Doctor Who review: The Sixth Doctor and Peri investigate time going wrong in The Vanity Trap
By James Aggas
On a Seventies film set, the Sixth Doctor and Peri discover something going wrong with time, in the very strange Doctor Who audio story The Vanity Trap…
The Vanity Trap, the third episode from The Sixth Doctor and Peri box set, is a bit of a strange story, even for Doctor Who. The fact that it begins with the TARDIS duo meeting someone in the wrong order gives you something of a mild hint of what to expect. Because, believe me, “timey-wimey” doesn’t even begin to cover this one.
We’re introduced to Myrna Kendal, a fading Hollywood actress in the 70s who’s struggling to hold onto her fame. She’ll do anything to hold onto the limelight. But is it just her ego that the people around her need to fear?
Sarah Douglas is fantastic as Myrna. She portrays both the strengths and vulnerabilities of the character extremely well. She helps to make the character both sympathetic and loathsome in equal measure. Ryan Forde Iosco is also great as the more openly villainous Dr. Karp, and you can’t help but feel sorry for the more quiet Carolyn Sue, who’s nicely played by Rosie Baker.
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Time going wrong
There’s a clear influence from cult sci-fi show Sapphire & Steel on this story. If you’re unaware of the series, it focused on two people focused on solving weaknesses in Time. These weaknesses can take several forms, usually in forms that come across as strange or even paranormal in ordinary eyes.
Unsurprisingly, this template can suit a show like Doctor Who extremely well. One of the greatest stories ever is Eighth Doctor audio The Chimes of Midnight, and even recent Fifth Doctor story Thin Time has some influence from it. Is The Vanity Trap as successful?
Not quite. The story does have a decent sense of atmosphere, and it’s certainly enjoyable. But it’s a little too clever for its own good at times. While The Chimes of Midnight and Thin Time both involved instances of time going wrong, they also let the plot unfold nicely and carefully explained it.
By the end of The Vanity Trap, while I liked some aspects of the solution, I can’t help but feel some things could have been explained better. If the plot had been a little less complicated and slightly more character-focused, I think The Vanity Trap could have been a classic. As it is, it’s a decent enough Sixth Doctor adventure, but not quite as great as it could have been.
dark. Next. Review: Two iconic Doctors meet in Out of Time!
Do you think Doctor Who should explore more stories of time going wrong? What are your favorite examples? Were you a fan of Sapphire & Steel? Let us know in the comments below.