The Death of Hope

"The fires of the Eminence will scorch this world."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: November 2014

Series: Dark Eyes 3.01

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Molly

Synopsis

Heron's World, Colony Ro 351. A defeated, desolate backwater world, a human settlement chewed up and spat out by the Eminence war. 

Now the survivors may face an even greater threat than the Infinite Armies that surround them. Because a man has appeared from nowhere and claims to offer salvation. A man with a magic travelling box, and a dark-eyed assistant named Molly O'Sullivan. 

Much more hangs on the fate of Hope Gardner than anyone around her knows. Because the Doctor is watching...

Verdict

The Death of Hope was a great start to the third series of Dark Eyes amidst the ongoing Eighth Doctor Adventures! I don't think this was entirely the opener I was expecting given how things concluded in Eyes of the Master, with Molly being more of a companion to the Master than the Doctor in this episode! That was a fun dynamic and the Master using her as part of yet another madcap plan was terrific. The Doctor was horrified as an onlooker who basically experienced much of the audio in the same vein as the listeners. That was an intriguing dynamic and I really enjoyed having the Eighth Doctor meet Narvin. He's such a brilliant character from the Gallifrey range and I love that he has now crossed over into an ongoing range with the Doctor. I hope he features in more episodes to come this series. I'm not entirely sure where this fits in his timeline, but he seemed much more hardened and involved with the Celestial Intervention Agency than he did when giving Romana his backing for President. That was good and I loved how he wasn't afraid to stand up to the Doctor. He wasn't exactly taunting the Doctor for what was happening with the Master and Molly, but he had knowledge the Doctor didn't and boy did he make that fact known. The Doctor was particularly angered how once he had what was basically his consent to help and put things right, he was shown what was a matrix projection and not the true fate of Hope. She was a strong character alongside the Master and Molly and she was completely under the renegade Time Lord's will. The involvement of the Eminence here was excellent and I think this might have been their best use. They somewhat featured from afar and that somehow made them feel like a bigger threat. The Master standing up to them was superb and I think Alex Macqueen shares similar qualities in the role to Derek Jacobi's War Master incarnation. He has a sense of chill which is impressive and as I listen to him more now he is growing into the role rather nicely. His use for Sally and Molly in particular was very well done and the way he was trying to use the Eminence and their breath of forever and twist it with his own antigens was marvellous. The idea of the Master having people under his control without him even having the need for hypnosis is audacious, but he just lets the Eminence do their work and takes it from there. It's mad but it has logic! Molly's somewhat disoriented state was interesting to explore in the episode as she felt like she was jumping around from London to Ireland and all around. Her dark eyes being used as a cure to the Eminence was good and I liked the setting and people of Heron's World for her to explore. She was able to showcase her nurse abilities and just be compassionate. She could help so she did. It's an admirable quality. The little hints at the Time War were good and I liked the Doctor's annoyed reaction when he realised Narvin had brought him to within orbit of Heron's World. He wanted to help immediately. He didn't enjoy watching from afar, especially where the Master's plan was succeeding, As an opener, this was great and a solid way to set things up for the rest of the boxset. It looks like we're going to get more Eminence than Daleks this series, and Narvin questioning if the Doctor was doing the bidding of hid oldest enemies is a fun dynamic. Overall, a strong opener! 

Rating: 8/10