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

Love this first time but sadly relisten it’s a little slow

(Continuing my review of the Beyond War Games box set...)

In Wrath of the Ice Warriors, the TARDIS arrives in Scotland where the Doctor meets up with Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart, played brilliantly by Jon Culshaw. The story slots in nicely between The Web of Fear and Spearhead from Space, so the Brigadier is still relatively young. Now, entirely by coincidence, also for Christmas, I was gifted another Big Finish adventure set in Scotland and featuring Culshaw as the Brigadier, this time paired with Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor. However, in The Grey Man of the Mountain, Lethbridge-Stewart is an older, wiser man at the end of his career post Battlefield. It was nice to contrast Culshaw’s portrayal of the same man at different times in his life. I’d never realised before, how much thought Culshaw puts into his vocal mimicry; it’s not just a party-trick he does with his voice, the man really is a genius. Listening to him talking (as himself) in the extras, it’s clear that Jon Culshaw feels a responsibility to get his performance right and honour Nicholas Courtney’s legacy. He succeeds in that admirably. Even though they are not designed that way, I’d recommend listening to Wrath of the Ice Warriors and The Grey Man of the Mountain back to back.

By the way, someone else who impressed me with their vocal dexterity in Wrath of the Ice Warriors was Katy Manning. I’d quite forgotten seeing her name on the box, and I actually listened to her performance in the story without realising it was her. Mind you, Katy’s impression of Omega in the talking book of The Three Doctors was nothing short of staggering, so I shouldn’t really be surprised.

At the beginning of Wrath of the Ice Warriors, when the 2nd Doctor realises that he’s in Scotland, he remarks that it’s a pity Jamie isn’t with him. I agreed. In fact, there was no reason at all why this story had to be a 6B adventure, it could just as easily have been set in the 2nd Doctor’s established continuity. Once again, I was left scratching my head wondering why Big Finish are going down the 6B route when not just Frazer Hines but also Wendy Padbury are still available for work. In fact, we already know that Jamie will be returning for these 6B adventures which, for me, makes the whole set up all the more pointless.

In a nutshell, Beyond War Games is deeply flawed but still enjoyable. It is the 2nd Doctor after all. Okay, Big Finish, I’m in. Let’s see where Bargain Bin Servalan (Raven) sends him next.