Romans Cutaway

"I spiked him, but still he cut me down."

Writer: David A. McIntyre

Format: Short Story

Released: March 1999

Printed in: More Short Trips 12

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

Here on Earth or out in the depths of the cosmos, the Doctor and his companions are never far from adventure.

Discover things on Earth you were never meant to know. Get around the universe. Get short tripping.

Verdict

Romans Cutaway was a really fun and great little Short Trips story! This was the perfect use of the format and I absolutely love the idea of filling narrative gaps that occurred in televised serials. There’s a noticeable jump at the start of The Romans from the TARDIS falling off the cliff to having the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki lounging about in a luxurious villa. These fourteen pages fill that gap very nicely! It’s purely historical which it should be given that it takes place within another pure historical on screen that was so common of the First Doctor era, so the threat of a lion felt very dangerous and very real. I liked how Ian acknowledged how different that felt to the likes of a Dalek or a Slyther and it’s something I’ve always agreed with. Real life threats definitely have a different feeling of fear. I can’t imagine I’d act in such a calm manner like Ian did to being confronted by a lion! He dealt with it very well though and I really enjoyed that it was as a result of Barbara being in its sights. His feelings for her were portrayed very clearly in this story which was lovely as they so clearly are meant to be a couple. It’s incredible that we didn’t get confirmation of that on screen but to me there’s no doubt. They were made for each other so Ian having a recurring nightmare of her being killed in a car crash was rather horrific. I’m not sure I’d deal well with having something similar! I liked exploring Ian’s past and it was quite emotional to learn that a previous love of his in the form of Suzy had died in such circumstances and this dream was a somewhat cruel way of telling Ian that he did love Barbara. As if he needed any convincing! I loved that we started in the TARDIS after the cliff fall drop and the irritable nature of the First Doctor was on full display in humorous fashion. It’s really fun to think that this is actually Vicki’s first chronological story as she’s recently arrived in The Rescue, so it’s a lovely moment where she exclaims that she’s travelled in time! That’s such a big thing for a companion and I think it’s wonderful that it happens in a niche story like this. It gives the book and somewhat the format some credence which I’m all on board for. Keep it coming! Ian trying to help get the three others out of the TARDIS after its fall was good and the gratitude the Doctor showed being in the form of asking Ian if he’d thought through the dangers of bringing a trunk partly into the console room. There would be no other way out though and the Doctor’s tone quickly waned which Ian took as acceptance and some sort of thanks. That was good and I loved that there was an understanding. Ian required some patience and that was fun to read. What wasn’t exactly fun was the means in which Ian took out the lion once he and Barbara remained to lift the TARDIS somewhat. The description of the boulder and more significantly the silence once connection was made with the natural animal was brutal. Even though I was obviously reading in silence on the train, it took me a moment too to catch my breath. That finality was described very impressively. I thought the learning of the lion’s presence in the area was good too as we learn how the Doctor and company came to be housing a villa. Lucius was on the verge of death after being attacked by the lion a day or two earlier and after some water, he lasted long enough to ask the Doctor and Vicki to look after the house as he had promised he would. It was his duty and that was admirable. It was also lovely that he could see from the Doctor’s look that he was no robber. Everyone linking back to the villa was a nice touch and sets things up for where the televised serial picked up which was great stuff! A lovely way to fill the gap. A terrific little read. 

Rating: 8/10