The Alchemists

Companion Chronicles #8.2

Released:

Listened: 12/29/19

Released just a few months before the previous entry, one might expect a reference-heavy anniversary story, but it’s a straightforward pure historical set in 1930s Germany. Susan spends most of the story separated from the Doctor, so the issue of the Doctor’s unformed personality isn’t a problem, although in the frame story, Susan reassures Barbara in a letter that her grandfather is a good man. As a result, the Doctor and Susan stumble into a crucial point in history, and get in trouble through sheer coincidence and the Doctor’s curiosity. There’s a bit of the general Doctor Who theme that people are complicated, even those history paints as villains, although the Brownshirts don’t get any reprieve. Carole Ann Ford does a good job pacing the narration, and although she’s not trying to imitate William Hartnell, she does get his mannerisms down pretty well.