Doctor Who review: The Eighth of March – Narcissus (UNIT)
By James Aggas
When one of their own goes missing, UNIT sends two of their best agents to investigate, in the final episode of Doctor Who box set The Eighth of March – and they’re both Osgood!
Narcissus, the last episode of The Eighth of March box set, explores an idea that wasn’t properly explored in Doctor Who. Specifically, the two Osgoods
Oh, the show introduced the idea at least, back in Osgood’s first episode The Day of the Doctor. And it was heavily referenced in her third TV story, The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion. But that was during the aftermath of the death of one of the Osgoods in Death in Heaven. A new Osgood was introduced in Zygon Inversion, but only at the very end of the episode.
Narcissus is set some time after this point. The two Osgoods aren’t exactly getting along well. The problem is that they’re too similar and too brilliant at what they do, with each trying to outshine the other.
When one of their own goes missing after investigating a new dating agency, however, they aim to work together. They also plan to use their shape-shifting abilities to their advantage…
The audio series UNIT has been going on for quite a while now. The team from this series feature in the last episode of The Eighth of March.
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
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Dual role
Ingrid Oliver had an incredibly tricky job with this one. Playing different characters in the same story is tricky for any actor. But when you’re voicing multiple versions of the same character, and still need to make it clear which one is which, that’s definitely quite the challenge.
Fortunately, Oliver plays both Osgoods brilliantly. She finds a way of making each of them stand out, while recognizably being the exact same character. She’s especially impressive when she’s playing them both in the same scene and having them argue with each other. Seriously, it’s an absolute wonder to listen to.
Sarah Grochala’s script deals with interesting themes. What we’re attracted to, what makes us attractive, and how we feel about ourselves. These aren’t exactly themes that UNIT explores often, so it’s refreshing to see them explored with the team in this story.
Narcissus is an interesting take on an idea that’s been rarely explored. It’s also a strong way of rounding off The Eighth of March box set. Up until now, the UNIT series has been set entirely before The Day of the Doctor, but after this episode, I hope that this isn’t the last time that we hear from the two Osgoods.
Next. Series Twelve: Five writers that need to come back. dark
Do you think the two Osgoods should have been explored more on television? Is Osgood one of your favorite characters from Moffat’s era? Would you like to see a UNIT spin-off on television? Let us know in the comments below.