Big Finish Productions Dark Eyes: Time's Horizon

Written by	Matt Fitton
Format	Compact Disc
Released	2014

Starring Paul McGann

Synopsis: The Doctor and Molly find themselves at the very edge of creation. But something dangerous seems to be heading back into the known universe from the very end of time. The crew of the cryo-ship Orpheus, including its medical officer Liv Chenka, have their mission parameters to adhere to, but the arrival of the Doctor and Molly changes everything. An ancient and terrible force is on a collision course with them all, and the outcome seems to be a matter of divine destiny.

• The Edge of Forever by Noe Geric

The Edge of Forever by Noe Geric 9/5/25

At last, the third instalment (in the second Dark Eyes set) finally resolves the cliffangher to the first episode in less than two minutes and with lots of noise. I've been particularly disappointed by The Traitor and The White Room, and Time's Horizon will sadly not change that. It's Fitton by the numbers with an unoriginal plot (Big Finish used him so much he ran out of steam) and some incredibly visual scenes in which everyone needs to comment what they're seeing as if their colleagues were blind. I've never been a fan of Fitton, yes. The Wrong Doctors and some other of his stories managed to be entertaining, but he's basically average as a writer.

Time's Horizon finally reunites Liv Chenka with the Doctor and Molly, as a regular member of the TARDIS team. And I'm not a big fan of the character. Nicola Walker's performance isn't bad in any way, but Liv is dull. She speak some SF cliche lines that sound so unconvincing that even the best of Hollywood actors couldn't make it. Molly is also back in full ''Tardy Box'' mode. That's funny the first time, but after two hours of her Leprechaun speaking it's becoming tiresome. McGann is just there.

I've nothing special to say about Time's Horizon I listened to it twice but couldn't stay still for more than ten minutes. It tries too hard to be atmospheric while it's just plain boring. There's the Eminence walking around a spaceship on the edge of the universe, a yellow moss and an assassin in Liv's mind. Wow, that's so uninteresting! It's one hour of filler before the last scene introduces the Master and her new assistant, ready for the next episode. And even in one scene, Fitton manages to make crap: the Master is posing as Doctor D. Eath (what happened to Magister or Estram?) and saves a woman from being hit by a car. Having listened to Eyes of the Master (it's the best of the box-set), I wonder why the woman is following D. Eath in his mad plan while he just saved her from a car?!

Time's Horizon also is one of these adventures I'm all excited to hear because I thought it would've been one of the best ever, but finally it just disappointed me. The monster on the cover is terrifying, the synopsis quite intriguing... but it isn't. Even McGann managed to be forgettable! Not in the Scaredy Cat meaning of the word (in which he seemed so tired it was unforgettable) Time's Horizon gives him everything a generic Doctor would do. He walks around and saves the situation, that's all. We learn nothing new about him, we don't see/hear anything exciting...

Definitely one to avoid. I can't remember what the story was really about, as people just talked nonsense for 60 minutes straight. It gave me hope I would hear something outstanding, and Alex McQueen is excellent as the Master D. Eath even in his short scene. But avoid it, not enjoyable at all! I was dreading listening it again to write this review... And I nearly fell asleep! 4/10