Do No Harm

"I killed them all."

Writer: Sarah Grochala

Format: Audio

Released: July 2020

Series: The Robots 2.03

Featuring: Liv, Tula

Synopsis

After an incident in a laboratory leas to a tragedy, someone needs to be found accountable. And who better to be prosecuted than a robot? But when complicated ethical questions arise, the outcome of the trial becomes bigger than a single case. What if somebody else is working behind the scenes?

Verdict

Do No Harm was an excellent episode to conclude the second volume of The Robots! I do love a trial and whilst they're nothing new in the world of the Whoniverse (just look at The Trial of a Time Lord!), this painted Liv in a new light and that was lovely to hear. I think it's fair to say that this was not the finale I was expecting as after starting the series with Liv and Tula in Robots of War and then seeing the returns of Toos and Poul in the second episode, I figured all of the elements would combine for the finale! But alas, that was not to be and I guess that will come in a future series. That's no big problem and it leaves something to look forward to which is always fun. I thought the use of a trial for SV66 was brilliant and I loved that it was the first time a Robot was being accused of causing harm and death to humans. The scale of it was extraordinary when put into the simple and blunt words of the courtroom as one explosion causing over seven-hundred deaths is almost incomprehensible. The scale of loss there is rather horrifying! I think it's quite amusing that Liv took a crash course in order to become the legal representation of SV66 and I really appreciated her motivation for doing so. She knew what SV66 meant to Tula but also to the wider population of Kaldor and the feeling of discontent that was spreading. She could see this was the start of a bigger picture. SV66 struggling with memory loss wasn't entirely helpful and certainly pointed towards outside interference, but the way Liv articulated that to the court and how the Robot could not plead either way was magnificent. I thought she took on the role of legal representative quite spectacularly and her courage and confidence was a delight to listen to. She knew when she was looking like the winner and the way she stopped her witness or the accused mid-sentence with no further questions to emphasise their struggle and to assert her position was superb. I thought Tula became something of a background character in the episode which was slightly surprising, but given the nature of it and Liv's role that's going to happen sometimes. I'm sure she will take the lead role in another episode in the future! Liv being congratulated on her efforts for the trial and her defence of SV66 was really nice and even the prosecution was complimentary! That said a lot and whilst it could very much just be beginner's luck, she was receiving a lot of plaudits. So that made the fact the jury returned a unanimous verdict against her and four SV66 guilty of all charges was a bit of a shock! It really showed the prejudice humans have against Robots on Kaldor as it's clear that the jury were not just considering the evidence laid before them. Liv seeming to think the Sons of Kaldor had infiltrated the jury was intriguing too and the way the series is set up moving forward with the atmosphere of dissension amongst the population is fantastic. Tensions are boiling and that can only be a good thing for story quality and interest! Tula being in shock that SV66 was decommissioned put her on a bad footing but she was still appreciative of Liv's efforts. Overall, an excellent finale! 

Rating: 9/10