Doctor Who Audio Review: Once the Doctor, Now The Wild Card

The War Doctor Rises: Unknown Soldiers continues the intriguing set of adventures in which the incarnation known as the War Doctor continues his participation in the all-encompassing Time War in this range of Doctor Who audio plays presented by Big Finish Productions. Timothy X. Atack is the scriptwriter with Helen Goldwyn returning to the director’s chair.

Jonathon Carley resumes his efforts to portray this darker version of the Doctor and continues to perfect his impression of the late John Hurt, who originally portrayed the part onscreen and did his own set of audio plays not long before his death.

The Daleks are once again voiced by the incomparable Nicholas Briggs. Isla Pars, Andrew James Spooner, Phillipe Bosher, Simon Kane, Amanda Shodeko, and Adam Martyn make up the talented guest cast.

The War Doctor gains a new moniker, Wild Card, as he is recruited by fellow Time Lords and a ragtag group of fighters as they hunt for someone known as the Blind Bomb Maker. For once, the War Doctor isn’t calling the shots, but he is instrumental in this latest stage in the Time War. He was not renamed Wild Card without reason.

The story is a bit long and somewhat complicated for audio format; however, it is still a worthwhile experience because of Carley’s continued excellence in this role. The war Doctor being part of a somewhat strange unit that includes a talking squirrel-like creature seems kind of unusual. Now that I write this, it sort of gives off Guardians of the Galaxy vibes.

There is also an exiled Time Lord who is known as a traitor, but her memories have been partially erased where she cannot explain why she committed a supposedly treasonous act. There is a dying Movellan with a cheeky attitude, which is rather strange since that is an android race.

Atack provides a pretty intriguing group of companions for the War Doctor. The War Doctor not quite in the lead is rather unusual, but I found that it gives the expectations a needed shake-up. Fans shouldn’t worry because he still gets plenty to do and does help drive the story considerably.

Anyway, it’s another solid addition to the range and a nice feather in Big Finish’s cap.