Released October 2007

Running concurrently with the spectacular ‘The End of the World,’ ‘The Final Amendment’ details Bernice’s own exploits on Earth, completely unaware of the trials and fate Jason faces while he is off trying to figure out just what has happened to his and to their lives. With a devastating phone call directly linking the two stories, this tale of humanity changing beyond recognition contrasts nicely to the preceding tale of a world changing around humanity and brings out plenty of emotion and wit to craft another satisfying entry in this continuously strong series.

‘The End of the World’ opens with perhaps the most enjoyable scene of any release to date, the use of Nicholas Briggs’s voice helping to create an enthralling advertisement for the ongoing and bizarre adventures of Bernice and Jason in which Bernice has cancer and Jason and Adrian get together with Bernice’s dramatic exclamation that Jason is still alive. It takes an immense amount of confidence for a series to poke fun at itself, and this holovid from the mind of Jason that has spawned some fifteen series of episodes does that with cutting precision while also focusing on the dynamic that a show can create between fans and those with no interest in the programme. Complete with a line of action figures with audacious catchphrases, these adventures are something of a cult phenomenon and source of hope, and clones from mysteriously-obtained DNA of all of the featured players bar Braxiatel ensures an unmatched level of verisimilitude in these heightened circumstances that creates a captivating experience for those who have followed these exploits for so long.

Beneath the overlying absurdity of this programme is a very serious situation on Earth that has developed following the exploits of the Draconians and the Daleks, and now every person and action is closely monitored amidst a growing air of xenophobic hatred. Shockingly, the events occurring at Stone Hauser that suffered what seemed like such a random act of destruction during the Draconian-Mim war again prove to be crucial, and the father of Clarissa Jones initially bred the clones to fuel his belief that humanity was the only true and deserving race in the cosmos. In a vile but well-developed plan that strikes right at the heart of the Empire, his vision to create a universe without warfare with aliens is closer than ever to coming to fruition even so long after his death. With cloned Adrian killing cloned Jason to further diminish any small sense of hope stemming from the programme, Project Narcissus from Nobody’s Children in which baby Mim were altered to become Earth agents within the Dalek ranks also gains prevalence as the programme is considered for further use against other aliens. As is sadly the case in the real world, crafting this rampant xenophobia is all too easy given the populace’s desire to have someone else to blame for their troubles, and the continuity and grounded realism add a strong extra layer to this story that quite wondrously culminates with Bernice’s clone being named the next head of the Empire.

Given what Bernice discovers about Jason’s latest scheme to turn a profit with her at the centre, her last conversation with Jason is perfectly justified, but the guilt she will carry knowing what her final words to him were is one that she will likely carry with her for some time. The story as a whole doesn’t provide quite the same profound impact as ‘The End of the World’ despite equally captivating performances with totally distinct deliveries, but that was never really its intent and it instead delivers a fitting companion piece and respite from recent harrowing events that dovetails perfectly with the adventure through Jason’s life that was just offered.