I've not seen the original Peladon story, The Curse of Peladon, but a few years ago, I did watch The Monster of Peladon, and though it wasn't the best story, I certainly enjoyed seeing a new Third Doctor episode. I also listened to The Bride of Peladon, with the Fifth Doctor and Erimem, a few years ago, and it also wasn't the greatest story, but I still enjoyed it (though even as I write that, I remember virtually nothing of the story). However, Peladon, a Doctor Who set released in January of last year promised a series of stories with political intrigue, and this convinced me to listen to it, in the hopes that it would be similar to Gallifrey. Though the set wasn't entirely what I expected, I greatly enjoyed it, and it was a solid release with no bad stories and many references to the original Peladon episodes. The Ordeal of PeladonI had expected this set to follow King Peladon throughout his rule over the planet, but alas, only this first story does so. Granted, it says as much in the descriptions of the episodes, but I rarely read those (I much prefer deciding on what to listen to based on covers). This first story takes place towards the end of King Peladon's rule and is about a Federation inspection (which the first three stories all involve), and a messiah figure. It was good to see Ice Warriors again, though I do wish they were in the set more. The one in this story, Ixmari, has a few interesting moments in which we see a tired Ice Warrior, less focused on honor, and more about doing things well. I enjoyed his dialogue with King Peladon and found it to be one of the strongest points in the story. There's a nice cameo at the end of the story, which wraps it all up nicely. This story was a great way to start the set and to introduce new viewers to Peladon. The Poison of PeladonFinally, Alpha Centauri comes to the forefront, after her cameo in the previous story, and is paired up with River Song in a story set during Queen Thalira's reign after The Monster of Peladon. I know this may not seem like much, but it's certainly good to see everyone's favorite Centaurian again. This story deals with secret slave labor on Peladon, and the poisoning of its water. I'm not sure what to say beyond that, because, even though I listened to the story just a few hours ago, I don't feel like I have much to say on it. This is how I am with a lot of Lizzie Hopley's stories. I can tell you a general idea of what happened and whether I enjoyed the story, but I struggle to come up with anything more substantial. I can say that this is my favorite story of hers that I listened to and that I enjoyed seeing River away from the Doctor, but beyond that, there's not much for me to say. The Death of PeladonWith the third story in this set, the Sixth Doctor and Mel join the fray alongside Alpha Centauri and a new queen we've never seen before and her daughter: Minaris and Isabelda. It was fascinating to see the dynamic between Minaris and Isabelda, and how Isabelda almost had power over her mother, even though that mother was queen of Peladon. The rulers of the first two stories were both just and kind, and Minaris and Isabelda are a striking contrast to the previous rulers. Erimem is also name-dropped for the first time since... has she ever actually been mentioned since The Bride of Peladon? It's sad to see Alpha Centauri so old and weak, and I appreciated their reflection about how they wanted to visit more planets but instead gave their life to the Federation so that they could help others. It was also great to see them reunite with the Doctor. Besides Empress of Mars with Capaldi's Doctor, we haven't seen them with the Doctor in years, not since the previous Peladon stories, which were over a decade ago. I found it interesting that the Doctor was regarded as a legend of a folk hero by the people of Peladon. In The Monster of Peladon, Pertwee's Doctor's identity is doubted, so it was interesting to see how dramatic of a change had occured. The Truth of PeladonI think this is my favorite story in the set. The Ordeal of Peladon comes close, and was closest to what I had hoped for in this set, but the solemnity of this story punches much deeper than the opening story. The Death of Peladon is very similar to A Christmas Carol, with the Eighth Doctor taking the last seamstress of Peladon, Arla, to view different parts of Peladon and realize just how flawed the society is.
Paul McGann is my favorite Doctor, and it was a delight to hear him in this episode, which features him singing a variation of the opening theme of this series. The song is very similar to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and, combined with the Christmas Carol aspects of the story, almost makes it feel like a Christmas episode, albeit a much sadder one that most. Perhaps the best moment with his Doctor though, is when he tells Arla about how Peladon's society keeps running into the same problems over and over, no matter how long it's been, and through this, Tim Foley draws a really brilliant parallel between Peladon and Earth. Both have the same problems and no matter how hard people work to fix them, things always seem to revert to how they were. The other somber aspect of this story is that you realize that all of the characters from the original Peladon episodes are dead. The last three stories all begin or involve some sort of death or succession to the throne, but it is not until this story in which you realize just how much things have changed since The Curse of Peladon. King Peladon is dead. Queen Thalira is as well, and Alpha Centauri has likely reached the end of their life as well. The animals of Peladon are going extinct and the landscape has been desolated. The world changes, and this is one of the few stories that shows us what happens once the Doctor leaves. Life goes on, and having the Doctor come and help once or twice doesn't magically fix everything. I think this is something that is often overlooked and that we don't think about often enough. After the Doctor leaves, people have to pick up the pieces, and I think this is what the entire set is about: the nature of man and the cyclical nature of man's problems. Overall, this is a solid set. Unlike most boxsets, there are no weak stories. All of them are enjoyable and solid, and I would happily listen to any of them again.
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