The Sixth Doctor and Peri arrive on a planet where the Doctor expects the natives to be hostile – but they seem to be anything but…
Nigel Robinson’s short trip for this sometimes volatile TARDIS pair is a well-constructed investigation of a mystery, as the Doctor finds it hard to believe that he’s made the mistake that he appears to have done early on in the adventure. The underlying bond between Time Lord and human, as well as the arrogance of this particular incarnation are clear without needing to be overemphasised, and as with many of this series of short trips, the title has multiple meanings. One element of the final solution may seem familiar, but it wouldn’t take long – or in the old days, a whole Missing Adventure – to connect the dots between this and an early Jon Pertwee tale.
Nicola Bryant slips easily between recreating the inflections and rhythms of Colin Baker’s Doctor, stepping back three decades to bring her original performance of Peri back to life, and giving easily distinguishable voices to the new characters in the story, as well as the narration. It makes for a polished and enjoyable time.
Verdict: Bryant brings Robinson’s clever tale to life with style. 8/10
Paul Simpson
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