MR 069: Three's a Crowd

Well I feel personally attacked. Living in isolation isn't natural my ass. What do you think a hikikomori is then? Hmm?????

We have a society of people living in isolated rooms on their own. They barely ever see each other and then only on video screen. Sometimes they get to see each other in person but only ever two at a time. There's talk of a rebellion against this by having EIGHT people in the same room at the same time. Crazy. Sounds like hell to me.

The colony is run by an older lady called "Auntie" on a space station overseeing the planet. Most of the story just involves characters examining what's going on in this society and how bad it is to live in isolation. Characters have panic attacks because other people are in their space. Indeed, they start getting panic attacks as Peri and Erimem pull them out of their rooms and into corridors or even, heaven forbid, outside.

The main core of what's going on here, as well, with the three main characters is Erimem's and the Doctor's seeming reluctance to want to travel together. Erimem is recovering from The Roof of the World where she's confronted by her father, or something. It's been awhile since I heard it, although I do remember liking it. I'm not sure where the Doctor's attitude is coming from. Perhaps he just wants one companion after going so long with having multiple at the same time. He says he's pretty ok with Erimem being there, but he's a little forgettful about her and even does the "hey do you want to stay here and rule" thing at the end of the story, like he does to Steven on the actual show. He's been with Peri and Erimem for some time now but he's only having these feelings now? Ok, I guess?

It's ironic that this is a Doctor Who story about isolation being bad when the Doctor usually just travels alone or with one other person. He's not one for settling down and forming a community. The Doctor himself is the ultimately example of an introverted shut in, seeking out just one person at a time or, in this Doctor's case, multiple people to share his life with.

The story just kind of turns into a generic alien invasion thing when it's revealed that there are lizard aliens eating the human colonists. Auntie knew all about it and made a deal with them because they were on their own, communication cut off from other humans with their terraformer not working. They've been periodically sending colonists "home" but they've just been going to become food for the lizards. There's a lot of running around and getting chased by lizards. Very fun. Until they kill the lizards and then kill the lizard babies with radiation poisioning and lack of oxygen.

It's not really that interesting. The concept itself is pretty ok, but hits too home for me. At least it's not too triggering in a way that makes me unable to listen like Vincent and the Doctor, but what's here is just not that engaging. Normal Doctor Who alien stuff. It's at least a step up from the norm for Peri and Erimem, who despite being a fun team consistently get middling to terrible stories. Ah well, hopefully they get a better one next time.