Fields of Terror

"The enemies of France are everywhere."

Writer: John Pritchard

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 2.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

The TARDIS has brought the Doctor back to Revolutionary France, a place that's always fascinated him. But this time he, along with Steven and Vicki, are drawn into a devastated land, caught between the soldiers who are burning all before them and a monstrous shape that follows in their wake.

Verdict

Fields of Terror was a good start to the second volume of Companion Chronicles for the First Doctor! I'm a big fan of a collection of stories for an incarnation of the Doctor and I'd be very much in favour of it also happening for later incarnations. But what we have so far is decent and I really enjoyed the continuity of having the First Doctor back in Revolutionary France. It was lovely for the TARDIS to display some sort of memory of landing in the time period and location on a previous occasion and the Doctor describing the events of The Reign of Terror was terrific, with him really explaining how deadly it could be and how close he came to losing Susan, Ian and Barbara. That really set the scene well and provided the required knowledge to Vicki and Steven for what they might be in for. I thought it was a good approach to enter France at a location that was more at the heart of the war instead of Paris last time around, and the Doctor was very much at home when confronted by some locals. He wasn't brash as that wouldn't end well and it soon became clear that was something more going on with the Terror. The French we met in this story were living in fear and I liked the idea of a phantom monk very much. Having connections with mythology and The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner was terrific and that was a poem I remember studying extensively at school and writing a mammoth essay about. That does seem to crop up quite a lot in Doctor Who and I always get a good kick out of it as it's a timely reminder of days gone by. I enjoyed Maureen O'Brien's narration and whilst her Steven impression was pretty poor, she had a fun take on William Hartnell's first incarnation which I appreciated. I think it was beneficial that Steven didn't feature a huge amount because of that. Nicole was a really nice character to compliment the TARDIS trio and I was really fascinated by the fact the Doctor offered her a place on board the TARDIS at the story's conclusion. How things could have been different! I thought she was good and definitely worthy of the offer and it was a nice way for her to reject. She wanted to stay and help in her own time. The fear of the hooded man following throughout could have been clearer, but I have to say I was really impressed with the atmosphere and feel of this audio. It felt dark and gritty which was exactly what you want of a story set during this era. The cliffhanger with Lagrange ordering Vicki's execution was great and even though it was inevitable and clear the direction that would be taken before it happened, that anticipation was exciting. The element of the column was also a good touch and Vicki comparing it to the Daleks and Mechanoids was good continuity. As a whole, I thought this was slow in parts but never dull and really utilised the setting well. It felt of its era and did a great job of opening the series! Overall, a good listen.

Rating: 7/10