The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up

"What could trouble a wizard from the future?"

Writer: Nev Fountain
Format: Short Story
Released: May 2004
Printed in: Short Trips: Past Tense 13

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel

Synopsis

Wessex, 9th century. The Doctor visits King Alfred, ostensibly to encourage him. Alfred is disguised as a harpist, staying in a swineherd's hut, so that he can spy on the Vikings. He's ready to give up and is convinced that his rival, King Guthrun, is a godless heathen with no Christian honour, but the Doctor has other ideas?

Verdict

The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up was a pretty average continuation of the Past Tense edition of the Short Trips collection from Big Finish. I didn't quite understand why the Doctor was never named and I really fail to comprehend the logic behind that when his appearance is described and it was so obviously the Sixth Doctor. I didn't like that from the off. I thought those descriptions were a little harsh too with the Doctor being compared to a pig! Like, for real. I didn't see that coming and was quite taken aback as I don't think that's fair at all for Colin Baker. I can understand how they were linking that with the whole getting fit programme that Mel has had him on since The Trial of a Time Lord, but that seemed a tad harsh in my book. This one seemed a little similar to White Man's Burden for me with not much of a plot actually occurring and some interesting dialogue. However, there were no former companions coming into that one and this was considerably shorter at just eight pages. There really is only so much you can do with that small amount of pages, but I wasn't too disappointed with what I read. There were definitely elements I did enjoy and having the Doctor in the 9th century before England was even known as that was fantastic and a little unfamiliar. He'd met King Alfred and knew that he was disguised, but the monarch didn't seem overly surprised by that. Taken aback, sure, but he wanted to know more about the wizard's (The Doctor) knowledge. The Doctor flat out admitted he was from the future which was an interesting move and he got himself right involved in history! One thing that has occurred a lot in this collection of adventures is that the Doctor has interfered with history? Has it always supposed to happen this way? I'm not overly convinced. The Doctor appeared to have no other motive for being in Alfred's presence than to give him the encouragement he needed to keep going in his battle for kingship against Guthrun. I would have liked a little more background on what was going on in the country and continent at that time with the Brits and the Danes as that's a historical period I know a little about, but not enough in detail. I would be keen to have been fed a little more about the significance of the Doctor being there and pushing Alfred into continuing the fight just when it seemed he would give up. I did find it quite humorous, but also silly, that the Doctor's real purpose for being there was just to steal the King's cakes. Mel had him on his diet and he wasn't a fan, so he flat out lied to her about needing to go on top secret solo missions where the fate of Time was on the line. In reality, he was just dropping into history and stealing some junk food! I can imagine the Sixth Doctor doing just that at this point in his life so I thought it was funny, even if a little annoyingly silly. Mel was none the wiser but she would surely catch on before long. Overall, a somewhat decent adventure but difficulties were with the word count.

Rating: 6/10