Luna Romana

"Gallifrey faces its darkest hour... again."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: January 2014

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.07

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Romana I, Romana II, Romana III

Synopsis 

The search for the final segment of the Key to Time takes the Doctor and the First Romana to Ancient Rome. The Time Lady is appalled when her companion prefers to watch the latest Plautus comedy rather than complete their mission, and is even less delighted to meet the playwright himself. 

But all is not what it seems, either onstage or behind the scenes...

In the far, far future, the Second Romana is destined to have her own encounter with a legacy of Rome, but Stoyn has been waiting. And his actions will set Romana on a collision course with her own past.

Quadrigger Stoyn wants his final revenge on the Doctor, and only Romana stands in his way.

Both of her.

Verdict 

Luna Romana was a great audio to conclude the fiftieth anniversary trilogy from the Companion Chronicles range. It was audacious and bold but it actually ended up working really well and although it wasn't quite as good as the previous two audios in the trilogy, it finished it in some style. I question the dates of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations with this story being released in January 2014 but that's merely semantics. The celebrations shouldn't really ever stop and I'm not sure they ever have but I loved the idea behind this story. A multi-Romana story isn't something I've really thought of before but I just love the concept! It's just such a shame that Mary Tamm passed away prior to recording and her sad loss was deeply felt across the Doctor Who fandom. So with her absence in stepped Juliet Landau as the third incarnation of Romana and she took on the role of narrator which was interesting but I was kind of hoping for her to meet the Doctor. I thought that would have been quite a moment but it wasn't really a problem. This is where things got a little confusing for me though as we had the third incarnation voicing the first which was okay and they were obviously making the most out of a tricky situation but then we had the wonderful Lalla Ward make her mark in part two as the second incarnation of Romana and although the stories for each incarnation were separate, it did become a little difficult to follow for a time. I did get used to things though as time went on and this really was quite a lengthy story, especially for a Companion Chronicle, at two and a half hours long. The cliffhangers of each part were pretty decent which was good and I did like how this didn't really have the feel of a Companion Chronicle and felt more like a full cast audio as there wasn't too much narration needed. I thought Lalla Ward's impression of the Fourth Doctor was very good and I also loved some of the story references that occurred in this audio with the mention of The Iron Legion particularly putting a smile on my face. The expected references to The Beginning and The Dying Light were great and I also liked that The Ribos Operation, The Stones of Blood and The Power of Kroll were referred to. Placing the story amidst the search for the Key to Time was very good and I like how much the search for it has been expanded off television. The return of Quadrigger Stoyn wasn't exactly a surprise but I liked how he reemerged once again. He was beyond obsessed with the Doctor and his event viewer must have driven him mad as all he could see was what the Doctor had gotten up to! The foreshadowing of The Visitation was terrific and I also liked the reference to The Reign of Terror. The plot of the story was good and although it was perhaps a bit long winded, it filled the time pretty well. Stoyn meeting Romana I but in his Janus alias was fantastic and I liked how Romana II recalled that meeting and the other events centred around this story. It was quite ironic that after listening to The Council of Nicaea yesterday that I was back doing a Roman story today but the setting was very good, especially the legacy that was on the moon. Stoyn's final destruction was pretty emphatic and didn't really leave any niggle room for a return in the future. It was wonderful brilliance from Romana and I thought it was fantastic that the Doctor acknowledged that. The ending was really nice and a good celebration of Mary Tamm and the impact of her first incarnation of Romana. Overall, a very good audio!

Rating: 8/10

Doomsday

"This is the story of how I died."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 8th July 2006

Series: 2.13

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis 

A secret order of Daleks emerge and the Cybermen from Pete's World make their way to Torchwood Tower. As the two deadly forces fight over Earth, the Tenth Doctor realises that in order to stop the threat, sacrifices will be made...

Verdict 

Doomsday was an incredible episode to conclude the story already started in Army of Ghosts. It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as well as being well and truly action packed! We finally had the wishes of many fans come true as after years upon years of asking, the Daleks and the Cybermen finally did war. The question of who was superior was pretty definitive with the Cybermen barely registering a scratch on their Dalek counterparts and it certainly seems that the Cybermen were officially demoted to always being just behind the Daleks when it comes to the question of who the Doctor's greatest enemy is. I guess the Time War kind of answers that for us and speaking of which, I loved how Rose asserted herself immediately after the Daleks descended from the void ship and mentioned how she knew all about them and their war with the Time Lords. When she thought she might be saying her final words, I loved how she referenced Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways in explaining her pride and humour in how she destroyed the Dalek Emperor. The mystery behind the Genesis Ark was excellent and I liked how even the Doctor didn't know what it was. He was just as interested in the Time Lord science behind it. The moment the Cult of Skaro learned of the Doctor's presence was absolutely outstanding and I think for the first time we saw a Dalek flinch. Five million Cybermen didn't worry them but their oldest enemy did. I liked how the Doctor was quite impressed with the existence of the Cult of Skaro but he did mock them for running away from the Time War. The Cult of Skaro themselves were interesting and I did like how they all had names and were challenged to think like the enemy in an effort to extend Dalek existence and eradicate all other life. I liked how we saw the aftermath of the events of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel on Pete's World with Harriet Jones now even the President. Seeing Pete and Jake again was great and I liked how the former's being there provided a reference to Father's Day on more than one occasion. The reunion between Pete and Jackie was very emotional and Rose's reaction to it was wonderful to see. The battle between the Daleks and the Cybermen was fantastic and full of action which was great but I thought the initial meeting between them was equally as good. It seemed that the Cybermen were perhaps more intellectual, but the Daleks were simply more ruthless and better equipped. The reveal of the purpose behind the Doctor's 3D glasses was good and it looked like he'd suspected things from the very start in regards to the Void. The flashback of Dalek was excellent and I liked how it served a pretty big purpose for explaining the Genesis Ark. Mickey inadvertently activated in the crossfire between Daleks and Cybermen but that only ended up helping the Doctor's cause of fixing things and closing the breach between worlds. The Doctor used all the tools given to him by Torchwood and started the process of reversing the access point to the Void so it would suck all the "void stuff" back in. That meant Daleks and Cybermen alike but that would also mean the Doctor and Rose. He wanted her to go to Pete's World so she didn't have to lose her mother forever but Rose was having none of it. She came back but that would prove almost fatal. The Daleks and Cybermen were being pulled back in but with the Cult of Skaro using an emergency temporal shift to escape, Rose was almost dragged into the Void but Pete returned and saved her in the nick of time. She was stuck on the other side of the breach and that meant she couldn't do anything about not seeing the Doctor. There was the chance of an emotional farewell in which Rose declared her love for the Doctor and he almost did the same in return but time ran out and I liked that ambiguity behind the ending. The arrival of Donna on the TARDIS to lead into The Runaway Bride just added to what was an eventful episode! It was full of action, emotion and simply brilliance. It's one of the very best that's for sure. Overall, superb!

