The Rings of Ikiria

Companion Chronicles #6.12

Released: June 2012

Listened: 5/29/21

This is the only story set after Liz’s departure but before Jo’s arrival, so it doesn’t really warrant its own subsection. Mike Yates is telling the story, without a frame story, which is how these later Companion Chronicles often work. Mike spends a lot of time musing about how UNIT is the only place that’s felt like home to him, as he apparently had a rather lonely childhood and early career. He also displays a strong independent streak for doing what he believes to be right, which presages his choices in “Invasion of the Dinosaurs.” UNIT heads out to the Channel Islands to investigate some crop circles, which herald the arrival of an alien who claims to be interested only in sharing her art with Earth. She gives finger-rings as gifts to just about all the soldiers, and Mike is the only one who refuses (following protocol). The Doctor is mostly off-screen, leading Mike to believe he’s in danger, and defies orders to go look for him. After that, there’s some good old blowin’ stuff up to show that’s what happens when the Doctor’s companion isn’t around to complain about it. Richard Franklin does a good job of sounding like a young Mike Yates, and his Brigadier is reasonable, if a little shouty, but his impersonation of the Doctor over-exaggerates Jon Pertwee’s lisp, and comes off sounding a bit disrespectful. Still, I don’t think there was any malice intended, and the story is decent enough.