Doctor Who review: The Ice Warriors return in Cry of the Vultriss
By James Aggas
The Sixth Doctor’s latest season begins with Cry of the Vultriss, featuring the return of classic Doctor Who monsters the Ice Warriors!
This month’s regular Doctor Who audio, Cry of the Vultriss, is a pretty exciting one, for two key reasons. The first is that it’s the first story to feature the companions Flip (Lisa Greenwood) and Constance (Miranda Raison) for over two years. Each companion has been brilliant in their own right, and together with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), they’ve made for a memorable TARDIS team.
Their previous appearance, Static, was not only a fantastic story, but it also introduced a major development for the team – one that’s referenced directly when Cry of the Vultriss begins. While this isn’t crucial to the story, it is nice to hear something so major get acknowledged, at least.
But more importantly, it’s just great to hear from these two distinctive companions again. Flip and Constance are incredibly different, but thankfully, rather than use their differences as an excuse to give us a constantly bickering TARDIS team, the writers have instead given us a pair that balance each other out nicely. More than that – despite having so few stories together, there’s a sense of a strong, sister-like bond between Flip and Constance.
Complex politics
Darren Jones’s script gives both companions plenty to do in this one. Naturally, the team gets separated, allowing each companion to gain different perspectives of the planet Cygia-Rema – particularly the bird-like Vultriss who live there. It’s not long before we discover that there’s a complicated political situation on the planet, with newly-crowned Queen Skye being directly opposed by her predecessor.
What’s particularly refreshing about this plotline is that it’s made very clear that neither side is much better than the other. While in a lot of Doctor Who stories, you’d have your classic freedom fighters rebelling against a tyrannical ruler, giving us a very black-and-white situation, in this case, it’s not so straightforward.
Not only do both major figures see themselves as the rightful rulers of the planet. But they’re equally flawed, driven more by personal reasons to hold onto or gain back power more than what’s right for the people. It’s nice to be presented with a world in Doctor Who where the politics of the planet isn’t something as straightforward as “good vs evil”.
The Ice Warriors
As mentioned earlier, there are two reasons why Cry of the Vultriss looked set to be a promising Doctor Who story. Along with the return of Flip and Constance, we also have the return of a major Doctor Who monster – the Ice Warriors!
The Ice Warriors have always been a personal favorite, partly due to how complex they are. While in some episodes, they’re the clear villains of the story, in others, they’ve shown themselves to be effective allies. More than that – they feel fleshed out, a race with a strong culture and hierarchy of their own.
The Curse of Peladon was the first story to show them in a more positive light. Considering how political that story was, it’s fitting that they should feature as ambassadors in this one. But this time, are they as peaceful as they claim?
Mixing Classic with New
Along with Nicholas Briggs doing a great job voicing the Martians as he’s done so often before, we also have Adele Lynch voicing Vextyr. Lynch previously appeared in Twelfth Doctor episode Empress of Mars playing the titular role, so it’s nice to hear her play a similar role in a Sixth Doctor story. It feels like a nice little link between Classic and New eras.
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The overall story of Cry of the Vultriss is an enjoyable one, although it’s not without its problems. While it packs in a lot over the course of two hours, there are times when the story feels just a little longer than it should be, particularly towards the end. There are also moments when a cliffhanger or sound effect lasts longer than it needs to. Considering how strong the sound design usually is, I’m surprised that these areas weren’t tightened up just a little more.
However, this is just nitpicking, and overall, Cry of the Vultriss is an extremely enjoyable story, especially for Ice Warrior fans. A great start to the Sixth Doctor’s latest season, and a more than welcome return for two much-loved companions.
Next. The Doctor’s granddaughter fights the Daleks in Susan’s War – out now!. dark
Are you a fan of the Ice Warriors? Have you listened to previous audio stories featuring the Martians? Are you glad that Flip and Constance have finally returned? Let us know in the comments below.