Resistance

"You mean we've gone back in time... to the War?"

Writer: Steve Lyons
Format: Audio
Released: March 2009
Series: Companion Chronicles 3.09

Featuring: Second Doctor, Polly, Ben, Jamie

Synopsis

February, 1944: France is occupied by the Third Reich, the French Gestapo has an iron grip and the native resistance attempts to overthrow the invaders. On one quiet winter's night, a British plane crashes to the ground, leaving a flying officer desperate to escape via the evasion lines.

Separated from the TARDIS, Ben and Jamie, the Doctor and Polly find themselves with enemies on all sides. Trapped in one of the darkest times in history, Polly discovers that humanity can be just as dangerous as any threat from outer space. She resolves to make a difference - even if it means leaving the Doctor forever...

Verdict

Resistance was a very good little audio adventure and an absolute steal at just £2.99! It was last month's special offer story from Big Finish and as it was one I hadn't listened to I just could not resist purchasing it. I do very much enjoy the Companion Chronicles range and Polly is one of my all time favourite companions so having Anneke Wills as the narrator was just a bonus. I really liked how early in the Second Doctor era that this story was set as with a lot of those early episodes missing from the archives, these audios can help plug the gaps that are currently present. There was a mention of both The Tenth Planet and The Power of the Daleks which was terrific and I also liked the brief glimpse of the relationship between Polly and Ben that we got. The pair clearly had feelings for each other during their tenure in the TARDIS and their race to the doors upon landing somewhere was innocent flirting and I really liked it. I thought the setting of occupied France during the Second World War was excellent and I loved the simplicity of this audio being a pure historical. They don't happen enough on television anymore, if at all, so for the audio format to still show that they absolutely work is a joy to behold. As a History student, I really appreciated the attention to detail and I liked how specific a World War Two setting this was. You had active resistance trying to get to the Spanish border due to their neutrality and I liked how the adventure even included the French Gestapo. Ben identifying that was really good. I thought the script was really clever in how it separated the Doctor and Polly from Ben and Jamie and that allowed for some much easier storytelling when it came to just having Wills narrating from the TARDIS team. There was another narrator in the form of the Pilot and the story behind his character was actually really good. The cliffhanger reveal that he was actually Polly's uncle, a person that had been referenced earlier in the story with the connection to the War, was superb and it really did have me out of my seat. I don't think the follow up to it was fully capitalised upon but it was far from bad that's for sure. There could have been a touch more excitement when it came to the Doctor and Polly being on the run and seeking salvage through the resistance but it was still very good so I have no real complaints. Anneke Wills did a terrific job narrating and her reprisal as Polly was wonderful. I thought her impression of the Second Doctor was pretty decent and I also enjoyed her take on Ben and Jamie too. It made for an easy listen and that definitely can help when it comes to giving a story a good mark, which this adventure certainly achieved. The revelation that Randolph wasn't actually Polly's uncle but instead a Gestapo infiltrator who had tried to take his place was good but it didn't come as much of a surprise when it really should have. The fact that Polly wanted to make a difference in the past was an excellent emotional battle to hear and she was even prepared to leave the TARDIS to do so. The Doctor's little speech to her at the end of the audio about changing the future instead was a lovely way to finish though. Polly had questioned her role in the TARDIS during this adventure but the Doctor let her know that she was very much needed and appreciated. Overall, a fantastic little adventure!

Rating: 8/10