In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: Time War Uncharted 3: Branches

Synopsis: The branches of reality twist and turn as the Time War rages on.

Searching for the missing Cass, the Doctor and great-grandson Alex attempt to cross from one end of an unfamiliar universe to the other. Along the way, they meet this reality’s version of their friend. The buccaneering Cassie has a destiny of her own.

Charting the Uncharted, they will discover what became of the Daleks in this universe. Moreover, Susan has come looking for them.

Review: Doctor Who: Time War Uncharted 3: Branches both resolved and upended story lines. As a result, our heroes were left on another cliff-hanger.

Story

Once again, the stories leading to that cliff-hanger hinged on family, mythology, and reunion. Of course, Hieronyma Friend continued to affect our heroes along the way.

“The Only Girl in the World” by John Dorney introduced another version of Cass. Dorney unapologetically gave her a sword and a sense of destiny.

He also started off the set with marvelous fourth wall breaking. Frankly, the narration could’ve only made sense with the Eighth Doctor.

However, my favorite world-building involved yet another variation of Dalek. It could’ve only worked on audio.

“False Dawn” by Alison Winter was designed to unbalance the listeners as much as the characters. For all that, Winter played fair with the audience.

By the end, the Doctor and Alex were starting to heal through universal folklore. As they healed the literal threat came into sharper focus.

“The Council of Susan” by Tim Foley was a love letter to the First Doctor’s era. Additionally, we got an unexpected nod to the Fourth Doctor.

Indeed, the call backs ranged from heartwarming, to bitter sweet, to downright chilling. Foley deftly managed the tonal shifts throughout.

“All Over” by Patrick O’Connor transitioned listeners to the next box set. Consequently, Hieronyma Friend continued to serve her narrative purpose as an agent of change and realization.

Acting

The entire cast was excellent. However, I must give kudos to three performers. 

First, Nicholas Briggs did brilliant turns in his various Dalek roles. The seemingly infinite variations never cease to amaze.

For her part, Carole Ann Ford continued to shine and surprise. Ford brought a different edge to Susan that long-time fans will appreciate.

Last, but not least, Daphne Ashbrook gave listeners the best iteration of Hieronyma Friend yet. She clearly had a blast playing Grace through a glass darkly.

Overall

Thank you, Big Finish. Doctor Who: Time War Uncharted 3: Branches wonderfully set the soundscape for what’s to come.

You can purchase Doctor Who: Time War Uncharted 3: Branches here.