| THE CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT by Rob Shearman |
| Story 29 Synopsis: Still trying to get Charly to Singapore, 1930, the TARDIS arrives in the dark. Upon further examination, the Doctor and Charley find themselves in the scullery of an Edwardian house. But there is no-one else there. Or is there? A maid, a cook and a chauffeur are all there, but the travellers cannot interact with them. Deciding to leave, they are brought into contact, as the maid, Edith is found murdered. Though the other staff think she committed suicide, the Doctor denies it. The butler, Mr Shaughnessy, has a few words of wisdom, and the Doctor thinks that there will be another death at Midnight. It is the cook, Mrs Baddeley. Again, it is murder, but the others call it suicide. Charley is contacted by Edith, who asks her to remember her, and that "Edward Grove is alive". The Doctor deduces that this is the name of the house, which has become sentient. Trying to leave in the TARDIS, the Doctor learns that the trap cnanot be escaped so easily. Talking to the house through Shaughnessy, the Doctor finds that a time loop began when they arrived. Edith went on to be a cook, in Charley's house. When she didn't return from the R101, she was assumed dead. As Charley was the only person whom Edith felt ever showed any appreciation for, or kindness to, Edith decided to kill herself. Now that Charley has returned alive, Edith feels her suicide was a waste. Should she be alive, or dead? If she dies, the house lives. If she lives, the house dies. Though trying to persuade Charley to kill herself, Edith is shouted down by the Doctor, and Charley decides to live. Finally arriving in the same scullery in 1906, the Doctor gets Shaughnessy to compliment Edith, and Charley boosts her self-esteem. Charley asks the Doctor about the R101, but fobs her off. |
| Review:- Yet another review of a 2nd piece of work, without having reviewed the 1st. Oh well... I've read half a dozen other reviews of this, and they made me smile. First-time director does jolly well... music really good, mood-enhancening... good to see Charley on the cover, it's really her story... blah de bloody blah. Is it The Holy Terror 2? Can we expect Jubilee to feature a self-contained environment and a story featuring ultimately irrelevant characters who resonate from the misfortunes of the seemingly-least-important cast member, and so bleeding on? Talk about lightning strikes twice. OK, my problem is that I'm coming to these stories, and trying to pick up clues to second-guess the outcome. So, when Edith is told "you are nothing - you are nobody", is this just an insult, a putdown, or is it literally true? "Edward Grove is alive" - that's a kicker. Just as Lawrence Miles couldn't see Henrietta Street as a person, just a place, so Edward Grove could be a house as much as a person. I also foresaw that the house would be Charley's, albeit in later life. The cast are all OK, the cook nauseating, the butler brusque, the chauffeur repugnant. I did wonder what effect the plum pudding would have on Charley, but that is sadly a dead herring. And now - the paradox. The house comes alive because 24 years after her apparent death, Charley arrives alive. Come on! Rubbish. Edith killed herself because Charley was the only person to show her affection, though Charley disagrees, and when Charley comes back, Edith's suicide was in vain. Well, big deal. She died for nothing. That happens, you know. At least we get to the guts of Charley's nature, and start asking what are the consequences for her living instead of dying. I've been thinking. It's funny, but Invaders From Mars strikes me as a little bit Terror Of The Zygons, with its wackiness making it feel like a leftover from the previous series. This, then, could be Planet Of Evil. Or House Of Evil... Spooky. So, next is Pyramids Of Mars? We shall see. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |