Monday 9 May 2011

REVIEW: Doctor Who 146: Heroes Of Sontar

The Fifth Doctor and his annoying companions land on a planet (Samur) covered in moss that attacks Nyssa. As they investigate they come across a bunch of idiots. Like the TV story The Chase which featured Daleks in training, this story features Sontarans that are equally as useless at being what they are. Steve (as I shall call him) Sontaran is always being corrected on his protocol.

In fact, I think Steve Sontaran makes a better Dalek and Dalek Steve (off of The Chase) would make a better Sontaran. Not that any of the Sontarans in this possess anything resembling intelligence.



The main difference here though is that the Sontaran's here are supposed to be stupid, and with it provide a bit of 'background' comedy relief for the story. Upon encountering Steve and his superiors, Tegan insuts them to find out that that is an act of war on the entire race. After weaseling her way out of it she sees fit to have another go. Steve and his superior idiots obviously don't notice. In case there's any Sontarans listening, Tegan explains the above in the last chapter during a 'House moment'. Maybe they should have called this Idiots On Samur

Once the idiot show has finished, we turn our attention back to the planet and the moss and resolving the situation everyone finds themselves in. Here, the Sontarans become minor players and are relegated to being the storyline setup only with nothing much more useful to add.

The story wasn't bad but because the actual threat was ignored for so long, it was hard to get into it or care by the end. I'd have preferred more of the idiot show because that was quite amusing and Tegan not quite quite as annoying because of it.

Score: 4.5/7

Released: April 2011
Publisher: Big Finish
Writer: Alan Barnes

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