This review, and indeed all those in this set, is dedicated to the legend that is Sir John Hurt. You can read my full tribute to him here: http://fandoctorwhoproductions.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/sir-john-hurt-painter-of-thousand-words.html.
Rest In Peace, John.
Written by Guy Adams & Directed by Nicholas Briggs.
Trapped and desperate, light years from their armies at the heart of the Time War, the War Doctor and Cardinal Ollistra discover that wherever they go, destruction follows.
A war reporter named Schandel may provide the key to their escape, but it is often said that the first casualty of war is the truth. When the choice between grim reality and a hero’s story means life or death, will the Doctor allow Schandel to print the legend?
After the tragic passing of John Hurt, Casualties Of War (the final set of stories John recorded as the War Doctor) seems even more precious than it was before. While this release was always going to generate excitement (due to the inclusion of Leela - more on that next time), Casualties Of War has ended up being the capstone to Hurt's all-too brief time in the TARDIS. And, if Pretty Lies is anything to go by, he will be going out on a very solid set of stories. While Pretty Lies probably isn't the strongest War Doctor story so far, it is a very decent war story, with a chance to see the War Doctor perhaps at his most desperate and angry, and for Jacqueline Pearce to be pushed to the fore in a very interesting role.
Picking up some time after the cliffhanger ending to the previous box set, Agents Of Chaos, the plot begins with the Doctor and Ollistra about to be handed over to the Daleks by a space station wishing to remain neutral. I feel like this opening was perhaps a mistake, simply because it jumps ahead from the end of Eye Of Harmony in quite an alarming way. You go from Eye Of Harmony, when the damaged battle TARDIS crashes on a planet, and Kalan dies, to Pretty Lies, where the War Doctor and Cardinal Ollistra are prisoners of the space station, without so much as a recap or a 'previously on Doctor Who'. It just feels jerky, as if Guy Adams wasn't aware he was following on from a previous story and had just been handed this interesting opening. I just don't think it needed to be there: the planet Pretty Lies had been set on could easily have been the same one from the end of Eye Of Harmony, and it would have condensed the opening and made it much stronger. Sure, the opening allows us to see the ruthless power of the Daleks, but the rest of the story also has clear moments that show that, so I'm not sure why this was so important. I also feel like not enough was made of Kalan's death. Kalan was the only character so far that has felt like the War Doctor's 'companion', so it would have been nice to have allowed some moments where John Hurt could express grief at his loss, and frustration that he was too slow to save him. It just know makes his death feel rather perfunctory and castaway, which is such a shame, because it could have been an excellent stream of characterisation to mine. This all sounds overly negative: I would like to point out that, bar the opening ten minutes or so, I really enjoyed the story. I think Guy Adams' approach to the Time War is excellent: while it's very much the Time War as seen in Day Of The Doctor, Adams keeps us on the outskirts of the war. We therefore get to see it's effect on one town, rather than having to deal with the fate of an entire world. Adams gives us a fairly traditional story of people defending their town against alien aggressors, but it's certainly well told and engaging, reminding me at points of The Death Of Hope from Dark Eyes 3. Adams keeps the story moving relentlessly, and injects real pace into the unfolding narrative. I'm surprised that this sort of story hasn't been touched upon in the Time War adventures before: there's been three 'Where Eagles Dare'-style stories, we've had a 'Das Boot'-style story, a 'Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy'-style story, and more intimate character and concept pieces, but not a story where the Doctor has to defend a group of people from being killed by the Daleks. Sure, it's a simple premise, but Adams has enough flare and style to pull it off, and make it rather successful. What enhances Adams' story is the examination of war reporting and journalism in general that he peppers throughout the narrative. Quite a few people have said this is an extremely relevant story for Big Finish to be telling at this point in time, and I have to agree with that. With the media and news being called into question everyday, it's an interesting subject to cover, especially within the context of a Doctor Who story. The manipulation of the news for 'dramatic flare' and 'maximum impact' is one that is scarily familiar, but one that you only really think about in retrospect. In this story, we're directly involved with the 'real' people involved in the conflict, but, when we watch scenes similar to ones depicted in this story on the news, we are disconnected from it. We are totally reliant on it being fed to us through the news that we have to take it at face value, because that's all we know. Certain lines from Schandel and the Editor are chilling, and yet, they'd be exactly what news editors from across the world would say in similar positions. This also feeds into another aspect of the story: it is unrelentingly dark. From the moment this audio opens until it's very end, it's as bleak as anything you'd hear in the Survivors range. It's a totally befitting tone for a story set during the Time War, and there are many moments throughout where you might be genuinely shocked that they just did that, but it's absolutely the right thing to do. The Daleks throughout are at their most violent and despicable, and the ending is a total shocker. The Doctor saves the day, and brings some peace to a world, only to have that snatched away from him without him even knowing about it. Now, that's what I call an ending.
