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Doctor Who Unbound: Doctor of War
Doctor Who Unbound: Doctor of War, Vol 1: Genesis
Times have changed. A choice was made and the universe diverged. And now all of history is at war.
One man stands at the centre of it all. But whose side is he on? Is he with the angels? Or the demons? And does anyone even know which is which?
He was a Doctor once, but now he is Doctor no more. He is the Warrior. The Doctor of War.
1.1 Dust Devil by John Dorney
The TARDIS crew are on the run, pursued by an unstoppable force. But who is hunting them? And why? Will they find the answers on Aridius? Or just more questions?
1.2 Aftershocks by Lou Morgan
The ripples are spreading out. The Warrior is on trial. Or is he? No-one’s willing to tell him his crime so how can he know if he’s guilty? And who is trying him anyway?
1.3 The Difference Office by James Kettle
The Warrior is President of the Time Lords… and suffering from visions. Is he the right man to combat an invasion? Because there’s someone out there in the wilderness of Gallifrey. Someone with the Warrior’s face. And he’s heading for the Capitol.
One man stands at the centre of it all. But whose side is he on? Is he with the angels? Or the demons? And does anyone even know which is which?
He was a Doctor once, but now he is Doctor no more. He is the Warrior. The Doctor of War.
1.1 Dust Devil by John Dorney
The TARDIS crew are on the run, pursued by an unstoppable force. But who is hunting them? And why? Will they find the answers on Aridius? Or just more questions?
1.2 Aftershocks by Lou Morgan
The ripples are spreading out. The Warrior is on trial. Or is he? No-one’s willing to tell him his crime so how can he know if he’s guilty? And who is trying him anyway?
1.3 The Difference Office by James Kettle
The Warrior is President of the Time Lords… and suffering from visions. Is he the right man to combat an invasion? Because there’s someone out there in the wilderness of Gallifrey. Someone with the Warrior’s face. And he’s heading for the Capitol.
Audio CD
First published April 13, 2022
3 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
John Dorney
166 books26 followersJohn Dorney is a British writer and actor best known for stage roles including the National Theatre, the BBC Radio 4 sitcom My First Planet; and his scripts for the Big Finish Doctor Who range. His script 'Solitaire' was rated the most popular Doctor Who Companion Chronicle of 2010 on the Timescales website and was the runner up in Unreality Sci-fi net's poll for Story of the Year 2010-11.
As well as Doctor Who, he has written for Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel series and on radio co-wrote three series of BBC Radio 4's Recorded for Training Purposes. He won the BBC Show Me the Funny 'Sketch Factor' competition, was a finalist in the BBC 'Laughing Stock' competition, and has performed in Mark Watson's Edinburgh Comedy Award winning long shows as 'The Balladeer'. On stage, he has written plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead and Soho Theatres.
He trained at LAMDA.
As well as Doctor Who, he has written for Big Finish's Sapphire and Steel series and on radio co-wrote three series of BBC Radio 4's Recorded for Training Purposes. He won the BBC Show Me the Funny 'Sketch Factor' competition, was a finalist in the BBC 'Laughing Stock' competition, and has performed in Mark Watson's Edinburgh Comedy Award winning long shows as 'The Balladeer'. On stage, he has written plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead and Soho Theatres.
He trained at LAMDA.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 27, 2024
An alternate reality? A variant history? An incarnation of the Doctor and/or a timeline that was erased by effects of the Time War? After the Doctor’s eighth incarnation, he grew weary of the endless battles of the Time War, and he decided to take or more active role in an attempt to put an end it once and for all and to do so, he became the Warrior (often known as the War Doctor). But what if we turned back the Doctor’s personal timeline a bit farther, to the events of Doctor Who: Genesis Of The Daleks and what if the fourth Doctor made a different decision, and instead he chose to permantely end the threat of the Daleks - to commit an act of genocide. In this … variant timeline, this alternate history, the fourth Doctor dies at this point and regenerates, but not into merely a fifth incarnation, instead he transforms into a Doctor of War, into the Warrior.
