MR 082: The Settling

Interesting that we should do a pure historical immediately after the last one. There are no tedious speeches about changing history being bad, thankfully. That would have been hilariously tone deaf. It is, however, a rather dreary and pointless listen.

Despite this being, what, the fifth story with Hex, he's still not a particularly interesting or engaging character. It's a shame, because the other Big Finish original characters have already done a lot to stand out and make a name for themselves. Evelyn, Charley, and Erimem. But not Hex. He's a much more generic character. To be fair, the Seventh Doctor hasn't had very many good episodes so far in general, not just with Hex. His standouts were a satire of Star Trek and Eurovision in Bang-Bang-a-Boom! and LIVE 34 where he took down a fascist regime. Despite Hex being in that one as well, we didn't really get to know much about him either.

So far he doesn't have much of a unique character. He's just been here to suffer so far, I think. Hex has constantly been in horrific situations and he doesn't have that exploration bug like Ace has. He wants to help, as a nurse, but that's about it. Even in this story, which is supposed to be a Hex character development vehicle, he's still very lackluster, which makes the story a bit boring and pointless really.

I will say that I enjoyed the framing device. We see what's going on through the frame of Hex and Ace talking about it in the TARDIS after the fact so that we can see their feelings. But it's just what you'd expect. Oliver Cromwell's reign of terror was horrific. The story doesn't really add anything to that fact. It's just slaughter for the sake of it. I think the story is trying to humanize Cromwell, but it's pretty hard to do that considering the barbarity of his actions.

We see a horrific slaughter where Ace and Hex fight and the Doctor shelters a pregnant woman... and then we go to another town where there's another horrific slaughter where Ace and Hex fight and the Doctor delivers a baby. Hex falls in with Cromwell and tries to convince him to not be so evil, which fails spectacularly when Hex idly says "oh my god" several times in a row which pisses off Cromwell for Hex taking the lord's name in vein. And he gets whipped and runs away.

You'd think that you'd want to leave after something like this. There's no reason for Hex to stay. He's attracted to Ace, sure, but that's definitely going nowhere and it absolutely shouldn't be enough of a reason to stick around after witnessing thousands of people killed not to mention being tortured almost getting killed himself. Hex hasn't really had any good experiences so far at all. He's just been tortured every time he turns up.

And ultimately the conclusion of this story is that Hex is going to stay and do whatever the Doctor tells him. So what did we learn from this story at all? Cromwell is a monster and Ace and Hex were beaten into submission. Woooo. Just deeply unpleasant to listen to. The Seventh Doctor can't catch a W to save his life I swear. Ah well. At least his tv run was pretty decent.

The Monthly Adventures #82 - "The Settling" by Simon Guerrier

When it comes to the pure historical, I’m really on the fence. On one hand, the focus on actual events and character work forced by lack of sci-fi shenanigans can really strengthen a story and lead to some of the most mature and intelligent material in Doctor Who but on the other hand I find they very often can be boring as sin. Already, fan favourites such as The Council of Nicaea have disappointed me and I was ready to call it quits when it came to untampered history. But along came Simon Guerrier, who has a real knack for this sort of story. And whilst it suffers from the same issues a lot of its peers do, I think Guerrier made a pretty damn good effort.

Arriving in one of the worst atrocities in Irish history, the Doctor, Ace and Hex are separated by the warfare, the latter getting taken in by none other than Oliver Cromwell. Faced with the opportunity, can Hex change a tyrant?

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

This is a story we’ve seen done before. Put back in time, faced with a moral dilemma, can we stop it, can we change it? It’s the usual and very often, I would groan at this but luckily, this is being written by one Simon Guerrier, who I consider a master at both story and character. One tactic he uses to set this morality tale apart from others of its kind is the structure; he begins the story after it’s already concluded, showing Hex and Ace talking over the events in the TARDIS. I really like this approach and it helps to strengthen the central aspect of this story: Hex. Hex is a companion who will go on to be one of my favourite characters in the mythos and The Settling is really the first time he gets to shine. Placed as a nurse in the middle of a battlefield, he’s shacked up with Cromwell and desperately tries to minimize casualties, only for it to backfire on him. Olivier is an absolute sensation in this one, he manages to go from charming to scared to angry to heartbreaking in a half second and he’s really the driving force behind this whole thing. What’s more, the relationship between him and Ace gets some fantastic development and the scenes with them in the TARDIS are written perfectly. Plus, this story interprets Seven in a way we honestly need more of, focusing less on the dark trickster aspect of his character but the clownish and caring personality that often took centre stage on the air. He isn’t plotting here or making grand schemes, he’s delivering a woman’s baby and making casual conversation with a medic. It’s an approach to the character sadly amiss in the EU.

Guerrier’s talents shine through in every aspect of this story. It’s a really intelligently written bit of fiction with a very understated style to it. It moves with a mature, thought provoking stoicism that really makes everything go down a bit easier. It’s a really good depiction of history, the sound effects and storytelling bring the 1600s to life and it doesn’t skirt around or simplify issues. People can die, people can be good and they can be bad and most can be in between. People can make mistakes and people can save the day, not everybody is one thing or the other.

The biggest contribution to this depth is our historical figure of the week: Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell is a very lambasted figure in history; he killed a lot of people and he is hated for that, quite rightly, but the truth of the matter is that he was a human being and was not purely an evil tyrant. I love when a historical takes this approach to history, when there isn’t a true antagonist, nobody’s truly evil or truly good. It was my favourite part of The Marian Conspiracy and it’s my favourite part of this, a great performance and a number of shades of grey really help Cromwell feel like an incredibly deep character.

However, I do consider The Settling to be one of Guerrier’s weaker stories for one specific reason: the plot isn’t particularly strong. I find this is a problem with a lot of stories, a loose plot is a real achilles heel for me. Guerrier is capable of some truly great narrative but The Settling feels very haphazard to me and a lot of things could be improved. For one, the actual scene to scene progression could be tightened a lot, there’s a pretty clumsy time jump in the middle and there’s not much cohesion between subplots. Like, you have Hex getting cozy with Cromwell right beside the Doctor having to care for a pregnant woman looking for her brother-in-law. On their own, these are two perfectly fine stories but they don’t really work together and the flow of the script is very jumpy; the pace is fast but the story takes place over weeks, it doesn’t gel.

And, due to the focus on our central cast, there is quite a large amount of dull soldiers filling out our roster of characters, most of whom I couldn’t tell apart. It made it increasingly confusing as more and more people with identical Irish or Old English accents popped up and I ended up losing track. I appreciate how good our central circle of characters is but it does mean everything else feels like cast fillers.

The Settling was a decent historical with some fantastic character work - in other words, Simon Guerrier’s modus operandi. Whilst I found the focus on character to be to the detriment of a lot of the other aspects, this was still a strong outing for this cast and a good time.

7/10

Pros:

+ 1600s Ireland is incredibly well realised

+ Hex gets some world class character development

+ An intelligent and well structured script

+ Cromwell is a wonderfully layered character

Cons:

- The cast is filled out by generic soldiers

- Very little actually happens in this story

The Settling is a really interesting pure-historical story. It gives a very nuanced portrayal of Oliver Cromwell. His campaign in Ireland is not an area of history that I know too much about, so I can't comment on the historical accuracy, but it certainly makes for good and interesting drama to listen to.

Simultaneously, this is a character piece for Hex. The whole story is told via flashback which allows for plenty of opportunity to get into his mindset and understand his thoughts on the events of this story. He is deeply affected by the events of this story and this is interesting to explore. Ace's thoughts, as a more experienced TARDIS traveller, adds additional depth to this.

Moreover, I'm a fan of the score and most of the acting (although I did not like the acting for the English soldiers too much). Another small thing I enjoyed where the scenes inside the TARDIS which provided an interesting, if brief, exploration of the interior of the TARDIS.

My reason for giving this story 4.5/5 instead of 5/5 is that there were a few small bits that I felt were a little tonally incongruent, particularly the cliffhangers and some of the dialogue of the English soldiers. Other than that minor nitpick, I think that this is a standout story.

