2 episodes. Approx. 65 minutes. Written by: James Goss. Directed by: Lisa Bowerman. Produced by: David Richardson. Performed by: Caroline John, Rowena Cooper.
THE PLOT
When Liz Shaw's mother, Dame Emily Shaw (Rowena Cooper), reveals that a man killed during the attempted Auton invasion and another killed by the Silurian plague are members of her committee, Liz initially thinks it a coincidence. But when Dr. Taltalian and Sir James Quinlan, both killed during another alien incursion, turn out also to be members of that committee, Liz becomes convinced that something sinister is happening.
Her mother is also convinced, and confronts her committee. "We are dropping like flies," Dame Emily informs them angrily, insisting that the deaths must stop. Her committee is working with a device known as "The Apocalypse Clock," which is counting down to the projected end of the world - an end which has been delayed by weeks every time a committee member dies. Each of the victims has received a letter in the post informing him of his death just before it occurs.
Now another letter has arrived... Addressed to Emily Shaw!
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: Seen only sparsely in this story. It takes most of Episode One for Liz to get him interested, then he is waylaid for the bulk of Episode Two. Still, writer James Goss knows better than to write a Third Doctor story that entirely sidelines this most flamboyant of incarnations, giving him a suitably showy scene early in the second part. We get some nice character bits sprinkled throughout the story. Liz compares his behavior to that of a child, hiding from her when he believes she's wasting his time with nonsense. She also observes his method of shopping: Wantonly pilfering items and leaving it to the UNIT Quartermaster - and, by extension, Liz - to sort out the mess.
Liz: Caroline John's final performance, which makes both the story and its title all the more poignant. John is terrific as ever, stepping back into Liz's shoes as if it were still 1970. She hits the right notes of intelligence, strength, and compassion. The story's second half puts her in the Doctor's usual role, confronting the villain and using her wits to try to stop the situation. John's reading shows Liz's very human fear even as she takes this action, and James Goss' script does an excellent job of keeping the focus on Liz's emotions even at the height of the action.
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: Despite his often gruff, military manner, Liz observes to her mother that he often has a twinkle in his eye even when barking orders, something that humanizes him. When the threat in this story is finally revealed, he doesn't hesitate to act - even bending UNIT's rules a bit to make his action as fast and efficient as possible.
THOUGHTS
The Last Post is a wonderful surprise, a story that far exceeds my expectations of it. Goss' deft script makes inventive use of the Companion Chronicles' format. The story is structured in epistolary form, switching back and forth between Liz and her mother and playing out through a series of phone calls and letters.
Such a structure could have fallen badly flat, but sharp writing and wonderful performances from John and Cooper make it work like a treat. Goss has a firm grasp of each character's voice, with Liz's passages marked with an intellectualism tinged with dry humor, contrasted with the more emotional tone of her mother's scenes. The movement back and forth between them provides a structure even before the story fully emerges, and the format makes it feel natural as events unfold over a weeks-long period of time.
This structure also allows Goss indulges his fanboy instincts in a good way. With it taking weeks for the Doctor and the Brigadier to take the situation seriously, the first episode in particular takes the chance to draw Season Seven together into one unit. Stahlmann's project from Inferno is linked with the nuclear reactor in Dr. Who & the Silurians, with it planted that the Brigadier's airstrike at the end of the earlier story worsened the energy crisis that drove the project in the later story. Nods are also made to other stories: Much of the Brigadier's time in this story is occupied preparing for the peace conference that would take place in Season Eight's The Mind of Evil; and the story's resolution is linked to events from Season Three's The War Machines.
None of this comes across as an overload of continuity. Goss simply stitches the events of the television series together, in a way that connects this story to them without making this story reliant on them. If you've never seen the stories in question, you can still follow The Last Post and enjoy it as a story. The continuity references just add an extra layer of enjoyment for the rest of us.
The plot unfolds at a natural pace. The first episode slips out the exposition, allowing the story to reveal itself naturally. It goes from very leisurely to quite tense, with a very suspenseful and effective build to the cliffhanger. The second episode increases the pace dramatically, and has several fine scenes. Dame Emily's encounter with the Doctor is a quintessentially Doctorish moment that allows the Third Doctor to show his style and presence in a story that otherwise uses him sparingly.
As fun as that scene is, though, the high point of the story comes in Liz's confrontation with the sinister Professor Prestain. Liz confronts him with confidence - but when Prestain reveals just how precarious her situation is, she becomes deeply frightened. She is able to complete the conversation with her accustomed cool manner, but she goes from walking to running by the time she reaches the safety of the exit. A great scene, beautifully performed by Caroline John.
In summation: An excellent story overall, one I think destined to sit among my very favorite Companion Chronicles.
Overall Rating: 10/10.
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Next Television Story: Terror of the Autons
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