Big Finish Productions He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

Written by	Carrie Thompson
Format	Compact Disc
Released	2020

Starring Paul McGann

Synopsis: On the desert world of Atharna, the Doctor's life is about to be changed forever. Looking to visit one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Universe, he's quickly embroiled in a web of deceit. Worse than that, this Wonder of the Universe is missing, and the Doctor is about to encounter one of his most dangerous and duplicitous adversaries. The Doctor is about to meet Brian.

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In September 2020, the BBC announced an ambitious new Doctor Who franchise, Time Lord Victorious; encompassing books, audio-dramas, comics and even escape rooms, it aims to weave its disparate parts into one overarching story, focusing on the Dark Times and primarily featuring the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Doctors.

The first audio instalment to feature the Eighth Doctor is He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not, which sees the Doctor attempt to visit one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Universe, only to end up caught in the middle of a deadly standoff.

Despite forming part of a long, potentially quite complex, narrative web, He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not has a fairly straightforward plot and works well as a standalone story. Drawing heavily on the Western genre, it features archetypal characters such as the town sheriff, doctor and saloon keeper, all complete with thick Texan accents. Although these are, in a sense, stock figures, they are well characterised, particularly the doctor, Craddock, who is haunted by a fateful decision he made years ago.

The strongest character in the story is, however, also the most original. When we first meet Brian, the Ood assassin, he is relentlessly stalking two fugitives, calmly trying to convince them to give themselves up. 'If you let me kill your wife', he tells Felicity, 'We could end all this unnecessary exertion. I wouldn't have to run. You wouldn't have to run. She wouldn't have to breathe. Doesn't that sound nice?' Throughout the story, Brian is both scrupulously polite and utterly ruthless, a chilling combination that is further enhanced by his dry sense of humour. Credit must go to voice actor, Silas Carson (also the voice of the Ood in the TV series) for making this psychopathic assassin seem almost reasonable. Ultimately, Brian is one of the most intriguing new villains Doctor Who has seen in recent years.

Although He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not works as a standalone story, its cliffhanger ending leads directly into the next audio instalment of Time Lord Victorious, The Enemy of My Enemy, while a number of its mysteries remain unresolved.

Overall, He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not is an enjoyable story and worth buying, even if you don't plan to invest in the whole Time Lord Victorious arc.