Doctor Who: Dark Eyes

Dark Eyes #1

by Nicholas Briggs (Author/Illustrator), Paul McGann (Narrator), Ruth Bradley (Narrator)

'Recently, on TV, we saw how the Paul McGann Doctor died - now it's time to find out how he lived.' Steven Moffat

Winner, Best Online Drama, BBC Drama Awards 2014.

‘I really hoped it would be a wonderful view... to look back from the end of everything... to see how things finally turned out.’

The Doctor is looking for hope. But instead, he finds himself on a mission. The Time Lords have uncovered terrifying fragments of an insane plot to destroy the universe. And somehow, at the centre of that plot is one, random female in Earth’s history, Molly O’Sullivan.

Soon, the Doctor and Molly find themselves thrown headlong into a series of dangerous and terrifying adventures, with the dreaded Daleks never far behind them.


Part One: The Great War

Voluntary Aid Detachment nursing assistant Molly O’Sullivan spends her days facing the horrors of the Great War. Little does she know that a man from another world has arrived, looking for her.

But what are the strange sounds coming from the battlefield at night? Where is the glowing gas coming from? And is everyone who they claim to be?


Part Two: Fugitives

With the first objective of his mission reached, almost nothing is going to plan for the Doctor. He finds he cannot contact or return to the Time Lord’s home planet, Gallifrey. And just when Molly O’Sullivan thinks she’s escaped one conflict, she finds herself in the thick of another one.

What is it that connects the Doctor, the Daleks and the mysterious Ides Scientific Institute?


Part Three: Tangled Web

Something happened when Molly O’Sullivan was just two years old, and the Doctor thinks it’s high time they found out exactly what it was.

Meanwhile, the Daleks are fully activating their Temporal Chamber. And while the Doctor and Molly get closer and closer to the terrible truth, the nature of reality itself seems to be in question.


Part Four. 'X' and the Daleks

‘Subject is called Molly O’Sullivan. An inhabitant of Earth. Born Earth year 1891. Has travelled in space and time with Time Lord known as the Doctor.’

With Straxus and his TARDIS destroyed, the Doctor and Molly have tracked the mysterious ‘X’ to the planet Srangor. It is here that the truth of the threat to the universe will finally be revealed.

What is the Dalek Time Controller’s ultimate plan? What exactly is the space-time projector? Who will survive this epic battle for survival?

Genres: Doctor Who, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Time Travel, Historical Fiction

5 pages, Audio CD

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Nicholas Briggs is a British actor and writer, predominantly associated with the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and its various spin-offs. Some of Briggs' earliest Doctor Who-related work was as host of The Myth Makers, a series of made-for-video documentaries produced in the 1980s and 1990s by Reeltime Pictures in which Briggs interviews many of the actors and writers involved in the series. When Reeltime expanded into producing original dramas, Briggs wrote some stories and acted in others, beginning with War Time, the first unofficial Doctor Who spin-off, and Myth Runner, a parody of Blade Runner showcasing bloopers from the Myth Makers series built around a loose storyline featuring Briggs as a down on his luck private detective in the near future.

He wrote and appeared in several made-for-video dramas by BBV, including the third of the Stranger stories, In Memory Alone opposite former Doctor Who stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant. He also wrote and appeared in a non-Stranger BBV production called The Airzone Solution (1993) and directed a documentary film, Stranger than Fiction (1994).

Briggs has directed many of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, and has provided Dalek, Cybermen, and other alien voices in several of those as well. He has also written and directed the Dalek Empire and Cyberman audio plays for Big Finish. In 2006, Briggs took over from Gary Russell as executive producer of the Big Finish Doctor Who audio range.

Briggs co-wrote a Doctor Who book called The Dalek Survival Guide.

Since Doctor Who returned to television in 2005, Briggs has provided the voices for several monsters, most notably the Daleks and the Cybermen. Briggs also voiced the Nestene Consciousness in the 2005 episode "Rose", and recorded a voice for the Jagrafess in the 2005 episode "The Long Game"; however, this was not used in the final episode because it was too similar to the voice of the Nestene Consciousness. He also provided the voices for the Judoon in both the 2007 and 2008 series. On 9 July 2009, Briggs made his first appearance in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood in the serial Children of Earth, playing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Rick Yates.