1.1 Dust Devil ~ The fallout of this unexpected transformation results in two overlapping, and utterly conflicting timelines. Perhaps this would work with visuals, but it is kind of an auditory mess as presented here. With Colin Baker providing voices for both the Sixth Doctor and the Variant Warrior, with little to differentiate the two, besides the companions. It’s a fascinating narrative exercise, one that could really only work in the parameters of the Whoniverse, but it doesn’t have much of a hook beyond that of the Variant Warrior (3/5).
1.2 Aftershocks ~ Another fun, wild and wacky, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Time War story that really doesn’t make sense. Past and present and future all happening simultaneously. Nothing works. Nothing makes sense. The past is the future’s present, or is that the present is the future’s past, or maybe the future is the past’s present. Well, let’s just say that this is yet another trial of a time-lord for Colin Baker (why is this guy never allowed out of the damn court room?). Certainly entertaining, but still nothing that really sets it above the usual wonderful Big Finish Productions potential (3/5).
1.3 The Difference Office ~ Yep, more wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Time War stuff. Sigh. Rather a disappointment. Not really bad, just more of the same parallel histories or parallel tangents, whatever you want to call them. Paradox after paradox, this just spirals into disconnected myriad threads of discontinuity. Yep. The Time War is a mess (3/5).
I had high hopes for this set. Baker doesn’t portray my favorite Doctor from the classic series, but I’d hope he’d be doing something very different as this Unbound Warrior. Unfortunately, he’s still very much just doing Six or a variation that’s really all that different from Six.
1.1 Dust Devil ~ The fallout of this unexpected transformation results in two overlapping, and utterly conflicting timelines. Perhaps this would work with visuals, but it is kind of an auditory mess as presented here. With Colin Baker providing voices for both the Sixth Doctor and the Variant Warrior, with little to differentiate the two, besides the companions. It’s a fascinating narrative exercise, one that could really only work in the parameters of the Whoniverse, but it doesn’t have much of a hook beyond that of the Variant Warrior (3/5).
1.2 Aftershocks ~ Another fun, wild and wacky, wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Time War story that really doesn’t make sense. Past and present and future all happening simultaneously. Nothing works. Nothing makes sense. The past is the future’s present, or is that the present is the future’s past, or maybe the future is the past’s present. Well, let’s just say that this is yet another trial of a time-lord for Colin Baker (why is this guy never allowed out of the damn court room?). Certainly entertaining, but still nothing that really sets it above the usual wonderful Big Finish Productions potential (3/5).
1.3 The Difference Office ~ Yep, more wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey Time War stuff. Sigh. Rather a disappointment. Not really bad, just more of the same parallel histories or parallel tangents, whatever you want to call them. Paradox after paradox, this just spirals into disconnected myriad threads of discontinuity. Yep. The Time War is a mess (3/5).
I had high hopes for this set. Baker doesn’t portray my favorite Doctor from the classic series, but I’d hope he’d be doing something very different as this Unbound Warrior. Unfortunately, he’s still very much just doing Six or a variation that’s really all that different from Six.
April 20, 2022
🙏🏼65% 👍35 👎19
_________________________
DUST DEVIL: ✅78% 👍18 👎5
👍👍👍👍
John Dorney seamlessly creates an alternative reality branching out from Genesis of the Daleks (1975) and leading into the Time War and War Doctor (or the Warrior) earlier than what we are used to. I'm happy to hear that this isn't simply another Time War story with the late Sir John Hurt replaced, but rather a genuine timey wimey mystery building up towards a larger narrative. In the end, we come to realize how interestingly this sets up the "Warrior" timeline and its differences from the normal one. The final moments show just what a twisted story this is - and where other writers might be able to take the range.
There's the lovely re-creation (and continuation) of the pivotal "Do I have the right?" scene from Genesis - such a powerful beginning to the story and a great branching off point. It also echoes The Name of the Doctor (2013), thus furthering the idea of an alternative universe where the stories as we know them are jumbled up.
It's nice to return to Aridius (from The Chase, 1965) once again - even if it has no real purpose in the story.
Tom Baker puts in a perfect performance together with Sadie Miller and Christopher Naylor at the beginning of the story, playing out a new last moment for his Doctor that mixes up his and Eight's regeneration! The other Baker (Colin, that is) is no less impressive, with the confines of the story allowing him to bring out a darker side again and play with our expectations of his Doctor. Nicola Bryant shines as the bitter Miss Brown towards the end - what a chilling performance.
