Empathy Games

Companion Chronicles #3.4

Released: October 2008

Listened: 4/2/22

The frame story picks up directly from the previous one: Leela is still a prisoner, but the Z’nai have all been wiped out. Oddly, the torture machines are now keeping her alive. She hears a child crying nearby, and tries to tell it a story, leading to the flashback. Which is, honestly, very strange. The Doctor spends a large chunk of it in a coma, so Leela is left to function on her own, which means things are going to get a bit violent. The planet they’re on is very high-concept, supposedly totally peaceful, with an astonishing water sculpture that would look amazing with modern SFX, and some rather odd hunting “games” that Leela takes to right away, although they’re not what they seem. David Warner is the backup actor in this one, and although his character doesn’t actually do a whole lot, I’ll take David Warner in anything, thanks very much. Unexpectedly, we get an explanation for what happened to the wooden console room, and why it hasn’t been seen since. Even with the strangeness, there’s a strong visual quality to the story that makes it stand out. The frame story, however, is quite weak this time out, and doesn’t resolve, so we’ll have to wait for that.