The Side of the Angels

Doom Coalition #4.3

Released: 7 March 2017

Listened: 12/15/21

So we’ve got this story that’s already overstuffed with characters, so they’ve got to start making exits before the end, right? That’s what you think! Let’s add in Ollistra and Veklin, the Meddling Monk, and some Weeping Angels too, because why not? This Ollistra is the Carolyn Pickles version, before she regenerated into the Jacqueline Pearce iteration. That’s not because Jacqueline Pearce had passed away; that wouldn’t happen for another year yet. They just needed a younger version of Ollistra (introduced later; yeesh, time travel). The Monk is the Rufus Hound version, which is impossible to disguise because of his unique voice. It seems to be the first time this version of the Monk has met the Doctor, and the Monk would like to leave the past alone. For the Doctor, the last time he’s seen the Monk, it was the Graeme Garden version, and he was largely responsible for Tamsin’s and Lucie’s deaths. As a result, the Doctor is as hostile toward the Monk as I’ve ever seen him. They’re all in 1970s Manhattan, where Ollistra is trying to build a shelter for the Time Lords who want to escape Padrac’s plot, she’s subcontracted it to the Monk, and he’s using Angels to both build and power the thing. Certainly nothing could go wrong with that plan, especially with the Monk in charge. Nobody even thinks to ask why there are so many Angels in New York, but that’s for another time. It’s tough to do Angels on audio, and there is a little bit of “it’s right in front of me, reaching out!” acting, but for the most part, Nicola Walker and Hattie Morahan sell it well, as the only main characters who aren’t familiar with the Angels. Using the “image of an Angel” trick works pretty well too. The main purpose of the story seems to be proving that the Eleven is still a dangerous psychopath, because he’d taken a beating in the last few stories. And he’s pretty effective at spreading chaos, murdering people, and basically wrecking everyone’s plans. It’s not a bad story, and I like both Ollistra and the Monk, but I’m not sure we needed a diversion as the penultimate story.