Doctor Who review: Dark Eyes (Eighth Doctor audio box set)

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

The Eighth Doctor is alone, devastated, and looking for hope. Will Molly O’Sullivan help him to find it? Let’s find out, as we review the first box set of the popular Doctor Who audio series, Dark Eyes.

As mentioned in my introduction for the series, Dark Eyes was a box set that had a lot to live up to. For one thing, it had to continue directly from one of the darkest endings in Doctor Who history.

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But more than that. After four seasons of the Eighth Doctor and Lucie Miller, it also needed to be a completely fresh jumping-on point, too. One that referenced what had come before, of course. But one that also presented a brand-new beginning for the Eighth Doctor, too.

Especially since, with the start of a brand-new era, there was also a brand-new look to go with it. The Eighth Doctor in a leather naval coat and shorter hair instantly showed that he had changed in a big way.

And of course, it nicely echoed Christopher Eccleston’s look as the Ninth Doctor. Considering that at the time Dark Eyes was released, we had yet to see the Time War in The Night of the Doctor or The Day of the Doctor, this new look seemed to be foreshadowing the Time War heavily.

So how was the first Dark Eyes box set? Did it satisfy fans both old and new to the Eighth Doctor? And was it a great story in its own right? Let’s find out.

The Eighth Doctor looks for hope in The Great War, as Dark Eyes begins.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Great War

The Great War kicks off Dark Eyes exactly right. Continuing directly where To the Death had left off, we hear a very desperate Eighth Doctor heading towards the edge of existence itself.

Right from the start, McGann gives a brilliant performance of a Doctor who’s been pushed too far. He needs meaning. More than that, he needs hope. And that’s when the Time Lords make him an offer…

The rest of the episode focuses more on both new companion Molly O’Sullivan and her life in the First World War. She’s a Voluntary Aid Detachment worker, doing her best to help recovering soldiers.

As such, it’s a rather grim setting that she’s in. She’s been facing a lot of hardship for a long time. As a result, her attitude comes across as direct, no-nonsense, and even harsh, at times.

While we do get hints of the “mystery” of the story, The Great War is more focused on the actual historical setting. This was definitely a smart decision from Nicholas Briggs.

Molly

That focus allows for Molly to be introduced properly. Such as focusing on her key strengths and flaws. What she’s had to deal with already. And of course, how well she works as a companion to the Doctor.

This last point is especially interesting. When the Doctor and Molly meet, they really clash. While the Doctor has lost a lot of his old sense of humour, his scientific ways and speeches just come across as pure nonsense to Molly.

And as I’ve already mentioned, she’s a very no-nonsense kind of woman. So it’s interesting hearing how these two very different characters don’t get on well at all.

Briggs doesn’t shy away from the grim reality of war, either. Particularly the First World War. He keeps away from the battles, but still manages to convey many of the particular horrors of it.

The recovering soldiers, the high casualties, even infection from the battlefield. Briggs makes sure to take the time to get across that horror in full.

Of course, it’s not until the end that old enemies return. And that’s when the adventure really begins…

The Eighth Doctor and Molly are on the run from the Daleks!

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Fugitives

After the nice, slow pace of the opening episode, Fugitives really shifts things into high gear. Right from the very beginning, the Doctor and Molly are doing everything they can to escape from the Daleks.

It’s really impressive just how big the scope of Fugitives truly is. In just one episode, they travel from the First to the Second World War, then to 1970s London, and then finally an alien world. During which, they fly an airplane, escape a sinking ship, and get in a car chase! That’s a lot of action to pack into one episode!

But amidst all of that action, there’s plenty of development, too. We find out exactly why the Doctor has been looking for Molly. We also find out that there are strange things about Molly that don’t seem to add up.

Starting to bond

All of this comes from scenes where the two finally get to talk, which I really enjoy. While Molly can be difficult and even annoying at times, she’s also someone who’s completely out of her depth and wouldn’t have even chosen to be a companion. To her, her place is in the war.

So it’s great when her and the Doctor do start to bond through their conversations. It takes a while, but it’s rewarding when that bond does start to form.

But I think the greatest scene from the episode is when we hear the exact moment the Doctor hits rock bottom. When he’s lost all hope and is ready for things to end. He has been pushed to the edge and beyond, and he’s sick of it. The exact scene is brilliantly done, and McGann’s performance is incredible to hear.

