This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: The Final Beginning

Continuing on with the Second Doctor's post-trial pre-exile adventures, we have Wrath of the Ice Warriors. Before going into this for the second time, I can't say I remembered it favourably and that certainly lines up with how I view most Ice Warrior related stories but after a relisten I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. It's definitely quite basic and it does drag a little but it's good fun and not nearly as dull as I remember it.

There's not much to say about the plot, it's a pretty standard UNIT adventure made a bit more interesting by the fact it has 2 instead of 3. The setting of rainy Scotland isn't particularly unique but I found it quite cozy. Sheena is a really fun character and for a moment you almost think she's going to be a companion. I'm almost a bit disappointed she wasn't because it would've been an excellent way to carve out a new and distinct era for the Second Doctor rather than falling back on old fan-favourites (I'll get to my thoughts on that in the later stories, however).

The betrayal is excellent if a bit predictable. It happens just quickly enough to take you by surprise while still allowing you enough time to pick up on the clues like the Doctor. We meet an Ice Warrior queen (played by Katy Manning!!!!) who's trying to "reclaim" Mars for herself.  The reveal that the Ice Warriors have overslept and Mars has already been wiped out was pretty obviously coming. It's a tried-and-tested plotline for the Ice Warriors and it's probably the most derivative part of this story. It does leave me a bit disappointed because I feel like the Ice Warriors so rarely get any sort of new storyline. They're trapped in much the same limbo that plagues the Silurians.

The post-credits scene was a good bit of setup for the next few stories. It foreshadows Jamie and reveals that Celestine (the stranded Time Lord from the last story) is or atleast believes he is the Emperor Dalek.

All in all, this is a serviceable adventure. It's nothing special that hasn't been done before but it's made worthwhile by a fun cast with great chemistry in a somewhat interesting setting. I do find it funny though how much this set has pulled from the Third Doctor Adventures, we had Tim Treloar in the first one and now Jon Culshaw and Katy Manning. Let's see if the rest of it keeps up this quality.

Next Story: Jamie