Doctor Who review: The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 2 (audio)

The Eighth Doctor continues to see the worst of both the Daleks and the Time Lords in The Time War. Is the second volume of the Doctor Who audio series as strong as the first?

Just a couple of months after the release of Doctor Who: Ravenous 1, and we already have another Eighth Doctor box set released. However, the second volume of The Eighth Doctor: The Time War is still incredibly exciting, to say the least.

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For one thing, Big Finish have been handling the Time War really well so far. The War Doctor’s own audio series was brilliant and gave us a very different kind of Doctor Who story. The first Eighth Doctor volume set in the legendary conflict was overall an incredibly strong release.

Even the spin-offs have been amazing. The War Master: Only the Good was one of the best releases of last year. And Gallifrey: Time War was fantastic at covering the earliest days of the War from the Time Lords’ perspective.

So it’s wonderful that, along with the ongoing arc of Ravenous, set earlier during the Eighth Doctor’s life time, we’re also getting one volume of the Time War each year. It allows for a very different kind of story to be told, as a result.

Particularly with box sets that are more standalone than the Eighth Doctor’s other series in recent years. But that doesn’t mean that stories told of the Time War won’t have links to his earlier adventures…

So how is the second volume of The Time War? Is it as strong as the first? What kind of stories does it bring? Let’s find out!

The Eighth Doctor returns Bliss to her home planet. But it’s not long before she realizes that something is very, very wrong… (Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The Lords of Terror

The Lords of Terror continues very smoothly from where the first volume left off. Bliss is still a new companion to the Eighth Doctor, and she wants to make a very quick visit home. Mainly to reassure her family that, after finding herself in the middle of one of the Time War’s many battles, she’s safe, at least.

It should be a straightforward return journey. But nothing’s ever simple with the Doctor around, and that’s even more true in the Time War.

When Eight and Bliss arrive, she sees a society she doesn’t recognize. One far more dystopian and controlling than the one she remembers. And there’s far worse to come, for both Bliss and the Doctor…

The Lords of Terror is the first episode that Jonathan Morris has written for the Eighth Doctor in over seven years. Considering that last story was the phenomenal The Resurrection of Mars, to say I was excited about his return is an understatement.

Especially when Morris confirmed that The Lords of Terror was going to explore morally grey issues. Considering this is one of the many reasons why The Resurrection of Mars is one of my favorite Eighth Doctor stories, this was incredibly promising news.

Did Morris’s new episode meet expectations? Oh yes. The Lords of Terror is keen to cast many shades of gray with all the players in the story.

Nothing’s quite black and white, and many people are forced to make hard choices. Either to survive, or to fight a dangerous and relentless enemy, no matter what the cost. But where do you draw the line? And at what point do you become as terrible as the foe you’re fighting?

Bliss and the Doctor

Bliss gets a ton of great exploration in The Lords of Terror. She goes through a lot over the course of the episode, far more than anyone should do. By the end of the story, she’s lost so much.

Rakhee Thakrar was wonderful as Bliss in the first box set, but she arguably didn’t quite get enough focus for a new companion. So it’s wonderful that a story finally explores her home life, and give us a ton of great drama with her character. Thakrar really sells the loss the character feels, and she’s wonderful to listen to.

But of course, McGann also shines as the Eighth Doctor in this one. While it’s been a long time since he last wrote for him, Morris still knows the Eighth Doctor inside and out. He gives Eight a number of wonderful speeches on morality and war, and McGann performs those speeches beautifully.

One of the best moments is when the Doctor is put into a really difficult position. A position that could compromise his values, one way or another. It’s fantastic that Morris makes the story so morally challenging, that you’re not sure which way the Doctor will go.

The Lords of Terror is a fantastic start to this new volume, and the long overdue return of one of the Eighth Doctor’s best writers.

The Eighth Doctor is reunited with an old enemy of the Planet of the Ogrons. But is she really the monster she once was?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Planet of the Ogrons

Planet of the Ogrons is a surprisingly fun story by Guy Adams. It begins with one of the most bizarre openings for an Eighth Doctor story, and then just heads off from there.

I was really surprised when I heard that the Ogrons would be included in this box set. Especially an episode that focused on their home planet. While they’re fun to watch as henchmen, they’re not exactly a race with a lot of depth.

But Guy Adams has been very clever with how he uses them in this story. Especially with one particular Ogron, who has a major part to play in the episode.

Played by Jon Culshaw, not just a great actor, but also a master impressionist, Culshaw is able to portray the Ogron just right. He’s able to get the distinctive voice that they used in the Classic Series. But he’s also able to make this particular Ogron sound just a little different. More sympathetic and more intelligent than usual.

It’s especially fun listening to the Doctor’s relationship with the Ogron. It begins with the Doctor being very skeptical, before he starts to actually like the Ogron more and more. It’s very nicely handled, and a surprisingly sweet character story in the Time War.

There’s one other very clever thing that Guy Adams has done with the Ogrons. Without giving too much away, it’ll make you see their original TV appearances in a whole new light…

The Twelve

Perhaps the biggest element that this story introduces though is a brand-new incarnation of one of the Doctor’s most insane and dangerous enemies. Not the Master, in this case, but the Twelve, as played by Julia McKenzie.

For those of you unfamiliar with her previous incarnation, the Eleven was a psychotic Time Lord criminal who had all of his previous regenerations’ personalities stuck in his head. As such, this made him very unstable, especially as he could switch to any of his previous personalities at any moment.

