What does the future hold for the Powell Estate? This seemingly ordinary block of flats has seen its fair share of twists and turns, but perhaps none more terrifying than the answer to this question.

Written by Timothy X Attack, The Last Days of the Powell Estate is the second part of the Powell Estate trilogy. Landing in 2036, The Doctor and Rose find themselves facing the abandoned remains of the once lively Powell Estate, only to have unknowingly been caught in a web created by a multi-dimensional being known as Mr Fingers.

South London, 2036. The Doctor and Rose team up with an urban explorer to investigate the case of Mr Fingers, an invisible killer haunting an abandoned corner of the city. If you feel a hand on your shoulder: don’t look around…

Big Finish Synopsis

Attack’s third contribution to the Ninth Doctor Adventures is a spectacularly spooky affair. At home with writing horror, he’s created a near-perfect futuristic ghost story set within the crumbling ruins of Rose’s childhood home.  

Every good scary story must have a truly creepy villain, and Mr Fingers fits this description in every respect. Formless, shapeless, and out for blood, this creature is a truly terrifying addition to the Whoniverse. Catching prey within its labyrinthine web, it marks those who turn around in response to its ghostly grip for death. This modus operandi makes for some tense listening, as every character, at one point or another, is affected by this creature’s ghastly grip.  

However, there’s more to this adventure than just a good scary story. Despite the tight chronology of The Doctor and Rose’s time together, Attack skilfully navigates this limitation, offering powerful character development for both of them. For Rose, seeing what becomes of her childhood home naturally brings up feelings of sadness and anxiety. As a result, it once again sees her break one of The Doctor’s many rules about time travelling when she decides to check in on her mum. Unlike her previous experience with the Reapers and the death of her father, however, her decision ends up being a good thing, ultimately offering the solution to the ‘Mr Fingers’ problem. For The Doctor, this episode forces him to face his fears by opening old wounds. In an impassioned speech towards a sense of closure, he admits his past failures and the reasons why he can never look back.