Reviews

[Polly Batchelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly O'Sullivan is a Voluntary Aid Detachment assistant during the great war. When a new patient arrives - The Doctor was attacked by Mustard gas. AS he quickly recovers, more quickly than any other patient he discovers he is in the middle of a conspiracy.

"Right now, to find the hope, I think I would do anything."

The Great War:
"it's a war alright but there's nothing Great about it. The worst was more like it."

Fugitives:
"Time to get you to Gallifrey!"
"Is that in Ireland?"

A Tangled Web:
"That is the difference between me and the Daleks because there is no underneath it all for them. They weren't made with an underneath it all. They were made by a madman to be what they are. They're like a stick of rock with exterminate written right the way through."

X and the Daleks
"I looked at history objectively and realised that the Time Lords are far worse than the Daleks."

"Kindness doesn't usually flourish in the persecuted."

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd heard that Dark Eyes was very good and even though I've not heard any other Paul McGann audios (well except Shada) I thought I would get a copy and listen anyway. It was just BRILLIANT! As someone who usually likes Doctor Who quite silly have a more serious Doctor and a serious storyline was very different but I still loved it. It had the same epic feel as Gallifrey and Dalek Empire and you wondered the whole way through if RTD has given Big Finish permission to do the time war for the 50th anniversary.

Molly is my favorite companion now since Donna. She was funny and strong and I loved the way she stood up to the Doctor. I liked how she didn't consider that she knew him or was friends with him just for travelling with him. I loved her for wanting to stay with her "mistress". She was such a change from the standard young tv companions new who has been full off. It was nice to see someone who knew their own mind.

Paul McGann's doctor was very sad and very normal. But I still really liked him. He fitted with the story and the situations. I REALLY hope they make more adventures with Molly and 8 now!

[April Mccaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly: What was all that about back there, then?
Doctor: Sighs.
Molly: You don't want to talk about it. Like the lads who come back from the front. You'd expect them to be all full of bragging rights, what have you, but no. They were just sort of...haunted. You look haunted, Doctor. Did you lose someone in this war of fighting against the Daleks?
Doctor: I'd rather not talk about it.
Molly: No point dwelling on it.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story One - The Great War

I found this a little slow, which I suppose is to be expected as it's part 1 of 4 and it's setting up the whole plot, but for the most part, I was a little bored. They spent most of the audio fixing a train track, and when they're not fixing the train track, the Doctor is collapsing.

I do think it set Molly up very well and you got a good idea of her character for an hours audio.

I did also like the cliffhanger ending because it feels like it'll be them the entire way through, and it feels a little bit like a reward at the end.

Rating - 3* / 5*


Story Two - Fugitives

I really enjoyed this story. The Doctor and Molly are on the run from the Daleks and land on a couple of planets and are found by the Daleks. It makes me really interested to know how they're tracking the Doctor and Molly and why.

It also added some mystery to Molly, which I'm really excited to find out more about. Her relationship with the Doctor is also developing and they go from combative to friendly over the course of this audio, and I think its much more interesting than The Great War was.

Rating - 4* / 5*


Story Three - Tangled Web

Molly is starting to annoy me in this story. The fact she calls the TARDIS tardy box is really annoying me, and honestly that is kind of overwhelming a lot of this story for me.

I did find the Kotris / X and Staxus plots interesting, and I think I actually preferred those parts of the audio to the bits with the Doctor, which is strange to me because Paul McGann is my favourite Doctor but Molly annoyed me so much.

Rating - 3* / 5*


Story Four - X And The Daleks

(2025 Alphabet Challenge - The Letter X - honestly, wanted to try and complete the alphabet challenge with just Doctor Who books, how difficult is it to find one that starts with the letter X?!)

