Doctor Who review: The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles: War Wounds
By James Aggas
We’re given a deep glimpse at a rather overlooked character in War Wounds, the second story of Doctor Who box set The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles.
The character of Danny Pink didn’t particularly stand out for me during Doctor Who‘s eighth series. For a long time, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. He seemed like a nice enough character, and his history as a soldier added an element of tragedy – a tragedy made even greater by his eventual fate in Dark Water. But for some reason, he didn’t grab me quite as much as other major characters.
It’s funny that it takes a story that makes me love Danny Pink to really highlight why he didn’t stand out before: Clara. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I think Clara worked as a great foil to the Twelfth Doctor.
However, as much as Steven Moffat tried to flesh out Danny, and despite giving him some tragic backstory, it has to be said: Danny Pink’s main role in Series 8 was primarily of being a love interest for Clara. His story was essentially based around her: whether it was going on a date with her, discovering her secret life with the Doctor, or just simply coming between the Doctor’s and Clara’s close relationship, Danny Pink never got much of a chance to shine as his own character.
Until now, thanks to the excellent story War Wounds by Mark Wright, the second tale featured in The Twelfth Doctor Chronicles.
Jacob Dudman and Samuel Anderson work well together in this story.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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Danny’s own adventure
At the beginning of War Wounds, Danny Pink walks into the TARDIS while the Doctor is hoping to pick up Clara. Naturally, when Pink gets whisked away on one of the Doctor’s mad adventures, neither of them are really happy about it. But both of them make the best of the situation, while also learning to trust each other more.
Samuel Anderson returns to play Danny Pink for this story. It’s great to hear his voice again, and it really does sound like he’s never left the role. It’s also great to see his character put into a war situation, and a rather difficult one, too. Naturally, it affects him on a deep level, giving us a fresh look at what makes Danny Pink tick.
I also have to commend Jacob Dudman’s performance in this story. While he provides plenty of narration and voices many characters, writer Mark Wright makes the smart decision of focusing on Twelve and Danny as much as possible.
It’s honestly during these scenes that it becomes the easiest to picture Capaldi’s Doctor at his best. While I’ve commented before about how Dudman can only capture Capaldi’s voice to a certain extent, he captures the spirit and essence of his Doctor so perfectly when performing opposite Anderson, and the banter between their characters is fantastic to hear. The strength of Dudman’s performance also helps to add extra weight to the more dramatic scenes between the Doctor and Danny. Especially during the story’s bittersweet ending.
War Wounds definitely stands out as a Doctor Chronicle. It’s extremely character driven, and it gives us a great look at a rather overlooked character. Definitely a strong entry for this box set.
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What are your thoughts on Danny Pink? Do you think he was underserved on television, or just underrated? Are you glad he’s explored on a deeper level in this story? Let us know in the comments below.