George White has had a storied life and has the photos to prove it. But when he gives a presentation in Hoxteth, he meets the Doctor and they realize this isn’t the first time they’ve been in the same place at the same time…

There is a razor thin line between gentle and twee and this story dances along it like Ginger Rogers. The temptation to go full quaint must have been overwhelming and in the hands of other writers and performers this could easily have turned into something safe, sweet natured and not particularly interesting. Instead, it’s sweet natured, clever and deeply kind.

Paul Davis’ script holds the fundamentally pure nature of George, and the Doctor, in one hand and the expectations both have of the world in the other. The Doctor, and Colin Baker’s fiery presence is especially good here, is a burning tornado of intensity and intellect and George is a problem that confounds and fascinates him. Davis cleverly starts us at what we soon realize is the middle and we and the Doctor solve the problem in lockstep as we learn more about George, who he is and his travelling companions.

But the Doctor is here in the literal capacity of their name, to solve a problem, to make someone, or something, better and Davis cleverly puts George centre stage in a way that gives Baker new things to do with both characters. George is resolutely, joyously normal and grounded. He’s an older man who’s had the opportunity to travel and loved it, and his pure, sincere joy comes across in waves. A pivotal moment sees a time capsule George buried as a boy unearthed and the note his younger self left his adult one is the emotional highpoint of the story: open hearted, clever, kind and welcoming. It’s also a beat away from ‘never cruel nor cowardly’ although Davis is clever enough to let us draw that comparison ourselves instead of stating it outright.

This is a two handed character study that uses each character to shine new light on the other and it works brilliantly. It’s also crammed full of really impressive science fictional ideas and the nature of just what is sentience, what is alien and what is free will is at the core of the story and of George’s travels. It’s also a neatly handled time travel puzzle box and there’s a lot of fun to be had in solving it. Most of all though, there’s a lot of fun to be had in spending time with George.

Verdict: A quietly, profoundly good human and an adventurous spirit. Next slide please. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart

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