4 episodes: The Island, The Door, The Wall, The Betrayer. Running Time: Approx. 131 minutes. Written by: Simon Guerrier. Directed by: Ken Bentley. Produced by: David Richardson. Performed by: Jean Marsh, Peter Purves.
THE PLOT:
The Doctor, Steven, and Sara Kingdom have just left Liverpool on Christmas Day. They're still enjoying the moment when suddenly the TARDIS alarms sound. The Doctor realizes that they are about to collide with another timeship in the Vortex, and there's nothing he can do to avoid it!
After the collision, they find themselves on a beach. The TARDIS is nowhere to be found, but they are quite close to the other ship, which is now a wreck. The crew of that experimental vessel and their leader, Natalie Lang, reveal that they are from a time far in Steven's or Sara's future. They are at war with an enemy they call "The Wall of Noise," and their haphazard trip through time was a desperate attempt to stop this enemy.
The Doctor is appalled at the prospect of using time travel as part of a war. But the immediate problem is escaping this place - something that may prove easier said than done as they come to realize three things: they are on a desert island; the TARDIS does not appear to be anywhere; and they are not alone...
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: He is initially pleased to meet Natalie's crew, praising them as "pioneers." His attitude shifts once he realizes that they want to use time travel technology as a weapon. The First Doctor has no control over the TARDIS - but even if he did, he plainly states that he would not take them home, detailing the horrific consequences of time travel being used to expand the war of Natalie's people to every point in history.
Steven: His attraction to Sara is clear, to the point that in a crisis, his first impulse is to demand to know where she is. He also knows that any romantic feelings he may have are not returned, a situation he accepts with grace. Peter Purves has been reliably excellent across every range he's contributed to, and that is very much the case here. There's a particularly strong scene near the end, when he realizes the nature of the situation in which he and Sara find themselves. Steven suddenly becomes cold and firm, and Purves makes this moment memorable.
Sara Kingdom: She was at war with the Daleks, and Steven's time also saw humanity at war. When she learns that Natalie's people, who are from a point far in both of their futures, are also at war, she feels despair. She has come to rely on Steven. He hasn't judged her for her actions under Mavic Chen, offering his friendship unconditionally. She does not reciprocate his feelings, but she also doesn't seem keen to discourage them either. Jean Marsh is quite good, with the four episodes allowing her to show different sides of Sara: strong determination, emotional vulnerability, and even abject terror at one point.
THOUGHTS:
The Anachronauts reunites writer Simon Guerrier with Jean Marsh's Sara Kingdom. This is not an extension of Guerrier's earlier Sara Kingdom Trilogy, but instead a standalone adventure that is specifically set right after "The Feast of Steven," the seventh episode of The Daleks' Master Plan.
As with Guerrier's earlier audios, the focus is kept on the characters. There are sci-fi concepts here, some of which I won't reference to avoid spoilers, but everything is in service to the characterizations of Steven and Sara. The script follows the preferred template of the 4-part Companion Chronicles, which is to say that it's really a pair of 2-parters with narrative links. Both halves study the Steven/Sara dynamic in slightly different ways.
The first two episodes separate them, using that separation to show the concern they have when each believes the other is in danger. By the end of the second episode, they are reunited, enjoying a moment of peace by the warmth of a fire. The latter half reverses this, keeping them together for the bulk of the running time, only with circumstances creating an emotional wedge. It's an effective contrast, and the performances of Jean Marsh and Peter Purves are strong throughout.
The story benefits from Simon Guerrier's skill at crafting vivid descriptions extremely quickly. There are two main settings, and both are brought to life quickly and effectively. The plot has one big issue, though: The resolution is too easy to see coming, particularly after the midpoint shift in setting from the island to the Cold War-era Berlin Wall.
I can't say more without spoiling it, but I don't think it's unparalleled powers of narrative perception that led me to see exactly where the story was going - I'm pretty sure a lot of listeners will make the same realization at roughly the same point.
OVERALL:
I would still rate The Anachronauts as a good story. It's well-told, the dynamic between Steven and Sara is wonderfully realized, and there are several clever flourishes throughout. But the story's direction becomes predictable, and I found myself left to wait for the characters to catch up with me.
Ultimately, it's the character interaction that carries this, and fortunately the Steven/Sara relationship is splendid... but the obviousness of the resolution keeps me from ranking this as highly as most of Guerrier's earlier Trilogy.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
Set immediately after: The Daleks' Master Plan, Episode 7
1st Doctor Audio Review Index
1st Doctor Television Review Index
Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles Review Index
To receive new review updates, follow me:
On BlueSky:
On Threads:
No comments:
Post a Comment