In which Jamie ventures into his near history and tries his hand at being a Time Meddler!
This story is one of the ‘Companion Chronicles’ range from Big Finish. They are generally two handers, part acted, part narrated, usually with some sort of framing device to allow the lead (in this case Frazer Hines) to tell the story. The range is one of the very best to my mind and has really allowed some of the companions to take centre stage and flourish and in some cases to develop sometimes poorly sketched characters from the TV series. Even in the case of Jamie here, we get to explore the events that have shaped his life, to explore his attitudes to a period of history that might be seen as ‘Glorious’ for the English, but maybe a good deal less so if you are a Highland Scot or Irish Catholic. These are the events of 1688 and they cast a long shadow towards the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.
The framing device in this story, is the arrival of a Time Lord from the Celestial Intervention Agency into the life of an old Jamie MaCrimmon. He is investigating fluctuations in the time line in the year 1688 – the year of ‘The Glorious Revolution’ when the protestant William of Orange (married to Mary, the King’s daughter) by invitation landed with his Dutch Army and became King at the expense of the Catholic King James II of England/King James VII of Scotland. The changes in history centre on the actions of Jamie – who at this point has no knowledge of any of his adventures with Doctor beyond Culloden. In order to investigate the Time Lord restores Jamie’s memories and the events of the story centred in London that year unfold.
This story is a lovely bookend to Jamie’s first story – ‘The Highlanders’, the events of which are set in motion during this story. At the start, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe unknowingly rescue the King’s wife Mary and son (James – later the ‘Old Pretender’ – Father of Bonnie Prince Charlie ‘The Young Pretender’) and set them on their way to France. They are charged by Mary to give the King notice that she has escaped London. All of which serves to get Jamie to the court of the King and places him in direct conflict with the Doctor. Jonathan Morris skilfully picks up on two aspects from the TV series – Jamie’s anger with the Doctor and setting out on his own from ‘Evil of the Daleks’ and later, some of the dressing up, comedy moments from the early Troughton season 4 stories (more later).
It is a lovely performance from Frazer – too often we think of him as a comedy double-act with Troughton – here though is he is serious of purpose – actually furious at times – with the Doctor and later with what he eventually sees as the cowardice of King James. These events have shaped his life, seen his friends and Laird killed – remember this is a Jamie who has lived with the aftermath of Culloden – of the Highland Clearances. Here he gets to talk with the King – to try to change history against the Doctor’s express instructions – to tell him not to flee. He even sets in train ‘Irish Fright’ – the rumour that an Irish Catholic Army was about to invade London, all to buy the King more time. All of this has consequences – with history in flux, Jamie starts to slowly fade away – he has altered his own future and never existed.
One of the other joys of the production is Frazer reading Patrick Troughton’s part – he captures the gravelly, low tones of Troughton beautifully. Not a fully blown impression, but just very nicely done. Amongst the serious history and thoughtfulness of the piece, we also get the Doctor and Jamie dressed up as washer women (rather than Zoe!) and bundling the King out of the palace and on his way to France in a laundry basket. Again, effortlessly invoking season 4. Zoe doesn’t get that much to do – but this is Jamie’s story – he is the companion in ‘Companion Chronicle’ title – and besides there are lots of decent Zoe stories in the range. The comedy again switches to drama as Jamie realises that the King isn’t quite the hero he thought and has to act out the events of history and ensure his own future – we get the tension of the escape up the Thames and finally being forced to give him up in a tavern in Kent, to begin his humiliation and journey into exile.
The remit of this range is really to give the companions their own stories, to allow them to develop and challenge them. In this respect the story works perfectly and is a fascinating exploration of a piece of history that is very important to the nations of the British Isles, but is maybe little explored in the mainstream media. The only bum note for me, is the ending where Jamie makes a choice that stretches my credulity a little. It makes sense in story – Jamie has a had a long life with his wife Kirsty and his children, without remembering his travels in the TARDIS, but even given that it didn’t quite ring true. Another terrific story overall.
A Journal of Impossible Things 