2 episodes. Running Time: Approx. 66 minutes. Written by: Cavan Scott, Mark Wright. Directed by: Nicola Bryant. Produced by: David Richardson. Performed by: David Troughton, Nicolas Briggs.
THE PLOT:
A coup on Mars has left the Martian royal family dead and Grand Marshall Raxlyr's "New Martian Republic" in charge. Raxlyr warns the galaxy that Mars is now a closed planet, and he warns other worlds against harboring Martians fleeing from his regime.
King Peladon (David Troughton) ignores this threat, agreeing to make his world a haven for the refugees. He finds a fast friend in Lord Varnaak, the spokesperson for the Martians, and he has the support of the Galactic Federation. The decision causes some unrest among Pel separatists, but tensions seem to be gradually easing.
...That is, until a second ship of Martian refugees crash lands. King Peladon's men and Varnaak are able to save most of the passengers with the unexpected help of an old friend - the Doctor. Not long after the crash, however, Varnaak is murdered - apparently the work of a Pel separatist. Then another murder happens in the refugee camp, and several Martian children are kidnapped.
Varnaak's hot-headed replacement, Lord Axlaar, accuses the king of ordering crimes against his people. Once again, Peladon turns to the Doctor for help. But the Doctor's behavior isn't quite as King Peladon remembers it...
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: The Doctor does exactly as he promises King Peladon, investigating the crimes and collecting genuinely important evidence. However, the king isn't wrong to think that he's behaving differently. The Doctor is at his most aloof, keeping secrets even when he has no reason to. This builds toa memorable scene in which the king accuses him of treating a life-and-death situation like a game.
King Peladon: In The Curse of Peladon, I found this character to be bland and weak. Though he remains several steps behind the Doctor and could just about claim, "What is happening?" as a catchphrase, it's clear that he's matured into a strong ruler. He maintains his calm when facing down a furious Lord Axlaar, and he insists on personally assisting the survivors of the crashed ship and on touring the refugee camps, in both cases against the advice of friends concerned for his safety. He is eager to accept the Doctor's advice - but unlike in Curse, he is also willing to stand up for himself as the planet's ruler.
The Ice Warriors: Though Peladon is now home to a Martian refugee camp, there are only two Ice Warriors we get to know. The aged Lord Vaarnak is the leader of the refugees, a respected Martian hero who refused to side with the military coup and who has become King Peladon's trusted friend. Lord Axlaar is his younger cousin, and he's prone to anger and outbursts. Other Martian characters are either extras (the refugees) or muscle (Axlaar's right-hand man, Slern).
THOUGHTS:
The Prisoner of Peladon has a lot in common with The Curse of Peladon. Like that story, it's enjoyable and well-paced. The actual narrative is engaging, but also very straightforward. By the end of Episode One, most listeners will know who the villain is and be able to make a decent guess as to his motives. From there, it's mainly a game of waiting for the characters to catch up.
I enjoyed this story much more than its television predecessor.
The script's biggest asset is its character work. King Peladon may be stuck playing Watson to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes, but he is neither a weakling nor a fool. David Troughton recaptures enough of his old performance to keep the king feeling like the same character, only his long rule has stiffened his once noodle-like spine. A part of him wants to defer to the Doctor, but his old friend's behavior makes that difficult - and as king, he can't entirely avoid keeping a secret or two of his own.
In addition to giving a good performance in his main role, Troughton does a rather good Third Doctor. Like most of the Companion Chronicles narrators, he doesn't really sound like Pertwee, but he captures many of his mannerisms. This helps to differentiate the speaking voices of the Doctor and Peladon. The two share several conversations, but thanks to Troughton's ability to give them separate voices, it never really sounds like one man talking to himself.
This story is set shortly after Jo's departure, and it's one of a Doctor Who subgenre that the New Series has created: an examination of the reasons why the Doctor needs a companion. On his own, he succumbs to his worst traits, showing off his cleverness in ways that don't always serve the situation. Jo wasn't shy about acting as a buffer between the oft-prickly Third Doctor and others, and their relationship genuinely softened him. Without her or someone like her, he comes across as... Well, as Peladon accuses: Playing games with innocent lives.
OVERALL:
The Prisoner of Peladon benefits from some excellent sound design. It's narratively straightforward, concealing few surprises, but it's well-paced and thoroughly entertaining. What elevates it, though, are the characterizations of the Doctor and King Peladon. The Third Doctor is well captured by writers Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, and his worst tendencies are accented by his solitude, while Peladon is granted a bit of steel that he sorely needed in his television story.
Just on a narrative basis, this would be a fun throwaway, but the Doctor/Peladon material elevates it into something memorable... and, unless The Monster of Peladon ends up being a lot better than I remember, this is likely to be my pick as the franchise's best Peladon story.
Overall Rating: 8/10.
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