Seeing as we’ve been getting more and more discussion threads - why not a War Doctor one!
I’m starting to do the Carley stories, almost finished the first boxset of Begins after having heard him in other ranges as cameos but also Fallen Heroes which was superb! I also really enjoyed the Hurt audios when they came out.
Quite an interesting Doctor that I’ve not heard an awful lot of, so I’m quite keen to hear more, Carley is superb in the role as was Hurt!
When I was making some of these, I wasn’t sure that there was enough to warrent a War Doctor-specific thread, so I made this:
War is a unique one for me, I’d argue he has slowly found his way to becoming a favorite, when it comes to Revival Doctors, thanks mainly to the Audio Output with him from both Hurt & Carley.
I must admit my Opinions on War can be pretty all over the Place, I do think the Concept behind him is pretty great and stories like his first from the Begins Series really showcase it quite well in my Eyes. Similarly, can you really think negative of a Doctor who is played by one of the finest Actors in the Role? (Although I wouldn’t call hurt the best Doctor just in terms of Acting, still gotta acknowledge the marvelous work of this Acting Legend somehow). And equally I can give a lot of Praise to Carley, whose Impression is just spot-on really, only really rival by Dudmans 11 and maybe Culshaws Brigadier in terms of accuracy. Well, I guess you really found a Home run with that!
I am sure the more Stories I do of his (mainly his BF), then I am pretty certain that my Opinion on him will become pretty define, as it is, I do think he is a great Doctor, more than that even!
Have not done much War Doctor stories so far, but the most recent “Fallen Heroes” has to be the best one I’ve done, because it really shows him as being not the Doctor
He Who Fights with Monsters is another really good one.
Agreed, just so SO good. I just finished the first Begins set and it was fairly bog standard Time War, nothing to write home about. Then again, its the beginning of the range so I’m not shocked.
Finished the 3rd series of The War Doctor Begins and it has been the first in the range to land with me, quite happy about that. I’m excited to continue on with the range, hoping it continues on from s3 quality wise
I recently finished the first John Hurt box set, and they were definitely incredible—the first story, and the whole arc with Rejoice in general, were amazing.
Just finished the 5th Begins set, with it comes my updated ranking! Only one more, and then 2 more War Doctor sets after that then I’m up to date!
I love War. A truly tragic incarnation, and played so perfectly by Hurt and Carley, who is really given War so much life and expansion. There’s a wealth of divide amongst fans as to how to characterised War, how Doctor ish he should or shouldn’t be, and certain mandates from the BBC as to how dark he can go, but at the end of the day, he is the Doctor no matter how much he denies it.
Some of the BF stuff does blur together but I’m grateful and really enjoy getting new stories with him, and the Rises range is really great.
I’m also making my way through the Seasons of War charity anthology and that is a great addition to the War Doctor.
Interesting to see what you think of this series! It’s one of the many things I’m planning to go through once I’m finally done with Classic Who in the next few weeks. Do you think the stories here are as good as those in the Rises series?
So Rises wise I’ve only done Fallen Heroes, which was SO SO good. It was my first Carley boxset in fact! I’m now going to do the other two Rises sets, but I’d say Begins has two phenomenal sets (the 3rd and 4th ones) whereas the others range from okay to pretty bad. I’d rank the sets like: S4, S3, S5, S6, S1, S2
Glad to hear you think there’s some fantastic stuff in there! I’ve heard really great things about He Who Fights With Monsters, but it’s nice to hear you think the third set is good as well. Hopefully I’ll like the other sets a bit better than you have when I finally get to them (I’m very much looking forward to Enemy Mine - I’ve been hoping for a War/8 story since War was introduced).
Regarding the Rises sets, I actually prefer Morbius the Mighty to Fallen Heroes a little, but both sets are amongst the best of the Big Finish I’ve heard - I only prefer Morbius because it’s more to my personal taste (I really need to relisten to Fallen Heroes though). I haven’t heard Unknown Soldiers - I might try and do that one when Cybergene comes out later this year.
Another day where they allowed me to have thoughts, another day of me being ridiculous about War. A few months ago I rewatched Day of the Doctor, but only the scenes with War, kind of seeing how it was from his perspective, and the way I suddenly started to like the story much more is silly, but for real it’s kind of crazy how well it works as a finale for his incarnation. Big Finish have genuinely been doing a stellar job retroactively adding the build up to it.
Anyways, today I thought and, I realized that He Who Fights With Monsters is thematically, I suppose I could call it a ‘dark mirror’ (have decided to spoiler this too, cause it does kind of suggest things about HWFWM) of Day. Spoilers for both under this.