Rating: 10/10

Army of Ghosts

"Then came the army of ghosts. Then came Torchwood and the war."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1st July 2006

Series: 2.12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Rose

Synopsis 

Rose and the Tenth Doctor return to modern-day London to find a mysterious epidemic of ghosts all over the world. As the Doctor searches Torchwood Tower to find answers, something sinister lurks in the building...

Verdict

Army of Ghosts was an excellent episode and serves as a superb first part of the finale of this second series of revived Doctor Who. It really does set things up brilliantly but as well as doing that, it was brilliant in its own right. After twelve episodes of hearing the world Torchwood subtly mentioned, we finally get to see what the series has been building up towards and it's rather eventful to say the least! Rose returned home for the first time in a while and things definitely seemed different now that she was back. The idea of a ghost shift is more than intriguing and I liked how the Doctor and Rose arrived at a time where the general public had accepted them as normality. After comically flicking through the television channels, the Doctor wasn't at all convinced that things were normal. Jackie was a little annoyed that he brought things down to science but he found the whole idea of apparent loved ones coming back from the dead horrific. The recurring phrase of "a footprint doesn't look like a boot" was fantastic and I liked how that kept us with the seeds of doubt in our minds. Were the ghosts actually friendly? It would evidently turn out not to be the case but the early arrival of a Cyberman squashed any hopes that things were normal. In this universe, they shouldn't exist after the events of Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel, which was nicely referenced, but they were here and they were also gaining control of Torchwood staff. It was interesting to see Freema Agyeman prior to her role as Martha but she was soon killed off thanks to the Doctor putting a stop to the Cyber control over her. The Doctor's arrival to the Torchwood Tower, or Canary Wharf as it was more commonly known, was great with him trying to find the point of origin of the ghosts. Yvonne Hartman was an excellent character and I liked how she proudly showed the Doctor around the place. They had some impossible things in their possession and there were also good references to The Christmas Invasion and Tooth and Claw. The Doctor forgetting that Jackie was on board the TARDIS was quite humorous and I liked how she was chosen to take the usual place of companion while the Doctor kept Rose hidden inside the TARDIS. There was a terrific reference to Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways but Rose eventually got caught out as she investigated the sphere which the Doctor announced was a void ship. The mystery behind that was brilliant and I liked how we were supposed to think that there was something to do with the Cybermen inside. That didn't turn out to be the case though as once the ghosts were sublimely revealed to be Cybermen, the Daleks emerged just to plunge things into considerably more chaos. I loved that we had a recognisable Cyber Leader and I just loved the whole episode really! There was a great nod to Pyramids of Mars with the inclusion of an Egyptian sarcophagus and there was also a good reference to Rose as well as a wonderful foreshadowing of Voyage of the Damned. Mickey's arrival was brilliant and I liked how Rose didn't react. The Doctor was pretty helpless when it came to the cliffhanger which was good and now he's got both Cybermen and Daleks to deal with! Quite the setup for a finale. Overall, a simply superb episode.  

The Dying Light

"I realised something was wrong with the sunset."

Writer: Nick Wallace 

Format: Audio

Released: December 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.06

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie, Zoe 

Synopsis 

The TARDIS materialises on a dying world circling a dying sun, where the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are welcomed to Sanctuary - an entire monastery carved out of a mountain.

But little here is quite what it seems.

Quadrigger Stoyn has waited through the centuries. And it is time for the Doctor to pay for his first terrible mistake.

Verdict 

The Dying Light was an excellent audio adventure and continued the fiftieth anniversary trilogy from the Companion Chronicles in a big way. I was glad to hear both Frazier Hines and Wendy Padbury performing in this story and together they really were terrific. Those two along with the Second Doctor really do make up a terrific trio and to hear them all together in this story was an absolute treat. Of course, Patrick Troughton has long since passed and so didn't reprise his role but I must say that Frazier Hines does an incredible impersonation of the Second Doctor. It really is no understatement to say that he brings the second incarnation of the Doctor back to life and it is actually pretty incredible how accurate his impression is. It's just a joy and a pleasure to listen to. The Companion Chronicles can sometimes be guilty of lacking the Doctor and that's completely natural given what they are and just the one usual familiar actor cast. There are no such problems though with a Frazier Hines performed story and it's fitting that for the fiftieth anniversary we got to hear the Second Doctor once again. The arrival of the TARDIS was good and I liked the intrigue the time-travelling trio had in the sun. Zoe was particularly mesmerised and immediately my interest in the audio was captured. The story was predominantly about Quadrigger Stoyn getting his revenge on the Doctor for the events that occurred in The Beginning and although it had been a lengthy amount of time for both, Stoyn had been planning their meeting for quite some time. He'd gone to considerable lengths to be reunited with the Doctor and he had known every destination that the TARDIS had been to! Upon his emergence, references to The Highlanders and The Moonbase were brilliantly made in Jamie's direction whilst The Wheel in Space and The Invasion got brilliant mentions in reference to Zoe. I liked how Stoyn only referred to his and the Doctor's species as gods and I think it's important that things are kept in line with the television series of the time and by then there was not even a whimper of a species called the Time Lords. Of course, that would soon change and I liked how Stoyn seemed to foreshadow the events of The War Games in mentioning that the Time Lords would soon catch up to him. The lengthy equations stretching all across the monastery were particularly interesting and I liked how Zoe was trying to make sense of them. She seemed to have done a good job though! I did enjoy her not picking up on the Doctor's signal involving the vase and it was left to Jamie to knock out the guard with it. The cliffhanger was pretty decent but I was hoping for a little more to be made of it at the start of part two. However, it didn't really alter the quality of the story which was very strong throughout. Stoyn was homesick and just wanted to get back to his own people which was something that could be sympathised with but the Doctor was never going to give him the TARDIS. He did give him the key but that didn't do any good for Stoyn. The way the story ended was a little bit of a shock and although we know that Quadrigger Stoyn returns in the next story to complete the trilogy of audios, his fate seemed pretty sealed with the way this ended. I look forward to his inevitable return being explained but for now he didn't quite get his revenge. Overall, a brilliant audio adventure!

Rating: 9/10 

The Armageddon Chrysalis

"The TARDIS had been attacked, quickly and successfully..."

Writer: Unknown

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1982

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1983

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan 

Synopsis 

Something has drained the TARDIS of its power. That isn't supposed to be possible. So what has caused the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan to be knocked out and just what has taken the energy out of the TARDIS?

