Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Chronicles

#1.01. The Bleeding Heart ~ 5/10

◆ An Introduction

War changes ordinary people into battle-scarred veterans: they receive mental trauma that will last a lifetime, long after the conflict has reached its conclusion. The so-called “planet of peace” sounds like an ideal place then for one such veteran to seek solace… but nothing is ever that simple in the Doctor’s life.

I’ve been avoiding this box set since the day it released. Time to discover whether or not I was right to do so. Bring on the Briggleston!

◆ Publisher’s Summary

Galen is a place where people come to heal. The renowned 'planet of peace' seems the ideal venue for talks between two warring races. But when death disrupts the diplomacy, Cosmic Nine news reporter Adriana Jarsdel uncovers a different story. Luckily, someone is there to help. A battle-weary veteran from another war. The Doctor has come to Galen – but is he looking for peace or something else entirely?

◆ The Ninth Doctor

Cavan Scott has tried doing something quite interesting with ‘The Bleeding Heart’. The Doctor is still reeling from the atrocities he witnessed during the Time War: he’s a broken man searching for peace, which explains his trip to Galen. The hallmarks of this incarnation are still present – the Northern charm and a light-hearted, goofy demeanour – but you really get the sense that the horrors of war are fresh in his mind.

Nicholas Briggs dons yet another Who-related hat for this release, channelling his best Ninth Doctor. Unfortunately, his impersonation – which I will hence forth be referring to as “Briggleston” – doesn’t quite land. Though you have to take into consideration that impressionists and actors are two very different things: not everyone can be Jon Culshaw.

The Doctor is described as being a tall man with tightly cropped hair. Using his psychic paper, he claims to be a representative of the BBC Transworld Service. When that doesn’t work, he falls back on an old bluff; claiming to be an Earth Examiner investigating the peace talks. The sonic screwdriver is the best friend he’s ever had. Peace, love and understanding are all at the top of the Doctor’s list, or at least they used to be.

◆ Story Recap

The Doctor has recently arrived on the planet Galen. Renowned for being the “planet of peace”, talks between two warring races are well underway.

Unfortunately, the diplomacy is swiftly interrupted when one of the delegates is found murdered; drowned in her own mud bath!

Something is influencing the people on Galen to kill, and convincing them that death will release these people from pain. Something that was sealed at the very heart of this planet during the Time War…

◆ Killer Compassion

The Compassionate are an interesting concept, though I feel like more could’ve been done with them: creatures that can influence people to kill by toying with feelings of grief.

Rassilon had them imprisoned within a rift at the heart of Galen, fearing that the Daleks would weaponise such a unique species. Thousands of Time Lords weeping on the battlefield, paralysed with grief and mourning the very existence of their mortal enemies. They would be utterly defenceless.

A weapon like that could have changed the tide of the Time War. Instead, their psychic abilities caused good feelings to radiate from the core of Galen.

◆ Sound Design

Narrated episodes often work best when the sound effects are kept to a minimum. Joe Meiners clearly understood that whilst working on ‘The Bleeding Heart’.

Members of the Free protest outside of the conference centre, chanting away in monotone. The thumping hooves of a Horajian general; her voice thundering with the force of a small earthquake. The bubbling of a relaxing mud bath. The Free stop chanting and start sobbing; all of them effected by the Compassionate.

◆ Conclusion

“I hear your pain. I see your pain. I must heal your pain!”

This episode was setting itself up to be a showcase of the trauma the Doctor received during the Time War, but that basically only gets explored in the last ten minutes. In reality, ‘The Bleeding Heart’ is a murder mystery that features a bunch of grief-stricken zombies.

I honestly expected that this box set would be the easiest thing to review: do a couple of jokes about the hammy Eccleston impersonation, an anecdote about how Jackie Tyler is now the internet's mother or some such nonsense. Unfortunately, this first episode was completely middle of the road.

Good grief, this was a pain in the [REDACTED] to review! The written equivalent of a wallpaper paste sandwich.