The Flames of Cadiz is interesting in its setting. I love it as an idea and in the first half of this story, I think it really pays off. You don't go with something like the Spanish Inquisition without suggesting the story will feature a great deal of darkness, dread, and tension, which is there in spades. Ian gets arrested trying to help a friend and nearly sentenced to death. The First Doctor is fun rescuing him, but after that point, it really starts to lose me. The whole Sir Francis Drake thing and Ian getting swept up in his fanboyism, coupled with Barbara and the Doctor butting heads over some mistake the Doctor makes, feels a little like forced character drama to me.  Still, overall I found a fun and engaging historical in this audio.

I love William Russell and Carole Ann Ford reprising their roles. The dual narratives works well at times, more in the first half more than the second, but also holds back this audio a bit. Russell isn't great when he does something like Barbara's voice, so parts of the performances are a little uneven. The audio effects and music really stand out too in setting the tone and feel of the story nicely. I used the word "dread" earlier, and that definitely comes from how this audio is paced and edited. Overall it is certainly passable, an audio I'm glad I listened to, for sure, but I am equally firm that I wouldn't be too motivated to listen again any time soon, especially given how long Cadiz runs overall.

MARC PLATT DOES IT AGAIN

This story had to grow on me a bit, but after a while, I really liked what it was doing. This is a historical story, but in comparison to the other stories, it takes a more grim tone, which I can really appreciate.

Ian is the clear main focus of the story here. He has a (at times ridiculous) love for the tales of Sir Francis Drake during the Spanish inquisition. The true nature of history disappoints him, however, as he gets locked up for doing the right thing and helping an innocent bystander. This takes up the first part of the story, as the party tries to get him out. The doctor even dons clothes to fool the Spanish king, but, as a contrast to the Reign of Terror, fails miserably. This is the moment I realized the tone shift the story makes.

After the eventual freeing of Ian, the story sort of splits. We move on completely to a new story with Ian wanting to meet SFD. The shift is kinda rough and feels unnatural. Ian is finally freed, but without even seeing the party immediately moves on. It felt out of character.

The second part stands on its own as a version of “The Aztecs”, but for Ian. He meets his hero, but is thoroughly disappointed by his character and attitude. Combine that with the burning and killing of Cadiz, and you get quite a harrowing tale for the era.

If it had pushed its tone a little harder, or, in reverse, lead more into it, I think this could’ve been something truly special. For now it is still good, but noticeably clunky, which detracts from what it was going for.