| LOUPS - GAROUX by Marc Platt |
| Story 20 Synopsis: Brazil, 2080. The Doctor and Turlough are in Rio for the Carnival, but the city has other visitors, with less overt intentions. Pieter Stubbe has a meeting planned with an old acquaintance, and she is more concerned with her son who is ill. Her party are travelling across South America by train, and the Doctor uses the TARDIS to join the trip. As Turlough finds the guests rough, and takes a tumble off the train, the Doctor has to cope with the fact that the loups-garoux - werewolves - are not behaving. Their leader, Ileana De Santos only wants to protect her son, Victor, who is ill. Pieter wants Ileana. She is drawn to the Doctor, who only wants to remain neutral. Turlough meets Rosa, the Jaguar Maiden, and when Ileana and Pieter finally meet Rosa is there, to deal with Pieter once and for all. The Doctor and Turlough leave Brazil. |
| Review:- After the thrill of four new DW stories with Paul McGann, this tale saw a return to the pattern with former Doctors. Fortunately, this is a highly entertaining and creative script which tackles familiar themes in new settings, successfully combining old and new ideas. Brazil, in the later years of the 21st century, seems to be both unusual, and yet understandable. That almost the entire cast have something remarkable about them and yet are recognisable types makes a pleasant listen. The story really revolves around Pieter Stubbe, the old werewolf who is a threat to the implicit harmony between humans and werewolves. His pursuit of Ileana is really thrilling, as it seems that there will be nowhere, ultimately, for Ileana to run to. When it transpires that he himself is also being pursued, in almost as leisurely determined a fashion by the Jaguar Maiden, the question becomes one of time. Who will reach their prey first? The Doctor is fairly well written, although he hasn't really got a dynamic role to play. Liek Turlough he is a bystander as events play themselves out. After being in some control in episode 1, things spiral away from him after the TARDIS boards the train. The idea that Turlough's discarded low-quality burger attracts a whole gang of wolves to follow him is disturbing, and just about works on audio. I have a problem with the cliffhanger to part 1, which is rushed and rather slapdash to my ears. Perhaps I was just being too cynical. The ending with the Jaguar Maiden's defeat of Pieter is a little opaque too. But on the whole, a rather fun adventure. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |