Doctor of War: Destiny: Time Killers

"We are everywhere at all times."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: September 2022

Series: Unbound 10.02

Featuring: The Warrior, Master

Synopsis 

Arriving on Marinus in search of a temporal weapon, the Warrior and the Master are confronted by a place where time literally is money. As the Master finds himself in changed circumstances, the Warrior finds himself with a deadly decision to make.

Verdict

Time Killers was a decent story to continue the Destiny series of the Doctor of War Unbound adventures! It still doesn't feel like this range has quite achieved what it wanted to do as there seems a lack of consistency amongst each episode, with no real overarching aim and that can be fine as standalone work well, but there is not a huge amount of actual exploration of the Warrior incarnation. There was so much potential when we heard that revamped regeneration as an alternative ending to the events of Genesis of the Daleks back in Dust Devil, but we don't really seem to have advanced the character or incantation a great deal since then. It was nice for him to actually take centre stage here after the very Master-focused opener of Who Am I? and exploring the relationship between the Warrior and the Master was terrific. I liked how the remnants of the Doctor we know were still there as he took offence to the Master being referred to as his companion, and it was just nice for the renegade Time Lord to still have his own desires in coming to Marinus with the Warrior. He was all about destroying both the Daleks and the Time Lords, going to any means necessary to achieve it. I thought the idea of Marinus as a setting was brilliant and the subtle Cyber references with the planet now being upgraded was fun. However, I would have much preferred visiting Marinus at a time more similar to what we saw in The Keys of Marinus. The Voord featuring would have been fantastic! Instead, this was mostly just any other planet but with a name we knew. In saying that, I did appreciate the acid rain being used as an explanation for the Master's emaciated condition and appearance, but it got a little convoluted with two different versions of him. I thought Geoffrey Beavers was fantastic though in alternating between both. Colin Baker was in fine form as the Warrior too, but it does feel strange to hear him playing the lead role that is evil. Horol was an intriguing character and she made for a good villain by the time the episode was finished. The multiple versions of her was an interesting makeup and her position on the planet where time was now currency was really good. I loved that concept and the Warrior and Master being taxed with 15% of their lifespan taken really set the tone for life on Marinus now. Everything happening all at once was a little difficult to try and imagine, but the descriptions and sound effects did a good job in presenting that. I thought the Warrior's lack of remorse was telling at the story's conclusion, and throughout to be honest, as he refused to leave Marinus without whatever was causing the time disruption there. He wanted it weaponised. It was strange to hear the Master as the one showing compassion at the end as after the Warrior used the dematerialisation of multile TARDISes to free the time field of Marinus and cause the paradox in the first place, he shoved the Master out of the TARDIS as he was no longer needed. And then, with Marinus almost certainly being destroyed if he dematerialised a final time, he did so with little regard for the planet or his old enemy. That was a fantastic ending and more of what I would expect from the series! Overall, a good story but I still want more from the Warrior. 

Rating: 7/10