There's most certainly a sense of war and conflict in the blockbuster scope of the story - but it's more Dune than the Time War.
The sound design is marvellous, particularly when capturing the strange time distortions that keep bugging the Doctor (and the listener!). The unique Doctor Who theme used for this set is epic and majestic.
👎👎👎👎
The story is, perhaps deliberately, pretty messy and confusing at times, particularly in how it jumps between different points in the timeline before bringing everything together at the end. As of now, there's very little here to suggest this couldn't be just another Sixth Doctor story - it lacks the Unbound feel. This is another Big Finish story that I feel is sometimes too ambitious to work without a visual aid of some sort - such as different colourful coats to distinguish the different aspects of the Doctor from one another.
---------------------
AFTERSHOCKS:🙏🏼59% 👍10 👎7
👍👍👍👍
This story builds a deeper understanding of the reasons behind this alternative reality and the possible ways it could develop - we are told exactly why things are better when allowed to play out the way they usually are. Writer Lou Morgan puts an interesting spin on the Skaroan Empire, the CIA and the Doctor and the Master's relationship.
Here we get fully treated to a post-regeneration Warrior, confused and battered, and with a slowly growing acceptance of his new role as well as a taste for genocide. I love the sarcastic and sassy take on the role put forward by Colin Baker as well as his sinister turn in the second half of the story. Geoffrey Beevers is back as the Master and his wonderfully softspoken and playful attitude is perfectly in tune with this darker incarnation of the Doctor - he is the highlight of this story.
The tension builds up slowly as you come to realize what is at stake here and as Morgan drops a few good twists towards the end of the story. I admire the scope and sheer ambition they are going for here, even if it feels more of a fun experiment than a cohesive storyline so far. Aftershocks has a suitably darker and more desperate atmosphere than your usual Doctor Who story, but it doesn't revel in this sandbox very much.
👎👎👎👎
The narrative keeps you somewhat in the dark for a long time, making it frustrating to follow along. I'm still not entirely sure where Big Finish wants to go with this range and how exactly I should feel about these shenanigans because they seem almost too high-concept to fully work in audio. Too bad everything is somewhat muddled and confusing, something I've always found frustrating in Big Finish releases.
So the Warrior isn't doing a lot in this story, as this is something of a Trial of a Time Lord copy, only less interesting. This is a slower story; very dialogue focused that doesn't achieve much in terms of narrative development until the final third.
---------------------
THE DIFFERENCE OFFICE: 🙏🏼50% 👍7 👎7
👍👍👍👍
Our concluding story takes us to the heart of an alternative Gallifrey in the middle of the war, with the Warrior as Lord President. This is the most Time War-y of the three stories on the set, with the Doctor vs the Warrior proving to be an interesting set-up while also tying up the narrative threads of the set nicely. James Kettle introduces a little twist later in the story that works well for those who haven't been looking at the box set cover art for too long, and most certainly changes the rules of the game heading into the second set.
The story brings in some familiar faces (err, voices) in Borusa and Romana (!), although played by new actors. Rebecca Night's Romana is similar to Lalla Ward's take on the role (Night drew inspiration from her, according to the interviews), so I found myself warming up to her quickly. The Doctor/Warrior gets his most Doctor-y and Warrior-y moments of the range yet, with Colin Baker convincing both as the charismatic "Wise Man" and the tyrannical President. Baker does seem to enjoy bringing out various versions of himself, and it's a joy to listen to that as well. The Kraals make a comeback and are pretty cleverly fitted into this story in a sort of Trojan Horse-inspired political plot.
Once the adventure gets going, it barely slows down, switching into high gear while gunning down people left and right and crumbling down the Gallifreyan defence.
👎👎👎👎
Well, yet another confusing story told on different narrative planes simultaneously and aiming at keeping the listener one or two steps behind the narrative at most times, although not as effectively as in the previous two stories.
I have to admit that I don't see why the Kraals are in this instead of any other random alien species (Zygons can also make copies of people, as do Daleks themselves, evidently), so their inclusion feels rather like an afterthought than a necessity.
The atmosphere is almost disappointingly typical for a Time War story, with little to suggest this is an Unbound adventure. The biggest problem with The Difference Office is that it doesn't really move the alt-world reality forward a whole lot. Kettle doesn't build up the danger much before getting rid of it, so the narrative feels flat and the story progression is almost nonexistent.
_________________________
DUST DEVIL: ✅78% 👍18 👎5
👍👍👍👍
John Dorney seamlessly creates an alternative reality branching out from Genesis of the Daleks (1975) and leading into the Time War and War Doctor (or the Warrior) earlier than what we are used to. I'm happy to hear that this isn't simply another Time War story with the late Sir John Hurt replaced, but rather a genuine timey wimey mystery building up towards a larger narrative. In the end, we come to realize how interestingly this sets up the "Warrior" timeline and its differences from the normal one. The final moments show just what a twisted story this is - and where other writers might be able to take the range.
There's the lovely re-creation (and continuation) of the pivotal "Do I have the right?" scene from Genesis - such a powerful beginning to the story and a great branching off point. It also echoes The Name of the Doctor (2013), thus furthering the idea of an alternative universe where the stories as we know them are jumbled up.
It's nice to return to Aridius (from The Chase, 1965) once again - even if it has no real purpose in the story.
Tom Baker puts in a perfect performance together with Sadie Miller and Christopher Naylor at the beginning of the story, playing out a new last moment for his Doctor that mixes up his and Eight's regeneration! The other Baker (Colin, that is) is no less impressive, with the confines of the story allowing him to bring out a darker side again and play with our expectations of his Doctor. Nicola Bryant shines as the bitter Miss Brown towards the end - what a chilling performance.
There's most certainly a sense of war and conflict in the blockbuster scope of the story - but it's more Dune than the Time War.
The sound design is marvellous, particularly when capturing the strange time distortions that keep bugging the Doctor (and the listener!). The unique Doctor Who theme used for this set is epic and majestic.
👎👎👎👎
The story is, perhaps deliberately, pretty messy and confusing at times, particularly in how it jumps between different points in the timeline before bringing everything together at the end. As of now, there's very little here to suggest this couldn't be just another Sixth Doctor story - it lacks the Unbound feel. This is another Big Finish story that I feel is sometimes too ambitious to work without a visual aid of some sort - such as different colourful coats to distinguish the different aspects of the Doctor from one another.
---------------------
AFTERSHOCKS:🙏🏼59% 👍10 👎7
👍👍👍👍
This story builds a deeper understanding of the reasons behind this alternative reality and the possible ways it could develop - we are told exactly why things are better when allowed to play out the way they usually are. Writer Lou Morgan puts an interesting spin on the Skaroan Empire, the CIA and the Doctor and the Master's relationship.
Here we get fully treated to a post-regeneration Warrior, confused and battered, and with a slowly growing acceptance of his new role as well as a taste for genocide. I love the sarcastic and sassy take on the role put forward by Colin Baker as well as his sinister turn in the second half of the story. Geoffrey Beevers is back as the Master and his wonderfully softspoken and playful attitude is perfectly in tune with this darker incarnation of the Doctor - he is the highlight of this story.
The tension builds up slowly as you come to realize what is at stake here and as Morgan drops a few good twists towards the end of the story. I admire the scope and sheer ambition they are going for here, even if it feels more of a fun experiment than a cohesive storyline so far. Aftershocks has a suitably darker and more desperate atmosphere than your usual Doctor Who story, but it doesn't revel in this sandbox very much.
👎👎👎👎
The narrative keeps you somewhat in the dark for a long time, making it frustrating to follow along. I'm still not entirely sure where Big Finish wants to go with this range and how exactly I should feel about these shenanigans because they seem almost too high-concept to fully work in audio. Too bad everything is somewhat muddled and confusing, something I've always found frustrating in Big Finish releases.
So the Warrior isn't doing a lot in this story, as this is something of a Trial of a Time Lord copy, only less interesting. This is a slower story; very dialogue focused that doesn't achieve much in terms of narrative development until the final third.
