In what is now a tradition among Doctor Who fans, the end of a Doctor’s tenure spells speculation over how long it’ll take them to make the jump over to Big Finish. Whether fans of her era or hoping for the 6^th Doctor treatment, those eagerly awaiting Whittaker’s 13^th Doctor to return in audio format didn’t have long to wait, with her announced return coming less than two years after her final story.

Entitled Vampire Weekend, the inaugural Thirteenth Doctor audio adventure has plenty to celebrate. Written by Big Finish veteran Tim Foley, the story finds The Doctor and Yaz embroiled in a murder mystery with a twist. Trapped within the grounds of a hen do venue, the guests, including The Doctor and Yaz, are being picked off one by one by a ravenous vampire.

First things first, it has got to be said how easy it was to hear Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill back in their roles as the 13^th Doctor and Yaz. Despite their time away from the series, they clearly haven’t lost the magic that they had together on screen. This is also in part thanks to Foley’s understanding of the characters. Even from the pre-title sequence scene, both the Doctor’s and Yaz’s eccentricities are matched and even improved upon.

As for the story, Foley’s opening gambit is an undeniably safe yet competent affair. Typical of a series opener, Vampire Weekend is light-hearted and fast-paced, as it sees Yaz and her friends caught in the crossfire of the Doctor’s hunt for a truth vampire whose bite forces its victims to tell the truth.

A mildly threatening villain, in line with this early point in the series, it serves its purpose well, laying the foundations for the potential season arcs to come. With its ability to reveal the truth, it inevitably plays a role in resolving the communication problems between The Doctor and Yaz that arose because of Ryan and Graham leaving. Under the influence of the vampire’s bite during the climax, the Doctor can let go of some of these barriers between them, tightening their relationship–a move that will certainly appease Thasmin shippers.

Foley also manages to eke in some solo character development for Yaz during the few scenes of downtime. Focusing on her next steps, they find Yaz questioning her decision to stay with the Doctor as everybody’s lives move on around her. Reflecting on her journey so far, these scenes show how much she’s grown since meeting the Doctor and, ultimately, the reasons why she must keep going on her adventures through space and time with The Doctor.

Tackling ancient Gallifreyan foes and questioning life choices, Foley’s Vampire Weekend shows that the future of the Thirteenth Doctor Adventures is in safe hands. Albeit a conservative starting point, Jodie and Mandip stand out with stellar performances. Meanwhile, the story’s light-hearted nature provides ample opportunity to lay the foundations for a strong future story arc as well as interesting avenues to explore concerning character development.

I Give Vampire Weekend: 7.5/10