Verdict 

The Armageddon Chrysalis was an excellent little story and I really was thrilled with what I read! I'm always sceptical prior to doing a Doctor Who Annual story but this was simply seven pages of brilliance. It had everything you want out of a text story and although the plot wasn't perfect, as my rating reflects, it certainly was not too far away. I loved the idea of TARDIS exploration but I thought the start of the adventure was brilliant with the whole TARDIS trio knocked out after some disastrous occurrence. The Doctor's reaction to waking into what he found the situation to be was good and he was trying to think of a way to put things right but he felt the energy being drained out of him. The scenes in the observation room were good and I loved how the scanner was revealed to not be the only means of seeing what laid immediately outside of the TARDIS. Nyssa was petrified and huddled in a corner when the Doctor and Tegan found her and it would soon be revealed why. The Voorvolika was a brilliant enemy and I liked how big it was with its sheer size dwarfing the TARDIS and everything around, or rather inside, it.  The Doctor's exploration outside and into the realm of the Voorvolika was very good and I thought the characterisation of Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor was very well with the actor's likeness being very well captured in the print. That isn't always the case in these Annual stories because of how short they are but there were no such worries here thankfully. I really loved the mention of Leela and the reference to The Invasion of Time as talk of a past story is an extremely rare occurrence in a Doctor Who Annual so I was delighted to see that it happened here. I liked how the Voorvolika was reaching out and touching the minds of the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan and it was good how it deduced their names and a bunch of other information from simply touching the mind. Well I say it's simple but that's really not the case is it. It takes quite a powerful and unique being to be able to touch somebody's mind and take information from it. The only minor problem I had with this story was that once the Doctor went outside and literally into the Voorvolika, we didn't see Tegan or Nyssa again which was a bit of a shame. I did though like the resolution and the way the Doctor came up with it under literal pressure was terrific. I'm pretty confident in saying that this is the only instance in which a pressure point has been used as a resolution in a Doctor Who story. I'm also quite amazed that I still scored it so highly but incredibly it worked brilliantly for the predicament that the Doctor was in! The Voorvolika felt pain for the first and last time and that was an end to the drainage or energy on the TARDIS. Overall though, an excellent story with a great plot, a past story reference and even bold text to indicate the thoughts of the enemy. I guess italics weren't quite in the know for the Doctor Who Annuals. But nonetheless, a great story.

Rating: 9/10

Dead of Winter

"There on the shore, sat in their chairs, were the Dead. Watching me drown."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Novel

Released: April 2011

Series: NSA 43

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

'The dead are not alone. There is something in the mist and it talks to them."

In a remote clinic in 18th-century Italy, a lonely girl writes to her mother. She tells of pale English aristocrats and mysterious Russian nobles. She tells of intrigues and secrets, strange and faceless figures that rise from the sea. And she tells about the enigmatic Mrs Pond, who arrives with her husband and her physician. 

What she doesn't tell her mother is the truth that everyone knows and no one says - that the only people who come here do so to die.

Verdict 

Dead of Winter was an outstanding novel and ranks as one of my all time favourites. I absolutely loved it from start to finish! I really was thrilled with what I read and whilst reading on an unfamiliar train journey, I simply did not want to put it down. As I embarked from university back across the border and into my nation's capital city for the football, this book really did help pass the time of the quite lengthy journey there and deal with the disappointment of the result on the way home. I must admit I was a little sceptical about reading this book as I knew it was written in a point of view format and I really wasn't a fan of The Blood Cell, also by the same writer, which was written in a similar way. However, where that book was just from one person's viewpoint, this had a wide range of narration which was superb. Well, I say narration but that only really applied to the segments told by Amy and Rory. The journal of Dr Bloom and the letters of Maria and Mr Nevil were tremendous ways of telling the story and I must say that the format was extremely clever. Although each little segment wasn't many pages at all, the novel still managed to escape the feel of being stop and start which was just brilliant. A story having the TARDIS team dealing with amnesia, or more specifically in this case brain spillage, is fantastic and their efforts to try and remember who they were and what they did were fantastic. The revelation that Mr Pond was actually the Doctor and Dr Smith was Rory was incredible and I worked it out only a couple of pages before it was revealed so that was a joy to behold. It immediately changed the landscape of the story which was excellent. Things weren't quite what we thought they were and I really enjoyed that. Once the trio had their memories back though, things really kicked into action and I thought the clinic setting was then fully utilised. The idea of people who were suffering from tuberculosis, or consumption as it was referred to at the time the story was set in 1783, seemed innocent enough but the treatment of Dr Bloom was somewhat questionable. In the depths of winter and in the middle of a storm, he simply instructed the patients to get fresh air and freeze the disease away. That didn't seem logical but things just got all the more intriguing when the mist started talking and the dying started dancing with it. Rory even succumbed to it at one point but that led to a hilarious discussion between the real Amy and the copied version. The Familiars were superb and I loved the concept surrounding them. They were one of the most enigmatic species to appear in a Doctor Who story and that made them simply brilliant. Dr Bloom was using them in a way he couldn't quite understand but Prince Boris took on the role of the enemy for the latter stages of the book in a surprise move but the Doctor had been planning the resolution all along and I loved that. Despite brain spillage, trouble and enjoying a relationship with Maria, he was planning way ahead and that was typically brilliant of him. The characterisation of Matt Smith's incarnation was one of the best I've ever read and I think that contributed to the rating. Overall, a sublime novel!

Rating: 10/10

The Mark of the Rani

"You bring nothing but trouble."

Writers: Pip & Jane Baker

Format: TV

Broadcast: 2nd-9th February 1985

Sesson: 22.03

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Peri

Synopsis

Drawn off course en route for Kew Gardens, the TARDIS materialises in the mining village of Killingworth in the early 19th century, and the Doctor and Peri find themselves in the midst of a Luddite rebellion. Why are peaceful men resorting to mindless violence, and why is the Master intent on sabotaging the Industrial Revolution? In order to safeguard Earth's future, the Doctor must defeat the combined forces of two rogue Time Lords from his own past...