Okay, so, I thought this was very good in the sense of the overarching reason with the Time Lords and Kotris and Staxus and the Daleks, it's just that, honestly, this would have worked better without the Doctor. I love the Doctor, but he really felt like surplus to this plot.

Rating - 3* / 5*



Overall, I did like the overarching plot, but the individual stories, I found a little boring. The more I listened to Molly, the more annoying I found her, however, I did really like the ending because it felt really true to her character. I did like Kotris and Straxus and I think they were really the stars of this boxset.

Overall Rating - 3* / 5*

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good box set. The Daleks are not my favorite antagonists but they came up with a fair tale to cover a few hours with. Didn't listen to the 8th Doctor's adventures leading up to this so perhaps some of the emotional impact was over my head. Great cast of actors including Toby Jones.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this release for ages - ever since To the Death back in February 2011, in which we left the Eighth Doctor at pretty much an all-time low, having lost his grandson and Lucie to the Daleks.

Lucie was such a fabulous companion it was hard to imagine anyone coming after her, and I certainly wanted to know how the Doctor would fare without her, and especially, deal with her death.

On the whole, I thought Dark Eyes did a good job; there was enough said about the fact that the Doctor had lost someone close to him without it being overdone. After all, this is Doctor Who and companions have always come and gone (as have Doctors), some with a more "marked" passing than others. But as the revived TV show has made more of companions' departures, I think it's good that the Big Finish stories are doing the same.

I thought Molly O'Sullivan was superb and was sorry when she walked away at the end because I'd have liked to have heard her having more adventures with the Doctor. Still, I suppose he could always go and find her again after the war.... It was great to have a companion from WW1 and making her a no-nonsense VAD meant that she was able to "not understand" enough for necessary exposition to take place while she was also more than capable of giving the Doctor a good talking-to when he needed one!

I can't say much about the plot other than, as usual with DW, some of it makes sense and some of it doesn't! There are Daleks and Time Lords and nefarious schemes, but basically, it's about Molly and the Doctor and their burgeoning friendship - a small story on a grand scale.

Great stuff.

[Jack Iles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting strong in the first instalment gave me hope for this adventure. The second and third instalments however began to create concerns as certain events seemed completely ludicrous. I think that was the point. We were meant to think it was ridiculous. The ending and twists in the third and fourth instalments saved the story. In fact it more than saved it, it achieved the five stars it so deserves.

[Paweł Dembowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audio drama was mostly enjoyable, but not as good as the 4 series of adventures with Lucie Miller. And a bit too much convulted timey-wimey to my taste. And the Daleks are back to being stormtroopers with terrible aim instead of the much more menacing version we heard in Lucie Miller/To the Death.

[Noah Soudrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor begins the third era of his audio adventures. I quite liked this story. It's conspiratorial and a bit yada-yada'd at the end, but seems to signal a turning away from the Eighth Doctor's overly morose stories. I hope to see more of Molly O'Sullivan and more fun in the Doctor's further adventures.

[Alias Pending · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shorty: Dark Eyes. 4/5. Somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between Classic Who and the 21st Century Who lays the 8th Doctor, and Dark Eyes is the perfect hybrid of those two storytelling styles; serialized yet compact, bizarrely labyrinthine but still entertaining. Go watch Night of the Doctor, then listen to these audiobooks and I dare you, dear reader, not to come down with McGann fever.

[David Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the tradition of The Chase and The Daleks' Masterplan, Dark Eyes follows the adventures of the Doctor and a companion on the run from the Daleks, chased across space and time. As in The Daleks' Masterplan, the Daleks are helped out by a humanoid turncoat, the mysterious Kotris, also known as X. The story begins with a Doctor distraught after Lucy's death being offered "hope" from Time Lord Straxus. Of course, Straxus has secret motivations for this, but the Doctor seemingly accepts Straxus' offer and heads off to France in WWI searching for some kind of unusual something. He finds it in the young Molly O'Sullivan, whose unusually dark eyes provide the title of the whole story. Part One, The Great War, gets the two together and lets us in on the idea that the Daleks have something to do with this. Part Two, Fugitives, has our duo bopping around time and space, encountering Daleks, and generally working up the Doctor's distrust of Molly. In Part Three, Tangled Web, there is more running around, but also we learn that Molly is the centerpiece of the Kotris/Dalek plan to destroy the Time Lords. Part Four, X and the Daleks, gives us the big showdown with all the principal characters.

