The fourth story of the online Doctor Who series, ‘Shrapnel Wounds’, sees an elderly woman called Helen settle down on a new planet, after her old civilisation was ruined by technology and advancements in robots. Her only hope lies with one man: The Doctor…
The story opens in a very unique and engaging way, when we hear the charming notes of a nursery rhyme, and gaze upon a planet in a beautiful starlit sky. Then the story immediately cuts to the planet surface, where we see an old lady who tells the story of her lifetime, and how an ever technology-advancing planet has brought her nothing but misery.
Daniel Harma once again manages to create a very believable character that the audience can connect with, which sets up the story for all the emotional and painful times that her character will have to experience. This is enhanced in the scene where she breaks down in the pub, realising that she has nothing left on her own planet, and desperately wants to find a new and better way of life on this one.
Helen is soon introduced to a mysterious man who lives in a little cottage, known as the Doctor. However, this is not the same Doctor that we have grown to know and love. He is a very old man now, at the end of his life, and has been exiled to the planet to die a dull and lonely man. The two characters form a strong bond, and spend a lovely couple of years enjoying each other’s company.
However, like all things in life, the happiness doesn’t last forever. A gang of assassins soon invade the planet, with only one intention; to kill the Doctor. The scene where the Doctor watches the planet burn from inside a prison cell is extremely emotional, which leads to his noble sacrifice in order to save the world and the people he loves. After the Doctor is shot by the assassins and left for dead, his last wish is to travel through eternity in the TARDIS, just like it all started.
The revelation that the script was literally a script is a very clever plot twist, as we discover that the elderly Helen has been writing about the end of the Doctor’s life, and the pain that everyone on the planet endured once he was gone. We also learn that she is telling all of these events to the Tenth Doctor’s current companion, Florence, who listens to her tales of love and loss, knowing that her adventures with the Doctor won’t last forever.
Rating: 5/5 stars
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