Doctor Who review: The Paternoster Gang: Heritage 3 is the strongest volume of the spin-off yet
By James Aggas
Featuring heavy exploration of its leading characters and a highly entertaining mix of stories, The Paternoster Gang: Heritage 3 might be the strongest volume of the Doctor Who spin-off yet.
It’s funny to think that we’re already three volumes into the Paternoster Gang’s own audio spin-off series. The gang’s own adventures have been as fun and as colorful as their original appearances in Doctor Who. But while their spin-off has been a lot of fun to listen to from the beginning, Heritage 3 definitely stands out as probably the strongest volume yet.
What makes Heritage 3 stand out so well compared to the previous two volumes is how much it explores each member of the gang on a personal level. This is especially true of Madame Vastra – in all three episodes, we learn a great deal more about how she feels about both humanity and her place in the world. There’s a great deal of progression given to the character that’s very natural, and her development is key to all three episodes.
Not that the other members of the gang don’t receive any character exploration, far from it, in fact. Not only do we find out a lot more about Vastra’s wife Jenny in opening episode Family Matters. But she also gets to show off many of her own hidden talents in Whatever Remains, too.
The characters of Jenny (Catrin Stewart), Strax (Dan Starkey) and Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) are all given greater character exploration in this volume.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
An entertaining mix
Strax isn’t explored quite as much in this box set, but even he is given some great character scenes in the box set’s final episode, Truth and Bone. Strax having to truly face his own race for the first time since joining the gang not only forces him to look at how he feels about his family, but also how much he’s changed, too. While Strax is a great comedic character, it’s great to explore the Sontaran on a deeper level.
What also stands out about Heritage 3 is that it features some extremely enjoyable stories. Family Matters heavily explores the arc of the series, while also offering plenty of exploration on how people rejected by society can be horrifically exploited. Whatever Remains is a highly entertaining pastiche of Sherlock Holmes – with one story in particular being an extremely obvious influence. And Truth and Bone has the gang facing Sontarans – a story that acts as a wonderful reminder of how dangerous Strax’s race can truly be.
The first and second volumes of Heritage were highly entertaining box sets that helped to establish the series. But Heritage 3 offers a deeper look at the gang while still offering entertaining adventures, and it’s all the better for it. Honestly, it just might be the best volume of The Paternoster Gang yet.
Next. Missy: Treason and Plot is a light but fun historical. dark
Have you listened to The Paternoster Gang: Heritage 3? Did you enjoy how the box set explored each of the three leading characters? Do you think they should have received similar exploration on television? Let us know in the comments below.