Loups-Garoux

Time is my business. Well, one of my businesses.

The Fifth Doctor

Synopsis

Germany 1589: the townspeople of Cologne pronounce a sentence of death on a mass-murderer who has stalked the countryside in the guise of a ferocious wolf.

Russia 1812: retreating from Napoleon’s invading forces, a merchant’s daughter is rescued from bandits by a handsome partisan with a ravenous appetite.

Brazil 2080: The Doctor and Turlough arrive for the Rio de Janeiro carnival.

Is wealthy heiress Ileana de Santos all that she seems? What sinister ailment afflicts her invalid son, tended by the mysterious Dr Hayashi? And who exactly is Rosa, engaged on a secret quest to fulfil the destiny of her extinct tribe?

Time is running out for Rosa, Ileana and the Doctor, as the fearsome shadow of an ancient werewolf moves ever closer…

Review

Despite what feels like a chaotic beginning, Loups-Garoux settles down into a compelling outing for the Fifth Doctor and Turlough. Marc Platt, who also wrote Ghost Light, proves that he is capable of writing more standard fare here and doing so with applomb.

I’m the Doctor! And I’m offering Ileana my protection. I’m stronger than any puny human or wolf.

The Fifth Doctor

I am not an expert when it comes to werewolf stories, but from my limited experience, it certainly feels that Loups-Garoux attempts to avoid all of the cliches when it comes to the werewolves. Marc Platt makes them into a dignified and noble race who have become bestial, and tied to the Earth rather than the Moon. Platt also creates a really lovely setting for this story, in Rio and Brazil in 2080. The Amazon Rainforest has been turned into a dust bowl, and whilst humanity did initially care to the point of almost starting a war, they instead became fixated on other issues. That’s something that regrettably sounds very likely and is a nice background for the story It’s certainly easy to conjure to mind scenes of the loups-garoux chasing Ileana’s monorail with dust being kicked up around them. This is ultimately a story which sees the Doctor champion the cause of the majority of the loups-garoux, and it is nice to see this Doctor flex this side of the Doctor’s character too.

Director Nicholas Pegg has assembled a really good cast here. The standout is undeniably Eleanor Bron as Ileana, one of the loups-garoux who has been turned by the murderer Pieter Stubbe. She has good chemistry with Peter Davison, which helps with the romantic subplot between the two characters. Bron makes her a more memorable character in the grand scheme of these one-off characters. Nicky Henson is suitably menacing as the main threat of Pieter Stubbe, even if I wasn’t a fan of his howl. It feels too artificial and overly dramatic. The other howls are okay, but there is something about Stubbe’s howl that took me out of the story.

One of Loups-Garoux‘s many strengths is how it treats Turlough. The character doesn’t really get much development during his time on television beyond his initial and last appearances, so it is a nice surprise to see him get some more development here. The character is toyed with by the werewolves Lichtfuss and Jorge in the course of the story, which leads to Turlough facing his deep-seated insecurities. The character has always been a snivelling coward, but Loups-Garoux gives us a companion who is afraid of his own shadow. He believes that there is something truly evil in his shadow and is utterly freaked out by the werewolves, especially Ileana’s son, Victor. Mark Strickson relishes the opportunity to do something new with the character, and rises to the opportunity given to him really well. Turlough is concerned about the prospect of the Doctor staying with Ileana and stranding him on Earth. He is worried that the Doctor will abandon him on Earth, which given his views on humanity along with his deepseated insecurities, is perhaps understandable. I liked his chemistry with Rosa once he has left Ileana’s monorail through his fear of the werewolves.

I’m quite happy with my own coat, thank you. Surely you know me by now. Why, I’m no more aggressive than Alice’s white rabbit.

And about as reliable a time keeper.

The Fifth Doctor and Turlough

The story also gives Peter Davison something different to do with the Fifth Doctor. He is an object of affection for Ileana, which clearly flusters this version of the Doctor. I know that some critics of this Doctor find him to be a bit bland, but Marc Platt allows this version of the Doctor to maintain everything that I like about him whilst making him a dashing hero and champion of the loups-garoux. Peter Davison is a great actor and raises his game and welcomes getting his teeth into this material. It feels like some of the material he got towards the end of his run on television. The Doctor shows his true colours when he is press ganged into helping these werewolves, making it very clear that his price is the safe return of Turlough. This is a Doctor who will ultimately give his life to save the life of another companion, so this all feels in keeping for him.

Verdict: Loups-Garoux is a fantastic story. 9/10

Cast: Peter Davison (The Doctor), Mark Strickson (Turlough), Eleanor Bron (Ileana de Santos), Burt Kwouk (Doctor Hayashi), Nicky Henson (Pieter Stubbe), David Hankinson (Anton Lichtfuss), Sarah Gale (Rosa Caiman), Jane Burke (Inez), Nicholas Pegg (Magistrate), Barnaby Edwards (Victor), Derek Wright (Jorge), Marc Platt (Tourist), Alistair Lock (Greetings Card) & Jez Fielder (Jaguar Maiden Vocals).

Writer: Marc Platt

Director: Nicholas Pegg

Music and Sound: Alistair Lock

Main Range Release Number: 20

Release Date: 21 May 2001

Parts: 4

Behind the Scenes

• One of nine stories released by Big Finish to feature the Fifth Doctor and Turlough travelling as a pair. The other eight are:
  • Phantasmagoria
  • Singularity
  • The Memory Bank and Other Stories (The Memory Bank, The Last Fairytale, Repeat Offender & The Becoming)
  • The Burning Hour
  • The End of the Beginning
• Loups-garoux is French for werewolf, however, the correct spelling is loups-garous.
• This story is an extended version of The Werelings, a script submitted by Marc Platt during the Davison era.

Cast Notes

• Eleanor Bron previously played an art gallery visitor in City of Death and Kara in Revelation of the Daleks.
• Burt Kwouk played Lin Futu in Four to Doomsday.
• Nicky Henson would go on to play Dick Turpin in The Doomswood Curse and Gregson Grenville in Deimos.
• Nicholas Pegg is a writer, actor and director for Big Finish. He is also best known as being a Dalek operator in the revived series.
• Barnaby Edwards is a writer, actor and director for Big Finish. He is also best known as being a Dalek operator in the revived series.
• Alistair Lock has appeared in minor roles in a number of Big Finish stories, including The Land of the Dead, The One Doctor and Invaders from Mars.
• Jez Fielder has also appeared in Phantasmagoria, The Rapture and The Defectors.

Best Quote

Humans are so stupid!

When you’ve studied humans as long as I have, it’s hard not to find them quite endearing.

Turlough and the Fifth Doctor

Previous Fifth Doctor review: The Mutant Phase

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