C031 The Highlanders

A good story. A very interesting introduction to Jamie, who is anything but a major character here. The standout here are the two women manipulating (La-Fer’s-his-name?). [Well soon I’ll be caught up and won’t have to try to write from memory while missing all the fine points.]
The other good storyline was the fact that the leader was with them all along. This is sort of a missed opportunity. Instead we get slightly too much of the slavery plot, and miss some of the better intrigue. I do love however that we see the girls hatching a plan and jump simply to the aftermath of having it fail. Don’t know if this was cut for time or not, but it works beautifully. The assault on the ship would have been a great sight to see though, and that along with the tardis scene get my vote for saddest missing footage moment of the week. We’ll call this one a 2.7

Here is my proper review:

On Culloden Moore in 1746., Scottish Highland clans, loyal to Bonnie Prince Charles Edward, battled English and German regiments loyal to the English monarch, King George. The badly injured laird, Colin McLaren, was accompanied by his son, Alexander; his daughter, Kirsty; and young piper, Jamie McCrimmon. Seconds after the TARDIS arrived, a cannon ball narrowly missed the TARDIS trio. The Doctor was ready to go somewhere safer, but Ben moved off to explore. The Clan McLaren took cover a cottage where Kirsty tended Colin’s wounds. Ben found a spiked canon and the Doctor tried on a hat he then tossed aside, offending a Scot who brought him and his companions to the cottage, where the Doctor persuaded them to let him help Colin. He sent the women to the creek for water before English soldiers arrived. The Doctor pretended to be German before the English officer decided to hang all of them. Nearby, Solicitor Grey and Perkins prepared lunch and complained about the battle. Polly and Kirsty realized the English were about to hang everyone before Polly persuaded her new companion to throw rock at the English, flee, and draw them away. The officer joined the chase, which should have prevented the hanging, but the Sergeant decided the bloody work would have been left to him and got on with it. Solicitor Grey intervened, sparing the victims with a bribe before the Doctor invoked a law preventing foreigners from being executed without alerting their ambassador. Grey had the prisoners taken to Inverness and “perhaps a sea voyage” afterwards. Polly and Kirsty evaded their pursuers and made their way to a cave where Polly assessed their financial position. She found Kirsty had a gold ring that could not be sold because her Laird had entrusted to her before the battle. Disgusted, Polly set off on her own and fell into an animal trap, a pit. Presently a helping hand reached down to her, but it held a dagger.

Polly’s potential rescuer was Kirsty, who fell into the pit, too. Polly climbed onto Kirsty’s back, enabling both to escape. Spotting Redcoats and their officer, Ffinch, the girls lured the him into the pit after he ordered his subordinates away. They tied up Ffinch; took his food and money; and blackmailed him, threatening to reveal he’d been bested by two girls. Jamie and Ben were among British prisoners in the circular dungeon at Inverness, which was waterlogged, and lined with moss. There, the Doctor found Bonnie Prince Charlie’s standard while tending Colin’s wounds. He began to lead the Jacobites in their tune, playing his recorder. When the British complained, the Doctor claimed both to be German and to have uncovered a plot to kill the Duke of Cumberland, before offering to share his knowledge with Grey. Jamie was disgusted with him, but Ben pointed out freedom gave the Doctor a chance to act and they were beneath the chamber’s waterline. At the Sea Eagle Inn at Inverness, Solicitor Grey spoke to Captain Trask, Master of the slave ship Annabelle, where the cargo of Highlanders were bound, when the Doctor was brought to him. Once Perkins and Trask had been dismissed, the Doctor admitted there was no plot, but produced Bonnie Prince Charlie’s standard and pointed out the Prince could make them a lot of money. This idea enabled the Doctor to bind and gag the lawyer and shove him into a cupboard. When Perkins returned, the Doctor examined his eyes and asked whether he had a headache before banging his head against a desk until the man admitted his head hurt. The Doctor claimed, the noises Grey was making were all in Perkins’ mind and that he suffered form “print blindness.” Resting his eyes for an hour would cure him. Ffinch’s sergeant found him in the animal pit and was offered a bribe to release the penniless officer. After Captain Trask released Grey and Perkins, he was told to get the prisoners aboard ship. On their way, they went through the scullery, where the Doctor was hiding. Ben nearly collided with an old woman, the Doctor in disguise, who followed them and found a trapdoor and steps leading down to where the captives were rowed to the ship. There, after a bound man was heaved over the side of the ship, the new arrivals were told they had just seen the only way off the ship.

