A weapon that everyone wants – of course the Seventh Doctor is going to get involved! But why has he brought Elizabeth Klein along?
The start of another trilogy for the seventh Doctor is explicitly set near the end of this incarnation’s life, as he senses the end is near and starts to tidy things up in preparation for his more easy-going successor. It’s a neat idea and an interesting counterpoint for those of us who remember the closing days of the New Adventures. There are some nice throwforwards to ideas seen in the new series, particularly with regard to the capacities of the TARDIS.
It’s an unusual tale. The first episodes are preceded by prologues that seem totally disconnected to what follows, but trust writer Jonathan Barnes and director Ken Bentley – it all becomes clear in the end, even if there are quite a few loose ends at the end of the story.
We get a new companion for this trilogy to join the Doctor and Klein. Will Arrowsmith is something quite different from anything the show has given us before, and I suspect he’ll be a bit of an acquired taste – the performance is great, but I have a feeling that too much of him, unless some of the edges are worn down quickly, could grate.
Verdict: Something a bit different that will provide a contrast to the nostalgia of the coming months. 8/10
Paul Simpson
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