BBC Audio adventure, March 16 - April 20, 1968
The story here is nice but not super impressive. Though I’m glad, for once, that Victoria has an actual function as she kills off the villainous beastie in this tale. Hurray for those darn annoying screams for once! How Jamie didn’t want to kill her I just don’t know. She sure must be extremely beautiful or he a goober and a half. And I really love Jamie as a companion! He rocks. This story just doesn’t have the oomph as the bad guy is just some evil seaweed with telekinetic powers. Eh, just so. And there are loads of people running around in denial about it, despite people disappearing left and right from the drilling rigs in the ocean. But I guess it helps when the main guy in charge is in thrall to the seaweed!
The Doctor never does adequately explain where it comes from, other than the bottom of the sea. And there’s a rather silly sequence where he flies a helicopter. It’s probably better on the screen, I’d imagine, as they’re in danger from his incompetence! Actually, though, that sequence is where I actually where I feel they’re in the most danger of dying! Frazer Hines rocks as a narrator so he somehow makes me feel the craziness of the situation without being intrusive at all. Victoria is left behind, thank goodness. She suddenly can’t handle the inconsistencies of life with the Doctor and with a perfunctory farewell, the Doctor and Jamie are off on their own to explore the universe. Despite Jamie having less of an idea of technology than Victoria, he’s the much better companion in general. Even despite his occasional whining. This audio is a good example of how things will change as Victoria really has no purpose in the plot except to kill the villainous seaweed with her screeching. An apt departure, I think.
Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, and Deborah Watling
writer: Victor Pemberton
director: Hugh David