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The Sixth Doctor and Peri #2

Released: 13 August 2020

Listened: 8/24/20

Given the title, I was worried this one might come too close to the Twelfth Doctor episode “Smile,” but instead of an abandoned planet, the Doctor and Peri encounter an overcrowded one. They’re on a mission of mercy, to convince the planet to help some refugees, but here, social media is compulsory: likes increase your social status, but dislikes cause physical pain. And the government doesn’t want anyone liking the refugees’ cause. Of course Peri, and to a lesser extent the Doctor, are products of the 80s, so they’re both pretty baffled by all the liking. It’s a wonder this sort of thing doesn’t happen more often, a society whose culture is so unfamiliar that the companion, at least, simply can’t cope. Of course, that would ruin a lot of stories. The story is written by Jac Rayner, who normally does historicals, but she’s also good at social commentary, which this story has plenty of. It’s a bit more subtle than the first story, but not a whole lot. The Doctor’s solution is kind of ambiguous -- maybe it’s a good solution, but it’s kind of a compromise, which may be the best he can hope for. This story is probably the standout of the set.