Verdict 

The Mark of the Rani was a brilliant story and really does serve as a highlight in the twenty-second season of Doctor Who. Looking back, Colin Baker's first full series as the Sixth Doctor really was quite an eventful one with encounters against the Cybermen and Daleks, a multi-Doctor story and the debut of Sil. But here we had arguably the most significant of the lot with the return of the Master and the debut of a new female nemesis Time Lord in the form of the Rani. The idea behind her is obviously fantastic and whilst I love the dynamic between the three Time Lords in the story, I can't help but think that she'd have been better served debuting in a story where she was the sole villain. However, the Master's presence doesn't harm her and I thought they actually made a very good team. The Master was very keen to combine forces to destroy the Doctor once and for all but also to rule the planet, one that the Doctor so greatly cared for. I loved how she wasn't at all interested in whatever quarrel the Master had with the Doctor but she had no choice once he got hold of the brain fluid that she was patiently extracting from the human brain. She was taking the fluid that allowed the brain to rest and that was causing her subjects to become difficult to control. The Rani herself was rather eccentric and I thought Kate O'Mara was terrific in the a role. She was clearly recognisable as a Time Lord which is definitely a good thing and I also thought that her TARDIS was mightily impressive. It looked much different to the Doctor's which was good and her substitute for the time rotor was of high interest. Some of the experiments she had going on, particularly those involving the T-Rex embryos, were very intriguing. She was quite the scientist I must say. I really enjoyed Peri in this story and I even liked her outfit as it did allow her to fit in with the times of the Luddite Riots. I studied that period during my A-Levels so I know it pretty well and I think it's a marvellous setting to be honest. Or perhaps wasn't quite as utilised as it might have been but it did the job it was supposed to do so that was good. The relationship between the Doctor and Peri was excellent and I actually thought that Colin Baker was once again superb as the Sixth Doctor. It's undoubtedly an unpopular opinion but I'm a huge fan of his attire as I think it suits the personality of his incarnation perfectly. The continued refusal to explain what was going on to Peri and just commenting "later" was fantastic. I really did love it. Peri though actually got a little sick of it by the end which just made it all the more funnier. The cliffhanger was pretty decent and was sparked by some hilarious miscommunication between the Doctor and Peri. The resolution with George Stevenson though was a good way for him to meet the Doctor. The Rani's mine trap turning people into trees was pretty horrific and I think the sudden impact and speed of it happening made it that more shocking. Peri nearly fell victim as well as the Doctor despite the two who captured befallen the fate. The resolution was very clever on behalf of the Doctor and his tinkering with the Rani's TARDIS really was going to cause her and the Master some trouble! They were travelling at some uncontrollable speeds and a time spillage was speeding up the growth of the T-Rex! A dinosaur inside a TARDIS with two exiled Time Lords. What could go wrong? The only thing that was wrong with the story was the failure to properly explain how the Master escaped his fate in Planet of Fire. But other than that, a pretty great story! Overall, excellent viewing.

Rating: 9/10

The God Machine

"There was no sign of life anywhere..."

Writer: Unknown

Format: Short Story

Released: September 1982

Printed in: Doctor Who Annual 1983

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis 

Forced to land the TARDIS on a desolate planet due to severity in the time vortex, the Doctor is concerned when Nyssa and Tegan don't arrive back from their exploration of the surroundings. As the Doctor goes off in search of them, he soon discovers why they didn't come back...

Verdict 

The God Machine was a pretty decent little short story and continued my extremely sporadic reading of the 1983 edition of the Doctor Who Annual very well. Now, this story didn't come without its problems and it really is a rarity that an Annual story comes without them but I thought it was a very solid story and despite my traditional thinking of the rating I awarded not being that good, I couldn't really ask for much more. That's just what the story was in my eyes. I thought it was told in a pretty exciting way and whilst the plot itself wasn't amazing nor jumped out immediately, the writing style was very good and certainly tried its best to improve the content of the adventure. I liked how the story started some time after the TARDIS had landed and that got us straight into the action and when a story is as short as this one was, you can't afford to waste time or space. The usual illustrations that accompanied the written text were good and definitely helped with the visualisation of the story. The art was actually excellent as well which couldn't always be said for some of the Doctor Who Annual stories that I've blogged which were released during the era of the Fourth Doctor. As time went on, things definitely appeared to have improved. They did exactly what they intended to do which was brilliant and it's just a shame that the plot of the story wasn't better as everything else was done right. I liked that Nyssa and Tegan went off exploring together while the Doctor saw to fixing the TARDIS components that had been slightly damaged by the disturbance and in time and space. The characterisation of Peter Davison's fifth incarnation was actually pretty decent but despite him being the main character he didn't actually have all that much to say. That's the one issue I probably did have with the story and that was the amount of text that simply explained things rather than have it done by dialogue. It can become pretty tiresome when an adventure is just told by what happens rather than interaction between the characters. We got a little bit with Sarl and it was quite humorous that once he introduced himself to the Doctor and announced where he was from and who he represented that he simply knocked the Time Lord out and rendered him unconscious! The play on religion and mythology was good and I liked how the pirates were hoping to become rich off of a long abandoned belief. They were getting away with it until the Doctor arrived and with Tegan and Nyssa captured mysterious atop the pyramid, he'd found a non-believer group who'd helped him escape his cell and discover the false gods. Although these rebels did overturn the pirates, I was quite surprised that the Doctor just left them to do the battle. That seemed uncharacteristic for me. It was good that he got the confirmation that his choice was the right one, but it just didn't seem right to me. Overall though, a pretty decent story!

Rating: 7/10

The Beginning

"We had to get away. Away from our home."

Writer: Marc Platt

Format: Audio

Released: November 2013

Series: Companion Chronicles 8.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan

Synopsis 

When the First Doctor and his grand-daughter Susan escape through the cloisters of Gallifrey to an old Type 40 Time Travel capsule, little do they realise the adventures that lie ahead... And little do they know, as the TARDIS dematerialises and they leave their home world behind, there is someone else aboard the ship. He is Quadrigger Stoyn, and he is very unhappy...

Verdict 

The Beginning was a brilliant audio adventure and has probably been the Companion Chronicle I've been wanting to listen to most ever since it was released, remarkably nearly three years ago. I really can't quite believe that it's been that long since the milestone that was the fiftieth anniversary but this really was this audio range's celebration story. I know that it kicks off a trilogy of adventures but with the name and what it depicts, along with the month of release, it has to be considered the anniversary audio from the Companion Chronicles. It depicted something that is very sought after in the Doctor Who universe and that's the Doctor leaving Gallifrey and embarking on his numerous adventures through time and space. Of course, we know that occurred with his granddaughter Susan and whilst there were hints at family life, I was glad that some things were kept a secret. Or rather unknown. Carole Ann Ford revealed in the short interview that followed the story that she wished the story showed the reason why her character and the Doctor fled from Gallifrey but I don't think you can reveal that. It can provide so much debate amongst fandom and I do think it should remain hidden. I mean, we know the general reason behind it but we don't particularly know any specifics. I was glad that things didn't contradict The Name of the Doctor in which we actually saw the moment the Doctor and Susan fled and the subtlety behind Clara's involvement in the Doctor's choice of TARDIS was wonderful I must say. It was very cleverly done. I thought it was terrific that once inside the time machine, the Doctor was clueless on how the controls worked. The early adventures of season one were kept in line with the inclusion of the food machine and I also thought it was very interesting that the Doctor had no apparent knowledge of Earth at this point in time. Any story set prior to An Unearthly Child has my interest and the way Platt got around Susan naming the TARDIS what it was whilst everyone else on Gallifrey referred to them as that was pretty good but I'm not so sure she wouldn't already know what one was. The attempt though was very good and I'm not sure it could have been bettered really as it is a bit of a head spinning topic. Quadrigger Stoyn was a good character and I liked how he was brought into just as much as trouble as the Doctor simply by being a worker on the deregistered and faulty TARDIS. That was a good way to get around the transduction barrier that Gallifrey has. The Doctor and Susan's reaction to stepping out on a brand new world was simply magnificent and seeing the First Doctor pose for the Gallifreyan equivalent of a photograph was most intriguing! Imagine William Hartnell doing that on screen. It staggers to be believed. The Archaeons were most interesting and I was a little surprised with how much of an impact they had on the story but they did greatly effect the Doctor and Susan which was good. I don't think it would go down very well nor set the tone for adventures to come if the first trip in the TARDIS wasn't an eventful one! We even had the insides being disassembled at times. However, for me this audio was always going to be about the fleeing from Gallifrey and the inspirations from The Doctor's Wife really was tremendous. Overall, an excellent story and beginning to one hell of a journey.

