The Juggernauts

Main Range #65

Released: 15 January 2005

Listened: 9/12/20

It’s a while (in release order) until Mel appears again, mostly because Bonnie Langford had been recording stories with Sylvester McCoy. Mel hadn’t encountered the Daleks as of yet, so this story gives Mel the Dalek adventure that all companions should have. It starts nicely in media res, and separates Mel from the Doctor for most of an episode, during which it looks like she may have to get on with her life on a colony somewhere in the future. This story takes place at a time after “Revelation of the Daleks,” when Davros is on the outs with his creations. As a result, Davros is manipulating the people of the colony, the Daleks are manipulating the Doctor, and the Doctor of course plans to play both sides against the middle, leaving Mel feeling betrayed from all sides. Into this mix are the Mechonoids from “The Chase,” or the Juggernauts as Davros names them. Unfortunately, they don’t add a lot to the story, as the Doctor is the only one who recognizes them (“The Chase” is in the future for this Dalek timeline), and the Mechonoids themselves have no memories. Given their soft voices and odd way of speaking, and general benign appearance, it’s hard to take them seriously as a threat. The Doctor also doesn’t seem to be taking the Daleks seriously; he’s snarkier than usual toward them, although definitely softer toward Mel. As for Mel herself, she gets to show off her programming skills, and acquire some futuristic ones. She also displays a lot of empathy, and even a moral crisis near the end. This is one of those stories where the character work is better than the plot.