Both are about War encountering a(/multiple) future version(s) of himself. Importantly, a possible future. Because even in Day, The Moment tells him that Ten and Eleven are only strands of one timeline that can happen. When watching the episode in the context of series 7 that of course feels a bit silly, but after HWFWM it feels extremely natural. Except this time, instead of encountering a future incarnation who’s someone he’d never want to be, it’s someone hopeful, a good man, someone who is able to call himself the Doctor. (I know both Ten and Eleven are there but I want to use the singular to make the comparison come across nicer) Someone who he would quite like to be. Someone who can do what he for so long hasn’t been able to. To just save the day. And all the way back to when he encountered the Barber-Surgeon, that version told him that he was the Doctor. Because that cruel future saw what it was really like to be someone who truly abandoned the name of the Doctor, and saw that War was never that. But here he encounters a future that’s so much better than him, and as expected, this better future despises him. The Doctor hates who he is. But just as how War was allowed by the Barber-Surgeon the opportunity to, just that once, save the universe by granting himself a short kindness of self acceptance, this future him that shows goodness ends up doing the same. Because from the worst timeline to the best, there is one thing they all realized, and that is that he is the Doctor. More than all of them, during that time where it was impossible to be. And the Eleventh (Twelfth but shh) version of him accepts him. And he gets that self acceptance not from someone who he hates (himself), but someone who he admires (himself). And the Eleventh Doctor goes back in time, breaks all the rules, is that ultimate hero, and helps War be the Doctor in that way he’s never been even able to hope he could be. That what he’s denied himself for millennia, had been made to believe he could never be again, he finally finds. He finally finds himself. He finally finds the Doctor.
Just idk anymore man I went kinda rambling, but the War Doctor’s story, it’s such a good story of losing and finding yourself again. Of what others want you to be versus what you feel you truly are. And denying who you are because you think the world will accept you more like that. He so thinks he needs to be a warrior for the time war, even if he really doesn’t and really isn’t. (HWFWM spoilers again:) After all, The Barber-Surgeon has used up all of his regenerations and still isn’t even close to ending the War, meanwhile the only one who could actually end it was the Doctor. Do y’all get it??? Get my insanity?? How can I not be insane where there’s a thousand of these beautiful allegories and sad stories in this character? Do you see the vision of the 3 hour “Why Doctor Who’s the War Doctor is a transgender allegory” video essay??
I wonder if we’ll even get a ‘middle aged’ look for the war Doctor from big finish / bbc.
I think there’s one comic where you see a panel or him with beard but no grey hair. But we have no edit of John Hurt.
Presumably there’s a massive time gap between the War Doctor Rises and the original War Doctor Series.
Okay so, i heard a bunch of audio dramas and i have a lot to say but i dont know how to articulate it so, this will be a little bit messy lol
First, i listened to the first set of of War doctor begins, the cast was very solid and listen to them at the end of every chapter was cherry on top, at story level was a solid start, both to Shape the doctor character and to establish the era in wich he was compelled to live, and overall helps to understand the final decision WD had to make.
Later, i jump to the sets of War Doctor (only bc i wanted to listen to John Hurt tbh), i dont have much to say ab every specific story, other than keep praising the work of the cast and writers, charismatic characters, solid writing. I liked see War trying to distance himself from the doctor, but, in the end of the day, still being him, in his own way.
However (and here is when my rant start) i did run into an issue here, and i understand why they kept War (the doctor and the very story of the war of time) as a TV special.
The stories are heavy, the war theme naturally drives that way and they do it amazing, but the death, destrucction, and grey decisions its a bit… exhausting?
And on top of that, the only negative point i found (in general, not just in this sets), the Time Lords are just plain evil lol. Im not asking for them to be Saints, but having them as basically, a major villain wore me down. I understand the idea is portrait how war brings the worst of everyone and justify the final decision of WD, but, a constant of War trying to do the correct and see the whole universe turn against him is… ugh.
In overall i liked all the stories but by the begining of the second set (even though i apreciated it being set on earth) i found myself forcing me to listen. I think i will enjoy it again once i take a break but yeah… that where my rant end (for now)
I think you’re making complete sense, so don’t worry about that! I very much understand where you’re coming from, cause War’s stories are indeed often very bleak. It’s exactly why I love the series, but I admit you do have to be a bit crazy to enjoy such constant misery lol.
Like for example this part of it, I think I would find extremely exhausting, but there’s something I really like about a main character who goes through so much and still keeps persisting. When there’s so much darkness forced upon them, but they can’t help but be a tiny light shining through. And in darkness is when a light shines at its brightest, that’s what makes it so hopeful for me, even when the series is at its most depressing. That there’s always flickers of hope to guide you, even when everything sucks.
War is a character all about hope to me (very Moffat) in the end. He may not have it for himself, but he keeps having it for the universe, no matter how bad the war gets. He keeps going because he believes that one day it’ll be over and life will flourish again. The series shows a lot of hope in bleakness, that’s one of its beauty’s to me. Hope that perspective might help a bit with your feelings towards the series!
I recommend War Doctor Rises Fallen Heroes. In fact as far as I can see War Doctor Rises as a whole is pretty good but especially Fallen Heroes. It’s incredibly unique and should clear up the malaise you have about the repetitive depressing stories by being depressing in a unique and mind trippy way.
That one was really good. Slipped in the last third for me, I was a little lost, but the ending was very good I thought.