The characters in this story are fairly well-drawn, albeit nothing we haven't seen before. The most interesting of the guest cast is Schandel, the war reporter sent to report on an upcoming Dalek attack. He's absolutely elated to be in the presence of the Doctor, the hero of the Time War, and his enthusiasm is clearly a sign that he's completely misguided as to the nature of the Time War. I loved the way that the Doctor and Ollistra just completely dismiss him: they know the true reality of the Time War, and they have no time for this kind of fecklessness. That is what ultimately leads to Schandel's doom: he dies to get the best story, and it's a harsh reminder about the realities of war. The Doctor is especially harsh to Schandel, in what is probably the most harsh the War Doctor has been to date. When he talks about the things he's had to become, you really believe him, mostly due to John Hurt's phenomenal performance. It's hardly worth me mentioning it now, because Hurt is amazing in every story he appeared in, and Pretty Lies is no exception. His interplay with Joseph Kloska (who plays Schandel) is amazing. The pair of them have such strong chemistry that it's no surprise that a lot of the scenes between the pair of them are such a joy to listen to. Kloska plays Schandel with a wet-behind-the-ears feel, something that can be quite difficult to do without being relentlessly irritating. However, Kloska keeps it on just the right side, with a performance that manages to balance that naivety out with a real understanding of the character he's playing. This story is also an excellent showing for Cardinal Ollistra, who, once again, gets a meaty role in proceedings. When going through Infernal Devices, I commented upon how Ollistra really wasn't showing that much development as a character. However, since The Neverwhen, I've been greatly impressed by the work the writers have done with the character, and this is another instance where she really gets to shine. It's nice to see Ollistra in a position where she is forced to fight, but also shows off the qualities of leadership that got her her place on the High Council. It's a great role for the character, and a fantastic role for Jacqueline Pearce, who once again gives a formidable performance as her. To be honest, she's so good in the role that I've forgotten that she once played Servalan, so good is she in this War Doctor audios, and how much she has differentiated the character. And it's also nice to see that Ollistra will be appearing in Doom Coalition 4, Classic Doctors New Monsters 2 and the Eighth Doctor Time War set, as I think she's a character with a great deal of potential, and it would be a crying shame if that the end of the War Doctor audios meant the end of Ollistra, as she's consistently been a highlight of these stories, a feeling aided by Pearce's performance. The rest of the guest cast are, for the most part, given only limited roles, but they are great with what they're given. Julia Hills is fantastic as Sera, a leader so totally out of her depth that the only choice she has is to trust the Doctor and Ollistra. She absolutely nails the character, and puts an original spin on that type of character, which is very much a staple of most Doctor Who stories. Mark Elstob (Number 6 in the Big Finish version of The Prisoner) has a couple of small parts, and, to be honest, feels a bit wasted here. Elstob is a great, great actor, one of Big Finish's best finds, and I hope he pops up again in another Who story with a bit more of a substantial part. What he does play here, however, is fantastic, with the Editor feeling suitably cold and remote, yet at the end sounding genuinely enthusiastic about the shots of carnage he's got. As for the Old Man, well he only has one scene, but it's a genuinely great scene, which Elstob plays with John Hurt fantastically. The pair of them spark off each other excellently, and the scene has a lot of warmth, with two old characters with totally different life views coming together for one moment. It's a lovely scene, that's well acted by two old pros. Finally Nicholas Briggs voices the Daleks with the same greatness that he brings every time he gets behind the ring modulator. I still think his Dalek Time Strategist is great, and possibly one of his best Dalek creations.
The production on this story is as great as it is on every Big Finish release, and maintains the high standards of these War Doctor releases. Nicholas Briggs' direction is excellent, bringing a really high level of polish to the piece. Not a line out of place, and with some impressive directorial flourishes, Briggs' direction is as tight as a drum. Howard Carter's music and sound design is, once again, phenomenal. Carter is probably the unsung hero of this series, as the sound and music for a Time War series would be a difficult sell to anyone. Yet, Carter has always brought a sophistication and a polish, and really made these episodes feel like feature films. Once again, his work is exemplary, with some amazing effects work and a majestic score. Carter really should be working on the TV show, he's that good. Finally, Tom Webster's cover art is excellent, and quite a contrast to the others from this series. They were, for the most part, busy affairs, but Pretty Lies is much more restrained, and is all the better for it. It's a great piece of artwork that's full of lovely details, and is nicely minimal.
Overall, bar the opening ten minutes, and the lack of connection with the cliffhanger of Agents Of Chaos, Pretty Lies is a really strong story. Guy Adams' script is one of his strongest, with a really tight pace, some excellent plotting, great subject matter and good characters. Aided by some really strong acting and some fantastic post-production work, Pretty Lies has to be one of the strongest War Doctor audios so far, and a great way to open Causalities Of War. If the rest of the box set is like this, then the War Doctor will be going out in style.
Rating - 8/10
Other Reviews of Big Finish Products:
House Of Silents - COMING SOON
Square One - COMING SOON
Silent Majority - COMING SOON
In Memory Alone - COMING SOON
Comments
Post a Comment