Is the charismatic young visitor to Earth really all that he seems?

Alan Barnes’ six part tale for the Season 11 team slots neatly into the continuity –sending a glancing blow to Paradise of Death’s claims to canonicity along the way –with an early appearance for Harry Sullivan (and an appropriate epithet applied by the Third Doctor to him), as well as a new Sergeant Major for the Brigadier. It’s an enjoyable romp that would have allowed Jon Pertwee free rein with some new toys, and one that taps into contemporary cultural concerns – John Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was first published around the time this would have been broadcast, and The Tomorrow People, with whom Kal shares a degree of affinity, were just jaunting in.

It’s quite a sprawling tale, taking in elements of the Brigadier’s past (a common theme this season, bearing in mind Ghosts of N-Space as well) alongside present-day tensions for him, trips outside the Home Counties, and a keenly observed foil for Sarah Jane Smith, in the form of Jenny Nettles, a rival journalist who isn’t quite formed from the same mould. There’s some neat paralleling going on in the middle episodes – and even a cheeky reworking at the start of one of those instalments – as well as the necessary races against time. The pacing feels right, although one of the key plot points does seem to reflect quite closely an element of a story from decades later (which given how many stories there now are would appear to be inevitable – as always, it’s in how it’s presented rather than the idea itself).

Steve Foxon’s sound design and Nicholas Briggs’ score feel period-appropriate, and the occasional mannered sides to some of the guest performances make sense in context – there are some lovely scenes between Helen Goldwyn and Jon Culshaw in particular.

Verdict: With some (not strictly necessary but fun) continuity tickboxes checked, this is another fun time for Treloar and Miller’s Third Doctor and Sarah. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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