Book Review: Doctor Who - Keblam!

 

Season 11 of Doctor Who was Jodie Whittaker’s first foray into the world of the Time Lord who travels time and space.  While general consensus argues the season had little memorability due to the lack of a clear long-term narrative, I find myself a consistent defender of the season.  Reflecting on its strengths, the main reason I enjoyed Season 11 of Doctor Who was its open approach to telling different stories in each episode.   The lack of a consistent plot thread to tie the season together isn’t nearly as big a flaw when you consider a lot of classics Who seasons stood tall with the need for one either.  It’s the memorability of the episodes which I’d probably be more inclined to agree with when it comes to the criticisms.  Out of the 10 episodes, I can only list a few stories which really stick out to me even now.  One of the key episodes I tout praises of when Season 11 comes up in discussion is Pete McTighe’s bright-eyed dystopian story; Keblam! It’s fitting then, that out of the few of Jodie’s episodes to get its own Target novelization treatment, that it was Keblam! which got the deserving pick.

The plot of Keblam! follows the Doctor and her companions Yazmin Khan, Ryan Sinclair and Graham O’Brian as they receive a surprise delivery on the TARDIS from a robotic postman working for the intergalactic distribution company Keblam. Within the package, The Doctor and crew find a mysterious note with the message “Help Me” cryptically written on it.  Never one to turn down a plea for help, The Doctor takes the TARDIS crew to the orbiting moon off the planet of Kandoka, where the Keblam central distribution facility works to issue packages all across the universe. The Doctor and crew figure out the best way to solve the mystery behind the mysterious plea for help is to go undercover in the facility and pose as workers to navigate the numerous departments.  As the crew get to work infiltrating the many levels of the facility, it becomes all too clear that things are not what they seem at Keblam.  Sporadic power outages, workers going missing and Postal TeamMate units stalking the facility, all paint a larger picture towards a darker conspiracy taking place at the heart of the business.

The narrative structure of this book serves as a fundamental re-telling of the original episode with all of its clever writing and appeal that made it so well-remembered.  McTighe’s ability to construct a story which is equal parts light and equal parts thrilling is a testament to his ability as a writer. I love the whole idea of a conspiracy story which is embedded with multiple layers and doesn’t play to any typical conventions or formula. The biggest strength in this story though comes in the form of its characters.  The Doctor and crew are all given great opportunities in this narrative to showcase their characteristics and talents from an individual basis and as a team. The way they work along with the supporting cast too helps keep the episodes narrative intriguing to follow along with. The only gripe I take with the narrative is it’s messaging. The idea that a system is neutral to the systemic oppression and stripping back of worker’s rights is a very delicate line to tow and it’s all too easy to have that message taken the wrong way.  I get the intent behind McTighe’s idea of showing that it’s the people who misuse these systems who are behind the deterioration of the welfare in society, but it’s not showcased in a clear enough way in the story for me to really agree that message was properly projected. I think there’s a clear attempt here to add a bit more definition behind the weight of the message with some of the additional perspectives, but it’s still a bit out of scope to be reciprocated properly.

What helps the story leave a memorable impression is its tone.  I feel Pete McTighe’s got a good ability to add levity and humor on top of the grounded story in a way that doesn’t detract from the seriousness of it. McTighe feels like a perfect fit to write for the energetic and bright whims of the 13th Doctor, he manages to capture her ability to be both positive in the face of all adversity while also keeping the reader informed on all key exposition that the story needs.  Her and all the other supporting cast feel wonderfully realized in the depth of the story. I take special note of his devotion to flesh out Judy Maddox as a key anchor to the story attempt to tackle the message from an external perspective. 

On the whole Keblam! is a good story both on the screen and on paper.  I think the opportunity to novelize the story allowed McTighe to give the story a lot more breathing room with regards to it’s messaging.  The writing is tight and well-constructed and does a great job in delivering the key themes and concepts that feel quintessential to a good Doctor Who story. I think it’s message still serves as a it’s key fundamental weakness, while I appreciate McTighe’s effort to expand on it a bit more in the book; it doesn’t feel like a flaw that can be scrubbed out without a comprehensive re-write. Despite that however, I still feel Keblam! is a key standout of the stories from Season 11 and one of the best stories of Jodie’s era of the show.