The Hollows of Time by Christopher H. Bidmead
18 February 2010
In keeping with the first two stories of this lost season, The Hollows of Time
also brings back recurring villains. In this case it's the Tractators
and the Gravis, and... hm... what was that fellow's name again?
The continued usage of recurring villains is unsurprising in light of
the continuity-laden Season 22, but I have already sort of gotten tired
of it. Having a story in Leviathan where there were no recurring
characters (albeit in a rather familiar setting) was somewhat
refreshing. I didn't dock points from The Hollows of Time for
having these recurring elements yet again - mostly because I rather like
Bidmead's writing - but I am raising my eyebrow and wondering how many
more of the others will do the same.
Taking place principally in a small English town, it is interesting and a
little refreshing to see the Sixth Doctor interact with everyday
people. Ones that aren't aliens, at any rate. Scenes like the jumble
sale, or Mrs. Streeter fussing over Reverend Foxwell, or the Doctor
getting stuck in a rose bush are all quite charming.
The guest cast are a little more memorable than Leviathan's, but
whether for good or ill is in the eye of the beholder, I'm sure. A young
boy named Simon is the most constant companion to the Doctor and Peri
through this story, and a lot of the negative reviews I've read
mentioned how annoying he was. Child characters don't really faze me, so
my experience wasn't the same as theirs. Just the same, I did slap my
forehead a few times when he manages to get them into trouble.
Foxwell and his supposed former Bletchley Park colleague "Professor Stream" call to mind The Curse of Fenric,
particularly the latter's story of losing the use of his legs after a
sporting accident. I wonder if concepts from this were reused?
The Tractators end up being more of a plot device in the end, with the
conflict principally surrounding Stream's attempts to hijack the
Doctor's TARDIS, first by way of his red herring chauffeur android, and
then himself once the mask comes off. I admit, with some small shame,
that my first suspicion when I heard about a car traveling in the time
vortex was, "Drax?" I really am too far gone. I was on the right track once I heard "My dear Doctor..."
The story is framed as an imperfect recollection of the Doctor's and
Peri's after the completion of the adventure, with narrative inserts
inside the TARDIS. Due to the necessary decision to never properly
reveal the real identity of "Stream", this lends some ambiguity to the
story that probably helps it overall in the end. It's a mess, but an
intriguing one. I'd probably call it my favorite of this pseudo-season
so far.
That's it for now. Paradise 5 is next.
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 29 May 2024.)
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