There’s some shapeshifting aliens on the loose, Vastra tied up in a freak show run by Jenny’s parents, and traces of primordial energy from an unknown source. The plot, such as it is, is pretty loose and pretty slight. What’s more, it’s a family story that will feel very true to home to many LGBTQ fans, honestly tackling the struggles of coming out to a bad family and asserting one’s own identity in between and even during zany adventures with spaceships and dinosaurs. Because the characters of the Paternoster Gang are purely supporting figures on TV, their backgrounds have gone undeveloped, and McMullin’s script deserves great credit for creating an extremely believable background for her character, as well as some very good reasons for her to have left them to marry a lizard woman from the dawn of time. This all kicks off with the aptly named Family Matters, by rising Big Finish star Lisa McMullin, a story that both jump starts the plot arc for the series and introduces us to the family of lesbian ninja maid Jenny Flint. Loosely, this set takes on the theme of heritage by dividing itself into stories about the families of each of the leads. As a result, it winds up being the best set of adventures so far for the beloved characters of Jenny Flint, Strax, and Madame Vastra. While previous sets have been content to offer up a series of standalone romps, with the occasional hints of something more, this third volume doubles down not only on big plot reveals, but emotional complications and focused themes. The Paternoster Gang, everybody’s favourite band of queer Victorian misfit crime-fighters from Doctor Who, are back again for their third Heritage box set from Big Finish Productions, and this time, it’s determined to live up to the subtitle.

‘I’ve had matters of heritage much on my mind of late.’

The Paternoster Gang by Lisa McMullin