The Barbarians and the Samurai

"They kill foreigners who come here."

Writer: Andrew Smith

Format: Audio

Released: July 2018

Series: First Doctor Adventures 2.02

Featuring: First Doctor, Susan, Ian, Barbara

Synopsis

In 19th Century Japan, Westerners are forbidden. So when the TARDIS arrives near Lord Mamoru's castle, the daimyo's Samurai are soon on their trail.

Uncovering secrets at court and treachery in the ranks, the Doctor and his friends are drawn into intrigue. And, as a battle begins, they are caught in the middle.

Verdict

The Barbarians and the Samurai was an excellent story to conclude the second volume of the First Doctor Adventures! I thought this was a really great adventure and one that really felt authentic to the era in which it was set. This could have easily slid in somewhere towards the end of that first season and that is testament to the writer in capturing that feel despite a completely changed cast. Now, I'm not sure I will ever get used to this full cast playing the roles of the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara, but I'm certainly warming to it and I think Jamie Glover's take on Ian is really growing on me. He's doing the character justice which is nice, whilst I think the take on Barbara is still a little too posh. I enjoyed Barbara's role in this story though and her being the basis for the knowledge drop on the history of Japan during this period was excellent. It was fun to know that her dissertation was on these events so she really knew her stuff quite extensively. I loved the dynamic of the Barbarians and the Samurais and having her explain the rankings and hierarchy of Japanese culture at this time with the likes of the daimyos and the shoguns was fantastic, and also necessary in understanding the complex makeup of a country that had been shut to foreigners for over two centuries. Having that as the premise of arrival sparked immediate danger which was good and the appearance of the TARDIS foursome would obviously raise eyebrows in the country. I loved the characterisation of the First Doctor in this one and he certainly didn't react well to being told what to do and to have many restrictions come his way. David Bradley performed admirably and did a stellar job in capturing the essence of the incarnation. The humour that came from Barbara's name and her perception as a Barbarian was terrific and something so simple was very effective. I liked how she even acknowledged it as well. I wasn't expecting there to be a love story at the heart of this adventure but what occurred between Shumei and Keiko was really nice and I loved how strongly the former felt for the latter with him ending up relegated to a mere peasant because he refused to tell her that he never had feelings. I liked how he assisted the Doctor's party too. Mamoru was a strong character as the ruler of Japan and I liked the twist of him being in league with the British, and the Doctor and Barbara pretending to be those that were expected. I thought the cliffhangers were strong despite not really providing any serious danger for the fate of our characters, and for me a highlight was just the whole race dynamic. It was fun to split the characters off and I really liked that the TARDIS was thrown into the sea, but the Doctor was never worried of its fate. Susan was a little quiet in this one, but that's always going to be the case for somebody when you have four main characters. The siege to the castle and the battles that ensued to try and reunite everyone together to head to the TARDIS was exciting, and I really liked the action that came to get them all in the same space again. As a whole, this was a really intriguing exploration of a period and time rarely visited in Doctor Who, and a perfect history lesson that fits right in with the original ethos of the early era of the show. Overall, a brilliant listen!

Rating: 9/10