Out of Time [AUDIO/2020.8.26]

★★★★☆

  Opinions can always change. I've always known this, and how my thoughts changed so drastically on Out of Time is yet another example to me that nothing's sacred, nothing's "set in stone", so to speak. I used to think Out of Time was rather run-of-the-mill, unnoteworthy except for the fact that David Tennant and Tom Baker star alongside each other as the Tenth and Fourth Doctors. Now, things are both much the same and completely different; the plot is still working on tried-and-true territory, but there are a whole heap of enjoyable elements within that plot that I neglected first time around (I mean, to be fair, this was soon after this was released and when I was at my busiest in life). Space cathedrals! Dalek robot duplicate spies! The Fourth Doctor doing a spot of painting to clear his mind! How did I miss out on the fun of all these when I first listened to it? I would never in a million years call Out of Time "bare-bones" now, not when I know it's practically jam-packed. It has kisses to the past, and even nice references to the new series (the big resolution for the story's Dalek problem hinges on one key moment of The End of the World, a reference I didn't remember this time around and was pleasantly surprised by). For me, what's always most important in any work of art (not just Dr. Who) is how it makes me feel, how it stimulates and excites me in their own ways, and Out of Time excited me a lot more than it did last time around. In the past, I used to think this was a novelty act only notable for the Baker/Tennant interactions, and now it's nothing of the sort.

  That doesn't mean, of course, that these two actors aren't spectacular on their own and with each other. The great man playing the fourth incarnation sounds a bit hoarse, but he's near ninty now... bless him for even doing these Dr. Who audios at this point. The fact that he's this commanding in that age of his is nothing short of a miracle, and he doesn't sound a day over fifty. Here he is, matching the manic energy of actual fifty-year old David Tennant; we don't deserve him, do we? I mean, we don't really deserve either of them; Tennant is still so passionate about his Doctor, and his fan-like glee with working with his childhood Doctor is so apparent in the audio drama and his performance. Yeah, it's safe to say I had a blast this time around. Who knew that Four and Ten would get on so well while being very critical of each other behind thin veneers?