I find this story not as compelling as so many others have found it. There is too much running and hiding, going here and there and getting not much of anywhere. By the end of Part Three, a heck of a lot of blood has been spilled, emotions have been emoted, and TARDIS's been battered about, but the listener is not much wiser about the overall plan than at the end of Part One. The Doctor is more a pawn than anything else and has almost nothing to do with resolving the conflicts. Molly strikes me as just a bit too Irish. And there are too many large gaps in the action while the Doctor is unconscious, leaving this listener to wonder very often "how did we get here?" This is especially true for the sequence in the mental rehabilitation unit. How did X manage to get The Doctor and Molly there?

Of course, the cast is impressive, including Peter Egan and Toby Jones, both highly respected. Big Finish regulars Alex Malinson, Beth Chalmers, and John Banks provide multiple voices and do so admirably. Even though the story is in four "parts," it is really a continuous adventure. It runs for four hours and is never boring. It's a good, but flawed effort.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This four-hour story kicks off a new plot arc for the Eighth Doctor. As such, it's a good stepping-in point, not absolutely requiring knowledge of previous stories - although, since it is somewhat influenced by the events at the end of the previous arc (ending with To The Death) if you are going to listen to both, you'll probably want to do so in order.

The story concerns a demoralised Doctor being hired by the Time Lords to protect a woman who, of course, goes on to become the new companion. Although he doesn't work it out until the end of the first 'episode', there are Daleks on the cover, so no prize for guessing who the main villains are. Fortunately, given the limitations of Daleks for doing much beyond exterminating people, they are assisted by a mysterious, but apparently human, character, who is very ably played by Toby Jones.

One of the delights of the story is companion Molly O'Sullivan, played by Ruth Bradley (of Humans and Primeval, among other things). Her forceful personality comes to the fore right from the off, and she makes an immediate impact as a companion who doesn't entirely trust the Doctor and who has a scathing tone somewhat reminiscent of Donna from the TV series.

The story begins in the trenches of World War One, where Molly works as a volunteer nurse, and this is probably the strongest of the four parts, atmospheric and with a great soundscape. The second part, while still well-made, is largely just running away from Daleks, but things pick up again once we begin to unravel the mystery of Molly's past, meet some rather strange Daleks, and head towards the final confrontation. Exactly what's going on is a little complicated, and does involve time paradoxes, but isn't quite up to the level of some of Moffat's more convoluted TV stories.

There are a number of hints in here linking to the modern TV series, and it's easy to see this as the start of the road that leads to Night of the Doctor, although, for licensing reasons, the connections are never explicit. At it's best, though, it's a story about the Doctor and his companion, and how she helps him recover from a low point in his life. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

[elise barber-wixtrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was excellent! i love seeing a story where mcgann is, as nicholas briggs put it, "bereaved." this is a story about grief and post traumatic stress disorder. hell yeah

the following are notes i took while listening. they're stupid but i'm putting them here for posterity.

