Doctor Who review: Dark Eyes 4 (Eighth Doctor audio box set)

Across the whole of Dark Eyes, the Eighth Doctor has had to fight the Daleks, the Eminence and the Master. Now all three return in the fourth and final box set of the popular Doctor Who audio series!

Once again, we come to the end of another era with Dark Eyes 4. The fourth and final box set in the popular Doctor Who audio series, Dark Eyes has seen the Eighth Doctor go on quite a journey.

More from Winter is Coming

When the series started, he was a broken man recovering from deeply traumatic events. Across the whole of Dark Eyes, he was facing war and oppression across so much of galactic history. When facing all of that, how could he resist the darkness and depression within himself?

With the help of his friends, of course. Particularly Molly O’Sullivan. While the Time Lords may have been using both the Doctor and Molly for their own ends, a strong friendship was quickly formed between the two. Over time, the Eighth Doctor slowly started to recover, getting closer and closer towards becoming his old lighter self.

So when Ruth Bradley couldn’t return for the fourth and final Dark Eyes box set, Big Finish had a bit of a problem. After all, the title itself refers to Molly. Specifically, the “dark eyes” she has.

So having the Dark Eyes finale without Bradley seemed like a big loss. How would Big Finish adapt to this problem? And how would the box set work as a true finale to the series?

The Eighth Doctor and Liv look for Molly in London, but something is looking for them in A Life in the Day…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

A Life in the Day

A Life in the Day is quite a significant episode. While smaller in scale than some of the other Dark Eyes episodes, it’s become important in retrospect. This is due to the fact that it’s John Dorney’s first episode of Doctor Who that he wrote for Paul McGann.

Dorney had written for other Doctors before, of course. In fact, one of the first Doctor Who stories he wrote for Big Finish, Solitaire, featured the Eighth Doctor. But that was a Companion Chronicle, and so lacked the presense of McGann himself.

So it’s fascinating to hear the first episode he wrote with the man himself starring in it. Particularly considering how much Dorney and Matt Fitton have collaborated on many Eighth Doctor box sets since this one.

Naturally, the first thing Dorney writes for the Eighth Doctor is a story he does best. Specifically, a very dramatic story with a key science-fiction element that heightens the drama, rather than detracts from it. I won’t spoil what that idea is. It’s a very basic one, but part of the fun of the episode is working out what’s really going on.

A bittersweet story

But admittedly, that’s only a small part of it. What really makes it such a great listen is Liv. She’s really very new as the Eighth Doctor’s companion. While she had worked and even traveled with the Doctor in both Dark Eyes 2 and 3, it was only at the end that it was a conscious decision between the two for her to travel with the Doctor on a more permanent basis.

So of course, the first trip she takes as a companion is one filled with loss and tragedy.

Not that Dark Eyes 4 isn’t full of love and sweetness. In fact, that’s what makes it so tragic. Liv spends a day with Martin, someone very special. She barely knows him, but they have a wonderful time together, and there’s clearly a lot of chemistry between them.

(It probably helps in this case that Barnaby Kay, who plays Martin, is the husband to Nicola Walker, who plays Liv.)

So hearing their scenes together is wonderful to hear. Of course, it all leads to a very bittersweet ending. In some ways, it’s tragic, but in others, it’s also kind of romantic.

Humor

Another key way that A Life in the Day is so enjoyable is the humor. Particularly as the Eighth Doctor gets to have so much of it this time. In previous Dark Eyes box sets, the Eighth Doctor was, overall, not quite as funny or silly as he used to be. Especially in his first box set, when he was at his lowest point.

A Life in the Day feels like a return to his sillier days. In a good, satisfying way. After twelve episodes, it doesn’t feel like it’s too soon for his Doctor to act like his old self.

While exploring the Eighth Doctor’s darkness is a huge appeal to his character, having the lighter, sillier Eighth Doctor back is a welcome breath of fresh air.

It also shows that, along with a very strong plot, John Dorney understood early on what makes the Eighth Doctor and his adventures work so well. A great opening episode for the box set.

