Now that we have more or less discovered who the main antagonist facing Yaz and the Doctor might be, this audio invites us to meet them properly. And yet… it is not what you expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. At first, I thought it was going to be a fairly classic story about a planet that has turned war into a smoothly functioning economic system that is nevertheless morally repellent. That is partly true—but only partly. Because into that setup comes “the tourist,” completely reshuffling the deck.

The Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz’s audio adventures take a real turn with this story: this is where the main antagonist begins to emerge much more clearly. The episode is packed with things I love: a gothic atmosphere, richly characterised supporting players, a strong central concept that never overwhelms the characters’ story, and a genuinely original mystery. What more could one ask for? Well, Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill in top form—which is exactly what we get. The result is one of the best episodes of the season so far. The story hooks you quickly, and the direction is superb, allowing you to sink fully into an atmosphere and a set of locations you can picture with perfect clarity.

This audio gently introduces the antagonists who will clearly become more important later on… but beyond that, how well does it work? And why does it share a title with the last Bad Boys film? Let us see whether we can answer that. There is no sign of Will Smith or Martin Lawrence tearing across this Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz adventure, but there is a fairly warlike premise of a kind we have actually seen very little of with this Doctor. It vaguely recalls “War of the Sontarans” in concept, though we are still a very long way from the operatic quality of Flux, which—however much that may displease some people—was a genuinely original approach.

A historical episode, and no ordinary one: the episode in which the Thirteenth Doctor says, in the beautiful French language, “Joyeux Noël!” What a delight this one is. I loved it so much that I listened to it a second time just to catch all the little sonic subtleties. It contains moments that feel worthy of an anthology and make me miss the Thirteenth Doctor’s television era all the more. Her entrance in the audio is simply iconic. The highly tactile, almost physical science-fiction idea is superb. The emotional thread is strong, even if it mainly affects the supporting characters. And the reinterpretation of Alice in Wonderland is genuinely original. In short: yet another superb episode for Thirteen and Yaz.

The verdict is unequivocal: give Jodie Whittaker the role of the Doctor back—and quickly. For me, this audio is yet more proof that the Thirteenth Doctor is brilliant and that her performer is genuinely passionate about playing her. I loved listening to this episode from beginning to end. The central idea is wonderful: why does the Doctor so rarely return to the places where she has saved people? The action is handled beautifully, the cast are on top form, and the sound design rises to meet them. It is an emphatic yes from me.

OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!!! The Thirteenth Doctor is finally back with a new adventure!! And with Yaz!! Right, I’m going to try to be as objective as possible, but honestly, since the Thirteenth Doctor may well be my favourite (it’s between 12, 13, and 2), that won’t be easy. We open with Yaz heading to a friend’s hen party. The premise is simple and feels very much like the start of a classic horror film, but it works. It gives us a chance to learn a little more about Yaz, which is really lovely. Then the Doctor turns up with chickens: INCREDIBLE. Ahem, I’m calming down, I promise. (But the chickens are called Ian and Barbara!! Tribute or disrespect?? I don’t know—but I love it!)