For fans of the Ninth Doctor Adventures range, it should come as no surprise that we’re yet again sticking with the old faithful location of the Powell Estate (apparently, Big Finish needs to add an extra dimension when attempting to emulate 00s Doctor Who by also factoring in its budgetary constraints). Much like a good workhorse, however, the Powell Estate just keeps on dutifully ploughing and has managed to churn up a fifth story within its orbit, Pandemonium. This time, though, there does at least seem to be an end for this workaholic location in sight.

The past has broken through into the Powell Estate and not even the Doctor knows what’s happening! With more and more historical figures appearing, it’s a race to figure out what’s behind this, before the past becomes the present and all hell breaks loose…

Big Finish Synopsis

Slotting its way in just before the halfway point, Pandemonium is, unfortunately, the first weak link of the series. Given the nature of Doctor Who, this was always going to be inevitable, but it’s saddening nonetheless because of just how strong this series had been up to this point.

What we are given with this latest instalment is a story that, in some ways, conflicts with itself. On one side of the story, we have the slightly silly plot of historical figures, who called the area around the Powell Estate their home throughout the ages, being forced into the present day. They faff about in the episode with their era-specific stereotypes before being comedically revealed to be projections imprinted on missing pieces of furniture. On the other side, we get a much more serious character-driven narrative that once again focuses on Rose and her grief-fuelled need to see and speak to her father again after the events of Father’s Day. While these two conflicting themes can balance each other out, here, they ultimately end up diluting each other. As a result, the story finds itself in this sort of indecisive no man’s land where it never does enough for either narrative, and we’re left with this rocky middle ground where focusing on one would’ve led to a more enjoyable or thought-provoking experience.

Away from its diluted narratives, there’s nothing seriously wrong with this story per se; it’s well-paced, it gets the dynamic between The Doctor and Rose down to a tee, and it’s competent in everything it wants to showcase. It’s just that I never managed to find that moment that hooked me, and I felt my mind wandering elsewhere. The only way I can explain why is due to how hyper-familiar everything about this adventure is. There’s never a scene, a fact or even a small moment that made me pause for thought and forcibly switch on my engagement for this story. From the outset, I felt detached from the action rather than finding myself within the heart of it, and as a result, I could never connect with it in the way that I’d want to.