The Twelve is very different. This time taking on the appearance of a sweet old lady, the Eighth Doctor doesn’t believe her for a second when she says she’s changed. But could she really be telling the truth?

A chance of redemption?

What’s really great about this story is that it’s a lot more unpredictable than you might expect. Usually, when a villain says that they’ve changed, it’s a complete lie. One that’s very difficult to believe for a moment. And of course, before the end, they’d reveal that the entire thing was a ruse and that they were still evil the whole time.

But the Twelve is different. It’s not just the fact that her personalities are all so radically different. There’s also the fact that one of her previous incarnations is a good person. The Eight was the only one of the Eleven’s previous personalities that wanted to do good. Could the Twelve be trying to do the same? Or is it all an act?

Planet of the Ogrons is a really fun story, especially for the Time War. But it’s also a great introduction to a reinvention of one of Big Finish’s greatest original characters.

In a Dalek prison, three prisoners have no idea who they are. Could one of them be the most dangerous criminal in the universe?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

In the Garden of Death

Virtually as soon as In the Garden of Death began, I was ready to roll my eyes. Because it’s very clear that, in this episode, the Eighth Doctor has amnesia. Again.

(For those of you who don’t know, the number of times that the Eighth Doctor has lost his memory across various media is about the same number of times that Twelve punched the wall in Heaven Sent.)

But I must admit, In the Garden of Death was a fresh take with a strong reason for the plot point, at least. Especially as the Eighth Doctor isn’t the only one with amnesia in this episode.

In the Garden of Death is essentially a prisoner of war story. The Doctor, Bliss and the Twelve are all prisoners of the Daleks.

Not that they know that. In fact, they don’t even know who they are. The Daleks have taken their memories from them for some unknown reason. So none of them know if they even deserve to be there.

Natural instincts

What’s particularly fascinating about this episode is how, even without their memories, their natural instincts still kick in. So we get a better idea of what each character is really like.

With the Doctor and Bliss, not much has changed. The Doctor is in maximum confinement, wondering if he just might be one of the most dangerous men in the universe. Because he’s so unsure, he’s not really looking for an escape. But he’s still very clever, and still remembers how incredibly hi-tech prisons work.

Bliss is always keen to do something and help others, at least. She’s ultimately still a great person who likes to believe the best in people.

But it’s the Twelve that really makes this episode so interesting. With no knowledge of her past, she has no idea of the terrible things she’s done.

Without her memories, will she still remain nice when her natural instincts kick in? And even if her current self is a good person, what happens when any of her previous selves take over at any point?

As far as the Eighth Doctor is concerned, In the Garden of Death might not have the most original idea for a story. But it is a wonderfully refreshing new take on it. One that lets us have a very different and unique look at the major characters.

The Eighth Doctor is the captain on a submarine in Jonah. Can he help this crew avoid being discovered by the Daleks?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Jonah

The last episode in this box set uses a genre that I always enjoy, particularly when it’s handled in science-fiction: the submarine genre. When it’s done exactly right, the story can be a very tense experience, and Jonah is a perfect example of this.

The premise is very simple. Hidden in the depths of an ocean planet, the Daleks are looking for something. The Time Lords aren’t sure what. But they know that they need to find it before the Daleks do. However, with only a very small task force on the planet, they also know that they can’t be discovered, at any cost.

It’s wonderful to see Doctor Who tackle the submarine genre in a really full-on way. Writer Timothy X Atack makes sure to use all the key tropes.

These include moments of absolute silence to avoid discovery. A heavy, claustrophobic atmosphere. The tension created from the crew knowing that they could be discovered at any time. This isn’t the kind of story that could be told in Doctor Who often. So it’s great to see it used for a Time War episode.

Increasing tensions

Tensions are only further increased with the Twelve becoming more and more unstable. Neither the Time Lords nor the Doctor are completely sure if they can trust her.

And, while the knowledge she has is vital, the Time Lords also aren’t afraid to use extreme methods if they even suspect she’ll betray them. It’s fantastic drama, especially as the Doctor still isn’t sure whether the Twelve is still the evil criminal she once was or not.

We also have the return of Ollistra with this one. She’s not in it a great deal, but it is fantastic to hear more from her. She’s another wonderfully written character from Big Finish. One that perfectly represents everything the Doctor hates about the Time Lords during the Time War.

Jonah is in some ways a low-key way of wrapping up this second volume. After all, it’s not a story that’s told on a huge scale, like One Life was. But it is a wonderfully tense and very strong episode. Another great script from Timothy X Atack.

Summary

The second volume of The Time War is, in many ways, very different from the first. Volume one’s stories were much more closely connected. Particularly on how it focused on a group of characters doing their best to escape the Time War.

Volume two however feels closer to an anthology. For example, nothing in Jonah links back to The Lords of Terror, other than the regulars and the Time War itself, of course. Each story is very unique, and allows for very different perpsectives of the War.

Another key way it differs is with its writers. Volume one had Matt Fitton and John Dorney, two writers who have been writing regularly for the Eighth Doctor for the past three years.

This time, however, we either have writers who have never written for McGann’s Doctor before, or hadn’t written for him in far too long. This is actually very refreshing, and allows for some very fresh takes on McGann’s Doctor.

Overall, while incredibly different to the outstanding first volume, The Eighth Doctor: The Time War 2 is a fantastic set of episodes, and one of the very best Doctor Who releases of the year so far. Highly recommended.

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Are you excited to the next volume of The Eighth Doctor: The Time War? Have you listened to the first volume? What did you make of it? Let us know in the comments below.

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