When the Eighth Doctor and Liv arrive in Paris, they encounter a club with a seedy underbelly, and are reunited with an old enemy…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Monster of Montmartre

Continuing directly from where A Life in the Day left off, The Monster of Montmartre feels very different to the last one, despite the fact that they’re both set in the same time period.

This is partially because the action is moved to a very different setting: Paris. And, while it would be nice for the Doctor and Liv to explore such a beautiful city, they don’t have the time, as they have an urgent investigation to pursue.

So of course, they encounter some of the darker, seedier areas of the city. In particular, they arrive at a club that bears a striking resemblance to the Moulin Rouge. But there’s something much darker about “the Red Pagoda”. Particularly with its hostess, Madame Dutemps…

Pure noir

Paul McGann once described Dark Eyes as “film noir”, and that’s especialy true of The Monster of Montmartre. It really revels in that kind of style. There’s seedy places with crime happening just beneath the surface. There’s a dark mystery as people are going missing from the streets of Paris. And there are even naive dreamers who get exploited. The first half of this story is pure noir.

There’s also a great cast of characters, too. Particularly the artist Christian, who you can’t help but feel sorry for. He’s clearly passionate about both his art and Madame Dutemps.

Like many young dreamers, however, he’s also clearly being exploited. He’s a man with a lot to learn about the world. Alex Wyndham plays that passion and innocence brilliantly, and really helps to make him incredibly sympathetic.

Rachael Stirling is equally great as Adelaine Dutemps. She brings a strong quality to her voice that’s seductive but sinister. She’s a user of people, and she knows exactly how to use them. While she might be charming, she’s also a nasty piece of work. But perhaps not quite as nasty as her husband…

The Dalek Time Controller

The second half of this story brings back the arc of Dark Eyes in a big way. The Dalek Time Controller returns in this one. And, with the exception of small cameo appearances, it’s the first time he’s appeared since The Traitor in Dark Eyes 2.

Since it’s been a long while since he last showed up, we get a chance to find out what happened to him. And he’s not looking too good. In fact, the rest of the Daleks want nothing to do with him, for a very good reason.

As a result of this, the Time Controller is more vulnerable than he’s ever been. Which, of course, only makes him more dangerous than ever.

It’s really great how smoothly The Monster of Montmartre leads back to the huge arcs and epic stakes of Dark Eyes. This episode started out small, like A Life in the Day.

But as it goes on, the stakes gradually get higher. The Doctor soon starts to realize just how great the threat is this time. Not just to Paris, but to the whole of history itself. And when you reach that cliffhanger, that’s when you really find out just how bad things really are…

The Master and the Daleks have entered into an alliance. And this time, the Doctor isn’t able to stop them from changing the whole of history…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Master of the Daleks

What a perfect title that is. Master of the Daleks. Seriously, how perfect is that as a Doctor Who title? It’s a wonder that the TV series didn’t use it, especially the New Series.

Apparently, the working title was originally Comrade of the Daleks. But John Dorney couldn’t resist using a more obvious and shameless title. And quite right, too.

Even better, it more than lives up to that name. This isn’t a story where one or the other only shows up at the very end, like in Frontier in Space. (Which is still really cool to see and well worth checking out.) The story really is a full-on Master/Dalek alliance.

Well, I say “alliance”. If there was a list of Doctor Who villains, ranked in order of “most likely to betray you at any point”, the Master and the Daleks would definitely be at the very top.

But what’s great about this story is that John Dorney is completely aware of this. Even better, he has fun with it. Everyone comments that one of them is bound to betray the other. Not just the companions, but even the Master and the Daleks are completely aware that it’s going to happen.

One of the story’s best moments is the Daleks commenting that the possibility of the Master betraying them is “one hundred per cent”. So no one’s under any illusions. They know that it’s not about if their ally betrays them. It’s when.

A desperate situation

We do get some darkness and bleakness in this story. Not just because of seeing an alternate history where the Daleks rule the Earth. Of course, that’s not a pretty image when we do find out what humanity’s had to face.

