Revisitations: Hosts of the Wirrn Part 1

"Our darkness is at an end."

Writer: Chris Chapman

Format: Audio

Released: November 2018

Series: UNIT 7.01

Featuring: Kate, Osgood

Synopsis

Over the years, UNIT has faced hundreds of extra-terrestrial threats. The Black Archive holds relics of many such encounters, and UNIT's files are filled with reports of strange and dangerous aliens.

And sometimes, they come back.

After the world's strangest interview, UNIT's latest recruit, Shana Siddiqui, hits the ground running to help Osgood with her latest assignment.

The Master left UNIT a parting gift – something alien and deadly. The Wirrn have come to Earth, and now they are free...

Verdict

Hosts of the Wirrn started in excellent style with this opening part! I thought this was a brilliant start to the Revisitations seventh series of UNIT and it's certainly one I am looking forward to. I'm a sucker for returns so having an entire series devoted to them for the UNIT team is a very exciting prospect. Starting things off with a bang and a two-parter featuring the Wirrn is a great start because The Ark in Space is certainly an iconic serial with the main enemy going down in the memory. I actually bought the Eaglemoss special figurine recently so it was good to get a new story with the insect monster. I thought the way the part started was full of action with a crash landing to kick things off really kicking us into gear. There was no messing around with the action and the continuity from the Cyber-Reality series with the Master leaving a parting gift to UNIT was tremendous. I loved how it was a bug and it was soon inadvertently let loose! Sergeant Brundle getting taken over by the Wirrn was exciting and set the course for the episode, and firing on him really showcased the threat. Shana was a good character to introduce here and having her followed home by Edgar, the remote controlled raven through which Osgood actually conducted her job interview! That was a lot of fun and typically UNIT. Shana was quickly thrown into the deep end after a quick introduction to Josh and a hologram meeting with Kate to set her up. The password involving the Skarasen was a nice touch as well. The setting of tunnels beneath Lake Windermere was very good and unique and seemed perfect for the modern UNIT. Shana being initiated for her urgent entomologist skills concerning the Wirrn egg was great and I liked that all forces were on the search for Brundle. Osgood wearing celery in a similar vain to that of the Fifth Doctor was lovely and I adore how she captures fandom. This making a change from her cat badges was a terrific line! The Wirrn egg and the belief of the Wirrn queen being present really added a dimension of terror to the story and I loved how UNIT had knowledge of the species thanks to a report from Harry Sullivan. Such simple continuity that I'm all here for. The joke where one of the UNIT personnel mentioned that Wirrn (we're in) trouble was awful though for all the right reasons. Shana clearly being possessed by the Wirrn was my only qualm with the episode as surely people like Kate and Osgood would have realised, especially with her being a newbie? She pushed for the electrical charge on the queen to get it to hatch and from there things really got dark. Shindi having to shoot Brundle dead was a very impactful moment, as was when the Wirrn queen killed Marcus and had laid twelve eggs within him! That was a disturbing image and I was actually grateful this was an audio. Wirrn taking the killing of Brundle as an act of war was good and I liked how the second part was set up with Shana freeing Markus after being mentally persuaded and then the babies were to be born within for a great cliffhanger! Overall, this was an excellent start to the series and I'm really looking forward to part two and beyond.