How do you even review a story that can only be experienced as a raw, agonisingly beautiful punch to the heart, that covers not only the nature of the doctor's relationships with all his companions but the nature of love itself?

Scherzo might seem quite unassuming coming after the 4 hour epic that was Zagreus just before it, the big flashy finale to what can vaguely be considered a series. But to me personally, Zagreus flopped in every manner, only managing to go on and on, it was a slog and I can hardly tell you what happened because the plot was so convoluted and had so many elements that didn't come together in a cohesive way. It was an incoherent mess that only stood on it's laurels of being an 'epic' in length and having a large, star studded (bloated) cast. Why have all of the 5th, 6th and 7th doctor appear if they aren’t even going to play the doctor after forgetting who they are for practically the entire script?

Anyway, what follows in Scherzo is what I would truly consider the emotional finale, not Zagreus. It produces the greatest character piece doctor who has ever seen about what is in my mind the first time the doctor has ever been in love, or at least since Romana, but they never seemed as devoted to each other as the Doctor and Charley are here. But describing the relationship that is explored as a romantic love not only doesn’t do it justice, it’s a bit of a disservice to the muddy yet heart wrenching relationship that entails a complete devotion to one another.

Whether the time lords were right in their theory that said devotion comes from a need for momento mori, a reminder of death that is usually so far away from a time lord, is something that the Doctor himself constantly goes back and forth on in the story. The theory makes Charley the ultimate prize because she was already supposed to be dead when they met and should have been dead had the doctor not meddled with time to save her. It places Charley in a position as not much more than just a trophy on a shelf

But really I believe he only gives that idea so much credence because he’s struggling to process truly being in love so deeply with Charley and sacrificing himself for her at the end of Zagreus only for her to end up practically dead with him. Because in reality the Doctor didn’t really sacrifice himself for the universe. Most importantly it was for Charley. Love is not something that comes naturally to a practically eternal alien like the Doctor. He does not see or experience it in the same way that Charley does towards him or that we do as humans. But now Charley’s there with him and going to die in this empty dimension with him, his sacrifice was all for nothing. And all of a sudden the way the Doctor understands and experiences love comes to the limelight and at times seems almost human. It is not a love that cares much directly for the feelings that Charley has, not one with a tender touch, because after all he is a time lord and she is just a human. But regardless, the two different loves contrast in a way that make us question the very nature of love.

The act of love and dedication in Charley’s mind of taking the leap of faith to be with the Doctor in this dimension is in his mind the ultimate betrayal of him. So does being in love mean a complete devotion to creating the best outcome for the recipient of your love, even if that means you can no longer be together? Or is Charley right that it’s a complete devotion to always remain at the side of your lover whatever happens, even if this dooms the both of you?

At the end of the story the Doctor chooses to sacrifice himself again for not only her, but a creature that to the Doctor, represents Charley and all his companions abstractedly. Because of course he did, because he always would die so that any version of her could live every time. And in the end when the Doctor and Charley have merged to the point of being one being, they both choose to die on the condition that the other shall live, because of course they do :') Beautiful

As for everything else that surrounds this most harrowing of love stories, the story of the king is a beautiful one and is a perfect addition to the abstract setting and the exploration of the nature of beauty through sound. It sets the tone perfectly. The deeply unnerving jumpscares definitely make sure that you’re on your toes as a listener, the perfect place to be to take in such a conceptual story. They punctuate perfect moments that emphasise the psychological horror aspects of this story, because it is a story that will sit with you in horror and awe and however many other emotions for a while.

The very idea to have utilise the format of audio to the max, to take away every other sense from our characters and to have sound itself pursue and imitate and toy with the Doctor and Charley is absolute genius. It puts us right there in the story, in the same position as out characters in the endless nothingness and truly delivers on the horror that entails. And the sound design is fittingly at it’s absolute best too. I think different aspects of this story stick out to different people. Because it is multi faceted and genre defying, but always horrifying, thoughtful and crazy. As a character piece it is unrivalled and it stands among giants in terms of the best doctor who stories to exist.