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Terrorism is on the increase in Kaldor City, and it seems
no one is safe from the Tarenists - followers of the cult
of the deceased madman, Taren Capel. But who is behind the
cult's remarkable success, what will be their next target,
and who really has the most to gain...?
"Tarenist"
sounds a lot like "terrorist", doesn't it? It becomes clear
that this is no coincidence, especially when Uvanov (Russell
Hunter) declares a "war on Tarenism"! The script, by Jim Smith
and professional anthropologist Dr Fiona Moore, has a troubling
real-life resonance regarding the political manipulation of
public fears about terrorism. But Uvanov's own machinations
blow up in his face, just as the West's supply of weapons
to corrupt regimes in the past now poses a threat to Western
nations.
In
addition to the usual stars, this thriller also features Nicholas
Courtney (Doctor Who's Brigadier) David Collings (who
played Silver in Sapphire and Steel and who also guest-starred
in three Who stories, including The Robots of Death)
and Jasmine Breaks (alias the Girl in Remembrance of the
Daleks). They each play only brief roles, however.
But this is a good adventure for Brian Croucher's character,
the unsubtle security operative, Cotton. He is briefly recruited
by Uvanov to stand in for Iago (Paul Darrow), with amusing
consequences. (Fear not, Darrow fans - Iago is by no means
absent from this story.)
Once
again, the Magic Bullet team have provided us with an intriguing
and intelligent tale, although it doesn't stand out quite
as much as the previous two did. Nevertheless, it sows plenty
of seeds for intriguing future developments, including a character
who might just prove to be Iago's equal...
Richard McGinlay
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