Altrazar. The temporal Atlantis, a place lost to time. Believed by many to be a myth, it has long been the perfect location for the rich and powerful to hide away their most dangerous secrets.
Until now.
Because the somewhat crooked, not exactly honest, wheeler-dealer cockney Time Lord known as Drax has found a map that leads to its location. And, at the behest of a manipulative businessman, he’s going to use it.
When the TARDIS is dragged out of the space-time vortex, the TARDIS crew aren’t best pleased to see the Doctor’s old school friend, even less when he pressgangs them into joining a raid on the most secure safe-house in history. However with Romana and K9 held hostage, the Doctor has little choice but to agree. With Drax in tow, he heads for the planet.
Which is where the trouble starts.
THE TROUBLE WITH DRAX
I’m not sure how much time passed between John Dorney writing “The Two Masters” for the main range and “The Trouble with Drax” for the Fourth Doctor Adventures, or in what order they were written, but one was clearly an influence on the other. The sixth release in the fifth series, “Drax” is a story that delights in being convoluted, and though it doesn’t amount to anything significant, it entertains throughout.
The entire story can be summed up in one simple sentence: Drax is running a con. The true extent of the con and the sheer audacity of his plan does not become apparent until the very end of the story, and Dorney keeps building and building, adding twists and turns at every point that otherwise seems like a natural conclusion. The most amusing part is how the stakes of the story grow progressively lower as the con grows increasingly complex, a development that is entirely in keeping with how Dorney characterizes Drax. I won’t go into elaborate detail about the plot, as it’s not really open to much analysis, except to say that every time you think they won’t pursue a certain twist, they go right for it.
Unfortunately, Barry Jackson, who played Drax on TV in “The Armageddon Factor,” passed away before “The Trouble with Drax” was recorded. So in this story, Ray Brooks takes over the role, and he sounds every bit the same crooked schemer as his predecessor. Drax is the central character of the story: even though Tom Baker and Lalla Ward are the stars, every scene follows Drax in one way or another. And he’s still the same one-note character he was on television, which makes Dorney’s script impressive in how it keeps the story interesting and the characters sympathetic without adding much detail to them. But it’s not until you find out that John Challis is also playing Drax, in yet another incarnation, that the story really gets compelling.
I like the idea of Drax as a recurring character, someone who’s constantly dragging the Doctor into mad schemes against the Doctor’s will. And the story likes the idea as well: after a while, Drax is given his own wildly bombastic, over the top theme, and it even plays at the end of the story as a sort of credit sequence. Whether that’s in the script or down to director Nicholas Briggs and/or sound designer Jamie Robertson is unclear, but it’s a great little touch. I love Baker and Ward in this, each competing with the other to see who can be more exasperated with Drax’s nonsense. And at the end, when the Doctor shrugs his shoulders in resigned acceptance, I defy you not to do the same – I know I did, and I was grinning the entire time.
There’s not a lot to write about “The Trouble with Drax.” It’s almost entirely plot-focused and the story doesn’t have much to follow outside of the series of improbable twists. It’s smart, and the plotting is structured convincingly, but we really don’t get much out of any of the characters that we don’t already know. Still, if you’re looking for a fun way to kill an hour, this story is a fine option. Just don’t let yourself get distracted, or you’ll lose the plot.
Recommended.
8/10