The First Doctor #21

'The Price of Conviction' (2008) from Short Trips: The Quality of Leadership.

Another serviceable little pure historical - I like how these First Doctor stories are shedding some small light on events that I personally don't know anything about. They serve as a good jumping off point and oftentimes moral exploration for my own research deeper into the period if it interests me enough. Here I don't feel all too much towards the story, but Susan is once again given a nice space within the story and it's overall a pleasant enough adventure.

The story opens with Susan commenting on how the doctor enjoys the company of humans more then there own people. there is also signs of Susan wanting to stay in one place and settle down. when the Tardis Lands the Chameleon circuit takes the form of a shed which is quite funny to think about. as Doctor and Susan talk to a merchant and its revealed a trial is happening. The Doctor gives the merchant a gem and he becomes extremely on edge trying to hide it and not let anyone see it so it doesn't get stolen, the merchant warns the doctor of being careful with his wealth. I love how this comes after alchemist with a story about money showing the Doctors still learning. Susan gets separated from the doctor overhearing 2 people Willhem and Karl talking bout the upcoming trial, Susan is noticed and they grab her. 

I love how the Doctor and Susan are thrust into this sequence of events just via circumstance during the Martin Luther trial, being one of the biggest events in the Catholic n protestant in fighting, Susan heard the two men plotting to kill him. She is saved and the Doctor is wary of her saviour Rudolf, the pair walk away but are soon arrested and brought into the castle. The Doctor thinks this is an interesting case unknowing why they where brought here. The Duke appears and demands to know what Susan overheard in the ally, that's a very good misdirect of the pair not doing anything wrong. A little after Susan and the Doctor meet Martin Luther, its a thrilling read the way the writer Richard C White describes the encounter. Through this I feel like I'm learning a lot about the Catholic vs protestant fight.  

while the Doctor and Susan are here under there protest, Susan encourages Martin Luther for the upcoming debate, which is a nice thing to hear as in this story she is a bit mousey. Susan also notices the people from the ally watching the castle and starts to piece things together with a load of coincidences adding up, the Doctor being one step ahead of her, i think this moment is where i started being invested in this plot.

Eric the guard and Susans interaction is also quite cute, even for just a small character. Martin being questioned by Susan is also nice read too. Showing Susan is taking on these lessons the Doctor is giving her about questioning things you don't understand, even a little slip up of calling Martins actions a movement before the movement begins is a nice add on. The group start going into the passageway is very vivid to imagine, Susan even getting scared by it which is understandable.

The reveal of Rudolf being on the side of the 2 men in the alley is a nice predictable twist its very spelled out, but I don't mind it as much, because since the Doctor and Susan where 1 step ahead they managed to spring a trap for the 3 of them. Martin commenting on this saying he would support her to go to uni no matter the gender, which is sweet especially for the time period and ends nicely with the Doctor n Susan staying to support martin.

This short trip took a few pages to get going but damn was I invested by the end.

This one is pretty cool. Richard C. White crafts a story that chronologically, is the earliest story in the Doctor's history I have yet encountered. Taking place during the early days of Susan and the Doctor travelling together, this story has little details to reflect that in Susan's character and a very much still working chameleon circuit on the TARDIS. It's a fun period piece set in the German Renaissance during Martin Luthor's trial. A pure historical that largely feels straight out of the First Doctor era and a fun change of pace in an anthology that up until now was largely focused on Rome. The Doctor says "Balderdash." What more can one ask?

Susan's character is also great here. I like how she has the spirit of her show character but gets to be thoughtful and has leads the way in resolving this story's conflict, even if it is somewhat at the cost of the Doctor's character.