Rating: 9/10

The Twist Part 3

"They need to be stopped. Destroyed like the vermin they are..."

Writer: George Mann 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 22nd September 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 11

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Hattie

Synopsis 

He's seen the universe begin and end – and now all of time and space is his plaything. When there are innocents to save, vistas to savour, and a complete lack of savoir to faire, the Twelfth Doctor will be there to challenge dictators, change the fate of whole worlds, and discover secrets hidden for millennia!

Verdict 

The Twist concluded in excellent style with this terrific third and final part! George Mann didn't disappoint with his Twelfth Doctor story and with him being a superb writer, I never thought he would. But there's always that slight possibility of things not going right and thankfully there were no such worries here. The continuation from the cliffhanger of part two probably could have been slightly improved as I'm not a great lover of a part jumping ahead in time from the cliffhanger of the previous issue. The resolutions to the cliffhanger are always a good way to start a comic strip that is mid-way through the story as you can be instantly into the thick of the action but I must say that Mann did a good job of doing whilst jumping ahead from the cliffhanger. I reread the first two parts last night before reading the brand new (to me) instalment this afternoon which also brought an end to my reading of this month's issue of Doctor Who Comic. It won't be long again now before the next issue but I do hope that now I've settled back into my university routine that I'll be picking the next issues up on release day. I've mentioned it in my blog entries of parts one and two but the artwork in this story has been phenomenal and it continues here which was fantastic to see. I really have been impressed with the work of Mariano Laclaustra and I hope future artwork is continued by this tremendous artist. The characterisation of the Twelfth Doctor was once again very good with Peter Capaldi's likeness being expertly captured in print. The continuation of the plot was good and the revelation surrounding the Foxkin and the death of Idra was unexpected I must say. However, it did seem that the Doctor had worked it all out a long time ago which fascinated, but did not surprise, me. The bio-mechanical eye of Jakob's was all he needed for confirmation and when they were locked in the cell, the Doctor got his proof. The relationship between the Doctor and Hattie was very good although I must say that I am a little surprised that she has become a brand new and original companion. With Bill's arrival on screen not too far away, I expected the second year of Twelfth Doctor comic adventures to see him riding solo but that's clearly not the case as he invited the talented musician for just one trip. Well, we all know how often the Doctor sticks to that promise. I think she'll be around for a while now which is fine because I've liked her in this story but she doesn't seem like a companion. However, I think that could work in her favour. I liked how she was on the side of the Doctor when it came to understanding why the Foxkin locked them up and she could sympathise which certainly couldn't be said of Jakob. But we later learned why that was. He was actually the one who murdered Idra because she was going to reveal the truth about the history of the colonists on the Twist and he didn't want to believe that he descended from the hands of a fox. He loathed them but he would soon have to live with them as the Doctor, Hattie and the rest of the band put on one hell of a show to introduce the Foxkin to the colony. They were the ones that saved the humans when their mission failed all those years ago and rather than live in hiding with their secret, an anti-establishment of the Foxkin helped the Doctor get the truth out there. I loved how well received the Doctor was on his guitar and he was having a brilliant time but he seemed to succeed with the Foxkin where he's failed so many times previously with the Silurians. In saying that though, it wouldn't at all surprise me if we have a future story returning to the Twist a few years after this adventure is set where the harmonious living conditions have gone sour. But for now, it's peaceful and this was an excellent end to what has been a fantastic story!

Rating: 9/10

Downtime

"The horrific genocide of an entire species was probably his fault..."

Writer: Si Spurrier

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 22nd September 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 11

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Alice, Squire, Abslom Daak, River

Synopsis 

Abslom confesses a Daak secret. Alice develops a bond. The Squire recovers a memory. And the Doctor discovers the horrific truth about how The Then and The Now has been tracking them - and he doesn't like it one bit. As the universe closes in around them, is escape even possible?

Verdict 

Downtime was a very good comic strip and whilst the action surrounding the recent run of adventures for the Eleventh Doctor calmed down a little, the mystery behind the alleged crime of genocide that the Doctor committed during the Time War only deepened. Things are getting quite timey wimey now and I don't mind that all as these comic strips aren't really for the casual fans so going into deeper story arcs is a brilliant thing and I think that was perfectly highlighted in the previous story with Shada being the setting. That place doesn't technically exist in Doctor Who continuity but its legacy was firmly cemented as far as I am concerned. River's explanation for how they broke out of the time prison really was a little confusing and Abslom Daak's disapproval at the technojumble that she was spilling really was terrific. Whilst I admit that I didn't come anywhere close to understanding how River pulled off the escape, the confidence in which she explained how it was done really was great. I thought she was the star of this particular comic strip and I didn't think it would be long before she stole the show if she was sticking around, which is exactly what seems to be the case. The Doctor was rather strange in this comic strip and he really wasn't taking the likelihood that he actually did commit genocide all that well. I mean, that's completely understandable but his attitude towards Alice throughout the story really wasn't warranted and I must admit it was not nice to read. It just seemed so uncharacteristic of Matt Smith's incarnation. I did though like the question of the Doctor having too many companions being raised as I do think that four others is probably overstepping the mark although a comic strip is the format that you can get away with it most so I don't see any real problems. Alice seeing a flashback again of the Time War and the War Doctor was interesting and I found it pretty intriguing that the Squire was so quick to pick up upon it and ask what she saw. I'm still in doubt over the truth behind her which is good because it keeps me wanting to read to find out more which is exactly what should occur when I'm reading a comic series. DWC never fails in that department though thankfully. The arrival on Clundanius XI was good and I was quite surprised that the Doctor of all people thought it would be good to stop and have a drink. He clearly still wasn't thrilled about the revelation that the Master did not frame him for the horrendous crime of which he is accused. We did get somewhere though with the Exterminhate phrase thanks to Abslom Daak and I liked how that was the Doctor's true purpose for coming to the planet. The Volatix Cabal sounded like a very intriguing society amongst the Daleks and the fact that they may have hidden and escaped the Time War before the Time Lock came into play, conveniently around the time of the Doctor's alleged genocide, was excellent. I do hope the Daleks make a proper appearance at some point in this comic run as they've been talked about enough! The lead into the next story was very good with River not quite being correct in getting away from danger. The Then and the Now was on the way once again and tracking because of Alice which was an interesting revelation, but it seemed another danger was lurking in space. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10

 

The Wishing Well Witch Part 1

"It's just a legend."

