Doctor Who: The Secret of Novice Hame is a beautiful short story

A brand new Doctor Who short story has been released, written by Russell T Davies and read by Anna Hope, which reveals the fate of her character Novice Hame.

Yesterday, after the watchalong of both New Earth and Gridlock, we were given something really special. A short Doctor Who story that acted as a sequel to both, written by Russell T Davies himself: The Secret of Novice Hame.

The story tells the final day of Novice Hame, a key character from both episodes. Read in character by Anna Hope, who had also played Hame on television, it’s a lovely little story that expands on the character greatly. We find out a lot about her life and where she came from, and what happened to her since we last saw her.

More than that, however: we also find out about a secret she’s been keeping. A secret she needs to tell someone. But who? Find out for yourself by watching the video below. (Particularly as we’ll be going into spoilers right afterward.)

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An emotional goodbye

So, as we saw, we didn’t exactly find out what the secret was. We learned of the implication that New Earth itself might not be what it seems, and that Hame found something beneath the surface of it. But what did she find? And if New Earth really has been a trap this whole time, who designed it? And for what purpose?

Of course, the answers to these questions don’t really matter. This is Novice Hame’s story, and it’s a beautifully written one. Considering the character was key to not one but two important episodes for the Tenth Doctor, finding out about her last day is a perfect story for Russell T Davies to tell.

More than that: it’s fantastic to hear David Tennant play the Doctor once more. Naturally, Tennant is great to hear as ever, and his role in the story is extremely fitting. For the Tenth Doctor, this takes place towards the end of his final story, The End of Time, when he’s saying goodbye to all of his friends. Setting it during this time gives this story an even heavier emotional weight, as the Tenth Doctor faces a friend’s death before he has to face his own.

In short, this is another fantastic creation that the watchalongs have given us. A perfect example of minimal but effective storytelling, and a strong emotional ending to a great character.

Did you enjoy The Secret of Novice Hame? Were you glad to hear more from the character, even with a tale set on her final day? Do you have any theories on what she found? Let us know in the comments below.