The Eye of the Scorpion

Erimem must die!

Slave

Synopsis

1400 BC. Egypt is in mourning. Pharaoh, the great God-King, is dead. The future of the Two Kingdoms of Egypt is shrouded in uncertainty as the Council of Priests debates the claim to the throne of Pharaoh’s only heir.

Out in the deserts around Thebes, Egypt’s capital, a warlord chief is assembling an army of mercenaries, waiting for just the right moment to strike at Egypt’s heart.

But not all of Egypt’s enemies are outside the city. What is the secret of the strange box discovered in the desert?

When the TARDIS arrives nearby, it has apparently been hijacked… by the Doctor?

Review

The Fifth Doctor becomes the third classic series Doctor to get an original to audio companion in the shape of Egyptian Pharaoh Erimem, following in the paths of Evelyn and Charley. Erimem feels like a bit of a departure from both, as she is from ancient Egypt, whilst both Evelyn and Charley are from England, and from modern times.

We meet Erimem shortly after the death of her father, the previous Pharaoh, which leaves her as the apparent heir to the throne. As the Doctor notes, he has no knowledge or recollection of Erimem ever being Pharaoh, which immediately gives the story an immediate hook. There are also plans afoot to disrupt the succession and usurp her with the True Pharaoh, which is just political machinations by the priests to aid the war lord Yanis. At her core, Erimem is a strong-willed character who is not afraid of much – she wants to go into battle at the end of the story. She is deeply studious, expressing her desire to go and study abroad before realising that she will not be able to go, making travelling with the Doctor more appealing. She is a character with a fairly tragic backstory: not only has her father died, but her three half-brothers, and all within six months of this story taking place. It is a strong performance from Caroline Morris, who has good chemistry with both Nicola Bryant, with whom she spends much of Part Two, which bodes well for this trio moving forwards. I also really love the fact that she brings a cat aboard the TARDIS!

The story is definitely a pseudo-historical, with the Doctor and Peri arriving in a real historical era, but with fictional characters. This allows the production team to take a would-be Pharaoh and make her into a companion. The story is fast-paced, exciting and riveting throughout, managing its four-part structure well. There’s political intrigue and scandal, which certainly had me gripped, and an invading tyrant waiting in the wings who is able to control people and creatures telepathatically. It was this element that gave me pause when I was listening to The Eye of the Scorpion, until we learn that the source of Yanis’ power is actually a stasis box from an alien prison containing a powerful gestalt entity. There was part of me that wondered whether there would be a reveal that a certain renegade Time Lord would be behind these events, however, I was quietly pleased when I was proved wrong. The gestalt made for an interesting one-off villain, and a satisfying conclusion as the Doctor can overwhelm it using all the voices contained within it. We also have the power struggle between Antranak, head of Erimem’s security, and Horemshep, the head of the priests, who have different attitudes towards the Doctor and Peri’s interference. It is therefore an effective rugpull when we find that Horemshep is in league with Yanis in trying to usurp Erimem, even possessing the loay Fayum to pose as the True Pharaoh, also using the gestalt’s powers.

Men who fight for money tend to be less attentive to duty than those who fight for honour or their beliefs.

The Fifth Doctor

The guest cast are all really good here, but Harry Myers is perhaps the standout as the warlord Yanis. Myers is really threatening, especially in the scene where he whips Fayum on discovering him and the Doctor in his tent. This makes him feel like a formidable opponent, even if the Doctor isn’t afraid of him. There is also a good performance from Jack Galagher as Fayum, and his relationship with the Doctor reminded me of that between the Doctor and Leela, especially when Fayum kills one of the mercenaries in Yanis’ camp. I was pleased that Fayum did come to his senses at the end of the story, ultimately defeating Yanis. There are also solid performances too from Jonathan Owen and Stephen Perring as Antranak and Horemshep respectively.

This is an interesting story for Peri, as it does show her having a good time whilst travelling with the Doctor. Whilst there may be those who criticise the decision to expand the time that Peri and the Fifth Doctor spend together, I think it is beneficial to see that Peri does like travelling with this Doctor and doesn’t have an altogether miserable time, going from Planet of Fire to The Caves of Androzani and the turbulent regeneration into the Sixth Doctor. It allows Nicola Bryant to show more facets of the character and develop her further. There is the chemistry between her and Caroline Morris, mentioned above, as well as references to how useful Peri could be. For instance, when the Doctor is poisoned, Peri mentions her background in botany and that this could potentially help her find a cure, and equally, speaks up for democracy when speaking to Erimem. From a 2026 perspective, it is somewhat ironic that she cites American democracy as the pinnacle! Whilst Peri does get taken over by the gestalt later in the story – something which is one of the story’s more effective twists – this does not feel as nasty as some of her treatment in the Sixth Doctor’s era.

I thought you were dead.

As did we all.

No thanks, I’ve tried death a few times – can’t say I care for it much.

Peri Brown, Horemshep & the Fifth Doctor

I think that Peter Davison’s Doctor is at his very best in this story. That’s saying something, considering that he only features in three parts of this story, being poisoned saving Erimem at the end of the first part. That reminded me of Doctor Who in the 1960s, when the lead actors would miss a part due to being on holiday, only to return the following week. When Davison is in this story, he is really good, demonstrated perfectly when he returns in Part 3 for the priests’ meeting and a showdown with Horemshep, where he picks holes in his arguments for Fayum being the True Pharaoh. This story also shows the Doctor doing new things, here using the telepathic inhabitor from the stasis box to cause the TARDIS to create an eclipse, appearing to show Ra favouring Erimem.

Verdict: The Eye of the Scorpion is a really effective story to introduce a new companion for the Fifth Doctor. 9/10

Cast: Peter Davison (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri Brown), Caroline Morris (Erimem), Harry Myers (Yanis), Jack Galagher (Fayum), Jonathan Owen (Antranak), Daniel Brennan (Kishik), Stephen Perring (Horemshep), Mark Wright (Slave), Alistair Lock (Priest) & Gary Russell (Ebren).

Writer: Iain McLaughlin

Director: Gary Russell

Music and Sound: David Darlington

Parts: 4

Main Range Release Number: 24

Release Date: 17 September 2001

Behind the Scenes

• The story opens a gap between the events of Planet of Fire and The Caves of Androzani.

Cast Notes

• Harry Myers has also appeared in Aquitaine, A Life of Crime and The Galileo Trap.
• Jack Galagher also appeared in The Fearmonger, Jubilee and Valhalla.
• Jonathan Owen also appeared in Her Final Flight and The Curse of Davros.
• Stephen Perring had a recurring role in the Eighth Doctor stories set in the Divergent Universe as the Kro’ka. He also appeared in Seasons of Fear and Zagreus.
• Mark Wright has worked for Big Finish as a writer, producer and performer. He has also appeared in the audio stories Project Twilight, The One Doctor and The Church and the Crown.
• Alistair Lock has also appeared in Red Dawn, Loups-Garoux and Spare Parts.
• Gary Russell has also appeared in The Marian Conspiracy, The Church and the Crown and The Juggernauts.

Best Quote

What do you know of such things, dog?

Doctor, actually, and I know that it’s best not to interfere with a stasis box when you find one. Especially ones with prison markings on them.

You know a great deal more than you should.

So I’ve been told.

Yanis and the Fifth Doctor

Previous Fifth Doctor review: Loups-Garoux

For more Fifth Doctor reviews, click here.