1.3 - The Jabari Countdown

I love the set-up on this one. The Doctor, Chris, and Roz find themselves on a boat during World War II that's full of people who responded to an ad looking for experts in mathematics and they land on an island with a murdered sailor. There's plenty of atmosphere and mystery about who's really who they say are and who is pretending.

Unfortunately, the payoff isn't near as good. The solution to the alien threat is a bit tired. The character of the Lieutenant is very stereotypical and does things that forward along the writer's plot but don't really make sense. The messages of the story feel forced because they didn't grow naturally out of it. By no means is it bad, but it's not as good as it could have been.

The Doctor, Chris, and Roz are brought to a strange island in the middle of nowhere after being thrown off course by a strange alien signal. Stranded in 1940's Earth with a group of mathematicians who are all working to defeat the Nazis, they rapidly find that there is more to this story than meets the eye especially when they find a dark house on the hill with a dead body inside. Strangers gathered together for a strange purpose on an unknown island....what could possibly go wrong? "The Jabari Countdown" sounds pretty standard on the surface minus one or two unique elements touched on in the synopsis but it actually turns into a rather strange story with more to explore the farther you dive. It is a very much a whodunnit narrative but it has a very unique alien twist that normal listeners might not be able to guess right away and its emphasis on mathematics as part of the mystery is very deftly handled. Alan Flanagan's script is a very clever one that not only rewards multiple listens but also tricks you with elaborate clues that turn out to have very simple explanations and answers. It rewards you for paying attention but still manages to pull the rug out from under you at the same time which I greatly enjoyed. At the same time, 'Jabari' has a surprise side thread that deals directly with transgender discrimination therein. One of the side characters is not only revealed to be transgender but also gets some of the best character development including a surprise romance with Chris that you can't help but find yourself invested in even if it's doomed to nothing by story's end. It's an element that I wasn't expecting but is handled very well and is one of the most interesting parts of the audio. The side cast in general in fact is actually very good with everyone under suspicion and dark secrets that relate very tangibly to what's going on. It really allows the Seventh Doctor to get his intellectual side on and investigate thoroughly while Chris and Roz once again take on more supportive and human roles to buoy that colder side. It's not a perfect story as once again the titular alien menace is a little bit lackluster and it's all resolved in a neat little bow by the end. But it still all fits together in a fun way and the surprises definitely catch you off guard and make "The Jabari Countdown" very memorable.