---------------------
THE DIFFERENCE OFFICE: 🙏🏼50% 👍7 👎7
👍👍👍👍
Our concluding story takes us to the heart of an alternative Gallifrey in the middle of the war, with the Warrior as Lord President. This is the most Time War-y of the three stories on the set, with the Doctor vs the Warrior proving to be an interesting set-up while also tying up the narrative threads of the set nicely. James Kettle introduces a little twist later in the story that works well for those who haven't been looking at the box set cover art for too long, and most certainly changes the rules of the game heading into the second set.
The story brings in some familiar faces (err, voices) in Borusa and Romana (!), although played by new actors. Rebecca Night's Romana is similar to Lalla Ward's take on the role (Night drew inspiration from her, according to the interviews), so I found myself warming up to her quickly. The Doctor/Warrior gets his most Doctor-y and Warrior-y moments of the range yet, with Colin Baker convincing both as the charismatic "Wise Man" and the tyrannical President. Baker does seem to enjoy bringing out various versions of himself, and it's a joy to listen to that as well. The Kraals make a comeback and are pretty cleverly fitted into this story in a sort of Trojan Horse-inspired political plot.
Once the adventure gets going, it barely slows down, switching into high gear while gunning down people left and right and crumbling down the Gallifreyan defence.
👎👎👎👎
Well, yet another confusing story told on different narrative planes simultaneously and aiming at keeping the listener one or two steps behind the narrative at most times, although not as effectively as in the previous two stories.
I have to admit that I don't see why the Kraals are in this instead of any other random alien species (Zygons can also make copies of people, as do Daleks themselves, evidently), so their inclusion feels rather like an afterthought than a necessity.
The atmosphere is almost disappointingly typical for a Time War story, with little to suggest this is an Unbound adventure. The biggest problem with The Difference Office is that it doesn't really move the alt-world reality forward a whole lot. Kettle doesn't build up the danger much before getting rid of it, so the narrative feels flat and the story progression is almost nonexistent.
August 6, 2023
When Big Finish announced the return of the Unbound range, it's not a surprise that everyone including me became incredibly excited. After hearing mixed reviews though, I wasn't too sure what to expect from this so I kind of left it until the sets appeared on sale. So recently when Big Finish did a sale on their Terry Nation-related stuff, I finally decided to pick these up.
Dust Devil:
History has changed, The Doctor has touched the wires together to destroy The Daleks at their genesis. Time has been altered and the universe is now at war. Meanwhile, The 6th Doctor and Peri find themselves running through time and space from a mysterious assassin, yet there's another 6th Doctor on Aridius trying to find an ancient tomb. What's going on and what's happened to the universe and who's The Warrior?
John Dorney's script opens up this set in the best way imaginable, a very complex timey-wimey story where the stakes are incredibly high. The story opens in a very bleak manner and concludes in a very bleak manner. It's an outlandish epic tale and the cast truly brings this brilliant story to life amazingly. 10/10
Aftershocks:
The Warrior has been captured by The CIA and Narvin wants him to confess to a crime, he can't remember committing. Meanwhile, The Master is up to something behind the scenes but is he really helping The Warrior? Thals and Kaleds have come together in a union against The Warrior, but what is The Twin Dalek? All these questions and more, but what's actually going on?
Lou Morgan has written a really experimental story that kept me guessing as to what was going on, the twists and turns this story takes caught me by surprise every step of the way. Geoffrey Beevers and Colin Baker get on incredibly well together here and it's lovely to see these characters more as friends than say enemies for once which I found really interesting. 9/10
The Difference Office:
The Warrior is The President of The Timelords. But in the wilderness is another Warrior and he's recruiting shobogans to help overthrow a dictator. But which one of The Warrior is real and which side will Romana choose in this conflict? Styggron is here and he wants the presidency...
James Kettle has written a very strange story that's an odd twist to The Android Invasion but instead of a part of it being on Earth, it's fully on Gallifrey. It's an enjoyable story with a solid cast of characters. I really liked Rebecca Night as Romana and hope she gets another chance to play the character. 8/10
Overall: 27/30
Dust Devil:
History has changed, The Doctor has touched the wires together to destroy The Daleks at their genesis. Time has been altered and the universe is now at war. Meanwhile, The 6th Doctor and Peri find themselves running through time and space from a mysterious assassin, yet there's another 6th Doctor on Aridius trying to find an ancient tomb. What's going on and what's happened to the universe and who's The Warrior?
