Doctor Who review: Scorched Earth is a rich and morally complex drama
By James Aggas
Exploring complex morality and featuring strong characters, Scorched Earth might be one of the best Doctor Who audios of the year so far.
After the colorful mix of aliens featured in Cry of the Vultriss, we get something considerably more grounded in Scorched Earth, the second story for Colin Baker’s Doctor this year. More than that: we get a story that’s considerably darker and more morally complex than your standard Doctor Who adventure.
The Doctor, Flip, and Constance arrive in a small village near Rouen in 1944. This historical setting is a little more personal for Constance. When she met the Doctor in Criss-Cross, she had been working at Bletchley Park and doing her part in the Second World War. She had always imagined that, when her travels with the Doctor were over, she would return to that fight, even when she knew what the outcome would be.
So visiting a time that’s so close to the end of the war – and seeing something as huge as the liberation of France – affects her deeply. Initially, Flip is just as happy for Constance. That is until she sees the horrific treatment of a “collaborator” – and, much worse, her friend’s reaction to it…
Different perspectives
Flip and Constance are explored in a radically different way in this story. Their conflict is what drives Scorched Earth, and in fact, makes it such a fantastic listen. These two have been close friends for quite some time, and they complement each other really well.
But at the same time, it’s nice to see them on opposing sides. Especially when you can see both of their points of view: Flip is morally outraged at the way someone is attacked and humiliated in this story, but considering that the war is so personal to Constance, you can understand why she’s far less sympathetic towards someone who’s described as a “collaborator”.
In fact, understanding challenging points of view is a key part of this audio. Lucien, a man on a quest for justice, does many questionable things in this story. But as someone who’s only just beginning to see freedom return to France, you can understand why he feels so strongly.
Even the German soldiers are presented with depth. They’re not cardboard cutout bad guys – in fact, they’re not even bad guys. They’re simply soldiers doing their duty. While the story never forgets the atrocities of the Nazis, it’s refreshing to see a different perspective presented of them.
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Complementing the drama
As you can see, there’s a strong human element at the heart of this story. We see the best and the worst of humanity. But, like most historical stories in Doctor Who, Scorched Earth naturally features a more traditional “monster”. Initially, I was worried that this would work against the story and that it would take away from the human drama that makes it such a compelling listen.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, we get the monster, but it’s used in such a way that it adds to the drama and the emotion rather than detract from it. Chris Chapman wisely makes it less of a fleshed-out creature in its own right and more of a metaphor. A metaphor for the destructive power of hate. It works extremely well as a result.
In fact, the whole story works rather brilliantly. Chapman has written a truly fantastic audio that works on several levels: as a drama, as a historical, and as a radically different perspective on our regulars. We’ve had some really great releases this year already in the monthly range, ever since kicking off with the epic Dark Universe back in January. But it has to be said: Scorched Earth has to be the best story of the year so far. An extremely impressive release.
Next. Shadow of the Sun is an impressive production. dark
Have you listened to Scorched Earth? What did you think of it? Do you enjoy more morally complex stories? Let us know in the comments below.