Chain Reaction

"You were trying to shoot that pigeon."

Writer: Darren Goldsmith

Format: Audio

Released: February 2011

Series: Short Trips 2.04

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane

Synopsis

One single coin can set off a fascinating sequence of events... if you're a Time Lord.

Verdict

Chain Reaction was sadly not the best of ways to round out my listening of the second volume of Short Trip audios from Big Finish. I really didn't get along with this story which was a real shame as I thought Louise Jameson did a terrific job with her narration. That is hardly surprising though given how great of an actress and performer she is, but I was left a little disappointed that Leela didn't actually feature. Even though it happened at the very end of the story, I will get to the appearance of Sarah Jane Smith right away and I thought it was about the only decent thing that occurred in the adventure. I was rather mystified by the story's direction and I couldn't quite believe that everything centred around a pound coin and a pigeon. It sounds barmy and that's usually perfect for the Fourth Doctor, but without the natural wit of Tom Baker present, this one just fell flat on its face for me. The idea of basing a Doctor Who story around a chain reaction was one I was very excited about and thought would work really well wit endless possibilities across time and in space, but instead we got a coin. A coin! Ugh, I really didn't like it. Unfortunately, I found myself quite bored for much of the story and when the audio is already only fifteen minutes, it's not a good sign when it drags! I think the little synopsis for this story is a bit misleading as well as I don't see what the Doctor being a Time Lord has to do with anything concerning a chain reaction. Anyone could have rolled that coin and the events would still have occurred in exactly the same sequence. What the Doctor did to then revert things to a flow of events that weren't dangerous may only be achieved by a Time Lord, but the actual action of rolling the coin and setting the events in motion didn't matter at all. That's a little frustrating to read in hindsight. I wasn't a huge fan of the direction or sound for this audio which was a big shame and it was just strange the noise that occurred every time Jameson voiced the Doctor. I get that there has to be some sort of leeway in having her do an impression of Tom Baker's fourth incarnation, but something just felt very off. It definitely was off-putting. The idea of coins being fixed in time is just ludicrous and it shows how utterly ridiculous this whole audio was to be honest! It's such a weird idea and I wonder where it came from. It was strange. Dennis turning out to not be fixed in time was admittedly unexpected, but it came too late to make much of an impact even if the Doctor's reaction was humorous. Ahh, a frustrating one. Overall, not the best of stories I'm afraid but my progress through the endless catalogue that is Big Finish continues. 

Rating: 4/10