Who review: "The Flying Dutchman"/"Displaced"

In Big Finish audio adventure The Flying Dutchman by Gemma Arrowsmith (half of a two-parter from September this year), the TARDIS crew of the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex land on…no, not the ghost ship of maritime legend but another vessel fleeing from her in terror.

As the team attempt to uncover the secrets of the Dutchman, they must try to make a bunch of superstitious 18th-century sailors see reason – a job made no easier by their own barely explainable appearance. There’s also a nice subplot with Ace in a mentoring role.

While the shipboard scenes and themes (e.g. the threat of mutiny) are familiar, and the ending is of the kind found in a famous cartoon, the fan-pleasing characterisation (puppet master Seven, warrior Ace, realist Hex) and stirring music/rich effects make for a memorable voyage.

During The Flying Dutchman, Ace references the Mary Celeste, the mysteriously abandoned real-life ship that’s been linked to several of the Doc’s regenerations. It springs to mind again at the start of the second story in this release, Displaced by Katharine Armitage.

The TARDIS has been drawn to a location – never a good thing! – which turns out to be a dwelling seemingly occupied by a modern Earth family until just before the heroes arrived. But why has the home’s A.I. locked them in? And why has the TARDIS locked them out?

Although there are parallels with the first tale (“The wind and water...”), this is more of a puzzle and features a clever bit of wordplay. The smaller supporting cast also means the regulars, particularly Philip Olivier’s Hex, have greater opportunity to convey their thoughts and feelings.

To go into any further detail about Displaced would risk spoiling its surprises. The exposition is complicated, but logical enough. The spooky beginning is perhaps stronger, though, and left this reviewer wondering, Are sinister smart homes the new haunted houses?

In conclusion, The Flying Dutchman /Displaced is doubly satisfying in that it offers a slick, action-packed historical and a cerebral sci-fi investigation. Despite this contrast, the characters remain totally consistent, for which the writers (and possibly script editors) deserve credit.