2 episodes. Approx. 64 minutes. Written by: Simon Guerrier. Directed by: Lisa Bowerman. Produced by: David Richardson. Performed by: Caroline John.
THE PLOT
Radar warning barely gives UNIT enough time to quarantine an alien ship that has crash-landed in an unpopulated area outside London. Arriving at the wreckage, Liz is worried about the possibility of contamination, the spectacle of the Silurian plague still fresh in her mind. But the Doctor sees that the ship was landed intact in a populated area - indicating a skilled pilot, one who might be able to help him to free the TARDIS from the Time Lords' restrictions.
When they investigate the ship, it appears that the pilot was killed on entry into the Earth's atmsophere, reduced literally to jelly by the heat and gravity. "Spam in a can," as the soldiers ghoulishly joke. Then UNIT detects more ships, coming toward Earth in a spearhead formation. It can mean only one thing: Invasion.
That's when the Doctor jumps into action. He identifies the ships as Mim warships, and coordinates Earth's nuclear defenses. Then he communicates with the invaders... and what he says sends a chill down the spines of both Liz and the Brigadier:
"Earth's defenses have been disabled... You can start the invasion!"
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: Though it's now been a few weeks since the incident with the Silurians (and, presumably, one adventure with the Brigadier later), the Doctor is still nursing a grudge against the Brigadier's decision in that story. He even announces at the crash site that he will not allow UNIT to turn this into a repeat of that situation. His eagerness to escape his exile leads him to rush in recklessly. Liz spells it out for us: Seeing the skill of the Mim pilot in crashing the ship in an unpopulated area, the Doctor has hopes that the Mim will help him to break his exile if he helps them. When the Mim proves hostile, however, the Doctor refuses to leave the Earth to it. That price is simply too high for him - though his moment of temptation, in which Liz sees something wholly alien in his eyes, shows how strong the lure of freedom is for him.
Liz: This audio offers some outstanding character moments for Liz. Writer Simon Guerrier effectively mines Liz's background as a scientist with multiple degrees, and has Liz use her scientific knowledge as a shield against strong emotion. At several points while telling the story, Liz begins to get too close to moments she finds personally affecting. At these moments, she will suddenly go off on tangents, describing details about sponges (the sea animal, not the cleaning tool) or other scientific information. At one point in the second episode, she even has to pull herself back on track, admonishing herself to press on with the difficult details. It's well done, and fits perfectly with the character we saw on television, remaining so icy cool by using her own knowledge as a buffer between herself and harsh realities.
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: As Liz observes, the Brigadier and the Doctor are still sounding each other out at this point in their working relationship. The Brigadier doesn't miss any opportunity to reinforce his own authority over the Doctor, something that inevitably makes the Time Lord bristle. However, as a key moment in the story shows, the Brigadier isn't always wrong. He stops the Doctor from barging into the alien ship in an uncontrolled environment not simply by giving an order, or even backing it up with armed soldiers. He puts it to the Doctor with one simple challenge: "Tell me that it's safe." When the Doctor can't meet that challenge, he gives in - and even later admits to Liz that the Brigadier was probably right (as later events seem to bear out). For all of that, the Brigadier does trust the Doctor's judgment, and sees the Doctor as the best chance to stop the Mim.
THOUGHTS
Shadow of the Past is a Season Seven story. Of course it is - Liz is the Doctor's assistant, after all, and that was only true of one television season. But more than just in setting, this audio really recreates the feel of that particularly fine Doctor Who season. The characterizations fit seamlessly into the surrounding television stories. The Doctor is compassionate with Liz, but he desperately wants away from his exile and has no hesitance in showing harshness to either the Brigadier or his troops. His relationship with the Brigadier is marked by frequent clashes, and only occasional moments of softness. The Brigadier himself is no sidekick, but a man of genuine intelligence, authority, and even ruthlessness - the Season Seven Brigadier, in other words, not the dumbed-down one of later years. In tone, character, and general detail, this is completely identifiable as Season Seven Doctor Who.
That proves to be the case with the story's overall quality, as well. The 2-part structure allows Simon Guerrier to neatly divide his story, with Part One emphasizing investigation of the crash site and building the mystery, while Part Two lets rip with the action. The division works startlingly well, with the slow build of Part One allowing Part Two to move at a run without ever feeling rushed. Good character moments are given to all the principles, while nods at the incoming character of Mike Yates and the advancement of Benton unobtrusively tie the story to the television series' continuity to good effect.
Caroline John is simply outstanding, both in recreating Liz Shaw and in narrating the story. She did a good job of reading The Blue Tooth, one of the very first Companion Chronicles. Returning four years later to record this story, she is even better. The vividness of John's performance takes a well-written script and gives it an added dimension, making Shadow of the Past a strong entry in a very strong range.
Rating: 8/10.
Previous Television Story: Dr. Who & the Silurians
Next Television Story: The Ambassadors of Death
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