Date Posted:17:08:10 10/25/02 Fri Author: Omega Subject: Review: Doctor Who, Seaons of Fear
First and foremost, Seasons of Fear is another good 8th Doctor Story. So far, I have liked them all, but I think the weakest I have listened to has been "Invaders from Mars."
Seasons of Fear was written by New Adventures author Paul Cornell, and it shows quite a few of the characteristics one might expect from him. He uses a lot of Doctor Who continuity in the story but tries to take it into an interesting and new direction.
The Doctor finally gets to take his companion, Charley, to a meeting in Singapore with a friend she promised to meet. While she is away, the Doctor is greeted by the grandfather of Charley's friend, who basically tells him that "It's nice to meet you like this, my masters have allowed it. I've killed you in your future and in my past, and I am now immortal. It's nice being able to brag about it to you, to let you know my masters have taken over the whole of the timestream. Goodbye."
The story itself is about the Doctor tracing what has caused such events, trying to find out how his foe gained immortality, and to finding out who his masters are. In order to do this, the Doctor goes through various points in time -- from a Roman Mithtra sacrifice, to the Hellfire Club in early modern times.
The story is enjoyable, not the best of the 8th Doctor adventures, but still quite good. I give it a solid b. A brief spoiler below:
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This story has the return of the Nimon -- in what has to be a much better, more intelligent story than Horns of Nimon, but nonetheless, in some respects seem like a typical "monster" in how they act. But there are elements within the story which allow the Nimon to be more than just a typical monster trying to take over the universe, for example, the story also creates an interesting storyline for who Mithra was -- and that the bull he sacrificed was actually.. one of the Nimon.
