Doctor Who review: Dark Eyes 2 (Eighth Doctor audio box set)

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

After saving Molly O’Sullivan’s life in the previous box set, the Eighth Doctor thought that the adventure was over. But it’s only just beginning, as the Doctor is forced to face the Daleks, the Eminence and the Master in Dark Eyes 2!

Over a year after the release of the original box set, Dark Eyes 2 was rather different to the first series. For one thing, it didn’t simply aim to tell a single story split across four episodes. Instead, there are four linked stories, with a strong arc running through each of them.

It also wasn’t the only box set planned. While Dark Eyes had been initially advertised as a single, epic story told in one box set, Big Finish eventually announced that it would receive not just one but three sequel box sets.

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Because the writers and producers knew of the extra length in advance, they could also plan each box set just a little bit better.

One more interesting element of Dark Eyes 2? It was the first Eighth Doctor story released after The Night of the Doctor.

It’s funny, looking back on it. Dark Eyes came across as a major story for the Eighth Doctor. A huge turning point that changed everything.

It looked set to be the most important story for his Doctor for a long time to come. He even got a brand new costume to show just how much had changed.

And then, only a year later, he gets his regeneration story. And another new costume to go with it.

Suddenly, we knew where the Eighth Doctor’s final destination would be. Would that affect the direction of the audios? Let’s have a look.

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

The Traitor

The Traitor is a really interesting little story. In some ways, it feels like a natural extension of the story from Dark Eyes. The Doctor is fighting the Daleks once more. Even the Dalek Time Controller has returned.

But at the same time, it’s a very different story, too. This isn’t an epic chase across time and space. Instead, it’s a grim story of humans struggling to survive on a world conquered by the Dalek Empire. People are doing their best to either fight back, or simply survive.

The real focus in this episode is Liv Chenka. As a med-tech, she’s doing her best to look after the injured and help people get better. It sounds noble, but she’s been called a “traitor” for it.

People are angry that she’s making lives under Dalek occupation more bearable. While this sounds noble, the result of this is that the human slaves are more happy to comply with Dalek demands. And some revolutionaries aren’t too happy about that.

Complex morality

What I really enjoyed about this story was how much it explored difficult moral choices. About what people do to survive, or even to do the right thing. It’s not just Liv who has to make difficult choices, either. Even the Doctor is forced to make some very difficult decisions.

It’s also interesting hearing when the Doctor meets Liv, as it isn’t the first time they’ve met. Liv met his previous incarnation in Robophobia. But because Eight acts and looks so different to the more mysterious (and more Scottish) Seven, she has a hard time believing he’s really the same person. So she can’t trust him as a result.

Normally, the story would be how she would learn to trust him. Instead, things are a lot worse by the end of the episode. The Doctor’s choice destroys Liv’s trust in him completely.

The Traitor is a great way to kick off Dark Eyes 2. A nice little continuation of what came before, while also setting things up for the rest of the series. It’s also a great Dalek story in its own right.

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

The White Room

Oddly enough, The White Room doesn’t continue directly from The Traitor. In fact, The White Room doesn’t acknowledge the previous episode’s events in the slightest. (Of course, there’s a very good reason for that.)

Instead, The White Room focuses on the reunion between the Doctor and Molly. Now a nurse and living back in England, she’s been using the Doctor’s house on Baker Street, both to live in and to look after those who need a roof over their heads.

Of course, when the Doctor makes a rare visit to his own house, it’s not long before events start to escalate. Especially when Molly’s “dark eyes” come back…

Compared to the other episodes of this set, The White Room feels a little more standalone, at least plot-wise. And, while there’s an intriguing plot at the heart of it, in some ways, it feels a little standard.

A story of humans exploiting others and the Doctor and his companion getting caught up in it, The White Room is, if I’m honest, the kind of story that I’ve heard or watched many times before. The human antagonists didn’t particularly grab my attention either, if I’m honest.

Return of the Viyrans

Thankfully, things get much more interesting halfway through when the Viyrans show up! I’ve mentioned before how much I love those stupid machines, and this episode is no exception.

They’re as unbelievably dedicated to their mission as ever. So of course, it’s unsurprising that the virus unleashed in this episode isn’t causing half as many problems as they are. And they’re simply trying to find a “cure”. Of course, their attempts to either cure or contain the infection are as extreme as ever.

The White Room isn’t a bad episode. It’s nice to hear Eight and Molly reunited, and the Viyrans are still brilliant antagonists. The questions that are raised are also interesting. But you’re still eager to get back to the main arc by the end of it.

