Way of the Burryman / The Forth Generation [AUDIO/2022.2.16]

★★★☆☆

  Out of all the Ninth Doctor Adventures audios I've listened to so far (which aren't a lot, admittedly), this two-parter finale is definitely my favourite. It feels as if Christopher Eccleston's finally found his perfect spot and flow as the Ninth Doctor, after more than 15 years and four boxsets. It's not just a matter of being faithful to how he was in Series 1, it's also about how confident he sounds — and the Doctor here is the outwardly odd and internally fractured amalgamation of all the hopes and dreams of the universe incarnate we find so familiar yet novel every time.

  Part one, Way of the Burryman, is a beautiful tale about the meaning behind history and remembrance for those that are lost, as well as a touching and sweet reunion of the Doctor and the old Brigadier... which is why, truth be told, the entire Cyberman blazing-guns routine of The Forth Generation comes as a very slight letdown. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing particularly wrong about the second part; it's just that after the rather new and (for this range of stories) uniquely paced predecessor, anything that goes to tread all familiar ground would be a step down in my eyes. There are the exciting bits, the scary bits, the emotionally bitter bits (Sam's girlfriend being partially converted, for one thing) and the heroic bits — all things you'd find in any normal Cyberman story. I just wish one day Big Finish would try something really outside the box with these new series Doctors.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  What impressed me the most about Way of the Burryman / The Forth Generation was Christopher Eccleston himself. As stated before, he sounds completely comfortable in the role now and fired up with wherever the scripts take his character to next. I'm glad he took all the time he needed to acclimatise to his old role, and I'm also happy that he was given a script that, at least in its first half, tries to be something new.