Reaching the concluding chapter in the first boxset of the Eleventh Doctor Adventures and the final story in the set sees The Doctor and Eleanor take a trip into the past.

Their destination: Salem, 1692. The witch trials have started, and nothing is going to get in their way…

As fear rises amid the Salem witch trials of 1692, one woman knows for absolute certainty that it’s not witchcraft or devilry people need to fear – it’s human beings.

Big Finish Synopsis

For the third and final story of the set, A Delusion of Witches brings with it a lot of the elements found in the previous two episodes. In this adventure, we have yet another familiar story foundation and the use of a bait-and-switch twist (although this story does it much better).  

Much like The Tourist Trap, the weaker parts of this story are delegated to its beginnings. Landing amidst the most famous witch trials in history, the first half of the adventure is dedicated to antics within the courtroom. Seeing an injustice unfold with a character named Mary on the verge of being put to death, The Doctor and Eleanor take it upon themselves to act as defence counsel and try and tip the scales more in her favour. With the spotlight on them, the story covers the heavy themes of power, control and tribalism that underpin these callous acts. Through the Doctor’s arguments, you can hear the impassioned voice of the writer. However, they lose their impact somewhat once these impassioned views turn slightly adversarial and are directed almost solely towards the actions of a 17-year-old accuser. Although her actions are unforgivable, the story does overlook the fact that the adults in the room never pushed back or questioned these accusations properly.

Once the twist arrives at the halfway point, however, the story and its overarching themes become nearly flawless. As soon as it’s revealed that The Doctor and Eleanor aren’t the only time travellers at the trial, the themes evolve into something eerily prescient. As it turns out, Judge Crowling is from Earth’s far future. He’s not here for witches, he has arrived in Salem to kill a race of shapeshifters known as the Amplicy, who in his view have ruined Earth’s future.

Born with the ability to genetically morph themselves into any species they have a connection with, they are able to become indistinguishable from the connected species. Essentially, once an Amplicy chooses to become human, they are human in every possible way, even down to the genetic code. Crowling’s genocidal mission, then, is not one of facts but rather driven out of bigotry, racism and blind hatred. These themes are especially poignant given how these features have begun to fester within our own current climate, from the targeting of trans people and migrants to the wholesale slaughter of civilians across the world.

Finally, the story ends with an important scene of development for Eleanor. Although she hasn’t had much to shine with during this story, these scenes more than make up for it. Having witnessed the horrors of humanity’s past and future, her hopes for saving Mary are dashed by The Doctor. Mary’s death has become a fixed event. Though difficult, this is a teaching moment for Eleanor as she learns that even being a Timelord comes with limitations.