UNIT is accustomed to dealing with visitors from space, but nothing has prepared them for Ikiria, an alien artist bearing gifts. Could Ikiria’s designs be something more than aesthetic?
As the Brigadier turns against him, Mike Yates goes on the run. Can he save the world? Or will he just learn an important lesson in betrayal?
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: THE RINGS OF IKIRIA
The second release in three slots for author Richard Dinnick is also the final Companion Chronicle in the sixth series. “The Rings of Ikiria” returns to the traditional bent the series has taken of late, and while it’s a solid piece of drama, it’s at its best when it focuses on its lead character.
This is the second and, to date, final Companion Chronicle starring Richard Franklin as Mike Yates. This is unfortunate because the story actually tries to dig into one of the most interesting, underexplored supporting characters of the entire program. Yates’ betrayal in “Invasion of the Dinosaurs” and subsequent redemption in “Planet of the Spiders” is an underappreciated bit of characterization that has largely been unaddressed by the audio stories. Here, we finally get a look into Yates’ thought processes: how he never felt like he belonged in any particular group until he joined UNIT, how he trusts the Brigadier more than anyone else, and so on. This is largely new territory for this character, but it’s quite welcome: the format of the Companion Chronicles allows us to get into the companions’ heads, and that is exactly what “The Rings of Ikiria” does with Yates. Franklin’s readings are great, especially in the scene where the Brigadier threatens to reassign Yates from UNIT; you can feel the heartbreak in each line along with the depth of his feeling for his superior.
The problem is with the story itself: it is utterly traditional. A powerful alien intelligence has journeyed to Earth to tempt humanity with something that will lure us under its spell, and only the Doctor and his companion(s) stand in the way. The first episode is fine: Yates watches things spiral out of control with no apparent way out, with his investigations proving increasingly fruitless. But in the second episode, when the Doctor is re-introduced, Yates takes a back seat to the action. The Doctor comes up with a plan to defeat the invading Ikiria (Felicity Duncan) and instructs Yates on a specific part of it. This instruction is not dramatized, so the listener has no idea what Yates is trying to accomplish while he switches out one gem for another. Yes, this is certainly portraying what it’s like to be a 1970s companion – doing what the Doctor says without any idea what the hell is going on – but it’s hardly interesting drama when the character we’ve been following for 60 minutes has little to do with the resolution. And all of the interesting character work is thrown out: there’s barely any follow-up on Yates’ feelings about his friends after this story. Could this be one of the moments that eventually factors into his decision to betray UNIT? Sure, it could be, but you’ll never know from listening to this story.
I also don’t like the title. “The Rings of Ikiria” sounds poetic but it’s actually incredibly literal: there is a character named Ikiria that hands out rings to people. “The Claws of Axos” wasn’t actually about giant claws, you know? I have a lot of time for the production, though, especially the haunting score from Richard Fox and Lauren Yason – the Companion Chronicles aren’t known for their music but this is a particularly successful entry in that department. Overall, “The Rings of Ikiria” is a solid Pertwee-era tale that promises much in the character department but fails to deliver. It’s worth listening to if you want a traditional tale, but if you’re looking for much more than that you should probably look elsewhere.
Solid, unmemorable.
6/10