 |
| Doctor Who Magazine #181 "Brief Encounter: Echoes of Future Past" Written by John Summerfield Illustrated by Paul Vyse Published: 28th November 1991 Read: 25th February 2016 |
"Echoes of Future Past" once again sees us taking up residence in I.M. Foreman's Scrapyard at 76 Totter's Lane on a cold and frosty night, and the Doctor is outside the TARDIS waiting for Susan to return home from school. As we wait with the Time Lord, the prose gives us a rare insight into the Doctor's thought processes. His feelings about Susan and how she's adapting to life in the 20th century as well as his worry for his own mortality and how he only has a century left (presumably until his regeneration).
Most interestingly, it is indicated that the Doctor is suffering from some form of amnesia, perhaps brought on by a defence mechanism inside the TARDIS, and has forgotten about his previous life on Gallifrey: all he can recall is his travels with Susan. It seems to me that this is being used to explain the Doctor's sporadic control of the TARDIS throughout the early years of the program, a different take is given to that in Hunters of Earth.
However, the Doctor has his memory jogged a little by the arrival of another man in the scrapyard which he instinctively knows is one of his future regenerations. He has brought with him a large casket which the First Doctor knows is linked to Omega and it triggers the memory that he was a pioneer among his own people at one time. The Future Doctor entrusts the casket to the First Doctor and then proceeds to leave Foreman's Yard.
"Echoes of Future Past" is a very short story, as indeed are many of the Brief Encounters series, yet it is still an interesting story. For the first time in this marathon we get to see the Doctor interact with another version of himself and, unlike many multi-Doctor stories, we see it from the perspective of an earlier Doctor. It must be disconcerting for the First Doctor to study the Seventh and note the sadness in his eyes. A haunting little tale, well told.
Most interestingly, it is indicated that the Doctor is suffering from some form of amnesia, perhaps brought on by a defence mechanism inside the TARDIS, and has forgotten about his previous life on Gallifrey: all he can recall is his travels with Susan. It seems to me that this is being used to explain the Doctor's sporadic control of the TARDIS throughout the early years of the program, a different take is given to that in Hunters of Earth.
However, the Doctor has his memory jogged a little by the arrival of another man in the scrapyard which he instinctively knows is one of his future regenerations. He has brought with him a large casket which the First Doctor knows is linked to Omega and it triggers the memory that he was a pioneer among his own people at one time. The Future Doctor entrusts the casket to the First Doctor and then proceeds to leave Foreman's Yard.
"Echoes of Future Past" is a very short story, as indeed are many of the Brief Encounters series, yet it is still an interesting story. For the first time in this marathon we get to see the Doctor interact with another version of himself and, unlike many multi-Doctor stories, we see it from the perspective of an earlier Doctor. It must be disconcerting for the First Doctor to study the Seventh and note the sadness in his eyes. A haunting little tale, well told.
7/10
Next Episode
Continuity Corner
- The casket that the Seventh Doctor leaves with the First is obviously the Hand of Omega, and so this story serves as a prequel/sequel to Remembrance of the Daleks. Interestingly, The Beginning suggests that the Hand followed the Doctor and Susan into the TARDIS as they departed Gallifrey, contradicting this story.
No comments:
Post a Comment