2029 AD. In the desert of Arizona, billionaire philanthropist Dr Hugo Macht is trying to save the world from climate change. But his great project to “scrub the sky clean” with nanoatomic machines grinds to an unexpected halt when his diggers break into something unexpected: a Viking burial barrow containing eight corpses, a mysterious shield, an even more mysterious inscription… and a yet more mysterious traveller in time and space, known only as the Doctor.
And that’s not even the strangest part of Dr Macht’s day. Soon, it’ll begin to snow. Soon, the Doctor and his girl Friday, Mrs Constance Clarke, will come face-to-face with an ancient horror in the blizzard. A Frost Giant, in need of a new body. In need of flesh…
SHIELD OF THE JÖTUNN
The penultimate release in the 2015 monthly range comes from a new author! Yes, it’s comics writer Ian Edginton, and he brings us “Shield of the Jötunn,” the final story in the introductory trilogy for new companion Constance Clarke. There’s not much new about the story, but it’s told in a refreshing, energetic way that holds the interest throughout.
It is often useful to tell Doctor Who stories by making full use of the four-episode format, and Edginton definitely engages with that idea. The story shifts from the Doctor and Constance sneaking around an installation to something akin to survival horror to a full-blown action epic as it proceeds, meaning it’s very difficult to get bored even if you dislike any one of those things. It’s obvious that Edginton comes from the comic world, as the script often presents set pieces that seem like “splash panels” – the massive terraformer powering up, or an army of giant Vikings doing battle with an army of frost giants. But he never loses sight of the audio medium, and so we are thankfully spared the characters taking time to describe things out loud that everyone can already see.
I also enjoyed the use of flashback. The TARDIS translation circuits enable Constance to read ancient Viking runes, but instead of Miranda Raison reading out loud, the story shifts to narration by an ancient Viking chieftain (James Caroll Jordan) describing the initial invasion of Earth by the villains. When that character appears in the present day, later on, the audience is more connected to him thanks to the story’s slight divergence. It also adds variety, as we haven’t seen much in the way of flashback in Big Finish Doctor Who stories.
The characterization is the best part of “Shield of the Jötunn.” I’m not entirely sure how all of these companions fit into the sixth Doctor’s timeline, but Edginton writes Colin Baker at his most prickly and sarcastic. It’s almost uncomfortable to hear this Doctor like this after so many stories presenting him as a cuddly old grandpa, but it’s a lot of fun listening to the Doctor dispense with social niceties. Constance, meanwhile, is pretty much the “plucky young woman” archetype, but her military background is brought to the fore, and it’s good to hear a companion actively take a different approach to the Doctor. I’m also a huge fan of Dr. Hugo Macht (Michael J. Shannon), the billionaire funding the terraforming project. He professes innocence and a desire to save the world, but this is Doctor Who, so he’s secretly a megalomaniac, right? Wrong! He’s a genuinely good person trying to change the world for the better. I’m not saying billionaires need public rehabilitation, but it’s nice to see the obvious stereotype and plot twist ignored in favor of something more thoughtful.
I was less impressed with the characterization of this month’s alien menace, however. Admittedly this is also an old Doctor Who trope – the seemingly harmless race of alien scientists suddenly revealed to be brutal conquerors – but that revelation is always less interesting than what precedes it. Giant ice men stomping around yelling about conquest doesn’t make for compelling drama, but at least it allows them to have a fight with giant ghost Vikings, which may not be deep but is certainly cool. The production is excellent – director Louise Jameson allows the sound design to tell the story in many places, and Martin Montague’s design communicates events without ever becoming confusing. Jamie Robertson’s music is effective as well. Overall, “Shield of the Jötunn” is a solid, entertaining Doctor Who story with surprises in a few places. I continue to wish for more from the monthly range, but at least this is a worthwhile way to pass a couple of hours.
Solid.
7/10