Dragonfire
Story 147, Episodes 665-667, Season 24 Episodes 12-14
Doctor: Seventh Doctor
Companions: Mel Bush, Ace McShane
We get a rare recurring character and a unique well-realized setting which helps buoy a relatively straightforward plot.
The Review
Iceworld seems set right out of Bioshock, an ultra-cold trading post home to the icy Kane who rules it from its depths. Though obviously using a ton of plastic, this is one of my favorite sets in the classic series. It is instantly unique, lived-in, and very much not a quarry. The aforementioned Kane played with straight laced evil by Edward Peel is a millennia old criminal whose body temperature needs to be so cold he kills with a touch. The plot is mainly a lot of wandering around Iceworld encountering a robotic dragon with a power cell ‘the dragon fire’ in its head, but thanks to the return of Sabalom Glitz and new companion Ace we are never bored. Tony Selby is back as the pathetic but charismatic scoundrel Glitz, and we’re very glad to see him return. There’s also a tiny plot thread of a young girl blissfully avoiding the chaos and getting to see the TARDIS dematerialize which is sweet.
Sophie Aldred is the big addition here, as new companion ace. Mel is still around, and screams less while being just generally competent and liking to take the piss out of Glitz. Ace is only 16 years old, and acts like it despite Aldred being much older. A rebellious orphan removed from the 80s and sent to this colony is a stretch, but you can’t helped but be charmed by Ace. I wasn’t expecting her to be immature, but it’s charming. Mel eventually decides to go off with Glitz and be independent, which makes sense in the invisible Mel story arc we never got to actually see. Mel was independent but is still typically feminine, Ace very much isn’t so I’m excited to see her chemistry with McCoy, who is a cool confident center of this story. It’s a fine story, nothing special, but hopefully bodes well for next season.
It’s no better or worse than previous stories, but props for that setting! We do get to revisit the infamous cliffhanger in The Name of the Doctor too.
8/10 I wish Glitz would pop up again, he’s such a charming rogue
Reviewing Doctor Who from Start to Finish 