Doctor Who review: Bernice Summerfield: Inertia focuses on just Bernice and the Doctor

Essentially a two-hander for its two leads, Inertia is an extremely enjoyable Doctor Who episode for Bernice and the Doctor.

For the third episode of Doctor Who: The New Adventures of Bernice Summerfield: Volume 6, James Goss decided to write something just a little bit different for the series. Set on an island on an unnamed planet, the episode stars Lisa Bowerman as Bernice, David Warner as the Doctor…and no one else. Well, ok, that’s not quite true – there are a few additional voices here and there that get one or two lines. But essentially, Inertia is focused almost entirely on its two regulars.

This isn’t the first time that James Goss has attempted something both small-scale and ambitious. Asking for a Friend from volume 4 – possibly one of the greatest Doctor Who stories in any medium – features only one guest star, and is heavily focused on the Doctor’s and Bernice’s difficult friendship. Tim Foley has also done something similar with his opening episode for this very volume, Have I Told You Lately?

But this is the first episode we’ve had that focuses on just Bernice and the Doctor. And that’s a bold story to tell – especially when you consider that so many Doctor Who stories begin with the Doctor and the companion splitting up. So an episode focused on just the pair together is a risky move. Does it pay off?

Lisa Bowerman and David Warner have been a great pairing for a long time now. So a two-hander focusing on just the two of them feels extremely just right.

Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions

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Deep exploration

Inertia isn’t a big story. It isn’t about Bernice and the Doctor saving the universe or stopping an evil alien invasion. And it doesn’t explore the characters’ darkest fears or insecurities (both of which were heavily examined in the previous episode, The Undying Truth).

Instead, James Goss gives us an episode that’s filled with banter between Bernice and the Doctor. Sometimes, that can be too much of a good thing, but Goss does a good job of not only making the banter fun to listen to. He also explores what happens when these two extremely clever and adventurous individuals find themselves with nothing to do.

How each of them reacts to boredom is fascinating to explore. The Doctor enjoys playing games, but Bernice often loses patience with him when he keeps changing the rules. Bernice, meanwhile, prefers to do what she does best: archaeology. Finding out more about the island they’re on and the tribe living there. In short, we get an episode where she once again gets to show off to both the Doctor and the audience just how brilliant she is. Especially when she discovers an inevitable danger…

Lisa Bowerman and David Warner are always a joy to listen to, and this episode is no exception. The chemistry between them is perfect, allowing them to portray a very real and grounded friendship. Overall, Inertia is a very small episode, but it’s also a very brilliant one, too.

Do you enjoy stories that focus exclusively on the main cast? Which one is your favorite? Heaven Sent? The Edge of Destruction? Or even the first episode of The Ark in Space? Let us know in the comments below.