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Bramble King                           


Halloween: Sea Smoke and other stories 1.3


I was put off this early on when the Doctor refers to Halloween as a holiday and says candy several times. I can deal with trick or treat, the Uk doesn’t call things such as Christmas, Easter etc as holiday and Tom Baker never said would you like a candy (which I assume is what jelly babies would be called).


The story centres on a family on a space ship, on their way somewhere. The Doctor has a few odd episodes where, for a moment he seems to be ‘somewhere else’. The crew seem to be worried about the ‘Bramble King’ - surely a children’s tale, but there’s more to it.


My first time encountering Audacity; not what I had thought the character was but enjoyable all the same.


This is more of a tragedy than horror. The idea of the Bramble King is a spin on any childhood/folklore monster - an idea used to scare kids, horror films do it all the time. Its not used to its full potential, I was never scared, so a bit of a dud in the horror aspect.


There is mystery, what is the cargo they’re carrying? and the psychic events. But the fact it that this is a pretty bland adventure. I listened to Pursuit on Nightjar not long ago and that does what this is trying to so much better.


I never felt any real danger or suspense, and what turns out out to be the real nub of the story has been done elsewhere and better.


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