The Forsaken

Early Adventures #2.2

Released: 15 October 2015

Listened: 9/24/20

This one is a “base under siege” story, very typical of the era, although this time the base is a hotel on a small island in Singapore, 1942. Complicating matters, Ben’s father is one of the soldiers stuck on the island awaiting evacuation, so it can’t be one of those times where everybody dies except for the TARDIS crew, or Ben won’t be born. Writer Justin Richards does a pretty good job of keeping the monster and its nature under wraps, with each of the four episodes revealing a new piece of information about it. There’s a nice feeling of claustrophobia, even though the setting is partially outdoors. Also props to Richards for getting in several of the Second Doctor’s catch-phrases. Ben and Jamie get to hang out a lot with the soldiers in this story, by benefit of their military training and penchant for physical activity, although the story focuses more on Ben. Polly is left with the Doctor or left behind to play nursemaid several times, which she complains about, to her credit, but does it anyway. The Doctor seems to have settled into his new persona quite thoroughly at this point, and approaches the situation differently than how the First would have. It’s a somewhat typical story for the era, but a good example of the breed.