Bernice Summerfield review: The Angel of History is an exceptional story for our favorite archaeologist
By James Aggas
The final story of Bernice Summerfield: The Story So Far is something very special, with both a strong story by Una McCormack and an exceptional performance from Lisa Bowerman.
The Angel of History stands out as one of the best stories I’ve heard for Bernice Summerfield. Written by Una McCormack, the episode is a little bit different than usual. While Lisa Bowerman stars in this episode, she’s not exactly playing Bernice, not this time.
Instead, Bowerman plays Annis, an archaeology lecturer who has some very controversial views. Views that could get her into trouble. Views that could send her down a very dark and dangerous path…
McCormack really throws us deep into this story from the start. There’s no explanation for why Bowerman is seemingly playing a different character, or why Annis is completely involved in this world. Is Bernice suffering from amnesia? Brainwashed? Or is something else going on entirely?
But while there’s a good mystery here, what’s even better are the rich themes and characters that McCormack explores in this episode. It’s a clear exploration of discrimination, sometimes in the most subtle ways, other times in forms that are much more direct. But it always feels grounded and believable, fleshing out this unique civilization as a result. And the more we find out about Annis’s story, the more we feel it’s heading towards an inevitable conclusion.
The Angel of History feature Lisa Bowerman and David Warner, who appear in this month’s box set Buried Memories. But we get a very different performance from Bowerman in this story…
(Image credit: Bernice Summerfield/Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.
Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)
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An exceptional performance
Lisa Bowerman’s performance as Annis is fantastic. Annis shares some qualities with Bernice, but what’s great about the character is that she stands out in her own right. Bernice is a woman who does take things seriously, but definitely has a good sense of humor, too. With Annis, you feel that any wit or humor she did have has been eroded away over the years.
She might stand up for what she believes in, but there are moments where she’s made to feel extremely vulnerable because of who or what she is. She hasn’t exactly had an easy life, and there’s the strong sense that it’s only going to get worse before the story finishes. Much, much worse.
Along the way, Annis keeps getting advice from a mysterious “Professor” at the university, played by David Warner. (You can probably guess who he really is.) She finds hardly anything he says helpful, especially as he keeps calling her “Summerfield” for some reason. Warner is great to hear as ever, but this is definitely Annis’s story, as Warner’s Professor prefers to stay more in the background.
The story ends very effectively, giving us a scene that explores both the weight and the impact of history, as well as what archaeology can mean for Benny, sometimes.
I’ve listened to a number of stories from Una McCormack over the years, but I think The Angel of History has to be one of her very best. It’s not an easy story to listen to at times, but it is an excellent one. Not just the best story of Bernice Summerfield: The Story So Far, but quite possibly one of the best Benny stories I’ve heard, too.
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Are you a fan of any stories where regular actors play different characters? Which ones stand out the most to you? Let us know in the comments below.