In the Annabelle’s hold, Colin; Ben; and Jamie met Will MacKay, the ship’s former Captain, from whom his mate, Trask, took over. They were all to be sold into slavery. At Inverness, Polly and Kirsty bought supplies including oranges they would sell as a cover for their other activities. The disguised Doctor discovered the girls as they learned from Ffinch Grey knew what happened to their friends and family. Aboard ship, the prisoners were offered the choice between hanging or signing labor contracts. All but Ben, Jamie, and Colin signed. Kirsty and Polly saw Perkins to get an appointment with Grey. The Doctor joined them, claiming to be the fourth they would need for a card game, whist. This ploy enabled him to hold up Perkins and facilitate their departure. Once away, the three conspired. On the ship, Ben tore one of Grey’s contracts to pieces and angered the Solicitor. He was taken captive and Trask prepared to duck him. After Kirsty and Polly returned to the Doctor with weapons, he realized the ring Kirsty had belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie and persuaded her to lend it to him. Ben was tied up and tossed over the side of the ship with a rope around his waist so he could be retrieved.

When the rope was pulled back, Ben was gone. He later explained he had inhaled and hardened his muscles to facilitate his escape. Swimming beneath the ship, Ben was hauled from the water at gunpoint by a Redcoat who proved to be the Doctor. His disguise helped keep the English away, which was helpful because he planned to arm the prisoners aboard the Annabelle. Trask wanted to sail on the morning tide regardless of fog. Grey said he, Perkins, and Trask were the only people who knew about the slave trade, which the signed contracts made legal. When the Doctor outlined his plans, Polly and Kirsty insisted on coming along. Gray and Perkins were settling accounts as the Doctor came to them in his German guise to show them the ring Kirsty had given him to claim Bonnie Prince Charlie was among their prisoners. He then demanded 10,000 guineas. Outside, Kirsty found and armed Colin. Coming along to find the Prince, because he could identify the man, the Doctor pointed out Jamie. Armed Highlanders attacked, and a fierce battle began. The end result was Trask going over the side and Will MacKay retaking his ship. Grey was captured and the Doctor brought Kirsty and Polly aboard the ship. Perkins was to sail with them because he spoke French. The Doctor’s party took Grey as a hostage once the ship was safely away. Ffinch protected them as they returned to the cottage, where Grey, who had escaped as Jamie guided them back to the TARDIS, arrived to have them all arrested. Grey, though, could not produce the contracts which made his slave trade legal, because the Doctor had taken them. Ffinch arrested Grey and Jamie joined he TARDIS crew.

This is the last straight historical story until Peter Davison played the Doctor and it gave both companions moments to shine while introducing a newcomer, Jamie. Ben was clever enough to realize the Doctor bluffed his way out of Inverness, which was a death trap for prisoners. Finally, he escaped from the ship. Polly was fantastic in this story, leading Kirsty throughout the adventure and ruthlessly blackmailing the English officer. The Doctor affected disguises and carried off daring bluffs to good and hilarious effect as he extricated himself and his companions, including Jamie, from the events following the battle in the first episode. As in most historical stories, the Doctor was ready to return to the TARDIS after the first barrage of cannonballs, but stayed because Ben wanted to explore. His desire enabled this tight, well plotted tale to unfold. None of the story’s four episodes remain in the BBC Archives, but the audio was released on CD with linking narration around the dialogue provided by actor Frazier Hines, who played Jamie. Writer Gerry Davis novelized his story for Target books and actress Anneke Wills, who played Polly, read it for the audio version.