John Dorney's script opens up this set in the best way imaginable, a very complex timey-wimey story where the stakes are incredibly high. The story opens in a very bleak manner and concludes in a very bleak manner. It's an outlandish epic tale and the cast truly brings this brilliant story to life amazingly. 10/10
Aftershocks:
The Warrior has been captured by The CIA and Narvin wants him to confess to a crime, he can't remember committing. Meanwhile, The Master is up to something behind the scenes but is he really helping The Warrior? Thals and Kaleds have come together in a union against The Warrior, but what is The Twin Dalek? All these questions and more, but what's actually going on?
Lou Morgan has written a really experimental story that kept me guessing as to what was going on, the twists and turns this story takes caught me by surprise every step of the way. Geoffrey Beevers and Colin Baker get on incredibly well together here and it's lovely to see these characters more as friends than say enemies for once which I found really interesting. 9/10
The Difference Office:
The Warrior is The President of The Timelords. But in the wilderness is another Warrior and he's recruiting shobogans to help overthrow a dictator. But which one of The Warrior is real and which side will Romana choose in this conflict? Styggron is here and he wants the presidency...
James Kettle has written a very strange story that's an odd twist to The Android Invasion but instead of a part of it being on Earth, it's fully on Gallifrey. It's an enjoyable story with a solid cast of characters. I really liked Rebecca Night as Romana and hope she gets another chance to play the character. 8/10
Overall: 27/30
December 3, 2022
This is a very difficult one to rate (especially since I am someone who adores Colin Baker).
One of the reasons is, this might well fall into the "false advertising" corner. Let's face it, we do not get what it says on the tin. Precious little of a War-Doctor going "Har,har" so to speak.
What we get is a collection on "meta"- stories. It plays around with "what if", much of it relies on alternative / parallel time lines, dream sequences, Matrix sequences and plays out in the head of "the Doctor" (I am using the term loosely). This type of story has, from what I have seen, often mixed reception, even if it is well done. Doing a whole box set of these meta-stories was always going to be a hard sell- so this is most likely why it was not advertised as such.
I actually like meta-stories, when they are well written, clever and make me think.
I am sad to say that probably only half of what is in this set worked for me.
And I can definitely see why this little experiment (and this is what it is) is so averagely received.
This also makes me sad, since I have long wished for BF to try out more experimental things instead of going for the "big sellers" like "River Song meets the Second Doctor while flirting with Jo Grant".
The mixed reception might mean we might get even less experimental stuff in the future.
Yes, I am aware that not all experiments work, but if you do not shake it up and try new things, there cannot be any innovation, and one day, most people will be fed up with all the gimmick X meets Y stories.
So, all the critisism out of the way, now I will go into what I did like.
The performances.
Pretty much all of it is great.
Colin Baker certainly is having a blast playing all the different versions of the Doctor, he goes to town making each of them sound distinct and there is no chance of mixing them up as a listener.
He goes from sad to ruthless and brutal, to happy and chuckling, to exhausted, old and weary.
This is some amazing performance, he brings so much energy and enthusiasm across. I think this might be one of the best Colin Baker performances we had in a while.
Sound design also is another winner.
And that new version of the War Doctor theme tune is also great.
One of the reasons is, this might well fall into the "false advertising" corner. Let's face it, we do not get what it says on the tin. Precious little of a War-Doctor going "Har,har" so to speak.
What we get is a collection on "meta"- stories. It plays around with "what if", much of it relies on alternative / parallel time lines, dream sequences, Matrix sequences and plays out in the head of "the Doctor" (I am using the term loosely). This type of story has, from what I have seen, often mixed reception, even if it is well done. Doing a whole box set of these meta-stories was always going to be a hard sell- so this is most likely why it was not advertised as such.
I actually like meta-stories, when they are well written, clever and make me think.
I am sad to say that probably only half of what is in this set worked for me.
And I can definitely see why this little experiment (and this is what it is) is so averagely received.
This also makes me sad, since I have long wished for BF to try out more experimental things instead of going for the "big sellers" like "River Song meets the Second Doctor while flirting with Jo Grant".
The mixed reception might mean we might get even less experimental stuff in the future.
Yes, I am aware that not all experiments work, but if you do not shake it up and try new things, there cannot be any innovation, and one day, most people will be fed up with all the gimmick X meets Y stories.
