Conspiracy in Space

"Honour does not hide in shadows."

Writer: Alan Barnes

Format: Audio

Released: October 2021

Series: Third Doctor Adventures 8.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

When the TARDIS is diverted to Draconia, the Doctor and Jo fall foul of the hawkish Lady Zinn. War with Earth seems imminent. The Draconian military are on high alert and rumours of a super-weapon are rife. 

Execution, assassination, intrigue and a mysterious faction known only as 'The Eyes' are all part of a deadly mission the Doctor and Jo have no choice but to accept. But as they fight to survive, the peace of the entire galaxy hangs in the balance.

Verdict

Conspiracy in Space was a decent start to the eighth series of Third Doctor Adventures! I'm a big fan of this range and I must say I am so grateful to Tim Treloar for bringing the Third Doctor back to life with his incredible impression of Jon Pertwee. This one felt very much like it was a part of the era in which it is chronologically set and given that it had big connections with Frontier in Space that's quite the compliment. The story wastes no time in delving into the politics of Draconia but I must say in somewhat harsh fashion that I wasn't all that bothered by the royals and so on. I understand there is a strict system of class and honour on the planet, but I'm not wholly convinced the Draconians work best in the audio format. Without that visual aid it's often quite easy to forger that some of the characters speaking are not supposed to be human. That was a little troubling but at the same time that might just be me. I think some sort of sound effect to differentiate between human and Draconian would have been beneficial and it really could have been ever so subtle. It would have helped a lot in my opinion. I thought the idea of doing a prequel to the aforementioned Third Doctor serial is a fun idea and it's quite loose in what it plays around with. The building tensions between Draconia and Earth are presented in a strong fashion and that's never really any more evident than with Lady Zinn. Her shock at being greeted by the Doctor in the traditional greeting of nobility was magnificent. She was also not exactly impressed by Jo much to the companion's surprise and dismay. Her introduction in presenting herself as a princess of TARDIS was marvellous but it only bought the Doctor time with Zinn being quick to execute outsiders on the spot! She would have to watch instead with it being lady's first. Some prize! I thought the relationship Jo built with Ruji was wonderful and he clearly did have strong feelings for her. That was fascinating to hear and the sacrifice he made without Jo being given the choice to get her free was incredible. It's no wonder she wanted the TARDIS to go back and say a proper goodbye. The Time Lords had other ideas though given the moment's importance in history. I thought Emerald Lindstrom made for another strong villain on the other side of things and the threat of the magnetoid was pretty strong. The image of it literally moving asteroids and even planets was quite spectacular, but the use of it here as a means to get a preemptive strike on the Earth to spark an all out war was dastardly. I must say I thought the story was a good one but I can't help but feel it was a tad repetitive. Not within itself, but it just felt unoriginal. I know it's all new but I felt like I have listened or watched this story play out numerous times before which is a shame and the bulk of my rating perhaps being a tad low. The Doctor getting to show off his Venusian aikido against an actual Venus native was a tad random but I was all here for it. Especially given this was the third incarnation! That just felt right. I wasn't a massive fan of the robot inclusion in this story because I'm not convinced they were entirely necessary, but I do understand the need for efficiency! I wasn't all that surprised by some of the reveals of conspiracy which was a shame, but given the series this features in I am a huge fan of the title. Hell, there's even a Colony in Space reference with the IMC! It's really clever and almost becomes a very loose trilogy. The ending was a little sudden in having the Doctor typically reverse the polarity and that seemingly putting everything back in whack with the duralinium being attracted to the magnetoid. It was certainly effective though! Overall, a strong story for sure and a good way to start the series. Treloar needs to do less of the Third Doctor angry! 

Rating: 7/10