After gallivants earlier and later in his timeline, we return to the Eighth Doctor’s adventures with Liv Chenka and Helen Sinclair in Doctor Who: Echoes. Featuring a trilogy of stories all about the ways the past and future can echo into the present, Echoes offers an engaging and thrilling return to this fan-favorite era in the Eighth Doctor’s life. It’s not a particularly good jumping-on point for new fans, but if you’re already up to speed on the Eighth Doctor’s adventures with Helen and Liv, then buckle in for their latest cosmic joyride.

Birdsong by Tim Foley

When the TARDIS arrives on a seemingly empty planet, the Doctor (Paul McGann), Liv (Nicola Walker), and Helen (Hattie Morahan) discover a pair of long-stranded settlers. But what’s happened to these women? Where are the rest of the colonists? And what, exactly, lurks in the depths of the woods after sunset? Can the Doctor and his friends save these settlers from the eerie birdsong? Or have this planet’s only citizens already slipped into madness? Tim Foley’s Birdsong delivers a very Doctor Who take on folk horror. It’s a story dripping with tension, paranoia, and skin-crawling horror. Methodically slow-paced, but never anything less than wholly gripping, Birdsong grabs you by the collar and never lets you go.

Birdsong is one of those stories that relishes taking its time unraveling its secrets, giving the characters plenty of moments to shine. In particular, Liv and Helen carry much of the story on their backs. Like 2022’s Albie’s Angels, Liv and Helen’s respective family traumas make up most of their characterizations here. However, the way Walker and Morahan mine the depths of that trauma while still finding the joy in their characters remains breathtaking. Both actresses shine here, especially in their interactions with the story’s guest characters, Bex (Fiona Button) and Myra (Jane Asher). As for McGann’s Eight Doctor, folk horror surprisingly ends up being quite an engaging vibe. McGann relishes in the story’s darker moments, marrying his Doctor’s romantic optimism with the story’s unyielding dread.

All in all, Tim Foley’s Birdsong offers a tense and captivating start to this box set. Methodically paced and crammed with breathtaking performances, Birdsong delivers a very Doctor Who take on an old-fashioned folk horror. (9/10)

Lost Hearts by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle

It’s 1903, and the Doctor, Liv, and Helen have taken residence in one of England’s ancient universities. And, like most ancient universities, this one finds itself besieged by ghosts. Joined by one of the era’s foremost chroniclers of the supernatural, the Doctor and his friends set about to uncover the truth behind these mysterious apparitions and put a stop to a sinister secret society. But are these apparitions echoes of the past? Or could they perhaps be echoes of the future? Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle’s Lost Hearts luxuriates in its gothic academic setting, taking glee in following everything that goes bump in the night. But unfortunately, its narrative proves a bit lackluster.

For starters, Lost Hearts is one of those stories that starts in the middle of the action for no apparent reason, leaving listeners struggling to catch up with the Doctor and his friends. Sometimes, this approach works – particularly in action-packed stories where you’re thrust into the middle of something exciting. But in a story as lackadaisically paced as this one? It just makes for an even slower start than if the story had just begun when the crew arrived. For a large part of the story, you’re left in the dark about exactly why the Doctor and his friends have traveled to this university and what they’re searching for. And all of this confusion makes for a very muddled listening experience. There are pockets of intriguing ideas, but the script never explores them with any real depth and the climax struggles under the weight of trying to tie everything together.

Put simply, Lost Hearts is a story with a lot of clever ideas that never quite go anywhere. It’s unevenly paced with stakes that feel shockingly low. For what it is, it’s fun enough. But it’s not a story you’re likely to revisit very often. (6.5/10)

Slow Beasts by Dan Rebellato

When the Doctor takes Liv and Helen to one of the Great Wonders of the Outer Universe, they discover a world where giant figures loom in the distance. Giant figures that slowly move closer to the planet’s settlement. But what happens when the so-called Slow Beasts stop being so slow? What secrets might the Doctor and his friends uncover in the wake of an impending tragedy? And can the Doctor save the citizens of Ran-Zoan from certain destruction? Den Rebellato’s Slow Beasts delivers a story that’s one part political thriller and one part disaster movie. All at once thrilling, shocking, and crammed with delicious intrigue. At times, it’s a bit too fast-paced for its own good. But, ultimately, Slow Beasts delivers a worthy conclusion to this trilogy of stories.

Playing out like a combination of a disaster movie and a political thriller, Slow Beasts sees the Eighth Doctor trying to unravel the secrets of a civilization he once respected while simultaneously trying to save them from certain destruction. It’s an immediately captivating situation he finds himself in, and one McGann milks for all its worth. If the previous two stories in this set focused more on Liv and Helen, then Slow Beasts is McGann’s time to shine. And shine he does. This is McGann’s Doctor perfectly balancing righteous indignation and his propensity for second chances. Does he make the right choice in the end? It’s a question Rebellato intentionally leaves open-ended and one that’s sure to spark plenty of fan chatter.

Overall, Slow Beasts offers an action-packed conclusion to this trilogy of adventures. It’s a bit too fast-paced for its own good but it never fails to be anything less than thrilling. (8.5/10)

Final Thoughts

Doctor Who: Echoes offers fans a welcome return to the adventures of the Eighth Doctor, Liv, and Helen. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten to revisit their dynamic, and this box set makes it feel like hardly any time’s passed. As a trilogy of stories in its own right, it ends up being a bit of a mixed bag. The first and last stories are absolutely thrilling, packed with horror, adventure, and plenty of action. But the middle story, interesting as it may be, never fully comes together. But that’s the joy of a Doctor Who box set; you never know what you’re gonna get. And even when a story doesn’t fully work, there’s always something to love. Doctor Who: Echoes isn’t a particularly good jumping-on point for new fans, but for longtime listeners, it offers a welcome return to a fan-favorite TARDIS team.

Doctor Who: Echoes is available now from Big Finish Productions.