Review by Cavan Gilbey
Past Lives was a bit of a damp squib of an opening for Once and Future. While I didn’t review the story for this site I do think a lot my personal criticisms are echoed by the review that was posted. So going in to The Artist at The End of Time I was more optimistic, after all the only way is up isn’t it. James Goss I think did a good job at getting me back into being optimistic for the stories yet to come as this simple story about art’s impact, its ability to destroy as well as create, and the social economy that has formed around the idea of an art marketplace. Goss is known for his often satirical stories, and this entry into the 60th Anniversary range is pretty characteristic of his social commentary. However the hour long run time does hold this story back in really expanding and exploring the relationships between the central trio of The Doctor, Jenny and The Curator.
I shall warn you know this review will contain SPOILERS!.
In an effort to sort out his degeneration problem, The Doctor heads to a place so far in the future that is should ease the symptoms; the end of the universe. Surrounded by a collection of art showing the final mementos of dead worlds he should be able to calm, that is until Jenny is thrown in to the mix. Although a mysterious artist may reveal the answers they are looking for, an artist with a lonely curse.
A bit like the previous story in the series, we have something that is fairly stripped back in terms of what actually happens within the narrative. However this time what we do have is actually interesting, as opposed to Past Live’s story which meandered from one bit of fan-service dialogue to the next. The story is chiefly concerned with this idea of art as object and social icon, the Final Gallery serving as this nihilistic proposal that whole worlds could very well be reduced down to how well they hang on a billionaire’s wall. The core problem is that this idea is only really introduced at the eleventh hour, and while it does give us an interestingly morbid moment for the Curator as he destroys a world around him, it feels quite clumsily implemented and actually does drag down the quality of the character work that has been done in the 45 or so minutes prior.
The rest of the narrative is more interested in simply exploring the relationship between The Doctor, Jenny and the Curator. Whilst this is an interesting dynamic especially in the ways that The Doctor attempts to avoid being tied down by parenthood by sort of half heartedly being a father and The Curator playing a bit of a grandfather role, it doesn’t really do anything to further or even develop the themes set up in the last fifteen minutes of the story. There are plenty of touching moments, I think the highlight easily being a moment where the trio arrive on a populated planet and The Curator is finally reminded about how enlightening company can be but also how he can’t really interact with them as he might cause the destruction of their world. Davison, Tennant and Baker are incredible together but they are more so elevating the material than highlighting the inherent qualities of Goss’ script.
Goss’ entry into this range is certainly an improvement over Past Lives, there’s less reliance on fan-service for a start, but it still doesn’t feel like we are celebrating the history of the franchise yet. I do like this story but it could have very easily have been featured in a Fifth Doctor Adventures boxset as a stand-alone piece. Goss injects plenty of interesting ideas but the short run time doesn’t let any of them truly get time or space. A step in the right direction for Once and Future, it just needs to take some greater steps before it truly feels like a diamond anniversary piece.
6/10
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Review: Doctor Who Once and Future –Past Lives
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