Fitz's Story

"One call can save your life."

Writer: Stephen Cole

Format: Audio

Released: July 2009

Series: Monthly Adventures 123b

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Fritz

Synopsis

On the planet Entusso, the Doctor and Fitz Kreiner investigate Alien Defence Incorporated – your one-stop shop for protection against extraterrestrial invasion! But which is the greatest menace: the hideous Vermin Queens or ADI itself?

Verdict

Fritz's Story was another fantastic story to continue The Company of Friends collection of adventures featuring the Eighth Doctor. This is certainly a unique Monthly Adventure audio and the way this started post-credits with the advert for Alien Defence Incorporated and the Doctor apparently fully endorsing them as Entusso's means of providing sanctuary against alien invaders was superb. It was fun and upbeat and a terrific concept and I thought Paul McGann's performance for it was magnificent. It was a really good way to start the story and having it then phase out of focus and the Doctor and Fitz watching it in the TARDIS was really nicely done. Now, this was my first experience of Fitz as a companion and whilst the story was excellent, based on this audio I am not a big fan of his character in the slightest. Of course, I will keep my true judgement for when I eventually encounter him as a companion in the prose Eighth Doctor Adventures series, but his attitude here and the remarks and actions he was making regarding women wasn't very likeable. I wasn't a fan of that and I was surprised that the Doctor would be too. Anyway, finding out that the Doctor we had heard in the ADI advert was just a construct was fun and I really enjoyed his reaction to seeing his likeness being used in the way it was here. Director Femor made for a marvellous character and I loved her claim towards the Doctor about him being a part time saviour. There may be some semblance of truth to that, but she clearly knew how good he was at saving when he was around because she wanted him to help ADI as a consultant, or at the very least provide real endorsement. I thought her motives were good in wanting to show the Entusso people that ADI could save them from an alien threat, whilst also warning off the aliens that potentially would be invading. And who better than the Doctor to endorse them? I thought that was really good to play around with. Gastan as a cleaner turning up throughout the audio was good and I liked the twist that he was actually the enemy within ADI. He had killed the ten phone operatives reducing them to slime and his line about cleaning up was fantastic. Initially, I was a little confused with Fitz being left behind given the story title and having the Doctor infiltrate in the ADI compound. But then after the gas disabled him for 18 hours, Fitz was left with instructions that were superb as he was on the news and claimed to be the master strategist behind the myth of the Doctor, who he casually was referring to as John given his John Smith alias. That was really good. The actual adverts that were placed within the news item were so convincing that I instinctually went to skip them as I am a keen podcast listener on my daily walks and always skip through. They were quite a lot of fun. Gastan heading for Fitz to take him out as he believed that he was the true protector was very good and I thought the irony and humour that came with him being dealt with my the chemicals was terrific. The line about him being a bad cleaner was easy but so effective. It was really enjoyable. I thought things ended quite nicely with Fitz taking the Doctor's place on the advert after the fake reveal of being the strategist and the pompous companion seemed pretty pleased with events. It was a fun way to end though and brought the story full circle in a really good way. Overall, this was a brilliant little listen! This release is certainly turning out to be more enjoyable than I anticipated. 

Rating: 9/10