A final flight, and a final farewell, to a legend...

A while back, I did a review for Blogtor Who, for the Paul Spragg Memorial winner, Forever Fallen, by Joshua Wanisko. And I very much enjoyed it for what it was, starting off with a madman wanting to take over the world and developing into a personal story of one man's wish to change, to be someone else and to accept the consequences of his actions. And that's what I took away from the tale. Acceptance. Acceptance that something has happened and nothing can be further done about it....

It's time for me to accept that this legend is gone... and to say goodbye...

DOCTOR WHO NEW SERIES REVIEW

THE WAR DOCTOR: VOLUME 4: CASUALTIES OF WAR

By Jack Ryan

BEWARE: THIS POST CONTAINS  SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

It felt like only yesterday that the news was broken that these were happening. I remember it well; I was feeling like shit and Nicholas Ruddy Briggs had announced that major news was to break. It was almost as if they knew. And then, a few months later, we had not one but two brilliant boxes of stories that not only showcased the brilliant writing and acting ability of everyone involved, but also showed once more why the Legendary Sir John Freaking Hurt was considered a legend amongst the acting community. The third boxset only went and re-enforced that mindset. And this.... this will make sure we never forget how good he was....

The Doctor is missing. Amidst the terror and carnage of the Time War, the Time Lord known as the Doctor Of War, and Time Lord strategist, Cardinal Ollistra have vanished from the eyes of Gallifrey and Skaro. But, unbeknownst to them, they are still around, still fighting, still hoping to end the long standing and suffering conflict. Trying to find their way back to Gallifrey, the Doctor and Ollistra will not only face Daleks, but the reality of propaganda, the forces of guerrillas, the return of a familiar face.... and an ultimate sanction from the Dalek Time Strategist that, if successful, will spell a final end for the Time War... and the Time Lords...

The subtitle for this series has never been more appropriately apt. Messrs Adams, Smith and Briggs showcase the true extent of it within these three self standing but connected episodes. In Guy Adams' Pretty Lies, The Doctor and Ollistra crash land on a desert colony planet that will be attacked by Daleks, thanks to an overzealous war reporter and his way of stretching the truth, Then in Andrew Smith's The Lady Of Obsidian, as the Time Lords hopes run desperate, Ollistra and the Doctor seek the help of the Obsidian Guerrilla forces, only to learn they are led by a very familiar face. And it all comes to a close in Nicholas Briggs' The Enigma Dimension, as the Daleks have obtained a device that will give them final victory. And the only hope for The Doctor, Ollistra, Leela and the rest of the Time Lords lie in a reality like and unlike our own. The only question is, will help be found, or is it finally too late? With Briggs also taking on the mantle of directing, the three master storytellers have built up some engaging and unique narratives that both stand on their own and weave into each other almost seamlessly.

And also under the direction of Briggs, the cast of these three tales bring everything they can, from the returning glory of Louise Jameson as Leela and Jacqueline Pearce as Cardinal Ollistra, to the brilliant supporting cast, featuring The Prisoner's Mark Elstob, Julia Hills, Lizzie Roper, Chris Porter, The Unquiet Dead's Alan David, regular BF cast members Joseph Kloska and Jane Slavin, and, of course, Nicholas Briggs, as the mechanical maniacal pepper pots themselves. All bring what they can to their parts and all they bring is brilliance. But out of all of them, the stand out is, as always, the lead: The Late and Legendary Sir John Freaking Hurt, in, what has now become, his final outing as the Doctor of War, gives us a performance on par with some of his other greats. Once again, the only word that can be found to describe Hurts majesty is.... faultless. He, quite simply, was a man who could do no wrong when it came to the world of acting. This shows one of his finest and final example of that prowess. Combined with Howard Carter's phenomenal music and sound design, and one last blare of that bombastic re-imagining of the theme tune, we are given three hours of perfection, the likes of which, we won't see for a long, long time...

It's hard to figure out if there were meant to be other tales for the Doctor of War after this one. Everyone had said they'd love to do more if the opportunity arose. Sadly, that opportunity won't arise any more. But that doesn't matter. Because, thanks to the legendary actor being up for doing more, we have had 12 amazing hours worth of stories and performances from some of the greatest of their fields. Sir John said at times that, despite the difficulties at times, it was an honour to play The Doctor, if only for one TV episode. Well, I can say, it was an honour to watch you, to listen to you, and to have you, in this legendary role. It may not have been your biggest, but it is, quite simply, one of your best.

VERDICT:......

No.... No verdict. No scores. Just my word. And my word is, this deserves every second of your attention, not just as a final hurrah for a legend, but as a brilliant piece of storytelling in its own right.

Thank you for your time, Sir John Hurt. You will never be forgotten.

Dedicated to the memory of The Legendary Sir John (Freaking) Hurt. (1940 - 2017)

Doctor Who: The War Doctor: Volume 4: Casualties Of War is available to purchase on CD or download from the Big Finish website here, or from all good stockists from May onward.

Covers (C) Tom Webster
Photo (C) Big Finish