Writer: Nick Abadzis 

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 22nd September 2016

Printed in: DWC: Tales from the TARDIS 11

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Gabby, Cindy

Synopsis 

It's Gabby's first trip to the UK, as the Doctor shows her (and her new fellow TARDIS traveller!) around his adopted gaff. But a visit to the countryside swiftly turns into a gothic horror story, as the gang discovers the curse afflicting a small town!

Verdict 

The Wishing Well Witch started off in excellent fashion with this fantastic first part of the story! I really did think it was a brilliant opening part and had exactly what you need in a comic strip's first instalment. The basis of the plot was more than laid out, the TARDIS team were out and about meeting the key characters and the potential threat in the story was both hinted at and then revealed. Sort of. I thought this was a very good start for Cindy as new companion although I was surprised that when given the opportunity to travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor and Gabby, upon the former's invitation, she was a little too interested in his alleged favouritism. Surely Cindy could understand that given all the Doctor and Gabby have been through but I must admit I was surprised to see that present in the very first part of her first story as an official companion. I liked the relationship between Gabby and Cindy but they did seem to fall out a little towards the end of the story and the latter did admit that she wished she could keep quiet sometimes. The pair have gone through a lot in life together through so they'll soon make up, there's no doubt about that. The characterisation of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor was superb and I loved his reaction to finding out that they had arrived in Dewbury. I loved the irony behind Gabby being promised a trip to London given the amount of Tenth Doctor stories that took place there with previous companions. I think it's refreshing though that the genetic setting isn't being used as it can get tiresome sometimes. Randall was a terrific character and his knowledge on the village and the legend of the wishing well witch was fantastic. The area was suffering from a severe case of OCD but I am intrigued by the Doctor's claims that they have been misdiagnosed. I'm sure that will be expanded upon further but the witch herself was very intriguing in her own right. The fact she had seven heads was enough to spark my interest! I enjoyed the references to Cindy, Cleo and the Magic Sketchbook! and the Doctor failing to find anything unusual about Gabby's sketchbook was very interesting, given what she saw through them. I think Ebonite had something to do with that though and mentions of him also sparked a great reference to Medicine Man/Arena of Fear. The continuation from the year one finale of The Fountains of Forever/Spiral Staircase/Sins of the Father was interesting and just a mention of Sutekh in a modern era story is fantastic. But the fortune teller being able to get a warning to the Doctor from Cindy's palms was most interesting. I almost expected that warning to be about Anubis but the reveal of Sutekh's potential return is something I'm very excited about! I'm not sure if this story will have anything to do with it but I'm looking forward to seeing how things pan out. Why is everyone suffering from OCD? The Doctor getting a time trace on the witch is also something that needs further exploration so I look forward to that happening. But for now, a brilliant start to the story!

Unregenerate!

"He's recently regenerated..."

Writer: David A. McIntee

Format: Audio

Released: June 2005

Series: Main Range 70

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Mel

Synopsis 

In a run-down asylum, screams echo in the halls as mysterious creatures roam, terrorising the staff. Patients complain of betrayal rather than illness, and no-one is quite what they seem. 

Mel knows that the Doctor is the best person to find the answers - but she is stranded on Earth, and the TARDIS has returned without him...

Why does a medical facility need to be under armed guard? What procedures are the staff carrying out, and to what purpose? What is the price that must be paid for making an agreement with those who run the asylum?

As the answers begin to be uncovered, the Doctor finds that the past may yet come back to haunt him...

Verdict 

Unregenerate! was a bit of a mixed bag audio adventure and whilst the good did outweigh the bad, I still thought there was quite a bit of room for improvement. It seemed a bit rushed towards the end when there was no need as I felt that the build up was actually a little slow. The plot was strange and enigmatic which is good but at times I think a little more clarity and explanation was needed. It was just missing that burst of energy to enhance its excitement which I think is a vital element in an audio story, especially one that is close to being two hours long. They can be a little difficult to listen to at times which I suppose is only natural with a lack of visuals so something needs to jump out and grab my attention and I felt that only partially occurred in this story. The name of the story caught my attention and because of it I've been wanting to listen to the audio for a long time now and whilst the focus was on regeneration for a time, there was no real hint of unregeneration. I assume that would be a similar process to what the Tenth Doctor went through in The Fountains of Forever/Spiral Staircase/Sins of the Father but it wasn't even talked about. All we knew was that the story was very early on in the life of the Seventh Doctor since his regeneration and there were quite a few references to Time and the Rani which were great but not exactly surprising. The idea of a mental asylum setting was obviously a good one and I loved that the Doctor himself seemed to be the prime patient. For the first two parts, I thought Sylvester McCoy gave an extremely powerful performance and he was the star of the story for the first hour or so but once he had 'recovered' back to his normal self, I thought the story lost its appeal. There was a mystery behind why the Seventh Doctor was apparently mentally insane and I don't think that was made enough of during the story. I did like the relationship between Mel and the Cabbie as his character was named and they did share come pretty cool scenes together. His reactions to the aliens and Mel's having dealt with them before was very good I must say. I thought Louis was a fantastic character and hearing him regenerate at the part three cliffhanger really was quite a surprise. The revelation about the presence of the Time Lords in this story really was surprising which is great but I just felt that by the time it came out, there wasn't enough of the story left for the idea to be explored. That really was quite a shame as I did think that the idea was good and that it was just the execution that was poor. It could have, and probably should have, been a lot better than it was and when that happens with a story I can't help but get a little frustrated. I know it can be good but it's just missing little bits that prove costly when it comes to my rating. The relationship between the Doctor and Mel was excellent though and I loved the continuation of the latter's photographic memory. That's something I am envious of although I think I partly use a similar technique when revising. The ending was pretty good but I did think that it could have been more climatic and filled with some suspense. Nevertheless, despite the fact I've probably been a bit critical in this blog entry, the story wasn't bad and was actually pretty decent. Overall, good but improvement needed!

Rating: 7/10

Moving In

"We have a house guest. Fella called the Doctor."

Writer: Mark Wright

Format: Comic Strip

Released: 22nd September 2016

Printed in: DWM 504

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor

Synopsis 

Jess Collins and her family have a new guest staying in their house... the Doctor. With the TARDIS nothing more than a wooden police box, the Doctor is forced to stay in 1972 until his time machine is repaired.

