What’s it about: London, 1945. Winston Churchill campaigns for re-election. His new strategic adviser assures him that Britain has a bright future under his continued leadership. It’s a vote he can’t possibly lose. But the Doctor knows that he must. The Monk is meddling, altering history for his own selfish ends. With spies and aliens in the mix, Winston realises victory may not be so simple. But at least he can trust his old friend... can’t he?
The Real McCoy: ‘It was all going so well until you showed up’ could be levelled at pretty much every Doctor. Maybe that’s what should be written on his gravestone. There’s a lovely little arc here that sees the Doctor being welcomed by Churchill at the beginning of the story and condemned by him at the end. He’s irresistibly drawn to Churchill throughout his lives. The Doctor knew immediately that the Monk was involved but waits, patiently, until they are alone until he deploys that low purr of his to threaten him away (the Monk isn’t impressed, he calls the Doctor theatrical). This story puts the Doctor in the interesting position of trying to protect somebody he considers a friend (Churchill) whilst objecting to his politics and actively trying to sabotage his career for the good of the nation (and history, and to defeat the Monk). I have been critical of Sylvester McCoy’s ‘in pain’ acting on audio for what feels like my entire life and so it pleases me to report that here, right as the Main Range is dwindling down, he has finally convinced me. The end of episode three is quite discomforting because McCoy’s screaming sounds utterly authentic. When the Doctor’s part in Churchill’s downfall is revealed he has to face the music. He tries to explain that what he did was for the greater good, but for Churchill it is the ultimate betrayal. It’s very nicely underplayed, and a very dramatic closing scene.
Churchill: A far more reasonable depiction of Churchill than we have seen in the past. I object to the cuddly Uncle persona that was wheeled out in Victory of the Daleks (one of many things to object about in that story). Goldwyn wants to write a man with integrity and ambition but doesn’t forget that he could also be sexist, racist and a thoroughly objectionable man in his own right. He’s written to be completely out of touch with the times and pushing against the sort of progressive thinking that the country needs to prosper in a post war environment. But he’s also written as a man who absolutely has faith in his beliefs, who has warmth towards his friends and genuinely wants to protect his country. I’m not sure if this is in line with either the television or previous Big Finish versions of the character, but it is the most responsible and acceptable I have come across yet.
The Monk: Saunders has been Churchill’s advisor since the start of the election campaign and he’s been quite the fresh perspective. He’s been fine tuning policies, emphasising nation concerns rather than international ones (I’m sure that would be right up Churchill’s street). He threatens to murder Churchill if the Doctor opens his trap and exposes him. He wants rid of the social reforms that the opposition are touting, much to the Doctor’s disgust. When the Monk says that the welfare state gets off to a good start (implying that long term it is not tenable) it is hard to argue with him at the point we are now with poor government backing. He sighs that there is always some kind of war going on on Earth. Sob stories don’t really do it for him. Goldwyn gives the Monk his own cliffhanger, which is only reserved for very special villains (the Master in The Daemons). When he asks what he wants he boils it down to money, power, respect and the satisfaction of a job well done. My own personal take on the Monk is that he was always considered a bit of a joke and looked down upon. He’s the ultimate awkward child that never fitted in. That’s why he tinkers with time; to prove that he can make a difference, to stick a finger up at Time Lord law and to show that he was worth paying attention to. He’s clever but he’s also socially backwards.
Standout Performance: Ah Ian McNiece. Unmistakable. Indomitable. Utterly reliable. I love the mix of McCoy at his most still and menacing and Hound at his most energetic and silly. You’ve got a Doctor who is trying to take all of this very seriously and a Monk who refuses to, whilst having a plan up his sleeve the whole time. It’s a marvellous contrast.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Those liberal principles will go horribly awry’ ‘It depends on your point of view.’
‘This namby pamby goodytwoshoes let’s make everyone equal nonsense doesn’t work. You know that. All beings are not created equal. Look at us – we’re Time Lords! We’ve got the right to make these decisions’ ‘A sense of entitlement is not a qualification’ ‘Societies work better in the long run with clear social strata’ ‘Rich and poor, strong and weak’ ‘Carrots and sticks’ ‘The needier people are, the more helpless and hopeless, the easier they are to control.’ This is a wonderful moment when the Monk and the Doctor battle over the right to mess with the natural order of things. He tries to explain to the Monk that interfering with the timeline always has consequences that you cannot foresee but he might as well be barking at a brick wall. The Monk has watched humanity make the same idiotic mistakes over and over again and abjectly, iditotically failing to evolve. You can see the problem, they’re both right. It’s unusual for a writer to try and get under the skin of the Monk like this and to justify his actions (without apologising for them) and Goldwyn manages that without halting the flow of the story. Get her in touch with Chibnall, will you.
