The Eye of the Scorpion

"She truly was a God."

Writer: Ian McLaughlin 

Format: Audio

Released: September 2002

Series: Main Range 24

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Peri, Erimem

Synopsis

1400 BC

Egypt is in mourning. Pharaoh, the great God-King, is dead. The future of the Two Kingdoms of Egypt is shrouded in uncertainty as the Council of Priests debates the claim to throne of Pharaoh's only heir. 

Out in the deserts around Thebes, Egypt's capital, a warlord chief is assembling an army of mercenaries, waiting for just the right moment to strike at Egypt's heart. 

But not all of Egypt's enemies are outside the city. What is the secret of the strange box discovered in the desert? 

When the TARDIS arrives nearby, it has apparently been hi-jacked... by the Doctor?

Verdict 

The Eye of the Scorpion was a fantastic audio adventure and boy does it have significant implications on the Whoniverse! A new companion, the bridge between Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani has obviously been significantly widened and the Doctor returns to Egypt. I adored the medieval Egyptian setting and thought it was about time a full story took place there. It has so much potential and you would think the obvious setting was somewhere in or around the pyramids, but Giza provided a lovely backdrop for an action packed start in which we were introduced to would be Pharaoh, Erimem, in quite dramatic fashion. She was being hunted for her death in a wild chariot chase and ultimately the Doctor saved her with superb precision. I thought the cliffhangers of the audio were all very good, particularly episode one, and I liked the unique take of episode two where the Doctor was almost completely absent. That allowed Peri to take centre stage along with Erimem which was a perfect backdrop to get the listener to learn more about the Egyptian who would later join the TARDIS team. The resolution at the beginning of episode three with the Doctor just being his normal self having not suffered too badly from the poison. Time Lord supremacy I guess? Yanis and Horemshep were brilliant characters and although their origins of being in medieval Egypt weren't fully explained, it just added an extra sense of mystery to them and their motives. I really liked the other intriguing aspect of the villains with the stasis box entity. I'm not too sure of where the Doctor came across it before but I'm sure I'll find out at some point when I watch/listen/read the relevant story. With a severe limitation on Fifth Doctor and Peri adventures on television, and just the one previous audio of Red Dawn, I really liked the dynamic of having two obviously familiar characters but now we can see them developing a relationship which we didn't really have a chance to see on television during Peter Davison's final season. The numerous stories that throw in references to past adventures are terrific and I loved the one of The Romans in this story. Delicately put. I thought the Doctor's liking of Erimem's fondness of history was fantastic and seemed to be a key factor in his allowing of her to become companion. Times are a changing for the Fifth Doctor at this point though. In the space of a few stories he's lost Tegan and Turlough and gained Peri and Erimem, a big dynamic change but change is what makes Doctor Who so bloody brilliant. Everything becomes so different yet it's so very the same. Fayum and Antranak were magnificent guest cast and the pair's involvement in the climax of the story was terrific. The Doctor was the highlight rescuing the minds of thousands by speech alone but the others' help shouldn't go unnoticed. Overall, a fundamental adventure with a fantastic setting and an excellent backdrop to a new companion! 

Rating: 9/10