Doctor Who: Ravenous 1 review (Eighth Doctor audio)

Big Finish

Over a year after the climactic events of Doom Coalition 4, we finally find out what happened next to the Eighth Doctor, Liv and Helen in Ravenous 1. Was it worth the wait?

Ravenous is a box set that has been highly anticipated for a while now. After all, Doom Coalition ended on a massive high when it came to a close in its fourth box set. Across four episodes, we had major resolutions to ongoing arcs, a variety of villains, and a lot of drama, both epic and personal. On top of that, we also had River Song, the Weeping Angels and the Monk!

However, while everything was resolved, we also had a huge cliffhanger when companion Helen went missing along with insane psychopath the Eleven. With the high quality of the previous box set, and a huge cliffhanger to follow on from, would Ravenous 1 live up to the hype?

Big Finish

Their Finest Hour

Despite continuing directly from that same cliffhanger, with Eight and Liv in the TARDIS, eager to track down Helen, Their Finest Hour is a surprisingly standalone story. This was something that producer David Richardson had told us would happen: an increase in standalone stories for this arc.

Still, it’s surprising to hear in the first episode of Ravenous 1. Particularly when compared to the opening of Doom Coalition, The Eleven. That opening episode kicked off the series arc in a big way. By comparison, Their Finest Hour is considerably more low-key. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing by itself. But it initially takes some getting used to.

Having said that, it does feature one key, major moment. Specifically, the first time we hear a Classic Doctor meet Winston Churchill. Considering that Victory of the Daleks revealed that the Doctor and Churchill had known each other for a long time, this was always a likely scenario. Still, it’s certainly thrilling to hear Ian McNiece’s Churchill talking with McGann’s Doctor.

Speaking of Victory, Their Finest Hour has a rather similar feel to it, in some ways. While it thankfully doesn’t include multi-colored Daleks, it has a very light overall feel to its plot. Almost too light, at times. The ending however does provide an emotional kick, at least.

Their Finest Hour feels closer to a light Russell T Davies introduction episode than an explosive beginning. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s possibly not the best way to introduce this series. Particularly since Ravenous continues directly from the last one, with no companion introductions.

Big Finish

How to Make a Killing in Time Travel

Once again, we get another standalone story. You might think, with its title, that How to Make a Killing in Time Travel would feature plenty of, well, time travel. But it doesn’t.

Instead, the story focuses on a mixture of crime story and farce. In the behind the scenes interviews, it’s described as being like a Cohen Brothers type of story, such as Fargo. A kind of black comedy where the criminals just make things worse for themselves as the story goes on.

To be honest, that sounds like a rather odd kind of story to tell with Doctor Who. While its been able to take some genres that are more typically aimed at an older audience, like horror, and make it more family friendly, somehow, this kind of genre seems unusual for Who.

Normally, stories where events start to escalate rapidly due to simple misunderstandings can be very enjoyable. But there was something about How to Make a Killing in Time Travel that doesn’t seem as compelling as it should be.

A longer length?

In previous reviews, there are times when it’s been speculated whether a longer length would have actually worked better for some stories. (Such as for Immortal Beloved.) That might very well be the case for How to Make a Killing in Time Travel.

Some characters come across as rather flat, particularly a bullying character who felt far too one-dimensional. And while so much going on between characters is a common trope to these kind of farces, none of it feels fleshed out enough. If this had been a story in the main range, where stories are usually told across two hours, there’s a chance it could have worked better.

That’s not to say that the episode isn’t without its funny moments. The character of Stralla is especially fantastic. She goes from coming across as timid and stressed, to someone who keeps making one bad choice after another. She’s by far the standout character of the episode. It’s just a shame that the story doesn’t feel as fleshed out as it should be.

Big Finish

World of Damnation

And here we come to the crucial episode. Essentially, the reason many of us would buy Ravenous 1. Because World of Damnation finally continues the story from Doom Coalition. Properly, this time, as we focus on two major characters: Helen and the Eleven.

After wondering for so long about what had happened to these two, it’s incredibly satisfying to at last get some answers. And the answers are not just satisfying, but surprising, too.

From the opening moments of this episode, we instantly discover that things have radically changed between these two. Helen and the Eleven are given really interesting scenes dramatically that they certainly wouldn’t have had in previous episodes. It’s really interesting hearing how much their relationship has changed, in a big way.

Once again, Mark Bonnar is nothing short of magnificent as the Eleven. He’s as gloriously insane as ever, which considering this episode takes place in an asylum, is of course rather fitting. But he also gets to play brand new sides to his character, too. The Eleven, in some ways, seems to be a changed man. But is it a change that’s as genuine as it appears?