Great Ideas: This story wastes no time in setting up the key players; Churchill, the Monk and the Doctor are all in orbit of each other before the pre-credits sequence has finished. A spaceship crashed three years before the Second World War (‘rubbish timing’ says the Monk) and they have been trying to repair it and escape ever since. Setting the story in the 1945 election is a triumphant move because it was such a shocking moment in history. The Conservative Party thought they were onto a winner on the back of the triumphant defeat of the Germans but in fact were handed a bludgeoning by the Labour Party, their first outright majority in Parliament. It was proof that you cannot coast on popularity alone. Subterfuge is set before the election, with a Time Lord on either side of Churchill trying to tip the result.
Isn’t it Odd: This is nothing to do with the story itself but given it seems that I have a little rant on every release I review these days I thought why make this one any different? It took me over an hour to try and choose which story to purchase and review next. Over an hour. It reminded me of how much of Big Finish’s immense back catalogue that I will probably never get around to and given that I am a crazed completist and started this blog to try and review everything that Big Finish brought out (trust me that was a lot easier 15 years ago) that doesn’t sit too well with me. Has Big Finish brought out too much, saturated the market and frightened off potential new listeners with their heft back catalogue of adventures? Unless you are extremely well off I would suggest that keeping up with everything is a scarcity that only a few bold people (with a lot of time on their hands) would attempt. Most, like me, are probably picking and choosing according to their taste. I wouldn’t miss a Colin; I’ll review all of the main range to its demise and most of the stuff produced by Scott Handcock I will check out at some point (his is the benchmark for quality as far as this output is concerned). There is too much, that is what I am saying in a roundabout way, and they are overloading genuinely fantastic writers with a heavy workload that stretches their talent thin at times. I’ve noticed fresh blood seeping into the peripheral ranges, and pleasingly a stronger female presence in the creative team and one thing I will say that is absolutely in Big Finish’s favour is that they have allowed writers, actors, and sound designers to continue working creatively in the 2020 pandemic. And I am certain their output has kept people entertained and occupied when they have been stuck at home. So less of a rant and more of a balanced opinion about Big Finish. They are the reason this blog exists, and they have given me more pleasure than practically any other avenue of Doctor Who. But they have also over saturated the audio market and the quality of the product has lessened as a result. Take of all this what you will. Where are you with Big Finish?
Standout Scene: It should be one of the big hitting scenes like the Doctor threatening the Monk when he suggests he will assassinate Churchill or Churchill’s reaction when he realises the Doctor has been working against him…but I’m going to go for something far less predictable. There’s a lovely narrative thread running through this about a spy trapped behind enemy lines, stealing art treasures, trying to get rich and giving the British a bloody nose whilst doing so. It’s quite subtly done compared to the fireworks elsewhere but there are some really pleasant scenes of the Doctor and Churchill smarting out this mystery together that are fantastically well written. These scenes of investigation can be very dry and dull but Goldwyn makes them charming, well-reasoned and very enjoyable to listen to. Sometimes it isn’t the powerhouse scenes you have to get right (because those big confrontations sometimes write themselves) but all the connecting material that can pale into insignificance in companion. Not so here.
Result: ‘In essence, everyone was double crossing everyone else!’ Helen Goldwyn is a writer and director that I always get excited about; somebody who writes with wit and warmth and economy and directs with energy, humour and pace. Whichever end of the production she is focussed on, you can pretty much rely that it is going to be worth a listen. Here she opts to remove the Doctor’s companions altogether and sets him up with Churchill and Meddling Monk, who is cheekily acting as a Conservative political advisor. See, already you’re already intrigued. The pacing of Subterfuge is excellent, and Goldwyn knows to introduce a twist in the tale at least once an episode. The Monk is trying to ensure Churchill wins the 1945 election and the Doctor is trying to make sure he loses, and it takes an ambiguous stand on which is a good or a bad thing (although we are supposed to back the Doctor so you could absolutely read this as anti-Churchill). This is the best performance that Sylvester McCoy has given since Muse of Fire and proves that if the material is up to scratch that he can still deliver the goods. I was starting to wonder. His chemistry with McNiece and Hound is excellent and he gets several beautifully written moments of antipathy with both of them. When the seventh Doctor is angry, be scared. The Big Finish Monk has always been more morally questionable than the one on TV (remember when he sold out the human race to the Daleks and had three of the Doctor’s friends murdered?) and whilst Hound veers on the wrong side of clownish at times, this is another antagonistic and nasty portrayal of the man. He’s unpredictable and unpleasant and shares some of Churchill’s more questionable ideas. Garden’s Monk tried to justify his actions, he wanted approval. Hound’s Monk is much more honest with himself. This reminded me a bit of The Mark of the Rani. No wait, hear me out. It’s three giants of Doctor Who, all pitted against one another, some terrific extended dialogue scenes and lots of double crossing. With a period backdrop to keep things visually (aurally) interesting and a science fiction subplot. I was only going to listen to half of this today and come back to but I was so compelled I listened through. It feels like the Main Range is starting to find its feet right at the point the plug was pulled. This really is excellent Doctor Who, and a timely reminder to a prickly old cynic like me of just how good Big Finish can be: 9/10
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