So, all the critisism out of the way, now I will go into what I did like.
The performances.
Pretty much all of it is great.
Colin Baker certainly is having a blast playing all the different versions of the Doctor, he goes to town making each of them sound distinct and there is no chance of mixing them up as a listener.
He goes from sad to ruthless and brutal, to happy and chuckling, to exhausted, old and weary.
This is some amazing performance, he brings so much energy and enthusiasm across. I think this might be one of the best Colin Baker performances we had in a while.
Sound design also is another winner.
And that new version of the War Doctor theme tune is also great.
April 16, 2022
Doctor Who Unbound: Doctor of War 1: Genesis - 4.67/5 stars
An absolutely wonderful start to the continuation of the Unbound Series. The music suite for these stories is gorgeous, especially the choir sequences. Colin Baker as the Warrior is the perfect casting. I enjoy how the stories make references to things within the TV timeline of Doctor Who and play with their place in the new setting. Nothing ever feels like “Oh that's a reference to this,” and it actually uses such references as important plot elements.
I can’t wait until the next boxset comes out in September. (Big Finish's releases have been very good this year.)
1.1 Dust Devil by John Dorney - 5/5 stars
After a wonderful recreation of that scene from Genesis of the Daleks, this Doctor Who “What If” scenario plays out in a shocking and heartbreaking way. Once the setup is out of the way, the story flips between two realities, leaving the listener questioning what is real and what isn’t. Then the story ends with twists, turns and shocking revelations. Nicola Bryant is great in this.
1.2 Aftershocks by Lou Morgan - 4.5/5 stars
A wild story. Non-linear timelines over-lapping and crisscrossing to create something new, much like the Warrior and Twin Dalek. The early story questions of why is the Doctor/Warrior under arrest, why the timelords want him to confess for something he hadn’t even done yet, makes for a very entertaining listen. Geoffrey Beevers as the Master is delightful in this.
1.3 The Difference Office by James Kettle - 4.5/5 stars
The Android Invasion meets The Invasion of Time meets the Time War in an alternate timeline. The return of the Kraals, Borusa and Romana. How the story is told is really fascinating. The flashbacks build up and get closer to the present timeline and they almost lay out the twists but they still shock you as they come up. Rebecca Night as Romana is amazing casting for this story.
An absolutely wonderful start to the continuation of the Unbound Series. The music suite for these stories is gorgeous, especially the choir sequences. Colin Baker as the Warrior is the perfect casting. I enjoy how the stories make references to things within the TV timeline of Doctor Who and play with their place in the new setting. Nothing ever feels like “Oh that's a reference to this,” and it actually uses such references as important plot elements.
I can’t wait until the next boxset comes out in September. (Big Finish's releases have been very good this year.)
1.1 Dust Devil by John Dorney - 5/5 stars
After a wonderful recreation of that scene from Genesis of the Daleks, this Doctor Who “What If” scenario plays out in a shocking and heartbreaking way. Once the setup is out of the way, the story flips between two realities, leaving the listener questioning what is real and what isn’t. Then the story ends with twists, turns and shocking revelations. Nicola Bryant is great in this.
1.2 Aftershocks by Lou Morgan - 4.5/5 stars
A wild story. Non-linear timelines over-lapping and crisscrossing to create something new, much like the Warrior and Twin Dalek. The early story questions of why is the Doctor/Warrior under arrest, why the timelords want him to confess for something he hadn’t even done yet, makes for a very entertaining listen. Geoffrey Beevers as the Master is delightful in this.
1.3 The Difference Office by James Kettle - 4.5/5 stars
The Android Invasion meets The Invasion of Time meets the Time War in an alternate timeline. The return of the Kraals, Borusa and Romana. How the story is told is really fascinating. The flashbacks build up and get closer to the present timeline and they almost lay out the twists but they still shock you as they come up. Rebecca Night as Romana is amazing casting for this story.
August 21, 2022
I struggled with this one. I typically enjoy alternate reality or what-if stories. But this one was really hard to follow. Listening to the cast and crew discuss it after recording I really felt I totally missed something. And that’s speaking for all three episodes, the entire arc. Sometimes when I miss something I’ll go back and reread or listen again to give it another try. But with this one I was so lost I decided not to bother.
