Two RAF fighter jets are on a training flight over North East Scotland when one of them is plucked from the air and promptly disappears. UNIT are called in, and the Doctor and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart are soon on the scene. They enlist the help of a local military officer – a young lieutenant by the name of Mike Yates.
The Doctor discovers a link to the recumbent stone circles that are plentiful in this part of Scotland. The stones are thousands of years old, and are soon revealed to hold a terrible secret. Then Mike Yates disappears, abducted by an alien race that has a grievance with humanity. Their intention is to harness the power of the stones in order to take their revenge. For the Doctor and the Brigadier, the race is now on to save their new friend Mike and the entire planet Earth.
VENGEANCE OF THE STONES
For the third story (and third Doctor) in their anniversary year “Destiny of the Doctor” series, Big Finish and AudioGO turned to “Full Circle” scriptwriter Andrew Smith, now an occasional Big Finish contributor. The result, “Vengeance of the Stones,” is easily the most traditional of the first three stories, a Jon Pertwee tale that embraces the conventions of the era so closely it almost sounds like a missing episode.
The biggest problem with “Vengeance of the Stones” is that, in being so determined to capture the Pertwee era, it forgets to do anything innovative or, indeed, be about much of anything in particular. There’s an alien race that’s been trapped underground for thousands of years, holding an irrational grudge against humanity, and now that they’ve woken up they’re seeking revenge, the “vengeance” mentioned in the title. The Doctor attempts to get between them and negotiate peace, but the Brigadier’s unexpected, violent intervention dooms any chance of a permanent solution. Reading over that, I suppose this story is less a pastiche of the Pertwee era in general and more a slightly altered version of “Doctor Who and the Silurians,” but the general point remains the same. It’s not that Smith has written a bad story – on the contrary, he effectively captures the characters and his prose is breezy and entertaining – but as soon as the pieces are on the board, any listener vaguely familiar with the era will know all the upcoming moves.
An interesting decision here is to present the first meeting between Mike Yates and UNIT. While this ground was already covered to some extent in the Virgin Missing Adventures, Smith presents Yates here as a local military officer seconded to UNIT due to his familiarity with the area. The actual continuity placement of the story is unclear – the Doctor, the Brigadier, and Benton are unaccompanied, but no reference to Liz or Jo is made one way or the other. I like how Smith depicts Yates: he’s calm and reasonable, able to respond to alien threats and situations without panicking or overreacting. It’s important to demonstrate why the Brigadier would select this man as his second in command, and by the conclusion of the play that decision is easy to understand. I also like how the Doctor seems to recognize Yates as a kindred spirit from their first meeting, addressing him straight away as “Mike.”
Indeed, there’s a lot of solid work here from Smith. The Doctor is fantastic; he’s showy and almost gleefully non-military, and yet looks for an excuse to climb into a fighter jet and investigate an aerial disturbance firsthand. The Brigadier is more of a peripheral character, but his legendary pragmatism is on full display, and his friendship with and understanding of the Doctor is clear from the start. The image of a military transport plane landing and Bessie driving down the ramp put a grin on my face. The aliens’ ability to manipulate stone with their minds is bonkers but well thought out, making their threats to humanity somewhat believable.
Richard Franklin narrates the story, and for the third play in a row the narration is excellent. While his impressions of Jon Pertwee and Nicholas Courtney aren’t particularly convincing, his voice is fantastic: rich and fluid, giving the production wonderful atmosphere. He’s asked to perform several painful screams and is utterly convincing. His most interesting performance, though, is as Matt Smith’s eleventh Doctor in the recorded phone message: the voice isn’t perfect, but he easily captures the modern Doctor’s mannerisms and speech patterns. Either Franklin is a follower of the new series or he’s one hell of a quick study.
The production is more involved here than in the previous two stories. Simon Hunt adds a number of effective sounds: jet engines, alien energy pulses, doors, gates, guns… it’s an immersive soundscape, made better by his subtle score. John Ainsworth directs, allowing his narrator control of the story. Overall, “Vengeance of the Stones” is a very traditional tribute to the Pertwee era. While not as gleeful, it’s the audio equivalent of something like “Last of the Gaderene” – if you’re looking for an anniversary tribute to the era, pick it up. If you’re looking for something more, it’s skippable.
Solid.
6/10