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mrcoldstream's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
✅71% = 411 points = Good!
Time for another Fourth Doctor release; featuring Sea Devils, the origins of Sullivan & Cross and chess with Alan Turing!
STORM OF THE SEA DEVILS:
✅80% = 267 points = Great!
The opening part sets up the story nicely, bringing Harry Sullivan back and sending him on a mission to Calcutta, explaining how he met Naomi Cross, and seamlessly bringing in the Fourth Doctor as well.
The central mystery isn't very well hidden; from the obvious hints and Silas Carson's very suspicious and well-voiced Kamal, it is clear early on what is going on. The Part 1 cliffhanger reveals the Sea Devils. It's also interesting to find out how the Doctor ended up in the story since parts of it are told from the companions' point of view rather than the Doctor's.
The plot is pretty straightforward once we learn that Kamal plans to use the Sea Devils to benefit from them financially, which turns out to be a bad idea. The story manages to make us root for these aquatic creatures, as they are intelligent but dangerous when put into a tight situation.
Tom Baker is always a joy to listen to, especially these days, even if he sounds quite a bit different from his TV days. Naomi gets plenty of time in this story, and it is used well to establish her relationship with the Doctor. This is her best appearance in a story so far, and xx offers a great performance. Harry, meanwhile, doesn't need to be here, even if he's lighthearted and fun.
The supporting cast is likeable. I find Kamal a bit underused in the second half, while the Sea Devils have distinct personalities and show their true colours.
The Indian setting is rare and exotic for Doctor Who, so I'm always glad to get more stories set there. This setting comes to life pretty well through the sound design, and the music maintains a tense atmosphere (they lean heavily into the classic Sea Devils soundtrack).
This is sufficiently fast-paced, with the characters finding their way through the treacherous swamp landscape and trying to prevent total meltdown. Part 3 slows things down a bit before things heat up again for the concluding part.
What truly works is the intense sound design and the well-made moments of action, which carry the story nicely.
WORLDS BEYOND:
🙏🏼61% = 139 points = Okay!
Picking up where the previous story left off, the TARDIS takes the Doctor, Harry, and Naomi to a planet specialising in creating tailor-made holidays for everyone—an idea that is bound to go awry. Harry wants his vacation, much to the chagrin of the Doctor, and that is what gets the story going.
Christopher Naylor stands out a bit more here, and Eleanor Crooks, as Naomi, is wonderfully eager. This one has a lighthearted and relaxing tone to begin with, as the three protagonists live their dream vacations separately while danger is brewing in the background.
The entire first part is mostly about the leads having meaningful and meaningless conversations with the guest cast, with Four's chess game with Alan Turing being the most interesting part. The cliffhanger is the turning point after which things turn a bit more dangerous as relaxing vacations become more stressful.
Everything is pretty straightforward and basic, but it flows well. Part 2 is pretty much the action-packed conclusion that throws in plenty of exposition as well, and the true nature of things isn't all that breathtaking.
The robotic voices of the Cicerions are oddly soothing and reassuring, which makes them pretty unnerving, and once their true intentions are revealed, they do make for good enough villains.
The story ends with a tantalising cliffhanger, leaving us to wait for the conclusion in the follow-up.
Time for another Fourth Doctor release; featuring Sea Devils, the origins of Sullivan & Cross and chess with Alan Turing!
STORM OF THE SEA DEVILS:
✅80% = 267 points = Great!
The opening part sets up the story nicely, bringing Harry Sullivan back and sending him on a mission to Calcutta, explaining how he met Naomi Cross, and seamlessly bringing in the Fourth Doctor as well.
The central mystery isn't very well hidden; from the obvious hints and Silas Carson's very suspicious and well-voiced Kamal, it is clear early on what is going on. The Part 1 cliffhanger reveals the Sea Devils. It's also interesting to find out how the Doctor ended up in the story since parts of it are told from the companions' point of view rather than the Doctor's.
The plot is pretty straightforward once we learn that Kamal plans to use the Sea Devils to benefit from them financially, which turns out to be a bad idea. The story manages to make us root for these aquatic creatures, as they are intelligent but dangerous when put into a tight situation.
Tom Baker is always a joy to listen to, especially these days, even if he sounds quite a bit different from his TV days. Naomi gets plenty of time in this story, and it is used well to establish her relationship with the Doctor. This is her best appearance in a story so far, and xx offers a great performance. Harry, meanwhile, doesn't need to be here, even if he's lighthearted and fun.
The supporting cast is likeable. I find Kamal a bit underused in the second half, while the Sea Devils have distinct personalities and show their true colours.
The Indian setting is rare and exotic for Doctor Who, so I'm always glad to get more stories set there. This setting comes to life pretty well through the sound design, and the music maintains a tense atmosphere (they lean heavily into the classic Sea Devils soundtrack).
This is sufficiently fast-paced, with the characters finding their way through the treacherous swamp landscape and trying to prevent total meltdown. Part 3 slows things down a bit before things heat up again for the concluding part.
What truly works is the intense sound design and the well-made moments of action, which carry the story nicely.
WORLDS BEYOND:
🙏🏼61% = 139 points = Okay!
Picking up where the previous story left off, the TARDIS takes the Doctor, Harry, and Naomi to a planet specialising in creating tailor-made holidays for everyone—an idea that is bound to go awry. Harry wants his vacation, much to the chagrin of the Doctor, and that is what gets the story going.
Christopher Naylor stands out a bit more here, and Eleanor Crooks, as Naomi, is wonderfully eager. This one has a lighthearted and relaxing tone to begin with, as the three protagonists live their dream vacations separately while danger is brewing in the background.
The entire first part is mostly about the leads having meaningful and meaningless conversations with the guest cast, with Four's chess game with Alan Turing being the most interesting part. The cliffhanger is the turning point after which things turn a bit more dangerous as relaxing vacations become more stressful.
Everything is pretty straightforward and basic, but it flows well. Part 2 is pretty much the action-packed conclusion that throws in plenty of exposition as well, and the true nature of things isn't all that breathtaking.
The robotic voices of the Cicerions are oddly soothing and reassuring, which makes them pretty unnerving, and once their true intentions are revealed, they do make for good enough villains.
The story ends with a tantalising cliffhanger, leaving us to wait for the conclusion in the follow-up.
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