Lost Stories 2.6: Earth Aid

[Si Hunt]

This was a funny story; a space opera, concerning the Metatraxi (again) and grain, and a living planet.

It's freshness was good, although personally I found Sophie Aldred incredibly annoying as Ace. Once again Raine was sidelined in favour of a character which was supposed to be written out three stories ago and who has had more than her fair share of moments in the limelight: a great shame. The "Ace as Captain" thing was a great pre-credits gag we have waited over 20 years to hear, but here it was stretched to four episodes, while Raine once again waited in the wings. I have to ask what was the point of doing a season with the lost Season 27 companion if you're just going to keep the old one on and give her all the lines?

Also I waiting for the Time Lords to pop up again, but they never did, presumably because they should have whisked Ace to the academy after the first story; but this therefore made nonsense of her being the starship captain, as surely the point was the train her up for her task on Gallifrey? If not, I have to ask why the Doctor made her pretend to be the Captain for the whole adventure!

On the up, this wasn't a bad story in itself; the grubs and the Metatraxi were well voiced (the latter thankfully losing the 'gangsta' voices the Doctor gave them previously) and I enjoyed Raine popping up in the safe, a great reversal of "Crime of the Century". Patterson Joseph, I felt, was a bit wasted.

Not a bad story, but as part of the overall season everything feels like it's a bit of a muddle.

Si.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I actually thought (possibly for the first time since Neverwhere in the 1990s) that Paterson Joseph was rather good in this.
Overall I found it to be quite an enjoyable story but the lack of closure to the Raine story arc was a little disappointing.

Although knowing that Raine will be returning for the UNIT: Dominion boxset later this year is some compensation especially as this also features a certain Captain Elizabeth Klein