Doctor Who review: Battle Scars gives us a great glimpse of the Ninth Doctor’s early days
By James Aggas
In the aftermath of the Time War, the Ninth Doctor faces a difficult problem when he meets the Daniels family, in the latest Doctor Who Short Trip, Battle Scars.
July’s Short Trip was quite a significant release for the Doctor Who audio range. Battle Scars is a rare glimpse of the early days of the Ninth Doctor, as he struggles with surviving the Time War.
This is the first story in the Short Trips range to focus on Christopher Eccleston’s iconic Doctor, and it’s probably the earliest glimpse that we’ve had of the incarnation yet. This is set some time before Rose, or at least, when he’s not travelling with her. The Time War is still very fresh for him when he meets the Daniels family.
The Doctor is at a very delicate point in his life in this story. He’s learning how to be the Doctor again, and he’s struggling with that. Meeting the Daniels family seems to offer him a nice chance of recovery. Until he finds out about their plans to go on a certain ship’s maiden voyage…
Battle Scars explores a period of the Ninth Doctor’s life only briefly glimpsed in the TV series.
(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
Survivor’s guilt
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As you’ve probably guessed, this story expands on one of the Ninth Doctor’s many adventures that Clive described in New Series opener Rose. Battle Scars doesn’t expand the reference into a big adventure, but it does make for a great short story, one which features lovely little links and nods to the New Series.
Selim Ulug’s story is a great little character study. Not just of the Ninth Doctor, but of the Daniels family and people they know, and how they all cope with the aftermath of the Second Boer War. Having several of the characters recover from such a conflict is a nice way of showing that the Doctor isn’t alone in his grief or guilt.
Nicholas Briggs’s narration is as dependable as ever. He’s very good at bringing numerous characters to life, and knows how to draw the listener in. His Eccleston impression isn’t perfect, but it does do a serviceable job for the story, at least.
Battle Scars is another strong entry in the Short Trips range. It’s a great glimpse of the Ninth Doctor before his travels with Rose, a glimpse that shows us a Doctor who’s learning how to be the Doctor all over again.
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Would you like more stories that explored the early days of the Ninth Doctor? Which briefly referenced adventures do you think could be explored further by Big Finish? And do you think Christopher Eccleston will ever play the Ninth Doctor again? Let us know in the comments below.