorite stories for her that stand out? Let us know in the comments below.