Doctor Who review: Survival and paranoia are key themes in Devil in the Mist
By James Aggas
When the TARDIS crew crash on a dangerous world, they’ve also got a dangerous criminal to be afraid of in this month’s Doctor Who audio, Devil in the Mist. But is there an even greater danger within the group to be afraid of?
Devil in the Mist opens this year’s first trilogy of Doctor Who audios, featuring the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough and, most interesting of all, Kamelion! With the exception of literally his first and last stories, the character had little exploration on television. Even in the expanded universe, he’s only made a few appearances. So this is quite a big step for Big Finish.
Unsurprisingly, Devil in the Mist is set not long after The King’s Demons. In that story, he had been working with the Master. However, he’s a very susceptible being, and once he’s away from the Master’s influence, it doesn’t take long for Kamelion to be part of the TARDIS crew. At least, as far as Kamelion, the Doctor and Turlough are concerned. But can they really trust someone that can be so easily controlled by others?
That’s something that Devil in the Mist explores, particularly with Tegan. At this point, she’s paranoid about Kamelion betraying them at some point. And honestly, she does have a right to be. Especially considering how, much later in Planet of Fire, Kamelion falls under the Master’s control again.
So it’s interesting hearing her character’s journey in this story. Especially when she’s forced to work with Kamelion, and it starts to look like she might be right in her fears…
A story of survival
Devil in the Mist is more than just about how Kamelion becomes a companion. It’s also very much a tale of survival. The TARDIS crew land on a prison ship, with two hippo-like aliens on board, Orna and Rako. They’re guarding a very dangerous prisoner, one that can control minds. But when the ship crash lands on a planet full of wildlife that seem keen to kill them, as well as an escaped prisoner, how can they hope to survive?
The broad story of Devil in the Mist has been done before, but it works. In every episode, the story is fast-paced and constantly flowing. There are always new problems for the TARDIS crew to face, as they struggle to survive on such a dangerous world.
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It’s an old story, but Cavan Scott makes it work incredibly well. Along with exploring the relationship between Tegan and Kamelion, we also see the Doctor in a very desperate position, arguably moreso than usual. And there’s a constant atmosphere of fear and mistrust, as everyone’s worried about a mind-controlling criminal on the loose. But is there more to fear from each other…?
Cavan Scott handles this story just right. He knows when to play the survival story straight and work to its strengths, but he also knows how to subvert expectations and set up some interesting twists. There are a number of really well-done surprises in Devil in the Mist, many of which you won’t see coming.
Overall, Devil in the Mist is an excellent start to the Kamelion trilogy. It establishes the character properly as a companion, while also telling a deceptively simple story with some interesting characters. I can’t wait to hear the remaining stories in this trilogy.
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Have you listened to Devil in the Mist? Do you like the idea of Kamelion being explored as a companion? Do you think the character worked well in his original TV stories? Let us know in the comments below.