‘RIGHTS’

Please feel free to comment on my review.

On the planet Farrash with the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane

This story called ‘Rights’ is by Paul Grice. It features the Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane. ‘Rights’ is the second story in the ‘Short Trips’ anthology book to be credited under Paul Grice, which is a pseudonym for Stephen Cole. The first time that the pseudonym was used was for ‘Mondas Passing’.

In ‘Rights’, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are posing as Earth delegates on the planet Farrash. The planet’s people are slowly dying, due to a change in solar radiation. Different factions on the planet are doing research to save the population, including one to abort the foetuses of potential mothers.

That faction is supported by a Farrashian who is referred to as the Leader. The Farrashians also happen to have dozens of legs and their brains can perform complex motions required to make the legs function and move. There’s also this faction of female Farrashians, led by somebody called Fraal.

Fraal’s faction are opposed to what the Leader and his group are doing to save their planet. It’s intriguing how this gets unveiled and how Sarah Jane and the Doctor are involved. Sarah Jane is fascinated and horrified once with Fraal’s group, especially concerning what they do their animals. 😐

There’s a lot of politicking going on in this story, which, I admit, was rather a chore to get through and there weren’t enough action scenes for me to get emotionally invested. Mind you, I found Sarah Jane and the Fourth Doctor’s interaction in this story more compelling than what’s in ‘Old Flames’. 🙂

‘Rights’ rating – 7/10