The Kandyman

The Eleven isn’t the only major villain to appear in this episode, either. We’re treated (pardon the pun) to a brand new version of an old enemy: the Kandyman.

Originally appearing in The Happiness Patrol, he was previously seen as a robot made entirely out of, you guessed it, candy. However, while the monster was always envisioned as having a focus on killing people in ways involving sweet foods, the author Graeme Curry had envisioned the character to be more humanoid in outward appearance. In fact, when he wrote the novelization to The Happiness Patrol, he ignored what had been put on-screen and stuck to his original vision.

While Ravenous completely acknowledges what had originally been seen on television, it also reworks the character and makes him closer to the humanoid psychopath that Curry intended. As a result, the character is considerably creepier than his previous appearance.

Especially as Nicholas Rowe gives us a really great performance in the role. Outwardly, he acts nice, and enjoys giving people so many sweet things. But there’s always something sinister and creepy just beneath the surface, too.

World of Damnation is the first episode of Ravenous that feels significant, but it’s also only half the story, as it leads directly into…

Big Finish

Sweet Salvation

As this is not just the last episode of Ravenous, but also the second half of the story started in World of Damnation, there’s not too much that should be given away with this one.

We do start to get a lot of answers to all the questions raised in the previous episode, at least. We also learn the full extent of the Eleven’s and the Kandyman’s plan. It also shakes up the story by moving it from the setting of the previous episode to a different world entirely.

However, the real draw of Sweet Salvation? The long-awaited reunion between Helen and the Doctor and Liv. While we won’t discuss details like how it happens, it’s definitely great to hear the trio reunited again.

But it’s not a completely happy reunion. Things have changed since the end of Doom Coalition, and one of the characters isn’t sure what to make of the other. Hearing this element of distrust really does shake up the relationship, and you’re left to wonder if things will ever be the same again.

Overall, Sweet Salvation is a satisfying conclusion to the box set. It resolves not just the story of World of Damnation, but also the key thread of this box set, too. However, as it’s only the first volume in the series, it also hints at what’s to come for the rest of Ravenous…

Summary

Since Doom Coalition 3, every Eighth Doctor box set had been written entirely by John Dorney and Matt Fitton. And every box set since then has been absolutely brilliant. Not just Doom Coalition 3 and 4, but also last year’s The Time War 1. All of these releases have been of an incredibly high standard.

Until now.

While the arc episodes World of Damnation and Sweet Salvation were really great to listen to, the standalone episodes didn’t work quite as well. It’s not that it’s a bad idea to include standalone episodes in this series. Far from it, in fact. As enjoyable as the heavy arc episodes are for the Eighth Doctor, he’s had a number of brilliant standalone stories in the past, too.

But the standalone episodes in this set didn’t work quite as well as they should have. Their Finest Hour was enjoyable, but perhaps too light for the series, especially considering what it was continuing from. And How to Make a Killing in Time Travel definitely could’ve been handled better as a longer story.

A direct continuation

It should also be pointed out that Ravenous continues off Doom Coalition so directly, too, which makes the choice of lighter episodes for the start very surprising. While it was easy for someone to jump completely on board with Doom Coalition 1, without needing to listen to Dark Eyes or any Eighth Doctor stories before then, Ravenous doesn’t just deal with the consequences of the previous series. It even features a key major villain from it.

And with no new companions introduced, you’re essentially seeing it through the eyes of characters who know exactly what’s going on. As a result, Ravenous 1 is far less accessible to new listeners than Doom Coalition 1.

This isn’t a criticism. In fact, it’s nice that loyal Eighth Doctor fans are being rewarded with continuing storylines like this by Big Finish. Especially as easier jumping-on points are given to new fans with releases like The Time War 1. But at the same time, the stories told in this volume don’t feel entirely right because of that.

More to come

However, it’s also important to remember that this is only the first volume of Ravenous. There’s still much more to come, and there’s plenty of time for the series to improve. Especially as that’s precisely what happened with Doom Coalition. While the second half of the series was simply amazing to listen to, the series definitely took some time to truly find its feet before then.

It should also be mentioned that Ravenous 1 is, on the whole, a pretty solid box set. It’s just got some way to go before it matches the exceptional quality of other recent Eighth Doctor releases.

Next: Overview: Eighth Doctor Adventures: season three

Have you listened to Ravenous 1? Do you agree with this review? Are there other Eighth Doctor stories that you enjoy? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.