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Displaced

Like The Kingmaker before and Son of the Dragon after it this is a historical that succeeds in adding depth to historical figures that are typically depicted as nothing but villainous caricatures. It's easily our best story in terms of Hex's development and his relationship with Oliver Cromwell is a really interesting one.

I love the framing device of Ace and Hex telling this story after the fact, it takes the focus away from the usual "will they/how will they survive" and instead just makes you focus on the characters. I really like this one and it really shows how you don't need sci-fi to make an engaging story.

Next Story: No Man's Land

Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures

#082. The Settling ~ 10/10

◆ An Introduction

We’re moving onto a double bill of excellent stories now, beginning with a pure historical from one of my favourite writers. I’ve often been a proud supporter of the pure historical genre, because the best of them always manage to keep you entertained whilst also teaching you something.

But some of the Doctor’s companions can’t simply observe, they see the horrifying truth and barbarism of history and feel like they need to intervene. Whether that be a history teacher from Coal Hill trying to stop an Aztec sacrifice… or a nurse from St Gart’s Hospital wanting to minimise casualties during one of the worst atrocities in Irish history.

◆ Publisher’s Summary

Note to Sir Arthur Aston, governor of the town of Drogheda, 10 September 1649.

"Sir, Having brought the army belonging to the Parliament of England before this place, to reduce it to obedience, to the end effusion of blood may be prevented, I thought fit to summon you to deliver the same into my hands to their use.

If this be refused, you will have no cause to blame me.

I expect your answer and rest your servant.

O. Cromwell."

◆ The Seventh Doctor

Despite this being only their fifth story together, this TARDIS team is already acting like a tightly nit family. Their interactions with each other are brilliant, and it’s genuinely just a lot of fun to hear them in action. Sylvester McCoy seems to have a lot of fun playing midwife in ‘The Settling’, and his performance is top-notch.

The Doctor used to take on the universe single-handed, real ego-trip stuff (small man’s complex according to Ace). The minute he realises where and when they’ve landed, he wants nothing more than to get back in the TARDIS and leave. His bedside manner when looking after Mary is brilliant, being a perfect listener and not judging her in the slightest. The Doctor’s voice quivers with regret and sadness when he finds Ace, finds out that she ignored his order and fought alongside the Irish. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he finds himself having to deliver Mary’s baby during the Sack of Wexford (he really rises to the occasion though, making an excellent midwife).

◆ Ace

Sophie Aldred absolutely excels in ‘The Settling’, putting on a fabulous performance worthy of Guerrier’s incredible writing.

Ace climbed the snowy mountain in the TARDIS once before. She used to hide in the mountain range when she would have arguments with the Doctor, back in her teens. She cannot believe that the Doctor would have brought them to Drogheda on purpose, but then recalls when he took her to face her own demons at Gabriel Chase. Ace thinks that the TARDIS latches onto hotspots in history; events so big that they effect the vortex, that's why they always end up where stuff is happening. First thing she learnt was to never listen to the Doctor (that sounds like a fast way to get killed). She claims that the captain of Cleopatra’s guard was a friend of a friend; best swordsmen she ever met, and he taught her fencing (he also made a mean fig casserole). Ace sees Hex like a little brother.

◆ Hex

‘The Settling’ is absolutely Philip Olivier’s story. This is some incredibly powerful material, and it would have been so easy to fluff the lines, but he ends up delivering one of his finest performances!

Hex refuses to leave Drogheda because it wouldn’t be right, and it’s clear he wants to help the locals. He isn’t that religious, but seeing a church on fire is just wrong. You hear “thousands dead” and you think you understand it, but being there… it’s nothing like you see on the news; bodies everywhere and guts all over the streets. Hex is a nurse, and he cannot understand why everyone thinks that’s something to laugh at. Listening to Cromwell’s attempts to justify his conquest of Ireland, he is utterly defiant and disgusted – whatever he says, he can’t make it right. You cannot justify wholesale slaughter on moral grounds! It’s been a joke since he joined the TARDIS that “Oh my God!” is basically Hex’s catchphrase, but it backfires on him when he says it in front of Cromwell… who beats him up and sentences him to death as a blasphemer!

