Oddly another review I wrote many hours earlier today hasn’t been posted yet but this one went right up.
This will be the last 6th doctor adventure for several months at Big Finish as the 3 part Key to Time series featuring the 5th doctor and two other adventures featuring the 7th doctor are scheduled next.
This is also the last item in my subscription to the Big Finish audios as I’m not in a position to renew right now, so I guess its back to eBay for now.
You know as the 10th doctor era winds down I’ve been thinking of the Character. I can’t help but see a parallel in current events.
Over and over we see the doctor knowing what has to be done. He sees and knows what war is. He has fought a desperate war for survival of his race. He despises war and despises himself for having to fight it in the past.
He teaches the same to his daughter
And in the end it kills her (apparently) but even after his child dies in front of his eyes he still won’t kill in cold blood:
Even the most heartless and warlike are given a Chance. The Daleks only wish to exterminate and rule over those who are different, due to their own superiority. They are given a chance in Daleks in Manhattan & Evolution of the Daleks.
The Sontarans who use those who serve them but only worship war and consider it glorious to kill and be killed. They are given a chance in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky.
Even the Cybermen who are determined to convert all to their “superior” ways abandoning feeling and emotion but not beyond falsehood. They are given a chance in the latest episode The Next Doctor.
In each case the Doctor hesitates, he doesn’t want to strike and destroy, he even restrains himself when one he likes are killed but when his help is refused he strikes putting the responsibility where it belongs on those who refuse to stop killing and live in peace.
Some other examples here
In all those cases even after many deaths the Doctor give a chance, but when that chance is refused he strikes knowing what will happen. And each time he does it kills a part of him.
“We’re not saints, we’re just doing our jobs. It’s not easy, I admit. And it gets hard when they cheer when the bodies are brought in.” I looked at her. What did you say? She sighed. “Yes, it gets hard when they cheer.” This was one of the times during my trip when I held up my hands and said, “Stop. Wait.” I turned and walked away to breathe deeply for a minute. I wonder if they’ve restocked that mini-bar. Yeah, probably. It’s a good hotel.
I didn’t meet one Jew the whole trip who didn’t think there would be peace, not one. “We can work it out. We have to. They’re not going anywhere. Neither are we.”
I managed to get a chance to watch The Next Doctor yesterday afternoon on the BBC site (via proxy).
I was pleasantly surprised at several things, I found myself guessing wrong over and over in terms of what was happening. The doctor finds himself in the mid 1800 in London (in the years before his Victorian Exile see Tooth & Claw) when he finds himself in league with a man claiming to be a time lord called “The Doctor” who is investigating several murders battling the Cybermen.
Tennant’s 10th doctor is intrigued while Morrissey’s “Doctor” doesn’t recognize “John Smith” but appears to remember him from the day the Cybermen made him regenerate.
The 10th Doctor’s initial conclusion is a regeneration crisis. Clues and adventure follows as the Cyber plot is revealed and the doctors work to foil it.
The interplay between the two actors is very fine, the Doctor’s companion Rosita (Velile Tshabalala) is an interesting character and our primary villain Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan) is rather solid as the “wronged” woman using the Cybermen to avenge herself.
After watching it and the Dr. Who Confidential (one of the WORST i’ve seen) I see only one fault and that’s a scene that needed trimming. I also thought the final resolution was a bit weak, particularly considering his “outrage” at the actions of the “Blue” Doctor at the end of Journey’s End.
The Next Doctor is well worth popping over to the BBC site to watch it during the week long window when it is available. Enjoy it now since we will have to wait months for our next Time Lord fix. Except of course for the Big Finish monthly audios.
My review of the Big Finish production #116 Doctor Who: The Raincloud Man is now available at Amazon.com here.
Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog 