With the release of the second volume earlier this month, Big Finish is now sharing what can be expected from the third and final installment of their Dalek Universe series! Following the adventures of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Anya Kingdom (Jane Slavin), Dalek Universe 3 appears to have a lot of twists, turns, and surprises in store. And we only have to wait until October 2021 for the whole thing!

As previously confirmed, Alex Kingston and Terry Molloy will be reprising their roles as River Song and Davros, creator of the Daleks, respectively. The Dalek Universe series takes place before the Time War and centers on the Tenth Doctor’s attempts to get back on “his side” of history. So, the potential for a meeting between this Doctor and Davros is full of potential for an incredible story. What is River Song doing in this part of the timeline?

Let’s dive into the new story details. We will take a look at the continually gorgeous cover art for the series, too.

“The First Son”

Avoiding big spoilers, Dalek Universe 2 does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and a nod at River’s part in DU3. So it’s only fitting that the first episode centers on her. Written by Lizzie Hopley, “The First Son” hints that perhaps this isn’t the River Song that the Tenth Doctor knows.

“The Doctor’s attempts to return home have led him to the middle of a war zone… and a familiar voice. The travellers have arrived on a planet made up of crashed space-ships where they encounter River Song… Or do they? Because she’s dressed as a Movellan and claims to be a member of that robot race. Is she undercover, a duplicate, or something more sinister? And more importantly… who is her son?”

That’s quite a lot in just the first episode! Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time that River was undercover nor even a duplicate. Undercover work is a frequent theme with her- especially when it comes to her Melody Malone persona. In 2018’s The Diary of River Song Series 4, River did commission an android replica of herself to aid in her fight against the Discordia. Both are decent possibilities, so we’ll just have to wait and see what she’s really up to this time around.

As for “her son” who appears to be the human/Movellan hybrid Kamen Ves played by Matthew Jacobs-Morgan… Well, that could go a lot of ways, too. If this is truly River, then it wouldn’t be the first time she’s adopted an android, either. Earlier this year, Big Finish released The Diary of River Song Series 8 in which River took the “synthetic person” Rachel under her wing and became a sort of mother figure to her.

“The Dalek Defence”

The penultimate episode of Dalek Universe 3 is “The Dalek Defence” by Matt Fitton. Things only seem to ramp up more and more as this set goes on as this is where the Doctor will face Davros once again! Perhaps not quite in the manner he expected, however.

“The Doctor and Anya are trapped between battling Dalek and Movellan forces and only the intervention of Earth can get them out of trouble. But the humans have troubles too – and a very familiar prisoner. Davros. Stuck in a universe before the Time War, the Doctor is bound by the rules of his own past… Can he keep everyone alive without changing history? And would he even want to?”

Though previously Dalek Universe kept the Tenth Doctor away from events that he knew the outcome of, this story will likely place him back in a situation far too familiar for him at this point in his life. Between the Time War and facing Davros again in 2008’s “Journey’s End,” this Doctor has a lot of history and probably a lot of resentment for the creator of the Daleks. Although, as seen in “Journey’s End,” he still tried to save Davros from his crumbling ship, though Davros refused to go with him.

The mention of the Doctor being “bound by the rules of his own past” is interesting, too. There’s no indication one way or the other if Dalek Universe is set before or after “The Waters of Mars” and the subsequent recent Time Lord Victorious stories. So, “The Dalek Defence” may give us an indication of that based on how the Doctor reacts here. Certainly there is a lot that could happen!

“The Triumph of Davros”

The finale of Dalek Universe 3 comes in the episode “The Triumph of Davros” by Matt Fitton. Oh boy do I have theories. So, let’s jump right into the artwork and the official summary.

“Returning to a familiar planet, with Movellan and Dalek warships floating in the sky above, the stakes for the time-travellers are higher than ever. The mistakes of the Doctor’s past are coming back to haunt him. Alliances are made and broken. And the course of the war is about to turn. The Doctor can’t stop what’s coming. But maybe, just maybe… he may be able to save his friends.”

The previous episodes specifically mention either “a planet made up of crashed space-ships” or Earth. So what “familiar planet” could the Doctor (and Anya) be returning to? My theory, and hope, would be Gallifrey itself. The Doctor’s home-world gets quite a few mentions throughout the series. 

In Dalek Universe 1, Mark and Anya float the idea of the Doctor simply going to Gallifrey to get transport back to his own time. He shoots that idea down, citing how difficult that would be for him. Dalek Universe 2 delivers a slightly cryptic line from the Doctor about how it’s “difficult to resist a summons home.” These and other references may be a hint… or they may be nothing.

But as a fan of the Gallifrey series, I really hope it’s something.

There are a lot of details in the cover for “The Triumph of Davros,” too. Two planets feature on the cover- one just in front of Davros and another more hidden in the upper left-hand corner. This may be my personal hopes for the story talking, but the one in the corner does bear at least a little bit of a resemblance to Gallifrey as seen in “The End of Time.”  Skaro could possibly come into play, too.

Also present are a number of, well, numbers. My guess would be that these are coordinates of some sort, but Googling “Doctor Who .854” or “Doctor Who .356” doesn’t get you very far. If anyone has suggestions or insights as to what these numbers may mean, then I’d love to hear them!

Even More Details!

In addition to the cast members we’ve already talked about, there are a few additions to the lineup for Dalek Universe 3. Noma Dumezweni (“Turn Left”/”Planet of the Dead”’s Captain Magambo for Who fans, The Undoing) and Joseph Millson (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Casino Royale) were technically already confirmed as cast members when Big Finish released the cover art for DU3 as a whole. Joining them are Ajjaz Awad as Jeska and Paul Panting as Karl Lamb. Also, of course, Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks.

As for what else we can expect from Dalek Universe’s finale, producer David Richardson had this to say:

“It’s the big finale! Daleks, Davros, Movellans, River Song… and some Earth-shattering revelations that might just whip the rug from beneath your feet. The journey through the Dalek Universe leads to this point, and it’s the deadliest of destinations…”

I can not wait for October 2021. Dalek Universe has been my favorite Big Finish release this year and certainly has some of the very best stories that they’ve told with David Tennant’s Doctor thus far (keep an eye out for my review of Dalek Universe 2 soon!). If you’ve not gotten into the series yet, I can’t recommend it enough!

Dalek Universe 3 is available for pre-order from Big Finish’s website now, alongside the first and second parts of the series. Fans can also bundle and save by purchasing the entire series for £66 for the collector’s edition box set or £58 for the downloads. Limited edition (1,000 pressings each) gatefold triple LP vinyl of the releases are also available for £35.99 each or £99 for the whole series.