1. eight's "steady on, old girl" vs. arthur morgan's "all right, boy"
2. paul mcgann's singing voice is absolutely gorgeous!!! i'd listen to a whole version of him singing it's a long way to tipperary
3. i love all the clinking and groaning as he's walking around on the battlefield? i just imagine him carrying so many items i guess
4. GAS, BOYS! GAS!!
5. the doctor on his mental health journey. exposure therapy: world war one
6. i like to think that molly changed her name to siobhan after traveling with the doctor and became a revolutionary irish lesbian (i.e. ruth bradley in revolution - they feel like the same character and siobhan was canonically a nurse during world war one so i guess why not)
7. "look at his hair! it's all... long!" "couldn't find a barber in no-man's-land."
8. didn't know i needed 8 flirting with war nurses but here we are
9. "don't go sweet on him. he makes himself out to be a man of mystery, and in my experience that means he's got a murky past and he's no good, through-and-through." FINALLY A WOMAN IN HER MID THIRTIES WHO'S SMART AND WORLDLY AND KNOWS MEN!! we almost got that with lucie but she was just a bit too young and inexperienced. took a wlw to see through him
10. WORKING CLASS IRISH LADY IN WAITING IN LOVE WITH HER ARISTOCRATIC ENGLISH MISTRESS??? doctor who has always been about lesbians
11. "give the doctor a lobotomy" 2.0
12. "may a dalek be wounded and war-weary? may a dalek be hopeful, just like you?"
13. "all god's creatures do evil deeds."
14. "is this offending your early-20th century sensibilities?" 👀
15. molly being 36-7ish and eight's relative age being like 42 is such a breath of fresh air. it's so nice. how i felt when donna came onboard. like i loved charley and lucie but i'm sorry they're SO YOUNG and molly is calm, contented with her life, wise, skilled, etc. she doesn't seem threatened or afraid or vulnerable. she knows how to be friends with men without compromising her boundaries. YES

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Who Dark Eye 1

1 The Great War

今後の世界が良くなっているという希望が持ちたくてターディスを全てが終わる時点に飛ばそうとしたドクター。しかしタイムロード、ストラクスが妨害する。ストラクスは世界を滅亡から救うためモリー・サリバンという女性を守る任務を言い渡される。

ルーシーの死から自暴自棄気味になっているドクターが切ない。第一次世界大戦中なのかな？ガスにやられたこともあってか本調子ではないドクターが危なっかしくてたまらないのだけれども。モリーを守ることが世界の滅亡を救うこととどう関わるのか。

2 Fugitive
ダーレクからターディスの中に逃れることのできたドクターとモリー。しかしモリーがターディスをみて驚くどころかこの場所を知っていると言い出しドクターは困惑する。モリーもなぜ自分がターディスを知っているか思い出すことができない。場所を知っているどころかターディスの運転の仕方まで知っていたモリー。しかし外に出ると第二次世界大戦の真っ只中であわてて引き返す。ドクターは1970年代に購入したベーカーストリートの自分の家にモリーをつれていくが、そこにはタイムマシンを作ろうとしている科学者たちがいてしかもドクターとモリーのことを知っていた。1970年代にタイムマシンを作るようなことがあってはならないとドクターはモリーとターディスで離れる。

モリーと楽しく旅しはじめてしまうドクター。あまりにもドクターの好みにかなった旅のパートナーすぎてそろそろドクターも違和感を感じ始める。これもダーレクの罠なんだろうか？？

あとドクターがダーレクが立ちはだかる世界をみて絶望すると「医者や看護師は患者を救うことを絶対にあきらめない！だから救うことを諦めないで」って感じでモリーが喝入れたのめっちゃカッコよかった。

3 Tangled Web
やはりモリーはダーレクがしかけた罠。モリーはまだ赤ん坊の頃に連れ去られたことがあるらしくその時に脳に何かうめこまれた模様。ドクターがダーレクのこの陰謀を打ち砕くことが世界を救う最後の望みとストラクスはドクターを逃すために命を捨てる。

幸せモード全開な良いダーレクの世界がパワフルおもろすぎて！いやでも怖いんだけど。ドクターの夢がかなった世界らしいけど、ダーレクが笑ってたり、お花もってたりとなんかすごいことになっていた！戦闘に興味なくしたダーレクをドクターが疑いまくるのもおかしかった。いや結局ドクターが正しかったんだけど。

4 X and the the Daleks
未来のストラクスがダーレクと協力してタイムロードを滅ぼそうとしていた。

タイムロードが滅びるならタイムロードの手によってなんだろうなぁという感じはする。ドクターが闇堕ちする未来があるなら他のタイムロードがそうなる可能性もあるわけで。にしてもダーレクの方がタイムロードよりよっぽどマシと思ってしまうってタイムロード界隈ほんと病んでるなぁ。
助かったモリーはあっさりとドクターをおいてターディスをさり第一世界大戦の戦地の只中にいる恩人のキティのもとに戻っていく。1人取り残されたドクター、ちょっと気の毒な気も。

面白かった！

[Stephen Higham · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely box set for Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor.
Struck down by mustard gas in the trenches of WWI the doctor is treated by an Irish VAD named Molly. Molly, it transpires is at the center of a trans-temporal conspiracy with epic implications.
I found from the off this made for easy, compelling listening as I just basked in the imagination and creativity. It’s doctor who on an epic scale, trenches, alien planets, contemporary thriller and ultimately some science fiction time lord goodness which didn’t disappoint. I’ve dipped my toes in a few of McGann’s eras. The Charlotte Pollard saga, structured like the four part serials of the classic series; the Lucie Miller chronicles with Sheridan Smith which aped early RTD quite closely; and now this latest, current saga of box sets for the binge-watching, prestige drama generation. Each box set represents a four-part arcing narrative and are each split into four separate, more tightly connected storylines. If Dark Eyes is anything to go by it’s a winning formula and I’m looking forward to more.
Toby Jones is also a supporting actor in this story and I like Toby Jones so I thought I’d mention that.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Eyes is a strong box set of adventures with the Eighth Doctor. With a bit of background knowledge about the Eighth Doctor’s previous adventures, it’s a good place to get into the Big Finish line of Doctor Who audios. (I mean, all you really need to know is what happens at the end of the last series of the EDAs, and that can easily be found out via Wikipedia or another site). It’s a magnificent example of the things that can be accomplished via an audio-only story, helped immensely by the impeccable sound design and score by Andy Hardwick. It’s a well-written and a (mostly) well-paced set of stories with strong performances from its core cast, especially Paul McGann and Ruth Bradley. The ending is open-ended enough that it leaves room for plenty more adventures with the Doctor and Molly (which, obviously, it had to do considering there are a further three box sets in the Dark Eyes series) and the set as a whole steers the Eighth Doctor in a much darker direction than he’d previously been in, helping to bridge the gap between the more light-hearted Classic Doctor Who run and the more traumatized Doctor we find in the 2005 reboot of the show. It’s a strong box set and I recommend it to anyone interested in hearing/experiencing more adventures from Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor.

(Full review at my website

[Samael Kovacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's weird to start a story knowing what will happen to the companion you've never met. Molly O'Sullivan has quickly grown to be one of my favourites. She reminds me a lot of Lucie but she is still quite diffrent in a lot of ways. I just really love her a lot.

It's sad to hear where Eight is, arguably the worst point in his life expect that point. I hear it's all downhill from here with his mental state which is even more sad. but man is there still so much hope in him. I don't know if Paul McGann is the best Doctor I really don't know. But he's beginning to be the face I picture when thinking of him.

I'm probarly not the first who will say this but I'll say it anyway. I am quite honestly tired of the daleks. I seriously am. Eventually you just stop being able to come up with new things for them.

Still, feeling just that I think this boxset covered them well enough, they're not the best part and honestly if they had been changed with another race I would have probarly given it five stars but it's the Time Lord / Dalek rivarly that also boosts this story.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was REALLY refreshing to listen to after the short tracks of No More Lies. The track lengths here are much better. And this may in fact be my favorite Doctor Who audio I've listened to, at least recently. Though this is a huge jump ahead past The Doctor's adventures with Lucie Miller, I have a bit of an idea of what happened with her, but still have yet to listen to the "how." Now The Doctor's companion is an Irish woman named Molly O'Sullivan, who witnesses World War I and reacts how one would expect when she finds out that there's another world war. The Daleks were put to great use in this story. It's really interesting listening to some of the stuff said here when one has the hindsight of The Last Great Time War and how that went down. I'm sad that this is the last Eighth Doctor audio I have, but I'm convinced that I need to listen to more, both in the Lucie Miller series and this Dark Eyes series.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eighth Doctor is in search of that one feeling that we all need - hope. Reeling from previous, devastating losses, he's cast onto an assignment from the Time Lords to uncover the mystery of one Molly O'Sullivan. I really enjoyed this new series! Molly is a great character, full of verve and determination, and taking absolutely no guff from anyone, particularly a very strange man she finds in the mud of France during the Great War.