But it’s mainly how it’s affected the characters we meet up close that makes this episode feel personal. Particularly with the character of Mary, who’s wonderfully played by Sorcha Cusack. She has a big role in this story, and it’s great that we get to see through her eyes just how much history has changed.

Interestingly, Master of the Daleks is something of a Doctor-lite story. Because the Doctor has been badly affected by the changes in history, this time, he’s not the best person to fix things. So the situation is even more desperate than usual.

A fun confrontation

However, when you’re having so much fun focusing on two very different villains, the lack of the Doctor isn’t a problem. Particularly towards the end, when (spoiler alert) they betray each other.

I won’t say how exactly, or whose betrayal out does the other. But it does lead to so much fun. Especially with the Sontarans involved in the exact same episode, once again played brilliantly by Dan Starkey.

Master of the Daleks is just a joy to listen to. With its title, it had a lot to live up to. So thankfully, John Dorney gets all of the key elements right. Having the Doctor in a smaller role was a risky move, but it did allow greater focus on the villains this time.

By the end, we get to hear epic battles on a huge scale, as it leads directly into the final episode of Dark Eyes…

It all ends here. The Eighth Doctor faces the Dalek Time Controller and the Eminence, one last time…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Eye of Darkness

And here we are. After sixteen episodes of epic battles, multiple time lines and numerous major villains, we have reached the end of Dark Eyes. Does Eye of Darkness resolve the series effectively?

Absolutely. While the finale to the series isn’t quite as high-stakes as the finale of Doom Coalition (which was a race to stop the end of the universe), it was definitely satisfying. Mainly because of how personal it is. Particularly with two major villains of the series returning.

Well, I say “returning”. In some ways, the Eminence’s story ended in Dark Eyes 3. But that isn’t what this episode is about. Instead, it’s about how the Eminence begins.

Despite the Doctor very quickly working it out, there are a lot of surprises regarding the Eminence’s beginnings. What’s particularly satisfying is that this isn’t just explaining the origins of a monster. In fact, the Eminence’s origins connects virtually to everyone and everything in Dark Eyes.

Major resolutions

The other key villain who appears in this episode is the Dalek Time Controller. This is a really major story for the character. Because, after six years of appearing in various Doctor Who audios, this episode is a true ending to the this particular Dalek. How? Well I won’t say. But it’s a very satisfying resolution, altogether.

In fact, that’s true of Eye of Darkness as a whole. This episode resolves the entire series in a very satisfying way. It brings an ending to so many key threads that had been running throughout the series.

It’s not just story arcs that are resolved either. By the end, the Eighth Doctor is in a good place. While once again he’s had to face a terrible sacrifice, it’s not quite as devastating this time, for a good reason. It really is an excellent ending to the series.

Summary

Dark Eyes 4 had to resolve a lot of threads from the series. So it’s quite surprising that the arc wasn’t brought back until about one and a half episodes in. Up to that point, A Life in the Day and The Monster of Montmartre felt almost self-contained.

But overall, it works really well. The final two episodes feel suitably epic and explosive. But it’s still nice that we got something as intimate as A Life in the Day, too.

Dark Eyes 4 also showed how effective a writing team John Dorney and Matt Fitton really are. It’s a team that’s continued to work very well.

While I wasn’t as keen on Ravenous 1, Doom Coalition 3 and 4 were amazing installments, and The Time War 1 was a brilliant start to the series. So it’s great to see an early example of how effective their collaborations are with Dark Eyes 4.

The fact that Ruth Bradley wasn’t in this like she was in the other three could have left Dark Eyes 4 as an unsatisfying listen. Instead, everyone involved helped Dark Eyes to end on an incredibly strong note. An excellent set of episodes.

Next: Taking inspiration from the Key to Time

Have you listened to the final Dark Eyes box set? Did you think it resolved the series in a satisfying way? Which was your favorite episode? Let us know in the comments below.

Home/Doctor Who