In Review: Big Finish: Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans: The Battle of Giant’s Causeway

Synopsis: The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans has been going on for millennia. It’s likely to continue for millennia more.

It’s a terrible conflict with no care for consequences or collateral damage. Billions have died with no end in sight. Its reach can encompass ancient Ireland and a forest world in the far future.

A temporal tidal wave leads the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz to the Giant’s Causeway, Ireland 55BC. The TARDIS is drained of power and they encounter Sontarans who believe they’re Roman Legionnaires. 

What has caused this? What is the strange secret in the rocks?

Review: Years in the making, Big Finish launched their latest multi-Doctor story arc. Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans: The Battle of Giant’s Causeway set up intriguing mysteries. 

Story

Moreover, Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans: The Battle of Giant’s Causeway set up those mysteries in an extremely evocative setting. Writer Lizzie Hopley used the setting to highlight ancient Earth cultures. All the while, she thematically mined an equally ancient alien war.

To move the story forward, Hopley relied on a Doctor Who trope. She split up the companions and explored parallels on each side of the war.

I particularly enjoyed the limited comic relief provided by Charley’s interactions with the Sontarans. It turned out to be absolutely necessary comic relief in contrast to C’rizz’s interactions.

Unfortunately, I can’t be more specific about story details. The mystery is the plot, and the plot is the mystery.

Acting

As ever, Paul McGann and India Fisher continue to be awesome. For his part, Conrad Westmaas returned to the role of C’rizz as if he hadn’t been away for 15 years.

I must also offer kudos to Dan Starkey and John Banks. Their wonderful performances gave listeners two more nuanced Sontaran characters.

Overall

Thank you, Big Finish, for an engaging start to this new series. I can’t wait for the next installment.

You can purchase Doctor Who: Sontarans vs Rutans: The Battle of Giant’s Causeway here.