Council of War

"And then I remembered the space man..."

Writers: Simon Barnard & Paul Morris
Format: Audio
Released: June 2013
Series: Companion Chronicles 7.12

Featuring: Third Doctor, Benton

Synopsis

At the Doctor's request, Sergeant Benton is investigating ghosts and missing people in Kettering, while undercover as a local councilor.

And that's how he comes to meet Margery Phipps.

An alien incursion in the town hall leads them on a journey to a terrible future - where Margery discovers how she changed a world, and the life of a whole civilisation hangs in the balance...

Verdict

Council of War was a pretty decent little audio adventure! It was my first Companion Chronicle in quite some time and I must admit it was quite refreshing to dive back into the range that I have enjoyed so much in the past. They're easy to listen to at around an hour long and with the focus being on the companion and the story usually told through them, it often gives the listener a lot more exposure to the companion which may not be something that occurs if the Doctor is present in a story. After all, the show is all about him but these audios go some way to proving that his friends are just as important. When Big Finish offered this story at just £2.99 last month, I could hardly resist and I was also delighted to see that this month's special offer story of the same price is another that I have not listened to so I have also purchased that today. But that's for a future entry. This story was quite an intriguing one and it was interesting to have a non-traditional companion lead the story in the form of Sergeant Benton. He was a very comical character during the Third Doctor's era but we never really got to see him shine on his own. That changes in this story though and I thought its placement soon after The Green Death was very good. There was a lot going on at UNIT at this time with Mike Yates still not himself following his interactions with BOSS and then there was the departure of Jo and the Doctor not dealing too greatly with that. I really liked that we got to hear some of that despair that the Doctor must obviously have felt following his friend's departure to the Amazon. The Doctor didn't appear in the adventure much but I thought John Levene's impression of Jon Pertwee's third incarnation was pretty solid for how long he featured. The cameo of the Brigadier was also pretty well done too. As is the usual format with the Companion Chronicles, the companion actor is accompanied by somebody who voices a character in the story and in this adventure Margery Phipps played quite a crucial role. She was a very good character but I must say that I was a little confused by the logic behind her trial in the future on Kettering. Her legacy as a Prime Minister and politician seems to be historic but for the Blatherians to follow her lead but then blame her for their planet coming under attack seemed just baffling to me. It was hardly a form of justice. Benton's idea of an illumination of an army to scare off the Blatherians was intriguing and I liked the historical connections but it was a risky one. Speaking of risks though, him risking his life to protect the people of this future was courageous. The references to The Invasion and The Claws of Axos were terrific and I liked the relationship between Benton and Margery throughout but this audio did lack a little in terms of excitement. Kettering Council wasn't exactly the most thrilling of themes and settings and it took a little while to get going. I also found it a tad ironic how the Doctor had to step in at the last minute and save the day in a story that focuses on the companions. It's what would usually happen but something about that didn't quite feel right to me which was a little bit of a shame. Overall though, it was still a very decent little adventure and considering I thought Benton might be too weak of a character to lead a story, I was impressed with what I listened to.

Rating: 7/10