Following on from The Havoc of Empires, part 1, by Andy Lane, part 2 sees our heroes cut off from the TARDIS once again (not that they’d leave a situation unresolved anyway, even though they keep saying that getting to the TARDIS is their goal).

THE THIRD DOCTOR ADVENTURES, VOL. 1

Jo, as Alex, begins investigating the explosion with support from the Doctor and Mike quizzing their respective representatives.

It turns out that there are many species who would rather the alliance between the Chalnoth (aliens) and the Teklarn (humans) doesn’t happen, but most (like the Sontarans and Rutans) are tied up in their own matters to be likely candidates when it comes to planting explosives.  The Chalnoth believe it’s more likely to be a Delphon plot, but it becomes clear that the explosive device was planted in the docking bay before the negotiator’s ship landed.  It’s unlikely that the Delphon would have been able to plant such a device.

During her analysis of the explosion, Jo learns that the station’s Artificial Intelligence (imaginatively known as “A.I.”) has known all along that Jo is an imposter (because Alex is supposed to be male, and she isn’t) but it (or “she”) agrees to keep Jo’s secret for as long as she doesn’t pose a threat.

The spectral analysis of the explosion indicates that part of the components were of Delphon design, which prompts Jo into using an analysers to scan all of the delegates who may have wanted to disrupt the ceremony, in the hope of detecting trace elements on their person.

The scans prove negative, until the delegates insist on Jo and her assistants being scanned.  Jo and Mike scan negative but, when the Doctor is scanned, the detector lights up like a Christmas tree.  The Doctor is arrested and taken into custody.

The cliff-hanger is one of those that you know will be resolved in short order.  How many times has the Doctor been found “guilty” over the history of the show?  Nevertheless, it does allow for cutting off his support for Jo.

The story continues its depiction of 70s Doctor Who – almost to a fault.  I’m not really sure we need the Doctor’s and Mike’s ongoing condescending platitudes and patronising “you’re doing a good job as our superior, Jo” all over the place.  That kind of thing is what dates the original show during an era when the writers didn’t properly know how to handle gender equality.  In 2017, it’s a cheap way of hooking a modern adventure into the past, but it’s a narrative nonsense that just has you groaning over and over.

But, then, if Jo actually had what it takes to be their superior then it wouldn’t be necessary for them to keep saying she does.  This isn’t the same Jo Grant than stood up to be counted on Peladon.  This is more of an airhead bumbling through in the hope that she doesn’t trip over her own lack of ability to convince.  It’s this kind of thing that interrupts the flow because it’s quite apparent that she only gets away with it because the writer has written the other characters to let her get away with it.  In a real world scenario, so many people wouldn’t be so blindly hoodwinked by someone so obviously just chancing her way through it.  Especially when she’s supposed to be a security consultant.

If anything, I would ask for a more accurate representation of Jo Grant as she was on the TV than this perpetuated myth that there’s nothing more to her than an empty head and short skirt.  That wasn’t Jo Grant, so it’s a pity that’s what we’re presented with here.  Given the lack of input, and reducing input, of the Doctor and Mike in the story, it’s starting to feel like the writer is keen to push this kind of Jo to the exclusion of all other characters.  I hope that doesn’t continue far into the second half of the story, particularly as it’s this version of Jo that we’re having to suffer.  It’s a bit of a diversion for an episode or two, but it’ll be a criminal waste of the talents of Richard Franklin and Tim Treloar if it continues.

Nevertheless, The Havoc of Empires continues to be an entertaining story.  The second episode doesn’t quite live up to the level of the first episode, but the same was true of Prisoners of the Lake and that soon picked itself up as the adventure continued.  I expect The Havoc of Empires to do the same.