Verdict 

Moving In was an interesting little comic strip but I must say I thought it could have been improved. I was a little surprised to see that we had a new story in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine as there was no usual 'The End' at the bottom of the last page of the last story but that didn't matter too much. I had to quietly amend my blog entry from last month and apply a rating but no harm was done. I've signified that this story does in fact end after just the one part with the magazine's lack of 'part one' after the story title in the contents but I'll get back to the comic strip itself in a little while. With a move back to university and a wait for my student loan to kick in meant that I was once again a little late in purchasing this month's magazine but this definitely does look worth the wait! This issue celebrates the rather ironic golden anniversary of the Cybermen and we really were spoilt for choice when it came to the four collectable covers but my choice was pretty easy and I had to go with the issue showing the Cybermen from The Tenth Planet. The earliest Cybermen remain my favourite design and the cover also displays one from The Moonbase but it was the Cyberman of their debut story that made me pick this cover. It's just brilliant and we even got a little bonus comic segment featuring the Cybermen at the start and end of the magazine. However, that will not be blogged. I've already read Steven Moffat's column and I thought his opinion on K9 was really interesting. The robot dog returning alongside the Twelfth Doctor really would be something quite special but I imagine it's a little late for that now. I'm looking forward to some of the interviews in the magazine and I think with the focus on the Cybermen it just has to be a good issue. The news that The Power of the Daleks will be fully restored in animation isn't exactly new but seeing it mentioned again in the magazine made me very excited and I think this is the first time I've mentioned it in the blog. I can't wait to blog that for the second time but this time around it will be very different from watching recons. Now, back to the comic strip itself and whilst there wasn't much wrong with it, I just felt that nothing much happened and that it was in serious need of an injection of excitement. I think it almost tried to do too much and in doing so somehow achieved too little. The Doctor had temporarily moved in with Jess and her family following the events of The Pestilent Heart and the TARDIS reverting back to a wooden box similarly to what we saw in Father's Day. The Doctor was stuck in 1972 and I thought the characterisation of Peter Capaldi's incarnation was a bit mixed. The conversation with Maxwell about comic books was excellent and their argument over who was the better out of Batman and Captain America was excellent. There was a lot of reflection in the story which was good and I'm intrigued in the relationship between the Doctor and Jess. She certainly has the making of a companion but I don't think she will be with Bill's arrival only around six months away now. The ending was sudden and that's because nothing much happened in terms of a plot. But what we did get was fine it just needed some energy and excitement! Overall, improvement needed but at least the rest of the magazine will be good.

Rating: 7/10

From Raxicoricofallapatorius with Love

"Whatever next, the bionic blusher?"

Writers: Gareth Roberts & Clayton Hickman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 13th March 2009

Series: 2009 Comic Relief Special

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, K9

Synopsis 

When Sarah Jane and her young friends are gathered in the attic and carrying out maintenance on Mr Smith, they get a visit from the most unexpected of visitors...

Verdict 

From Raxicoricofallapatorius with Love was a terrific little minisode. Just when I thought my viewing of the Sarah Jane Adventures was over for a while, I go sky discover this little gem on the DVD boxset of the second series. However, it's not as easy to access as you might expect from a DVD! I mean, it's not really that difficult to get around to finding and watching it but once you access the not so well hidden secret files, there is a quiz section had to access the minisode you have to answer five questions in a row correctly. Obviously, they're all about the series that this is the boxset of but I actually started off with an incorrect answer as I couldn't recall what Rani's star sign was from Secrets of the Stars. However, the fifth and final question that I did answer correctly was the star sign of Sarah Jane so after working for it, I was able to sit back and enjoy the little special. I think it's great that a spinoff of Doctor Who got to do a minisode for a charity appeal and Comic Relief is obviously a good cause and I liked how similarly to a Christmas special, the running theme of the charity night was heavily present in the story. We had Ronnie Corbett appearing which is brilliant enough in itself but the fact that he was a child Slitheen was just magnificent! It really was quite a humorous five minutes or so and I liked the Slitheen's disguise of being a galactic ambassador that had come to reward Sarah Jane and her young friends for all the hard work they had been doing recently in battling aliens and defeating evil. She initially felt honoured but once the new arrival started shedding gas, the disguise was up and everybody knew that he was actually a Slitheen. It was quite intriguing that his name was shortened to Rani and with that name already being synonymous with Doctor Who, it was strange to have two characters named that here without either being an evil Time Lady. There was a great deal of comedy fitted into five minutes which was good and while the plot of the story wasn't exactly thrilling, it really didn't matter. This was purely meant to get laughs and that's exactly what it achieved. Mr Smith analysing the Slitheen and even the reemergence of K9 confirming his alien identity was brilliant because the Slitheen still continued to deny that he was one of them! Rarely does a story physically make me laugh but that did occur here with Ronnie Corbett so it definitely did something right. The comments about the sonic lipstick were excellent and the use of red nose antlers and even one appearing on K9 was a good and funny way to end the minisode. Overall, a lot of fun!

Rating: 8/10

Enemy of the Bane

"I'm not past my sell by date yet."

Writer: Phil Ford

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1st-8th December 2008

Series: SJA 2.06

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Brigadier

Synopsis 

Gita Chandra is kidnapped by Mrs Wormwood. This thrns out to be a snare for Sarah Jane. Mrs Wormwood has joined with another it Sarah Jane's enemies, Commander Kaagh. As they prepare to settle old scores, Sarah Jane turns to an old friend.

Verdict 

Enemy of the Bane was an excellent stort and served as a great series two finale of the Sarah Jane Adventures! It was brilliant for a number of reasons as it had not one but two returning enemies, a very good plot and an incredible surprise return for an old friend of Sarah Jane's. When you name a story after the returning monster, I think you have to introduce them pretty early on and not needlessly build up to the big reveal. It's in the name, we know it's coming. Thankfully, within the first few minutes we were reintroduced to Mrs Wormwood and it initially seemed that she was after revenge for the events that occurred in Invasion of the Bane. However, that wasn't quite the case. Wormwood was being hunted by the Bane Kindred and as she had been the head of a failed invasion, she was now expected to accept her fate of being eaten alive. That was the punishment and her species were determined to see that she served it. Wormwood had come to Sarah Jane for help, and that obviously did seem a little too good to be true. And if that's the case then it usually is a trap. Wormwood trying to make an emotional connection with Luke throughout the story was interesting as it really did seem genuine. She cared for her creation very much but it didn't go as far as love. She just wanted to use Luke to access her means of ruling the universe. That wasn't love. How could it be? The story was wonderful in the fact that it saw the Brigadier return to our screens after a very long absence. Although he didn't get to appear in modern Doctor Who, this is as good as and to have reunited with Sarah Jane really was wonderful. There were fantastic references to The Invasion, Spearhead From Space, Terror of the Autons, Day of the Daleks and Terror of the Zygons and I also enjoyed the continuity from The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky with the Brigadier's recent whereabouts. Hearing Nicholas Courtney once again really was magnificent and although he couldn't do much other than drive a car, I loved how his walking stick was packed with weaponry and he managed to use it on Kaagh! His return alongside Wormwood was a big surprise and although they made an unlikely alliance, their quest to find Horath was very good. Kaagh's insistence that he wasn't working for a female was great and his honour really had been damaged since he first encountered Sarah Jane and her 'half forms'. I really liked the references to Secrets of the Stars, The Mark of the Berserker and The Day of the Clown and when it came to explaining the Dark Archives of UNIT, the reference to Tooth and Claw was terrific. Wormwood claiming that Sarah Jane was merely the wet nurse when it came to Luke was quite a striking claim but Luke was correct in maintaining that Sarah Jane was his mother. He wasn't good at dealing with his first nightmare but he would play a major role in assuring that he wouldn't get another. The scenes at the stone circle were quite impressive and Kaagh going out in honour and actually saving the universe was a surprise but an excellent one at that. Sarah Jane's enemies defeated each other and overloaded the circuit meaning Horath would not manifest. The Brigadier and Sarah Jane swiftly said their goodbyes and it was just marvellous to see him in the modern era still going strong. Overall, a fantastic finale!

