The 8th Doctor Adventures #1.7 - "Human Resources: Part One" by Eddie Robson

Now that we’re pulling into the finale of the 8DAs’ first series, I have to say that this season has left me lukewarm. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to blow me away or anything but there haven’t really been any episodes that have stood out to me;  there were a couple fun ones, there were a couple mediocre ones, but none that I would call great. So, fearing a clean sweep of so-so scriptwriting and stories, I crossed my fingers and hoped Eddie Robson’s second entry into Series One would be the shining light I was hoping for. And like Royal Mail, my man delivered.

Lucie Miller has been hired! The newest data manager at Hulbert Logistics, she’s ready and raring to plot some coordinates and plan some attacks, between after hour work drinks that is. Trouble is, she keeps having flashbacks of an alien called the Doctor.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

There is something fascinating to me about the corporate setting. It’s like the skinwalker of environments: entirely inhuman, based completely around unnatural, tiresome tasks but wholly reliant on a friendly, personable face. It is ripe for storytelling possibilities in my opinion and a weird niche that has opened up for me is weird office stuff, with things like the fantastic indie game Yuppie Psycho coming to mind (if you enjoy horror, pixel art or both, I highly recommend it). Maybe that’s why Human Resources appealed to me so much because the setting and concept of it all basically revolves around exactly what I’ve just outlined. An office of brainwashed computer jockeys pilot mechs around warzones, with all the systems and strategizing camouflaged as corporate busywork, tactics decided in meeting rooms rather than war rooms. I absolutely love this idea and the parallels to real office life it made, which is complete with all the stereotypes of the workspace: the annoying, pushy boss, the chatty coworker, the uptight suits who speak in corporate lingo, it’s very fun watching these familiar personalities plan war manoeuvres like it was just a regular Tuesday.

The story itself is also pretty simple but endlessly engaging. A nice little mystery that builds spectacularly as it goes on, bit by bit revealed as the true nature of Hulbert Logistics is shown to us. Plus, since its the finale, we also begin to see glimpses as towards the questions we’ve been asking all series. The cast, too, is brilliant, with the aforementioned office stereotypes played to perfection. We also have the Headhunter finally playing a significant role and I think this is as good a place as any to bring her up. She’s great, Katarina Olson nails the sinister and posh attitude and she plays electrically of the brash Smith. Put all this together with a snappy pace and effortless style and I was hooked from the opening scene to the final cliffhanger, which teases the return of the Cybermen next episode (presumably fulfilling the ending lines of Blood of the Daleks: Part Two).

One thing that did really annoy me is the choice to erase Lucie’s brainwashing really early on. Basically, the story opens with Lucie, like the rest of Hulbert Logistics, brainwashed to do the work and not notice that anything’s wrong. This is a great opening, it establishes stakes and could be used to build some major tension down the line. Except, fifteen minutes in, Lucie meets up with the Doctor and is immediately unhypnotised with a magical device the Doctor rangled up out of thin air. It’s a real break in tension that makes the big bad feel a lot less powerful right out of the gate; the story manages to get back on its feet after this moment but it's a real shame nonetheless.

I will also say that the ending struggles quite a bit too, being pretty exposition heavy and leaving little to the imagination. For one, Lucie - with the addition of her coworker, Karen - are jettisoned from the office, which doesn’t bode well for the future of the workspace storyline in Part Two. Meanwhile, the Doctor’s meeting up with the boss and posing as a client so that we can hear the entire plot get revealed in a long and drawn out explanation. I’m fine with this branch of the story being closed by the end of Part One but this is such a tiresome way to do it. That cliffhanger does make me hopeful though, it’s been a while since I’ve listened to a truly great Cyberman story.

Part One of Human Resources was a cracker of a hook, with the added benefit of standing as a great episode on its own. A brilliant setting and central concept mixed with the general talent Robson has for injecting his scripts with personality makes for an engagingly intelligent episode that absolutely is my favourite of Series One so far. Really hoping Part Two manages to seal the deal.

8/10

Pros:

+ Brilliant setting

+ I love the concept of war being merged with corporate environment

+ Great mystery that is engaging throughout

+ Wonderfully characterised and interesting sidecast

Cons:

- Lucie’s brainwashing being immediately reversed just made that whole subplot feel like wasted time

- The ending felt incredibly exposition heavy

This is outstanding! Head and shoulders above the rest of the series with an ingenious premise and an exciting conclusion.

It’s Doctor Who meets The Office, with much of the dialogue pulled from mid-2000s office talk (including the terrible jokes). This is a very engaging and surprising setting for a sci-fi show. Then you get the big reveal - all the staff, including Lucie Miller who has been headhunted, have been hypnotised to perform their boring office jobs in aid of a mercenary army core. This reveal absolutely knocked me off my feet. Impeccably done.

To top it all off you then get the Cybermen making a genuinely surprising appearance at the end!