Three Doctors, a one off companion, space wolves and Coal Hill School.

This is a fun read but it does rather lay on the continuity quite heavily.  The First Doctor is at Coal Hill School in 1963.  There's fog.  A policeman gets sent to check on the junkyard.  The Third Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor retell part of the story.  Sarah Jane Smith is being told the story.  There's a reference to Clyde and the Doctor's fez.  And the Doctor's signet ring.  There's even a bit about the school being rebuilt and renamed as an Academy as it is in Class!

So whilst this is an entertaining, released for free, short story, is all a bit much continuity wise.

📝9/10

Counting down to Whomas 2024, one adventure at a time!

Day Three and Four: Back To The Early Days!

MY SCATTERED AND TOTALLY IRRELEVANT NOTES:

This adventure calendar story takes us back to 1963, just before the Doctor and Susan left Totters Lane to embark on their journey through time and space with Ian and Barbara. It’s a compact yet tense tale that ultimately transforms into something heartfelt. The highlight of the story is how perfectly the First Doctor is characterized, capturing his essence flawlessly, while also creating a chilling atmosphere through the fog and alien werewolves slowly emerging and enveloping our protagonists. The story also builds an endearing connection between the Doctor and his temporal companion, Shivani Bajwa.

Occasionally, the narrative shifts to the Third Doctor, recounting the adventure to Sarah Jane, and to the Twelfth Doctor, visiting an older Shivani in the 21st century. These abrupt scene changes can feel disorienting, but they add depth to the story, even though it would have worked just as well without them.

This portrayal of the Doctor is true to the selfish and cantankerous nature of his early first incarnation. However, by the end, he also reveals glimpses of the warmth and humanity that would come to define him later in his life.

In all, this short story is unexpectedly well-crafted and poignant, fitting seamlessly into the Doctor's established timeline.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

There’s a line here that confirms that this adventure happens shortly before the beginning of An Unearthly Child.

Everything about this story just *works*

One is characterised brilliantly, the air of 'knowing' that he often has is just done really well, and seeing him at coal hill, before An Unearthly Child could feel off, but I think is just done really well here.

The glimpses we get of other doctors and companions through the framing device are also great, and anything where we get to see more of Sarah Jane is going to be just brilliant. I love the idea of Eleven just popping in from time to time to catch up, leaving a fez for Clyde, it's just really fun.

Shivani is also beautifully done for a one off companion, especially one that's in such a short story. The glimpse we get of her past and the parallels made between her and The Doctor, both being immigrants, are just done so so well.

The ending scene is also great, Twelve coming back to catch up with Shivani is lovely, and then with The Master getting alluded to earlier in the story, the realisation that Missy helped them out, leaving a ladder to make sure they'd survive, it's just done so well and I love it.

its a nice calendar story