The Doctor and Yaz have been dogged by the mysterious Tourist. Now, they take the bait and turn around to discover who’s been following them.
We’re mid-way through The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures, and the slow build of the Tourist plotline has come to a head. The latest episode sees the Doctor infiltrating the Aegis Protectorate, a universal arms supplier, to discover their sinister secret to their success.
Aegis
After acknowledging their presence, ‘Aegis’ sees the Doctor respond to “The Tourist” and their pleas for help.
The story begins in medias res with the Doctor and Yaz investigating the arms dealer’s operations. On the ground, they experience the Trojan programme up close, riding along with a troop of their remotely piloted, disposable mechanised soldiers. Then, seeking a way into the company’s Annual Inter-Planetary Expo, they pair look up an old acquaintance, Prospero, and lean on him…
Writer/producer Noga Flaishon’s tale plays out in and around the Expo, which takes place at the Aegis HQ. There’s precious little subtlety on display – the Time Lord is up against a remorseless corporate villain whose motivation is purely profit. As glimpsed in ‘Ride or Die’, the Aegis Protectorate – to whom countless worlds outsource their defence – are just as ghastly as expected.
With the Tourist entity able to possess people, the story also indulges Mandip Gill’s desire to play an evil version of Yaz. In truth, it’s not quite that, but she gets to explore another aspect of the character.
The Tourist
Meeting the Tourist in person, they boldly claim that they’re the foundation of the myths of Loki, Coyote and the myths of trickster gods on multiple planets. Yet actor Maddison Bulleyment gives her vulnerability, jealousy and a sense of desperation. They crave the Doctor’s attention and want to be her companion, and there’s a nice moment where Yaz questions that term.
Juliet Aubrey plays the Aegis head honcho Athena Nikos, providing a slice of unfeeling corporate villainy, even if she doesn’t really get that much to do. She’s joined by Jason Forbes who returns as the fussy Prospero, the untrustworthy organoid brain now with his own mechanical body. Plus, there’s the versatile Shogo Miyakita who gamely voices all the mech soldiers.
In the extras, sound designer and composer Joe Kramer provides insight into his choices and how they affect the production. His comments are always worth a listen.
In Summary
‘Aegis’ delivers on the comedy with a smattering of corporate speak and by contrasting the Expo with Comic Con. It also fulfils Mandip Gill’s wish, as she plays both Yaz and the darker tones as the Tourist controlling her with relish. Meanwhile, Jodie Whittaker gets to be empathetic, defiant, and indignant as the Doctor deals with situation.
However, despite resolving the mystery and freeing the Tourist, the villain behind their manipulation remained at large and that felt rather anti-climactic. The story instead focuses on the emotional resolution for the characters, and in that regard it hits an uplifting note.
To be fair, as a mid-season finale, there’s ample time for the Doctor to circle back and take her down. On the other hand, it would be entirely on-brand for this era of the show for us to never hear from the Aegis Protectorate or Athena Nikos again!
Doctor Who – The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: Aegis is out now from Big Finish. It’s available as a digital download to own, or as a download to own with Collector’s Edition CD.
You can find reviews of the previous stories in the series here, along with our recent Jodie Whittaker interview. Additionally, Mandip Gill answers Big Finish listener questions here:
The adventures continue in July 2026 with a story from returning writer Rochana Patel and this Doctor’s first enconter with an old enemy…
Next Time: The Hallamshire Incident
A huge UFO has crashed in Hallamshire Forest. Are there survivors? Is the site safe? There are a lot of questions to answer. With UNIT and Torchwood gone, the police must step up, while keeping the incident under wraps… Fortunately, they have officers with extensive experience of otherworldly threats…
Patricia Menzies is on her way. Yasmin Khan is being recalled. But Yaz’s sister, Sonya, believes the world has the right to know the truth about aliens…
Joining Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill is Bhavnisha Parmar who reprises her television role as Yaz’s sister Sonya Khan.
Plus, Anna Hope is back as Superintendent Patricia Menzies, an old ally of the Sixth Doctor in his audio adventures. Also in the guest cast are regular Doctor Who monster voice Nicholas Briggs as Ssorl and Sergeant Sykes, and Mark Elstob as Lord Vaznyr and Constable Hughes.
Doctor Who – The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Hallamshire Incident is available to pre order from Big Finish now.