For the Glory of Urth

"I don't need protecting from the sight of death."

Writer: Guy Adams

Format: Audio

Released: April 2021

Series: First Doctor Adventures 5.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara 

Synopsis 

The TARDIS has barely landed in an alien sewer when a distant scream sends Susan racing to give aid, and the crew split up.

Trying to reunite, the travellers find themselves in something resembling a monastery led by a man half-way between an Abbot and a warlord. They discover that they are in Urth, a barbaric place clinging on to its former glory.

It's somewhere its populace are never allowed to leave, somewhere keeping many secrets from its people.

And today those secrets will be revealed...

Verdict

For the Glory of Urth was a great start to the fifth series of the First Doctor Adventures! I do hope this isn't the last boxset for this cast and TARDIS team as they have really grown on me over the last few months as I've embarked on their series. I liked the continuity from Last of the Romanovs with the TARDIS not working and the Doctor mentioning it needing an update was fun stuff. He initiated an emergency landing and an arrival in some sewers really set the tone. Danger didn't take long to manifest as Susan ran after a scream and with Ian going after her, the main cast were immediately split up. The monastery-like setting was intriguing and the booming voice of Daddy Dominus established the religious theme early. He was praising humanity and the offering of extra work reminded me of Vengeance on Varos a little. The confusion with the Urth spelling and it sounding like Earth was fun stuff but on this Urth, the politics were barbaric. The big rubbery creature that Susan and Ian were chasing was good and described to look pretty grotesque, speaking of which the Doctor and Barbara encounter some alien corpses displayed with 'aliens out' signs around their necks. That was gruesome stuff. Mummy Martial to go alongside Dominus made for an odd hierarchy on Urth and they seemed to have a relationship centred around anger. She was occupied with defence of the realm whilst he was running the civilisation. The genetic elements of the part one cliffhanger was brilliant with only Susan scanning as human after the Doctor quickly initiating a false reading, but even Ian and Barbara didn't register which showed how much humanity had evolved by this time. Brooskin and the Doctor garnered a fun relationship and the humour that came with the alien growing in mass because of the warmth was hilarious. That was the First Doctor at his best. I enjoyed the gestalt link and him liking Ian and Barbara as another part of him was interacting. Sissy was a decent character looking after Susan as she was human and she seemed to think it was an honour to serve Brundle who was a conformed part of the society. The threat of disease to humans was excellent and Dominus was preaching how humanity was the divine perfection with the disease coming from aliens. That was good religious vomit. Ian trying to get to the city and out of the closed system tunnels provided a fantastic part two cliffhanger as he was dragged out to space despite Brooskin's warning, but the resolution was a little poor with him only being in the vacuum for a second. Dominus offering a lottery or war was ruthless and I loved that Susan was offered the chance from Mummy to stop that war. She wanted to use the 'human' for her free thinking which I loved and she was to help the Urth citizens into believing that everyone was free like her despite the state of the society. I thought Mummy's plan for espionage was great and Susan agreeing to becoming the spokesperson if the Doctor, Ian and Barbara were freed was very good. I loved that the grandfather comment was picked up on with the Doctor registering as an alien but Susan 100% human. Earth being long gone and Urth being a satellite rather than a colony was a fascinating look at the future. The twist that Mummy had sent Susan as a disease weapon was terrific and she wanted to kill the invaders with infection. Supposedly human invaders, but they were surprised at the mention of war and believed that all Earth descendants should work together. Mummy wasn't interested in that and would rather kill humanity than lose control over it. That was ruthless. Brundle being brainwashed was very good and his efforts to talk to the humans and be convinced that they were coming to take over was just amusing. The Doctor scanning and one of Mummy or Sissy being an alien was a fun moment. Brooskin wanting an uprising was fantastic and the description of his species having their voice box removed was horrifying. The humans spreading the cure to the plague on Urth was nicely done and Daddy soon resigned as leader after describing the misery of leading humanity. He'd ruled with an iron fist and couldn't be bothered anymore because it took too much. The shock of the population when this was revealed was very good and the moment shared between Sissy and Mummy as they were accepting death was strong. The TARDIS team departing and leaving us on a cliffhanger with Susan seeing the problem with the TARDIS was nicely done. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10