◆ Story Recap

1649, Ireland. The Roundheads have laid siege to the small coastal town of Drogheda, with three-thousand Irish Royalists being killed, wounded or captured during the massacre. That’s not even taking into account the hundreds of civilian casualties.

The TARDIS crew arrive and soon find themselves flung into the chaos – with the Doctor acting as a midwife to a pregnant Irish widower named Mary, and Ace joining the fight against the Roundheads.

Hex finds himself captured and brought before Oliver Cromwell, the man responsible for this historical atrocity. He’s still relatively new to time travel, and thinks he can help the Lord Protector settle Ireland more peacefully… but Hex is about to learn that difficult age old lesson of realising you cannot make a real difference to history.

◆ Historical Atrocities

‘The Settling’ is easily one of my favourite pure historicals of all time, and I’d argue that it’s greater than even Evelyn’s debut adventure (bet that remark will annoy some people).

I have a huge amount of respect for the writers who will dive into not only historical events, but the genuine tragedies of the past. I decided to do a bit of research on the Siege of Drogheda before writing this review, and it’s understandable why it’s classed as one of the worst atrocities in Irish history; casualties stretching into the thousands, as Cromwell bombarded the town’s medieval curtain walls with cannon fire. He reportedly saw his fallen Roundhead troops at the breaches in the walls and ordered his surviving forces to leave nobody in the town left alive. In the man’s own words - “In the heat of the action, I forbade them to spare any that were in arms in the town… and, that night they put to the sword about two thousand men.” - the Roundheads even murdered the Irish Royalists who had surrendered at Drogheda (their commander was reported beaten to death with his own wooden leg).

What you’ve got to remember when listening to something like ‘The Settling’ is that history isn’t always adventures to the Wild West, or Barbara being chased around by Nero in a scene reminiscent of Benny Hill. History is very rarely pleasant, and modern society is built on the backs of the dead… Christ, that got depressing!

◆ Sound Design

The Siege of Drogheda is a wall of noise, as Cromwell’s loyalist forces begin massacring those trying to defend the town, and those who are just innocent bystanders. David Darlington has done a fab job at bringing this historical tragedy to life.

Howling winds in the TARDIS mountain range. Gunfire, shouting and clashing swords dominate the siege, whilst rain falls onto the bloody battlefield. Squelching mud underfoot. People crying in Drogheda following the battle, mourning the dead bodies strewn about their town. The TARDIS console room is in the process of being redecorated, according to Ace, so the ambient sounds have now switched to those of ‘The TV Movie’. Mary’s baby cries following the birth.

◆ Music

David Darlington is also behind the score for ‘The Settling’, and it is absolutely stunning. Traditional Irish music that fully embraces the setting of this adventure, the use of the violin in particular here was breathtaking.

When the fighting is in full swing, the score reflects the chaos of the massacre that is about to unfold. Then you have moments like when the Doctor finds Ace injured on the battlefield during part two, where the music becomes really soft yet dramatic. Genuinely one of my favourite scores of any BigFinish play.

◆ Conclusion

“I spent the best part of today keeping her alive!”

Pure historical adventures have always been some of my favourites, but some of the best always add an element of humanity to the drama, often by plunging the TARDIS team right into the heart of a tragedy. In the case of this story, it’s the Siege of Drogheda in 1649.

‘The Settling’ is easily one of my favourite stories Simon Guerrier has ever written for this franchise (which is shocking given how much love his spin-off series, ‘Graceless’, constantly gets from me).

You could also call this story a modern day equivalent of ‘The Aztecs’ because it teaches Hex the same lesson that Barbara learnt all those years ago; time doesn’t care about all the little people. You push time one way, and it will push back.

The performances in this adventure are all top tier, but Clive Mantle steals the show with his portrayal of Oliver Cromwell (attempting to justify his massacre by citing it as God’s will – in a manner not too dissimilar to the way Queen Mary tried to justify burning thousands of Protestants in ‘The Marian Conspiracy’). Philip Olivier also deserves truck-loads of praise for his handling of the material too; this was most definitely Hex’s story.

If you’ve not listened to ‘The Settling’, then you are sorely missing out on pure historical excellence.