Buried Threats: Ancient History

"We can't just build on top of history."

Writer: Matt Litton

Format: Audio

Released: February 2024

Series: Ninth Doctor Adventures 11.03

Featuring: Ninth Doctor, Benny

Synopsis

Professor Bernice Summerfield is delving into the mystery of the Korravin, a mighty warrior horde, vanished overnight. But her expedition seems jinxed. And when a familiar blue box appears, Benny knows they're in trouble. 

As ancient history resurfaces, the Doctor wants to keep some things buried – but Benny's an expert at digging up the past.

Verdict

Buried Threats was another brilliant episode to conclude what has been a fantastic Buried Threats series of Ninth Doctor Adventures! Of course, this finale was the main selling point of the entire boxset to me as I am always a fan of when Doctors and companions who didn't travel together get set for a meeting. It's an exciting prospect and it feels a little bit more important when it comes to the Ninth Doctor, especially in the days before Rose where he was travelling without a companion. He's still scarred from the events of the Time War and his role in ending it, and it was touched upon in subtle fashion here when his identity was revealed to Benny. I thought that was great and I liked how she picked up on his mention of the Time Lords in the past tense and she instantly knew that he would have some kind of involvement. The rumours and murmurings of something cataclysmic happening to history and time was very good and showed that the Time War was having ripples even now. That was really well incorporated. I liked how old school Benny seemed in this episode because she was out for good old fashioned archeological exploration and wasn't a fan of the expedition involved going the sonic and simulation route. She liked to get down and dirty which I loved. Having the Doctor pose as part of her expedition with a ridiculous cover name that I won't even try to spell here was hilarious but it is a bit sad that after everything he had been through he didn't want to catch up with an old friend. He'd been through a lot with Benny and I was glad that she confronted him on her feeling sad about that. She was there for him and always would be despite how infuriating he can be. The expedition was concerning a very powerful species though as Benny and company were out to find the mystery of the Korravin, a race the Doctor described as having an amalgamation of attributes part Dalek, Cyberman and Vulpreen! That is quite the combination so it was only natural that they would return two million years later. I thought the role of the TARDIS being buried in the excavation site was wonderful and when it was described to Benny, her question of its colour and then the words of police public call box being read provoked a stunning reaction. How typical of the Doctor! And right away she knew it was the ridiculously named professor. The Doctor using a time ring to jump two million years into the future was brilliant and I thought the whole concept of the Korravin disappearing from history because they'd come to the future was magnificent. Talk about not leaving a trace! Cantiple was a good character and I loved how she saw glory in the discovery of the Korravin time window. The TARDIS was obviously a big part of that so I'm not sure she had thought it through all the way to a sale, but it was certainly interesting to look two million years into the past and see the Korravin society for themselves. I thought it was hilarious as well that she claimed the glory for her research in the Korravin having a hierarchy when it came to the High Korravin emerging. The role of George in the conclusion was a nice surprise as the android didn't seem like it would play such a pivotal impact in the resolution, but it sacrificed itself and time soon caught up with the Korravin to wipe them out for good. Finnda was also fun in being pregnant and claiming to be a Time Lord, I'm sure there must be more than just the Time Lords in the cosmos with two hearts! But alas, apparently that was the only way of designating a species apparently. Overall though, a superb episode to conclude a really strong series. 

Rating: 9/10