| STORM WARNING by Alan Barnes |
| Story 16 Synopsis: Travelling in the Vortex, the Doctor witnesses a craft which has crashed, and is stuck in a pocket of time, repeating itself over and over. Vortisaur creatures attack, so the Doctor tries to intervene to allow the stuck craft some dignity. One of the Vortisaurs attacks the TARDIS, and he materialises in the hold of an airship. Leaving the ballast tank, he is unable to return to the TARDIS, which is jettisoned into the English Channel. He finds that he is on the R101, on its maiden voyage in 1930. Sadly, he knows it is doomed to crash. He meets Charlotte Pollard, who is on board under false pretences, and they hit it off. There is also on board a representative from the Triskele race, who are negotiating with certain peoples. The Triskele have three types; the uncreators, the lawgivers and the engineers. Rathbone, one of the R101 party, releases the Uncreator Prime, which threatens all sorts of havoc. However, Lord Tamworth, another R101 traveller, sacrifices himself to put the Triskele back into equilibrium. The R101 crashes, but the Doctor and Charlotte hitch a lift on the Vortisaur who attacked the TARDIS, which also allows them to fly back and retrieve the TARDIS. The Doctor muses that Charlotte should have died in the crash, and he's created a paradox. But he can't bring himself to kill her, so he takes her with him, and she wants the Vortisaur, who she calls Ramsay. |
| Review:- So, at last, a new year, and a new "season" of adventures, as Paul McGann returned to the saddle as the 8th Doctor. He picks up a new companion, with what Alan Barnes forewarned would be an unusual story surrounding her. Well, I'll give him full marks for delivering on that promise. The story is pretty absorbing, and gives a reasonably interesting bunch of new aliens to cement McGann's performance as the Doctor. Paul is great, working in beautiful symbiotic harmony with the script. I feel shameless just writing that. The opening gives a rare spot of downtime for the Doctor, as if watching the Vortex was what he did to relax. India Fisher brings a liveliness to Charlotte "aka Charley" Pollard. I certainly didn't recognise her from Winter For The Adept, and she gives Charley a real gusto and believability. Gareth Thomas is excellent as Lord Tamworth, seeming bumptious and old-school, but who puts his beliefs into practice, and knows when a good self-sacrifice is needed. Although the other possibility is that he knows that his plans have gone belly-up, and he's taking his chances. But a good performance of a good character. Charley's dilemma is cleverly presented, in such a way that the audience is aware of its huge significance, and becomes alert to every mention and clue. This becomes increasingly significant in the stories from Invaders From Mars onwards (and Minuet In Hell). All in all, a good effort, and had this been a season opener on TV, it ought to have started packing them in. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |