5.1 - Wave of Destruction

The story deserves credit for bringing back a little remembered villain, but beyond that the plot is somewhat unremarkable except for the twist of how the aliens are completing this Invasion. What drives this story ultimately is the Season 17 atmosphere and feeling and writer Justin Richards captures it pitch perfect with Tom Baker and Lalla Ward delivering performances that fit that season perfectly. There are some very humorous moments, my favorite being the proper and intellectual Romana forced to read a 1970s DJ's script.

Professor Lanchester is working on a new early warning detection system that emits a modulated frequency wave cancellation signal that attracts extra-terrestrial visitors and eventually leads to is demise. This is a simple straightforward invasion story but Justin Richards does enough to throw in some surprises to make more engaging than it otherwise would be. Well-drawn characters, well-acted and well-plotted there is very little wrong with this, although, the attempts at humour are not particularly good. The intro scene is basically a sketch which plays on the Timelords discordant relationship with time, but this is neither new nor surprising. Also, K-9's whirring before replying makes his responses predictable.

A recurring villain is brought back, although this isn't their first Big Finish appearance. I won't spoil who they are but it's a race rather than an individual and their characterisation is rather different than anything I remember. Alix Wilton Regan's performance, as Jill, for example, is full of gleeful menace. The tone is light-hearted but the humour never really comes off in the way it should. Baker and Leeson never miss a beat, and Lalla Ward is able to slip straight back into her role as Romana II, but I don't remember her being quite so haughty. Overall, the melodrama feel to this fits very well into the Douglas Adams period of late-seventies 'Doctor Who'. 'Waves of Destruction' is a bit of fun fluff, nothing more.

I've been trying to think of a way to describe this story and the only word I can think of is 'Fun'. Honestly, the plot isn't that thrilling nor the twist not that shocking, but I'll be darned if this wasn't a hoot. Everyone involved is just having a great time and Tom is both funny and brilliant (usually he's just one or the other lately in the lackluster tales so far) but this is a great 4th doctor adventure. It establishes the relationship with the 2nd Romana perfectly and it captures the atmosphere of the 1960s radio perfectly. The villains aren't much of a threat, evil telepaths. It may not be the best story, but it's far from the worst. I just wish Tom would go on to do the regular monthly series. These 1 hour only tales are over way too quickly.