There's a lot of aspects to The Bleeding Heart I found quite memorable. The idea of this planet where people are forced to feel peace on a spa is interesting enough, and has some layers to it I quite enjoyed. This felt like the right kind of sophisticated for Doctor Who - full of weird alien nonsense but also a lot of fun ideas, creativity, and different alien races.

I am mixed about the story ultimately being a thing with the Time War. On the one hand, it's nice to have fallout stories like this and what was done more recently with the Ten & Classic Companion set. However, I feel like it blunts the mystery of Adrianna slightly, who remains a pretty fun and great one-off companion.

Where it is weaker is in performances. Claire Wyatt's Adrianna elevates things a bit, but Briggs as the Ninth Doctor is pretty rough. I didn't mind it as much with The Other Side, maybe Briggs refines his impression slightly over time or just works with the presence of someone like Bruno Langley from the original show returning, but either way I found Nicholas Briggs much less reliable here as the driving force of narration. I better see why people aren't so keep on it.

Still, I enjoyed the story more than I didn't. The writing salvages what could have been a pretty rough experience, especially since some of the sound effects were a little much for me and didn't add things in what I would consider a positive way. A very average experience overall.

This story is just ok, it’s a decent foreshadowing of how 9 and 10’s adventures tend to go and how the war has affected them

Honestly the bad thing about this story is just how bad the voice of 9 is, it sounds nothing like him and it’s distracting

The Ninth Doctor #1

'The Bleeding Heart' (2017) from The Ninth Doctor Chronicles.

After only one televised season and being bound to Earth and its orbit that whole time, having Nine's story begin on a big alien planet was quite fun go experience. I really enjoyed the storytelling and Briggs performance in this - I think it's my introduction to him as well? The reporter companion is nice and has some good moments with Nine. As the plot goes on, however, I began to lose a little interest in what was going on, especially with Rassilon being brought up and everything, but perhaps on a future revisit it'll work better for me there. Not sure if this really served well as a "first Ninth Doctor story" chronologically, but it's a good enough time nonetheless.

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.