ST 7.10 All Hands on Deck (Spoilers Ok)

All Hands on Deck

For three months running now I've enjoyed a new story by Eddie Robson every month, all different and all excellent. This tale of Susan's later life on Earth begins with a mix of nostalgia and humour - and fooled me several times with moments of tension followed by a sudden twist that sent the plot in a seemingly random direction. But they are all connected and the connection leads to a serious and moving ending -

Carole Ann Ford is excellent as the older Susan, using her experience and Time Lord intelligence to act in effect as 'scientific adviser to Earth', as she and her colleagues are faced with a series of strange happenings - before the one we're all waiting for: 'Grandfather!'

A clever and entertaining short trip which seems clearly designed to lead to bigger things: from tiny acorns, mighty oak trees grow....

Well, that certainly answered some questions… and raised many more.

Our review
indiemacuser.co.uk/2017/10/03/review-short-trips-a-heart-on-both-sides-all-hands-on-deck/

This was a great story and I loved that we saw a Susan as a person who has her own place and makes bold, strong decisions for herself. I started a re-listen of Farewell, Great Macedon today, and what a different character we have from the young, perpetually scared Susan to the amazing woman we hear in this audio.

I loved the nostalgia of this piece mixed with a strong sense of the future. The ending was perfect.

Great story. It weaves nostalgia and the high concept together brilliantly. I loved the dead ends the story presented, building up for its final resolution. The imagery of the Doctor and Susan communicating through the video screen is painfully distinctive in my mind.

Makes you wonder what’s next for Susan; the new Gallifrey set perhaps?

I felt that way at first, that I wanted the events of To The Death addressed. I felt that way in the last DC set as well. However I quickly let that go. They couldn't, and shouldn't, have done that in a Short Trip. They need to focus on the story with those. I like to think that they have dealt with the fall out from the end of the EDAs already, we just haven't heard it yet. 

Great stuff this. We are starting to get holes plugged while still having (more) unanswered questions.
I've always liked the older Susan, and it's lovely to hear Carole Ann Ford back again - I didn't have to try to imagine Eighth's face at the end, the vision of heartbreak was already there through the writing and her performance.

Another very, very strong Short Trip release.

Why was I ever worried about stories from the Time War?

Cheers

Tony

Just listened to this yesterday and today. Another great short trip. Another story leading into the Time War. Great stuff. I was really wondering about the custard - just a wacky situation at the time. I have not looked at the cast lists for the 8th Doctor Time War stories yet. Or for that matter those of The Master. Lots of possibilities.

Just listened to this. God, this was amazing and my favourite release of 2017 so far. (Doing a catch-up, so you can say I'm time travelling!)

God, I loved this. Big Finish has never afraid to venture into the dark depths of the human (okay: Time Lord) heart, but this. As someone who is currently struggling (although not relating to a death) due to events in his life, I just. The. Carole Anne Ford narrates - Susan's and the worst thing is: she's regressed. The awareness of where your at and where you should be, the stifling nature of it, dealing with people who are happy and normal and free of darkness, the relentless hurdle of everyday life.  It's portrayed here with little awareness: it simple is. 

Susan isn't okay - and I appreciate that there are no easy answers here: Susan lost her son and her foothold on the world. It was David who made her 'human', it was David who gave her home, friends, family a life. And while I'm sure Susan had friends she cared for, it was her son who kept her there after David. I loved Susan's awareness of her regression back into the rootless teenager: she's not just grief-stricken, she knows where she's at. Believe me, that makes it so much worse. The self-loathing of it,. I relate to this so much. I love that Susan's empathy and wanting to help others cuts her deeper. Who and Where She Is.  And with incredible sensitivity and empathy, Big Finish breach the sci-fi element beautifully with Susan being an alien on Earth. I can't blame her for wanting to keep a distance from humanity after seeing so many people die. It's too painful, especially given Susan is set in her belief she has a long-life to live. All of this feels like a natural progression. We've spent considerable time away from Susan chronologically and this cuts deep, but it feels earnt. This is Where The Time Went since 2010. 



And I love just how honest The Doctor and Eight's relationship: reliasing your parents are just as human as anyone else, their follibies and how frustrating that can be in relation to trauma. No-one can ever be a child again or safe again, however much they want to be. And Susan has every right to be resentful of The Doctor, progression or not. That's always going to be at play, however much they make amends. And from Eight, WANTING to take Susan back to being a child. Silly, silly, stupid Doctor, indeed. And I love how Big Finish are approaching Eight here for those of us who are wary of The War Doctor concept: he should be beyond this now. But what happened? All in flux, guys. Like the Time War itself, an inevitability. Why hasn't The Doctor entered the fight?



I love the ending. I appreciate that this story has no easy answers. Life sometimes doesn't. Susan has to leave humanity behind to move on. It is what it is. Who or what will it will be now is in flux. Susan without humanity is a truly alien prospect. And it's beautifully written for someone who has gone through hard times and had to move on. It's not clunky, it's beautifully done.  I appreciate the reality of it, even though Susan seems set for darknesss. Doctor Who has now lost IT'S cornerstone now in the period that was and still is. The Doctor doesn't just see himself in the mirror or in his own darkness...... I'm not advocating darkness here. There's hope. We're not skirting around the edges, guys -we're in Eight's endgame now. All else is truly retrospect.