Originally released : August 2025

Listened to: September 2025

Written by Rochana Patel

Starring Alex Kingston

Episodes:

3.1 The Armageddon Game

3.2 Anne Boleyn Must Die

3.3 A Good Woman Goes to War

3.4 The Schism Bloom

Context: took me a while to get to this one, I needed a break from the fourth doctor adventures, and despite being somewhat underwhelmed by some of the last boxset, some was great though, I was ready to step back into the rover adventures.

THE REVIEW

What I thought: I knew very little about this one before I started listening to this one, so I was expecting a fairly bog standard Henry VIII style-eee adventure, bit like the Missy and the Monk, but I was quickly drawn into this one, with Dust being a great foil/then companion to River as they start to interact with Henry and Ann, Cromwell et al. The first episode sets the scene for the arc of the boxset, a version of Anne Boleyn hell bent on avoiding the death she has been told (by a plant!) that is her destiny. It’s a great plot device followed up nicely in the next episodes.

The following episodes develop this idea further, and it’s nice that Anna and Mary get a different life from grim endings they got in real life. Here Henry VIII gets naffed off early, which I like and the performances for both Queens is great. As is the idea of them teaming up at the end to defeat our time travelling naughty plant (mad but kinda works!). I thought the final episode leans too much into fights in space/other dimensions’ vibes that were not entirely necessary, however it’s a minor issue as it all comes together so well at the end. Most enjoyable!

Rating: 4 out of 5 Grammy Legs: I liked this boxset very much, a step up from the last ‘Death and Life’ boxset, really good fun, a fantastic idea and great performances (as always). Small niggles in the last episode but nothing really, loved the way this one ended.Very much looking forward to the next one.

What I felt: amused, intrigued and excited, a great listen!

What am I left thinking?

• What’s happened to the Doctor?!?!
• With the Stormcage now gone how is that going to play out for River
• I am hopeful we will see, and learn more, of Dust aka Dusty!

Memorable bits

• A seven foot cat man!
• Anne and Mary Tudor kicking ass