Tempest

UNIT #8.2

Released: 30 April 2019

Listened: 4/22/23

Another one-parter, this time by Lisa McMullin. We’re swapping Josh out for Sam in this story as the soldier who goes with Osgood. UNIT is investigating freak atmospheric disturbances in the northern hemisphere. Specifically, Kate goes to visit an oil rig where workers are hearing voices, and Osgood and Sam investigate an old woman in an isolated shack who’s hearing voices down her chimney. This one is definitely set up as a mystery; it takes a fair chunk of the one-part story before we have any idea what’s going on. McMullin’s creation of Mother McCracken is inspired, as it provides an information source without actually providing too much information. Plus she’s got some excellent lines. Kate, unfortunately, gets the oil rig supervisor who only cares about the company’s profits, which is straight out of 70s UNIT, no matter how justified it actually is. It’s a pretty normal story, with UNIT doing what they’re supposed to and sciencing up the mystery. This one is also very light on the bloodshed, which is a nice sign.