Ice Station Alpha

UNIT #2.4

Released: 30 June 2016

Listened: 4/7/23

We had a slam-bang episode in the last story, so now it’s time for one that’s almost equally violent, but with UNIT in a different role. You’d think that after the Kamishi got their power cell back in the last story, they could just take it and go home. Problem is, Felicity Lyme still has the tech, and is building an even bigger power generator in Antarctica. Which really should be a good thing, solving the world’s energy problems, but Kate’s against it, on the rationale of a) Lyme will use it to corner the energy market for herself (that’s probably true), and b) we’re not ready yet as a species, and need to get there by ourselves. Says the woman who runs the government agency that uses bunches of alien tech. Kate gets away with it because Lyme is Evil, but there’s some hypocrisy there. This sets up a conflict between Lyme’s Cerberus mercenaries and the Tengobushi, with UNIT trying to stop both sides. Which, again, is kinda hypocritical because UNIT just kicked Tengobushi butt at the Tower, but talking is always better in Doctor Who. I’m not 100% sure that Kate’s argument would have swayed the Kamishi, but they do seem to like self-sacrifice, and both Josh and Osgood are up for that. (Which leads to a tender moment between them that totally isn’t followed up on.) On the whole, I salute what Matt Fitton and Andrew Smith were trying to do, but the Kamishi just aren’t much more than “space ninjas,” and can’t help feeling just a touch racist. It’s probably fine that they faded away quickly.