Year of the Drex Olympics

"Who would have thought the Earthlings could be so wonderful?"

Writer: Paul Ebbs

Format: Audio

Released: April 2019

Series: Short Trips 9.04

Featuring: Second Doctor, Jamie

Synopsis

All the Doctor wanted to do on Venus was learn their aikido. But as ever, his plans have gone awry. The TARDIS has been stolen to be a prize in the Venusian Olympics. The Doctor is furious, not only at the theft but also that it is the third place prize! Now Jamie and Victoria must compete to get the TARDIS back, and soon find themselves winning every event. 

The TARDIS crew normally win, but this time it might cost them everything...

Verdict

Year of the Drex Olympics was a very decent and solid Short Trips audio adventure! I really like the idea of taking the Doctor to Venus as it’s something that has been alluded to on a number of occasions but we didn’t quite get it on screen which is a shame. This audio’s setting of Drex worked really well and I liked how it was essentially the Solar System’s second planet’s capital city as the biggest there. That was important context and gave credence to it hosting the Olympics. I love the idea of the Olympics not being exclusive to Earth and some of the imagery painted here was great. The Doctor giving a speech on biofuel extraction was not what I was expecting for a story referring to Olympics, but it was something I’d expect from him in showing the benefits. The fact that he was doing so to be taught Venusian Aikido in return was absolutely tremendous and I have to say I was so disappointed by the ending with him being confident in the art now based on what he saw from Finflalofix instead of actually taking the lessons. The concept was sound but I just didn’t understand the ending! Jamie trying to explain to the Doctor that the TARDIS was gone was humorous stuff and I always enjoy the threat of the isolation without it. The idea of having to partake in the Olympic Games to win it back was nicely done! It turned out though that it would be Jamie and Victoria competing but they were actually doing too well which was slightly odd. The prize for the third place only was the TARDIS, so the fact that Jamie and Victoria were topping the leaderboards was not good! I enjoyed that aspect. The companions were wowing the crowds but that wasn’t something the Doctor was pleased about for obvious reasons! The distortion of Victoria’s voice was a little odd and whilst it allowed her a lot more dialogue as it eliminated the need for Frazier Hines to do an impression of her, it just felt very wrong. It lasted the duration and whilst it was a clear way to show the DNA virus that was on the loose, it just didn’t sit right with me. I’d expect her to be a bit more hysterical if that happened to her in all honesty. The mystery of someone sabotaging the sporting equipment and endangering the health of Jamie and Victoria was good with the effects of the mutator wave more than being felt. Mother Superior was a good character and I liked her confusion as the wave was well known on Venus and especially Drex. It was created for the warrior nuns during a previous war and had the sole purpose of giving strength and desire. This was what had consumed Jamie and Victoria and explained their sporting edge nicely, as I just couldn’t believe that Victoria would be winning at something like javelin! Not on an Olympic level that’s for sure. Finflalofix being the cause was actually something I didn’t see coming and it initially seemed underwhelming for Mother Superior to just return the TARDIS, but that was something Finflalofix wouldn’t allow. He wanted to continue the monopoly he had on energy and wasn’t on board with the Doctor’s speech. His threat of taking the TARDIS and throwing it into a volcano was excellent and whilst it would be indestructible below a magma chamber, there was no means of entry. Quite the threat! I really enjoyed the potential of the TARDIS being destroyed and the means were pretty foolproof, but I was slightly late disappointed by the resolution at the end with the Doctor disengaging hover mode to save the TARDIS and had also concocted an antidote a little too quickly for my liking. Admittedly, the format is short but it was a little too easy and just described rather than explained. Perhaps I was just more disappointed by the Doctor not actually getting the Venusian lessons. Overall though, still a very solid audio with a lot of fun ideas. And faultless narration by Frazier Hines as always!

Rating: 7/10