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

Time’s Horizon

Now, Time’s Horizon is when things really start to get interesting. To begin with, it uses a classic sci-fi horror template. A group of humans, stuck in a small ship on the edge of space, find something terrible.

It’s a great template to use, and writer Matt Fitton uses it and understands it very well. He makes sure to include a group of very different personalities. Each of the humans in this story have their own strengths and flaws. They feel fleshed out, which is impressive considering that Time’s Horizon is only an hour long.

But it’s not simply a decent sci-fi horror story. It’s also a major episode for the whole arc of Dark Eyes. Threads start to converge, and we find a lot more hints of what’s going on. Not to mention that a major enemy joins the series in this episode.

Liv and Molly

But what really makes it such a great listen is how the problems of time travel are explored in a very personal way. Particularly between Liv and the Doctor. She hasn’t forgiven him for what he did in The Traitor. But she soon begins to learn that things may not be quite that simple…

We also get to hear the start of Liv and Molly’s friendship. You couldn’t imagine two characters more different. One’s from the far future, the other’s from the last century. Both have very different experiences of the Doctor, and so, both have very different viewpoints.

But they also share a common ground, too. Nicola Walker and Ruth Bradley are a delight to hear as the two companions.

This episode also features the return of the Eminence. It’s interesting that it had only appeared once before, in The Seeds of War.

And that wasn’t even its proper introduction story. While Destroy the Infinite had been recorded first, it wasn’t due for release until after Dark Eyes 2. It’s surprising, really, as that story helped to set up a lot of key mythology.

Still, the way Time’s Horizon uses the Eminence is definitely effective. David Sibley is great at being the voice of the entity, giving the Eminence a lot of depth and malevolence. It really is a perfect voice for a story like this.

Time’s Horizon is another great installment in Dark Eyes. It’s a great genre episode that starts to flesh out the mythology of the series, while also adding plenty of interesting drama into the mix.

Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

Eyes of the Master

The last episode of this set features another exciting return. As you’ve probably guessed from the title, Eyes of the Master features a very old enemy of the Doctor’s.

The Master’s return in this episode was incredibly exciting for two reasons. First, it had been over a year since Alex Macqueen’s version of the character had been introduced in the epic Seventh Doctor audio UNIT: Dominion. We had no idea of where exactly he came from, or how he came to be. So fans were certainly eager to learn more about his incarnation.

The second reason was that, with the exception of anniversary special The Light at the End, this was the first time we actually got to hear McGann’s Doctor face the Master since the TV movie.

More importantly, it was the first time he would meet a version of the Master after the events of the film. So Eight facing his arch-enemy in far too long was truly exciting to hear.

Answers and questions

Did Eyes of the Master live up to the high expectations? I’d say so, yes. While they don’t meet until halfway through, the scenes between McGann and Macqueen are a joy to hear. For one thing, there’s some fantastic banter between the two, and both actors clearly enjoy the dialogue.

For another, there’s a lot covered in those conversations. The explanation of the “new” Master is perfect, and even fits in with what we know. Not just from the New Series, but also from this year’s Gallifrey: Time War.

In fact, there’s a lot that’s explored in this episode. We get a lot of answers, but a lot of questions are raised, too. One thing I was very happy to see explored was the result of the new timeline created at the end of Dark Eyes.

The reset ending was one of the only things I wasn’t too keen on during my first listen. So it’s fantastic that for once, we get to explore the consequences of such a reset.

Eyes of the Master resolves a lot of key threads for this box set. But it’s also keen to set things up for the next one. Even after the episode is finished, it’s definitely not without surprises.

And that’s a good thing. With 3 and 4 announced at the same time as 2, it definitely made sense to leave some things open, at least.

Summary

Dark Eyes 2 is, in some ways, very different to the opening box set. Moving the format from four-part epic to closely linked anthology definitely changed things up for the series.

At times, the change in format felt like there was a little less time to breathe. After all, what I really enjoyed most about the first set were the very personal scenes between Eight and Molly. When they talked about hope and everything they’d been through, that was always really strong and moving drama to hear.

I’m not saying that 2 has none of that. Far from it, in fact. In particular, Liv gets some great character exploration in both The Traitor and Time’s Horizon. Molly gets some moments of interesting drama too, but admittedly not as much as before.

Still, the overall plot of the box set is enjoyable. As I mentioned in my review for Dark Eyes, everything had practically been wrapped up by the end of the previous box set. So it’s quite surprising that this sequel set works as well as it does.

Overall, it’s a nice balance of an epic story with many different strands. At the same time, it still has some of the emotional content of the original box set.

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Have you listened to Dark Eyes 2? Was it a worthy successor to Dark Eyes? Which is your favorite episode of the set? Let us know in the comments below.

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