I love how they pick up, almost quite literally, where To the Death leaves off. The Doctor is devastated from the deaths of Lucie, Alex, and Tamsin (though the first is the one that really gets mentioned) and doing what he always does when it comes to emotional pain - running. Paul McGann is in fine form, portraying Eight's devastating struggle with his grief. I also enjoyed that we got a darker look at the Time Lords. One really feels like we're slowly starting on the road to the Time War here.

A great start to a new series!

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good set this one. Feels in the mould of epic Doctor Who stories from the 1st and 2nd Doctor runs, as we go through various twists and turns with the Doctor and new companion Molly trying to avoid and stop the Dalek's schemes here. A few surprise turns in here, as well as one that was pretty well foreshadowed, but still played out well. Molly is a great companion here, forged in the horrors of World War 1 (which are also well shown here I think), and certainly not afraid to stand up for herself. The 8th Doctor in good form here, still suffering the emotional impacts of the Eighth Doctor adventures, but still striving to do the right thing.

[Melenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audio in and of itself is not great. You have to crank up the volume to hear the talking and then rush to turn it down whenever any extra noises happen. It's annoying. But the story is pretty good. I never got the whole Dark eyes thing and found it to be annoying as well, but otherwise I do recommend the story. Definitely get the whole pack as the first one ends on a cliffy. But this audio that I am reviewing is the complete story and can be listened to as a stand alone.

[Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find the eighth Doctor fascinating especially since we didn't see him much at all. Big Finish has done a great job of bringing him to life and broadening his tenure as well as or better than any of the other Doctors. This is the first of four Dark Eyes story collections starring Paul McGann's eighth Doctor and the hype is well-deserved. Fantastic!

[Jurgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Recently, on TV, we saw how the Paul McGann Doctor died - now it's time to find out how he lived.' Steven Moffat

Part One: 'The Great War' by Nicholas Briggs: 4*
Part Two: 'Fugitives' by Nicholas Briggs: 4*
Part Three: 'Tangled Web' by Nicholas Briggs: 5*
Part Four: ''X' and the Daleks' by Nicholas Briggs: 5*

[SuperPiggy5000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm not sure if I really liked it.. On the one hand, it felt like a great whoniverse mini-series, but on the other hand it felt like a long, drawn out single story that I got lost with a few times. So really not sure what I'd rate it. I'll probably have to come back to this after I get used to the format.

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of this set was amazing. Top-notch stuff. But I feel that the 4-episode format made everything a bit rushed (especially the climax), when 6 episodes would have allowed for more breathing room. Still, this is some of the best material I've heard from Big Finish so it's gets the highest rating.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

42 WORD REVIEW:

A nicely focussed runabout (if such can exist), the epic threads of which are held together by the strong dynamic between Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor and new companion Molly O’Sullivan. On a down note, the Doctor has little say in the outcome.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly saying "tardy box" was funny the first couple times, then it's as annoying as Ace saying "professor" constantly. You know it's called a tardis, so called it a tardis. Otherwise you just sound like an idiot. Other than that, a pretty good set with the Doctor and Molly (dark eyes).

[Boone Bluemel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost me at the end with the technobabble but Molly is an incredible companion, the best kind, that isn't impressed by the doctor in any way and doesn't put up with his shit.

"We're not losing anyone else, not to the Daleks. Not today, not ever. My job is to save you. That's what I do."

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't give box sets 5 stars often but this box set deserves it. This is Paul at his best and Ruth Bradley I think is 8's best companion yet. The story just unfolds at such a perfect pace. This is one I will likely buy on CD

[Dolores · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big Finish audio books are the best of Doctor Who! This, the first of 4 epic stories was great. Introducing a new companion, Molly, and furthering the legacy of Paul McGann's 8th.