CC7.07b The Justice of God

Oddly, the second episode of The Flames of Cadiz works better for me because William Russell and Carole Ann Ford are just reading, not interacting. It allows me to focus on the story rather than getting distracted while I wonder how an older Ian and Susan are discussing this adventure in the first place, so this is a case of simpler being better.

And speaking of Russell and Ford, both give excellent performances, as a result of which I mostly forget there's only one other actor present. Ford takes the crown this time around with some splendid, varied voices: Susan, Barbara and the Doctor are all distinct enough that I never have any doubt which is speaking, and the "guest cast" - King Philip, his secretary, the actor and the family sheltering the travellers - all have their own tones and mannerisms. Just great.

The third voice is Nabil Elouahabi, playing the Morisco who gave the first episode it's title. I recently relistened to Bloodtide, where the Spanish accents are a slight hindrance to my enjoyment; but Elouahabi's Moorish/Spanish accent - while still strong - is somehow easier to listen to, more natural. I looked him up and his nationality is British Moroccan, so either it is his own or his family's. Big Finish have quite a good record on hiring appropriate artists for main parts (with the occasional Minuet in Hell to counterbalance), and while he doesn't have a lot to say this time his presence does enhance Ian's captivity.

On to the writing, then, and this is again very much of the era. There are references to past travels - the Boxer Rebellion in China, and the venerable Bede. We visited Bede's World while we were on holiday in the summer - it's not far from the Roman fort of Arbeia, so we combined the two into a first millennium day out, which was a lot of fun. But I digress. This episode also has the kind of action that keeps the main cast moving between different situations, and one traditional feature that I'm not so keen on: Susan is kind of useless.

This is one area where The Masters of Luxor was a pleasant surprise, so it's a bit of a shock to find that - in the only scene where she isn't just tagging along behind her grandfather - Susan panics and forgets the vital mission she's been given. Still, it's done quite awarely, so there's some hope that Marc Platt will subvert it in a later episode. We'll see. He does also take the sting out of it a bit by having the Doctor's plans fail, too, quite spectacularly.

Speaking of dear Cardinal Dottore (a Patrick Troughton style moniker, I feel, and notable for the fact that it's Italian for an academic Doctor rather than a medico): the scene between him and the king would have been played for laughs if William Hartnell had got his hands on it, but is a little dry as reported by Susan. Neither Ford not Platt's fault, exactly; it's just that describing something funny isn't generally itself funny. This is where I miss the original cast, at their original ages.

Ian has less of the focus this time around - you usually get someone languishing somewhere with a crowded TARDIS! - but when we do see him it's good. This is of an era before Monty Python, so the Spanish Inquisition is treated seriously. I was interested in where the play draws the line in terms of real horror. Whipping is okay - and seeing victims in a bad way after being tortured - but not torturing itself. Probably similar to a 1960s production, though the Hartnells are surprisingly graphic.

Rating:
6/10.

Next Time:
The Doleful Knight.