Fugitives is a fantastic episode that combines epic scale and fast paced action with really great drama and emotion, and might be my favourite of this set.

The Daleks and the mysterious Kotris begin to weave a Tangled Web around the Doctor and Molly…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Tangled Web

As you can probably guess from the title, Tangled Web features a lot of intrigue. We learn more about Molly’s past, and just how she’s connected to the main threat. But of course, all the Doctor and Molly find are more questions instead of answers.

And then the rest of the episode goes off on a tangent that almost feels separate from the rest of the arc. Plot wise, it feels very disconnected, as the Doctor and Molly are unable to either run or learn anything more. It’s a risky move, especially after the fast pace of the previous episode.

But it’s also an approach that works. While what the Doctor and Molly face in this episode is a very different situation compared to the rest of Dark Eyes, it’s how much it explores hope that really makes it a fascinating listen. Especially as it gives the Doctor and Molly so many great scenes together.

A strange situation

The Doctor faces a situation so strange that it makes it difficult for him to accept it. Molly tries to show him the hope and good in the universe, but he’s already seen too much. And he really can’t accept it, not now.

He wants hope, but at the same time, he doesn’t believe in miracles. And he knows that he won’t find the hope that he’s looking for in the place he’s in.

It’s really interesting hearing the Doctor and Molly clash in this, especially as it’s not as extreme as it was earlier. They have conflicting viewpoints, but at the same time, they’ve learned to accept each other more.

While it doesn’t advance the overall story, Tangled Web is still another great episode that explores very interesting themes.

Kotris and the Daleks have finally caught up with the Doctor and Molly. But what is their plan, and why is Molly such a vital part of it?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

X and the Daleks

Dark Eyes is brought to a close with X and the Daleks. While things slowed down plot-wise in the previous episode, unsurprisingly, the pace picks up again for this one.

Because of just how many twists and turns are given in this episode, this is just a little bit more difficult to discuss. So what can I say about it?

Well, if you’re listening to Dark Eyes now, after knowing that it gets three more sequels, you might be surprised at just how much it wraps up.

Not that X and the Daleks leaves a lot open for Dark Eyes. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Many, many key threads of the whole box set are wrapped up completely. To the extent that you might be wondering how the story of Dark Eyes could continue for one more box set, let alone three!

The answers that we learn in X and the Daleks are very satisfying ones, at least. It’s not so much the science that’s interesting so much as the number of double-crosses and conflicting motivations that this episode gives.

Also, while it’s not exactly an episode that causes the Time War, it is nice to really see just how far both the Daleks and the Time Lords will go to stop each other.

By the time Dark Eyes ends, the Eighth Doctor is in a much better place. He might not be completely recovered, but he still has hope, at least. It’s a really satisfying resolution to a great box set.

Summary

Plot wise, Dark Eyes is really straight-forward. The Doctor finds a new companion, they’re chased by the Daleks across space and time. Their story is given a tidy resolution by the end. Breaking it down that way, it might seem like a bit of a stretch, to tell that story across four hours.

But what makes Dark Eyes so brilliant, and an absolute classic over five years on, is the strong emotional core of it. How it explores hope in all its forms. Fragile hope. Strong hope. Even false hope.

We also get to explore a very different side to the Eighth Doctor. At the end of To the Death, he was in a terrible place. Dark Eyes gets to explore how he’s facing that. More than that, it starts to show his journey to recovery. Throughout the whole of Dark Eyes, Paul McGann is simply fantastic to listen to.

His scenes shared with Ruth Bradley as Molly are especially great. Both actors perform their roles brilliantly, and the scenes that explore both the history and the psychology of both characters are a joy to hear.

That’s a big reason why I think Dark Eyes is such a great listen, and it’s fantastic that Briggs wrote it while still allowing plenty of room to explore so much more than just the surface plot.

After over a year and a half since To the Death, fan expectations for Dark Eyes were super high. Thankfully, it didn’t just match those expectations: it exceeded them. A highly recommended listen.

Next: Why Philip Hinchcliffe was the best producer

Have you listened to Dark Eyes? Is it a highlight of the Eighth Doctor’s era for you? What did you think of new companion Molly? Let us know in the comments below.

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