I did enjoy Colin Baker’s performance and the opportunity it gave him to demonstrate his wide array of talents as an actor. I just wish I understood what it was all about.
I did enjoy Colin Baker’s performance and the opportunity it gave him to demonstrate his wide array of talents as an actor. I just wish I understood what it was all about.
July 28, 2022
The 4th doctor doesn’t stop the daleks and the time ring falls in the hands daleks. This can be understood but the leader of Gallifrey being a robot and the Kralls being the head of gallifrey is confusing.
June 9, 2023
I was hooked right from the beginning, with Tom Baker acting out an alternate version of what we know and acknowledging that eliminating a monster will make him another one. Colin Baker does a decent job as The Warrior, and the story takes directions I’m not sure I really expected.
May 8, 2022
Incredible, if not a touch confusing.
September 10, 2022
The Unbound series was released by Big Finish back in the mid-2000s and was a sort of "What If?" series. "What if... the Doctor never left Gallifrey?", "What if... the Doctor arrived twenty years late to his exile on Earth?", that sort of stuff. Apart from the Bernice Summerfield detouring into the Unbound Universe, we haven't had an Unbound story since 2008.
The Doctor of War series boils down to "What if... the Fourth Doctor succeeded in destorying the Daleks at their creation and launched the Time War early?". This then casts Colin Baker as the War Doctor. Colin can do a good villain. However, this felt like a wasted opportunity. Granted, I only listened to the first of the three stories, Dust Devil, but while it started well and ended okay, I felt it was mostly a confusing timey-wimey mess. It makes sense, but only just. Also, in this first story at least, it's very difficult to differentiate between Colin's Sixth Doctor and his new War Doctor. I will probably get back around to this one at some point, but not anytime soon. (Written 05/2022)
UPDATE (09/2022): So I finally got around to the second two stories in this set and found them much more coherent than the first.
Aftershocks, the second story, is an unbound Time War take on the Trial of a Time Lord. This dealt with past genocides and future genocides with the Geoffrey Beevers Master whispering in the Warrior's ear while Narvin and the Daleks plot around them. This also deals with pocket dimensions and timelines. Very good.
The third story, The Difference Office, is better than the first story, but not as good as the second. It sees Borusa, and new Romana and the Lord President Warrior face off against the Kralls in a blending of The Android Invasion and The Invasion of Time. It's good, but this Romana didn't really stand out vocally and while the story's decent, it didn't grab me as much.
So, this was an interesting experiment (and the second volume comes out this month: September 2022), but it wasn't one of Big Finish's best of late. I'll probably pick up Volume 2 at some point, but I'm not in hurry to jump on it when it first drops.
The Doctor of War series boils down to "What if... the Fourth Doctor succeeded in destorying the Daleks at their creation and launched the Time War early?". This then casts Colin Baker as the War Doctor. Colin can do a good villain. However, this felt like a wasted opportunity. Granted, I only listened to the first of the three stories, Dust Devil, but while it started well and ended okay, I felt it was mostly a confusing timey-wimey mess. It makes sense, but only just. Also, in this first story at least, it's very difficult to differentiate between Colin's Sixth Doctor and his new War Doctor. I will probably get back around to this one at some point, but not anytime soon. (Written 05/2022)
UPDATE (09/2022): So I finally got around to the second two stories in this set and found them much more coherent than the first.
Aftershocks, the second story, is an unbound Time War take on the Trial of a Time Lord. This dealt with past genocides and future genocides with the Geoffrey Beevers Master whispering in the Warrior's ear while Narvin and the Daleks plot around them. This also deals with pocket dimensions and timelines. Very good.
The third story, The Difference Office, is better than the first story, but not as good as the second. It sees Borusa, and new Romana and the Lord President Warrior face off against the Kralls in a blending of The Android Invasion and The Invasion of Time. It's good, but this Romana didn't really stand out vocally and while the story's decent, it didn't grab me as much.
So, this was an interesting experiment (and the second volume comes out this month: September 2022), but it wasn't one of Big Finish's best of late. I'll probably pick up Volume 2 at some point, but I'm not in hurry to jump on it when it first drops.
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