The Outlaws

"Are monks allowed to take revenge?"

Writer: Lizbeth Myles

Format: Audio

Released: April 2022

Series: First Doctor Adventures 1.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Dodo

Synopsis

Landing in 13th-century Lincoln, the Doctor and Dodo are soon caught up in the battle between Sheriff Nicholaa de la Haye and outlaw gangs in the nearby forest. King John requires funds for his conflict with France, and Nicholaa is determined to provide them, whatever the efforts of William of Berkshire and his gang of wolves' heads...

After taking refuge in Lincoln Castle, the Doctor and Dodo are separated. The Doctor is detained at the pleasure of the Sheriff, while Dodo indulges her adventurous spirit and plays forest outlaw with William's gang.

But William is not acting alone. The outlaws' true leader knows the Doctor and has a plan for revenge. A man with a passion for meddling. A man who wears a monk's habit...      

Verdict

The Outlaws was a brilliant start to a brand new era of First Doctor Adventures! I must admit that when I heard the trailer for this release I was a little sceptical about another recast of the First Doctor, but I warmed to Stephan Noonan's take on the iconic incarnation as the story went on and a large part of that is down to the fantastic writing of his character. I was really impressed with how well the essence of the First Doctor was captured here and it's so exciting to get a glimpse at the adventures of the Doctor and Dodo between The Savages and The War Machines. There's a good gap there and I'm looking forward to hearing it get filled. I thought Lauren Cornelius did a good job in the role of Dodo once again and I'm certainly a fan of her take on the less remembered companion, and pairing them off against a familiar villain in the form of the Monk is the perfect way to start a series! I'm a huge fan of the Monk and Rufus Hound's incarnation is gloriously evil and clumsy. The references to The Time Meddler here were fantastic and it's so much fun for the pair to meet again in the Middle Ages. This time around, it seemed the Monk was actually on history's side with him wanting to usurp King John, but it wasn't quite as simple as that as you might expect. I loved the interaction between the Doctor and the Monk, and the latter's reaction to finding the TARDIS was an absolute treat. I thought the historical figures in this story were strong with Sheriff Nicholaa an absolute delight. Her dialogue with the Doctor was terrific and I enjoyed how she was trying to protect her granddaughter Idonea. The Doctor seeing Dodo as a granddaughter was a nice touch and I loved his touching upon leaving Susan. Some of the references in this adventure were marvellous with the Doctor recalling the events of The Crusade fantastically when it came to his interaction with history and the royal ascendancy, and also remembering a fine dentist in The Gunfighters when mocking the Monk when it came to him once again being trapped. He'd have six centuries to wait for anaesthesia though! I liked the roles of the titular Outlaws and I was a big fan of the title in keeping with the era's use of historical figures. It was simple and effective. They were dangerous and having Dodo blunder into trouble was great stuff. Her misspeaking about who was on the throne thrust them into a jail cell which was amusing. Sir Hugh was another character who was just a lot of fun and he fitted in effortlessly with the lighthearted feel of this adventure. It had an air of The Romans to it without going overboard with the humour. It was the perfect balance. I thought the Monk's TARDIS being disguised as a tree was such a fun way to conclude things and the Doctor once again causing the Monk to be stranded was wonderful. I thought Noonan's take on the First Doctor was impressive for a debut and I enjoyed the little mannerisms and deliberate misspeaking. I thought it was a fine take on how William Hartnell would have played the role for this story. That's a big compliment. Overall, a really fun start to the range and series! 

Rating: 9/10