The present day: the Orkney Ferry, where Ian Chesterton meets a stranger who he is able to confide in.
Decades earlier: the TARDIS lands on Orkney, and Ian and Barbara are abandoned when the Doctor and his ship vanish in front of their eyes. As the pair head for civilization, something is stirring in the treacherous bog lands.
And only the ancient Wissfornjarl can protect them…
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: THE REVENANTS
After several full-cast releases, Doctor Who Magazine turned to the Companion Chronicles for its periodic free subscriber audio stories. The last of these to date was “The Revenants,” from Ian Potter, a story that was eventually released for purchase as part of “The Light at the End” limited edition set. It’s a creepy story with a ton of atmosphere that unfortunately slows down too much in the second part but still remains well worth hearing.
Separated from the Doctor and the TARDIS, Ian and Barbara are forced to walk across a dangerous marsh in the dying light of day’s end, trying to find shelter and avoid being sucked under the mud. That’s almost the entirety of the first episode, but Potter’s script makes it work: it’s incredibly dramatic, remaining gripping throughout, the threat of the marsh feeling shockingly real. The sound design is a particular pleasure, making everything realistic and believable – it’s one of BF’s best productions in recent memory, in fact. And this was for a DWM freebie! After they’re rescued, the tension doesn’t let up, because that’s when the Revenants show up.
“The Revenants” is in many ways modeled after a classic horror film. There’s the initial sequence in the marsh to build tension followed by the onslaught of what are essentially peat zombies, and the characters working together against the clock to find a way to defeat them. It’s genuinely unnerving for much of its running time, with the eerie score contributing to the disturbing feeling. Unfortunately, once Ian and Barbara are reunited with the Doctor, and after the initial Revenant attack, the story grinds to a halt so the characters can have an endless conversation about how to stop their attackers. Yes, it’s a great example of scientific inquiry to show their thought processes, and it’s very Doctor Who to have everyone miss the obvious solution, but about the only interesting thing in the entire sequence is the Doctor advocating for a quite permanent solution.
There’s actually a framing device here, and it’s quite pleasant: an older Ian is taking the ferry to Orkney to visit some old friends, and he tells a stranger a tale to help pass the journey. The placement of the story is curious: it’s right after Susan’s departure in “The Dalek Invasion of Earth,” so the Doctor is still understandably upset. This is implied to be the reason for his erratic behavior, but later in the story we learn that he spent years waiting for his timeline to align with his companions – so is he still upset? It’s unclear. There are even hints at the end that he was waiting much longer than that, which are interesting, especially for this incarnation. I also liked the Doctor taking the mantle of the ancient Wissfornjarl, and Barbara calling him out for playing the role of a god after the events of “The Aztecs.”
William Russell narrates, and I don’t need to tell you that his performance is generally excellent. It’s a bit confusing when he’s voicing the Doctor, Ian, and Barbara all having a conversation but that’s a limit of the format more than anything. Sharon Small is the guest performer, turning in a solid performance – though I actually liked her more on the ferry than in the bog! As mentioned above, the design is the star of the show: Toby Hrycek-Robinson deserves some sort of medal for both his sound design and his music, which create one of the most effective atmospheres I can remember in a Companion Chronicle. Overall, “The Revenants” is a strong release, especially for something that was originally released for free. It’s a great scary story for a quiet night.
Recommended.
7/10