‘JUDOON IN CHAINS’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Judoon with the Sixth Doctor
The second episode of the first ‘Classic Doctors, New Monsters’ box set is ‘Judoon in Chains’, starring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor. In this audio tale, Colin’s Doctor encounters those rhino-like Judoon!
I greatly enjoyed this ‘Doctor Who’ episode, as it was fun to hear Nicholas Briggs voice the Judoon in it. It was also great having courtroom scenes with them Judoon, considering their law enforcement.
The Judoon made their first TV appearance in ‘Doctor Who’ in the episode, ‘Smith and Jones’. They instantly became a hit and it’s so good they can have an appearance in a Big Finish audio story here.
This isn’t the Doctor’s first encounter with the Judoon as Colin Baker. On the contrary, the Doctor encountered Judoon before in the comic story ‘Prisoners of Time’, when he was the Fourth Doctor.
‘Judoon in Chains’ is by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. These two writers have also written for the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan in the story, ‘Aquitaine’. I enjoyed their writing for Sixy and the Judoon.
This episode begins in a Victorian courtroom. The next case for Justice Burrows is a rhino-like monster called Captain Kybo, a Judoon officer, as Kybo’s defence lawyer happens to be…the Doctor.
Very soon, the courtroom gets infested with more Judoon troopers led by their commander. The Victorian courtroom has also been transported via rain from Earth to a planet, seemingly to be Mars.
As the Doctor begins to defend Kybo during the trial, it gets revealed during the evidence how the Judoon officer deserted his post. This is a journey for a Judoon getting stranded in Victorian England.
It was interesting to hear new sides of a Judoon like Captain Kybo in this episode. Kybo becomes friendly and unlike a Judoon. He grows to love poetry; reading and writing whilst stranded on Earth.
It was fun to hear Colin Baker’s Doctor defend Kybo in a trial, especially since he’s no stranger to courtroom drama. There was an interesting parallel to the Doctor’s trial in ‘The Trial of a Time Lord’.
Colin Baker is superb as the Doctor in this audio adventure. I like how he interacts with Kybo in the story and how he’s handling the Judoon, especially when he gets to speak that Judoonese language.
It was funny when Colin’s Doctor rebuked Kybo for speaking bad language in Judoonese. It echoes nicely with David Tennant’s Doctor, who spoke Judoon tongue in ‘The Stolen Earth’/’Journey’s End’.
Nicholas Briggs’ performance as Captain Kybo is pretty enjoyable. I was able to distinguish Kybo’s softer, gentler tones compared to the other Judoon in this story, who spoke military and monotone.
The other Judoon featured in this story are standard and law-abiding, showing no mercy and disapproving Kybo’s behaviour. The Judoon commander is so ruthless when he executes Mr. Jaggers.
The story also features Kiruna Stammell as Eliza Jenkins, also known as ‘Thomasina Thumb’ in Jaggers’ circus show. Kiruna is an actress of a diminutive stature as well as Eliza Jenkins for this story.
I enjoyed how Eliza Jenkins interacts with the Doctor and Captain Kybo when they are embroiled in Jaggers’ circus. She becomes a helpful alley and forms an emotional bond with Kybo during the tale.
The story also features Trevor Cooper as Jonathan Jaggers and Tony Millian as Justice Burrows. There is also Sabina Franklin as President Beel and Nicholas Pegg as that greedy Meretricious Gedge.
The cast of ‘Judoon in Chains’. From left to right: Sabina Franklyn, Tony Millan, Trevor Cooper, Colin Baker, Kiruna Stammell, Nicholas Briggs and Nicholas Pegg.
‘Judoon in Chains’ is a great story for Colin Baker’s Doctor meeting the Judoon. I enjoyed the story for featuring a Judoon who isn’t like the other typical Judoon, since he was so intriguing and friendly.
‘Judoon in Chains’ rating – 8/10
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Bradley's Basement 
Brilliant review Tim, i liked how this story played out & how it dealt with Kybo being frowned upon by his own people for being different which from my personal experience can sympathise with.
A excellent story & you summarized this one perfectly in your review.
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Hi Simon.
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘Judoon in Chains’.
It was a very interesting story featuring the Judoon, especially with Kybo who seemed to become friendly and more interesting compared to the standard Judoon. I like the interaction Colin Baker’s Doctor had with Kybo.
I started writing a ‘Doctor Who’ story with Judoon in it. I had to stop writing as I lost my way, but hopefully I’ll get back to it next year and rethink my ideas.
Tim. 🙂
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