Rating: 9/10

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith

"I will do battle once more with Sarah Jane Smith."

Writer: Gareth Roberts 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 17th-24th November 2008

Series: 2.05

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani

Synopsis 

When Sarah returns a boy who has slipped through a time fissure to 1951, she realises she has found a way to meet the parents she never knew. Is it a trap? Sarah and Luke fall victim to a revenge plot by the Trickste

Verdict 

The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith was an incredible adventure and has quickly overtaken Secrets of the Stars as my favourite story from the Sarah Jane Adventures so far! It was simply outstanding and a real treat to watch. We had a brilliant recurring villain, a very strong plot and all the focus on Sarah Jane herself which despite the spinoff series being based around her, hasn't happened too much so I was glad of that here. I liked how the story got straight into the thick of the action and wasted no time in revealing that the Trickster was returning to do battle with Sarah Jane. His methods this time though were different and instead of taking her out of time, he was hoping to lure her into a trap to cause chaos. It was more than that though, as the Trickster wanted to manifest in reality. Before we've seen him in mirrors and through the shadows but he wanted a physical being and came very close to securing it. Sarah knowing that the time fissure was a trap but wanting to go and meet her parents anyway was interesting and a little bit surprising as well because she's usually so cautious when it comes to dealing with aliens or time disturbance. But the temptation really was too much to resist. The Graske had lured her in with the disguise of Oscar and when Sarah Jane found out that she was in the village she was born a month before her parents abandoned her, despite admitting to herself that she couldn't stay, she always knew she would go back. The reveal of Oscar being the Graske was good and although it was expected, it was still a terrific moment to see the reactions of Clyde and Rani. The references to Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? were brilliant and I liked how Clyde remembered that Maria used the Verron puzzle box to keep her memory whilst the world changed around her. That box would be vital in fixing the problems present here as Sarah Jane was not only tempted to go and meet her parents, but she actually went as far as saving them. That gave the Trickster a new lease of life and as he physically formed, Sarah Jane went back through the fissure and saw London ravaged. She refused to believe that a small change like that could have a huge effect but the world was now the Trickster's domain. The cliffhanger was superb and I also thought that Clyde getting through to the Graske on an emotional level and offering him freedom from the Trickster was terrific. Rani being able to go back to 1951 and help Sarah Jane and Luke put things right was good and her knowing where the arrival of the Trickster occurred was a big help. Barbara, Sarah Jane's mother, was a fantastic character and after Rani arrived and blew the Victoria Beckham disguise, she worked out what was meant to happen. It was a bittersweet moment then as Luke pointed out that Sarah Jane was not abandoned by her parents, she was saved by them. They drove off to their destiny and would die but the world was saved and the Trickster tasted defeat. Throughout the story we had excellent references to The Monster of Peladon, Invasion of the Bane, Revenge of the Slitheen and The Last Sontaran which were terrific but I think the highlight for me was Sarah Jane wanting a reward for all the good she has done. She more than deserves it. She had met her parents and saw that they loved her. That's all she could have asked for. Overall, a simply wonderful story.

Rating: 10/10

The Mark of the Berserker

"Bannerman Road. It's where it all happens."

Writer: Joseph Lidster

Format: TV

Broadcast: 3rd-10th November 2008

Series: SJA 2.04

Featuring: Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde, Rani, Maria 

Synopsis 

An alien pendant which gives its wearer the power to control others is stolen from Sarah's attic. Luke and Rani enlist the help of Clyde's mum to track down Clyde and his father, who has the alien pendant. The chase leads to a terrifying waterside confrontation when the pendant takes control of Paul and begins transforming him.

Verdict 

The Mark of the Berserker was a very good story and continued the high standard of the second series of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It just goes to show how good this spinoff series is because when a story of this quality is the worst of the series so far, you know things are good! It does indeed get the lowest rating so far in series two but it was still a brilliant story. I thought it was interesting that Sarah Jane didn't appear much and that's probably a major reason as to why the story didn't score in the upmost highest regions but with the rating it has, her absence wasn't felt too much. I think it allowed for Rani to step up and fully get on board with the whole alien thing that she's slowly been getting used to since the events of The Day of the Clown. Luke and Clyde seem to be enjoying her company and Sarah Jane has been more than welcoming which is great and she really has established herself as Maria's replacement very quickly. It was wonderful to see Maria back though in this story as although it hasn't been long since she departed in The Last Sontaran, we were still reminded about her and Luke clearly missed and valued her. I liked how they actually required Alan and his computer skills with the small task of hacking into UNIT. His reaction to Maria knowing what that stood for was magnificent. The concept behind the Berserker pendant was interesting and something having the ability to control people just by a simple command really was a deadly weapon. Jacob had used it and Rani shortly followed but when she learned more about it, she was planning on leaving it to Sarah Jane to deal with it. She simply left it in the attic with a deactivated Mr Smith and it looked like that would be it. That was until Clyde's Dad showed up at his doorstep. The humour between Clyde and Luke at the sleepover, mainly concerning Carla, was brilliant but things soon took a sour turn when Paul showed up. Clyde wasn't happy to see him and wanted some answers for his absence over the past five years. He wasn't a likeable guy at all really and hearing what he had done was petty despicable. I was surprised Clyde spent so much time with him but he didn't have too much choice with Paul using the pendant considerably. He was on his way to becoming a Berserker and that definitely didn't look like a comfortable process. He made his own son forget his friends, his mother and a lot of his own feelings which was pretty horrifying. He used the pendant to jazz himself up with a new sports car and flashy suit and all of his actions were just everything I despise in a human being. That's maybe a little severe but I think it's true. I did though enjoy the references to Revenge of the Slitheen and The Lost Boy. Maria and Rani getting to have a conversation was fantastic and I think if they met in person they'd get along just pleasantly. Sarah Jane dealing with her own troubles in a hospital was intriguing but I liked how she emerged at the marina and talked Paul and the Berserker he was becoming into defeat. She owned the place when she arrived and she was one person that Clyde did remember due to her absence. He confided in her and with words Paul remembered who he was and that was enough to revert himself to normality. Overall, a very good story!

Rating: 8/10