The Horror

The War Doctor Begins #4.3

Released: 13 December 2022

Listened: 2/10/23

Except the cliffhanger is immediately subverted in the most boring way possible. Throughout the story, we’ve been getting hints that the Barber-Surgeon knows the Doctor well. Like, really, really well. And these hints get even more specific until finally the Doctor guesses what the listener guessed in episode 1: that the Barber-Surgeon IS the Doctor. Except he says that isn’t. Except that he keeps piling on the references even after that, so who the heck knows? This story is awfully talky, with the Barber-Surgeon hinting that he’s the Doctor who does what the Doctor can’t bring himself to do. Except, of course, that’s what the War Doctor is, isn’t it? I don’t think we really learn anything about the War Doctor or his feelings about the War. In fact, the whole story feels like an unfortunate waste of time.