Doctor Who: Snare — Big Finish Review

Kevin left the Powell Estate a long time ago. He wasn’t going to be trapped there. But all these years later, he’s back and clearing out his dad’s old flat. At least his neighbours, the Tylers, are still here.

But Rose has a strange new man in her life. And this Doctor’s going to show Kevin a world he never knew existed. Unfortunately, something ancient is stirring on the Estate. Perhaps Kevin will be trapped here after all...

Everyone has their Doctor and companion — the pair that first pulled them into the expansive Whoniverse. For me, it was Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, sprinting down corridors in 2005 with the perfect blend of danger, humor, and heart. So, it was no surprise that Tim Foley’s Snare — the first audio drama in the Ninth Doctor’s fourth Big Finish season — hit me with a wave of nostalgia. This story is not just a reunion for Nine and Rose on audio; it’s a deliberate narrative bridge slipping between Father’s Day and The Long Game, exploring the emotional fallout of Father’s Day in a way the television series never fully examined.

Unlike earlier Ninth Doctor audios that send him careening through alien worlds or historic settings, Snare keeps him firmly planted on the Powell Estate. It’s a clever change of pace. The Doctor isn’t just passing through; he’s living there — awkwardly sharing space, meals, and conversations with Jackie Tyler. Camille Coduri shines as ever, capturing Jackie’s blend of maternal worry, fierce protectiveness, and unfiltered humor. Foley’s script gives her moments that are both laugh-out-loud funny and quietly poignant.

The story’s central mystery unfolds in the flat next to Rose’s old home, where an ancient alien presence has been lying dormant. Foley balances this sci-fi threat with the grounded realism of estate life: neighbors gossiping, daily routines interrupted, and a creeping sense that something is just a bit off. With only Alex Austin (Kevin) and Hannah Brown (Marlene) joining the main cast, the drama has a tight, intimate feel — a chamber piece that focuses on character as much as plot.

Eccleston slips effortlessly back into his role, bringing that mix of sharp wit and deep melancholy that defined his single television season. There’s a softness in his interactions with Rose here, a carefulness that reflects the wounds they’re both carrying. Billie Piper matches him beat for beat, her Rose recognizably the same young woman from Father’s Day, but more subdued, reflective, and emotionally raw. Their chemistry remains electric, even in quieter moments.

The production values are classic Big Finish: layered sound design that evokes the bustling life of the Powell Estate, from the deserted playground where Kevin and Rose once played as children to the everyday noises drifting up from the flats below Jackie’s. Howard Carter’s score is understated yet effective, reinforcing the emotional beats without overpowering them. Iain Meadows’s soundscape grounds the alien threat firmly in this familiar, lived-in environment, making the moments of intrusion feel all the more unsettling.

Helen Goldwyn’s direction is a major asset here. She knows when to let the performances breathe and when to tighten the tension. The pacing is deliberate without ever dragging, giving weight to the emotional beats while keeping the sci-fi plot ticking along. Foley’s writing is sharp and affectionate toward the era it recreates, and it’s clear he understands Jackie, Rose, and the Ninth Doctor’s voices with confidence — it shows in every line of dialogue.

Ultimately, Snare succeeds because it doesn’t just aim to replicate 2005 Doctor Who — it deepens it. By allowing space for grief, awkward domesticity, and neighborly interactions alongside alien menace — which even that has a heartbreaking twist that adds a whole new dimension to this episode — it feels like a missing episode that could genuinely slot into that first television season. It’s a reminder that even on a council estate in south London, adventure is never far away, and that the Doctor’s greatest strength is not his cleverness, but his ability to care even as he tries not to which is what makes his dynamic with Rose so compelling.

Keep an eye out for my next review in October — this is a twelve-part series I’ll definitely be following.

My rating for Doctor Who: Snare: ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

Doctor Who: Snare is out now and available to purchase as a CD or download from Big Finish. Please note: the collector’s edition CDs are strictly limited to 1,500 copies each — so grab yours before they sell out!