Zagreus [AUDIO/2003.11.21]

★★★★☆

  This might come off as nonsensical to some, but I generally vastly prefer anniversary stories like Zagreus to purely operatic ones, such as The Three Doctors... maybe even The Day of the Doctor. Not that I dislike the way those formulas incorporate fan-pleasing elements with a digestible narrative -- far from it -- but I love it when Doctor Who steps outside its comfort zone and tries something new. Something bold, something not done before. Even Zagreus's biggest detractors would have a hard time pointing to it and saying it's the same old story, now, wouldn't they? There's an undeniable sense that Alan Barnes and Gary Russell (the latter of which is notorious for using continuity as an endless playground at the best of times) are having fun rearranging, creating and cutting away what is considered "canon" for the sake of their enjoyment. There's a passion behind this project, I can feel it and I love it. 

  Zagreus isn't your typical multi-Doctor story at all. I'm not even sure if it can be classified as a multi-Doctor story, since there's technically one Doctor in this behemoth of an audio drama (that being the then-incumbent Eighth incarnation, with whispers of three of his past incarnations and an even fainter whisper of his third face). Nonetheless, its status as an anniversary special is unmistakable with its cast being comprised almost entirely of actors who've played Doctors or companions in the past, and -- again, this is purely my opinion -- giving them different roles to paly in all these ridiculous scenarios detailing the end of the universe brought on by the Divergence was a great choice. So many anniversary specials focus on interactions between established characters, and they're great for what they are, but we've had so many stories of that mould; for once, Doctor Who strived to be different, bold and boundless, and this was the result. I suppose the fan reception both at the time and nowadays show how polarising the result turned out to be, but I'm a firm supporter of it. Creativity trumps all, and no one can call having the Doctor trapped inside a Schrödinger's box by a ten-foot tall cat lacking creativity.

  Is Zagreus messy? Sure. It's a Gary Russell script and it's an anniversary script, so of course he goes to town with the references and little fan-pleasing moments, especially in the third episode when everyone ends up on Gallifrey. Alice in Wonderland is used as a heavy inspiration, and dreams and reality collide for a tale about a monster of Anti-Time living within the Doctor and the secret of Gallifreyan society, of its great founder Rassilon and his nefarious past. All bets are off, as we get ultra-serious moments interspersed with a Walt Disney expy crying about his amusement park being devoid of children while animatronic animals and faeries engage in war with each other, and listening to this four-hour behemoth is such an intoxicating experience. Zagreus is the definition of madness, almost as mad as the Doctor is in this story, and some things will undoubtedly feel like a sword to one's chest -- you can definitely point an accusation that it's generally clumsy with its elements -- and I'd agree. I'd agree on all the faults you identify within this work, but I'd personally say tha those faults make the adventure what it is: a bold new step for Doctor Who (at the time), warts and all, and a fresh new take on a multi-Doctor anniversary special. Bless Paul McGann and India Fisher for giving their entirety to this project, because you can hear their emotions sing songs of pain as they bring to life these intimate, touching, almost laughably cringeworthy but nonetheless essential moments with each other. It's insane, it's complete fanfiction on many conceivable levels and it's still fairly polished and clumsy at the same time. I love Zagreus for it. 

  The journey is set. The Doctor is no longer welcome in his own universe, and he carries his Anti-Time-infected self to a Divergent universe with Charley... and their adventures would never be the same.