| THE INVASION OF TIME by David Agnew |
| Story 97 Synopsis: Leela thinks the Doctor is acting strangely. He takes her and K9 to Gallifrey, where he invokes his claim to become Lord President. At a hasty ceremony, the Doctor keeps his act together, only to seem to have sold out the Time Lords to the Vardans. However, he gets a special lead-lined room, where he can tell his old mucker Borusa what he is up to. The Vardans can get into his head, but they cannot pass through lead. He carries on, breaking down Gallifrey's transduction barriers, and creating a time loop to zap the Vardans home planet. But slipping through before the barriers can be repaired, the Sontarans invade Gallifrey. Their leader, Stor, demands the Doctor, but the Doctor calls himself the President. Borusa provides a distraction, allowing all to escape, save Kelner, who helps Stor try to make it possible to land more ships on Gallifrey. The Doctor forces Borusa to give him the Great Key. In the TARDIS, the Doctor hypnotises Rodan, and under K9's instructions, she builds a DeMat gun. With no other option, Stor and Kelner enter the TARDIS. Infuriated, Stor decides to let off a bomb in the Capitol. Kelner is captured, and the Doctor takes the DeMat gun, to face Stor. Stor primes the bomb, but the Doctor shoots. Both gun and bomb vanish, along with the Doctor's memory of these events. He soon leaves in the TARDIS. He doesn't renounce his Presidency, but Leela stays on Gallifrey with Andred, and K9 stays with her. But inside the TARDIS, the Doctor has already concocted K9 mark II. |
| Review:- This story has a special place in my heart, which is why I am reviewing it now, ahead of some more 'popular' stories I could mention. As a child, this was the fastest book I ever read. Inasmuch as I could finish it in a day. The previous best I had done was Planet Of The Daleks, read in three sittings over 2 days, 4 chapters each. Now, as I belatedly try to complete a misguided complete novelisation collection, I have to content myself that although I have the majority, all in paperback, I have 1 hardback in the collection, and it's this. Sigh. Anyway, to the story, a joyous nonsense featuring the 4th Doctor, Leela and the Sontarans, on Gallifrey. Yup, how great could that be, just by being itself? I stand amazed at the people who were over-excited at 2000's The Apocalypse Element, and its 'Daleks invade Gallifrey' plot. Here, the original and best 'invasion of Gallifrey' story has our old friend, surprise. The first 4 episodes give no clues that the real threat of the story is the Sontarans. The Vardans are built up as a pretty fearsome threat. This 'travel down any wavelength' gimmick is arguably a little too cerebral for television, and it's a shame that they get the mickey taken out of them in their sole book appearance. The Sontarans prove why they are considered third greatest monsters ahead of the Ice Warriors. They just have an edge, of ruthlessness. Whereas the Ice Warriors may seem to act nobly, and have a background similar to the human race, the Sonatarans are all-out warmongers, only stopped from challenging the Daleks at the top of the Universe-conquering stakes by their interminable blood feud with the Rutans. Indeed, whereas the Cybermen are restricted by their perennial 'revenge on Earth' ethos, the Sontarans seem to have depth in the 'war with the Rutans' MO. There may be only so many plausible ways that the Cybemen can get their own back against humanity, but the Sontaran-Rutan war can develop in many ways. Anyway, I like this story, and still look at the novelisation from time to time. Additional, having now seen the video:- Well, that's not too bad a review, however there are many more points, which I can now make... What strikes me the most is the disparity between the guidebook reviews of this, and the actual effort. For instance, the argument that the last 2 episodes are a chase through the TARDIS is rubbish - Stor doesn't make it until part 6! The argument that the Doctor is undisciplined, by "talking to the camera" - well, stand up, Andred, Borusa and Stor, who all deliver lines straight to camera! The argument that Stor talks in a Cockney accent - come on, he whispers every line, which Cockney are you thinking of? Phil Mitchell? Then there is the character depth. Rodan almost has a breakdown in part 3, when her foodpills are laughed off. OK, it's not long-term developed, but it's still there! Borusa, Kelner and Andred are all convincing in their work. I can't imagine how Milton Johns manages playing romantic parts, he does 'baddie' so well! The cliffhangers - part 1 needed better explaining, part 2 is also opaque, but more dramatic, part 3 has little set-up, but works, part 4 is spoiled by the "we've won" rhetoric of beating the Vardans, part 5 is bizarre, a gurn-fest, part 6 is enigmatic. As for the Vardans, they have the upper hand for over 50% of the story. I will concede that there is no depth to the link between the Vardan invasion and the Sontaran invasion. Yes, it makes that cliffhanger a surprise, but at what cost? Then again, why are the Sontarans using the Vardans as a front, when they nearly scuttle the Time Lords? If the Sontarans can beat the Vardans, why can't they beat the Rutan? And so on... But I still love this story... |
| Disclaimer: I've seen the video, and read the book. |