Serial 74 – Planet of the Spiders 2/2

We start with episode 4, so it’s a spoiler warning you need.

Episode 4:

The Queen’s guards struggle with the villagers. The Queen says that soon it will be dark and she must hurry away. Sarah Jane hides amongst the villagers, but the Queen has her men take Arak’s father.

Mike watches Lupton’s group enter Barnes’ room and put up a Do Not Disturb sign. He listens at the door.

Sarah Jane begs for the villagers to help; Arak’s brother says it’s almost curfew, they have to go in, but The Doctor begins to stir.

Lupton’s group argues over where Lupton is. As they do, the door knob turns; they open it and find Tommy at the door. Barnes is very rude to him (again). Mike returns to the door, listening.

A bell tolls, signaling curfew on Metebelis Three. To be outside after twilight is punishable by death. The Doctor seems to be getting sicker, they say there is no cure, he should be dead already.

When the Queen returns to the chamber of spiders, Lupton is sitting in her place. Lupton’s spider speaks up against the Queen. They use the crystal as leverage, saying if The Great One wants the crystal, she will have to wait until he and his spider get proper reward.

The Queen tells Lupton he was followed to Metebelis Three by two Earthers – the male was killed but the female is still loose. Because of this, the council is worried and agrees not to listen to Lupton’s demands until the female (Sarah Jane) is found.

Tommy takes out the crystal in his room, sets it atop a bar stool, and pulls out a children’s book and begins to read. He struggles with the words, but then the crystal begins to glow brightly. He stares into it and it sees to affect him, until he collapses. When he recovers, he is able to read easily.

Arak and his siblings talk about trying to rescue their father, Sabor. The two brothers argue. Sarah Jane watches over The Doctor as they do. She tells them if he could recover, he could help. He begins to speak, telling her there is a machine in the TARDIS, in an old leather satchel. He’s weak, can barely speak, but gives her the key to the TARDIS.

Sarah gets the satchel out of the TARDIS, after avoiding some guards. When she exits, Lupton is standing there, waiting for her.

Arak and his brother (whose name I can’t seem to catch) argue over what to do – they see the satchel by the TARDIS (Sarah and Lupton are nowhere in sight, so I’m guessing he took her away.) Arak runs out and retrieves the satchel and brings it back. They pull out a strange device out of the satchel.

The Doctor comes to and asks for Sarah; they explain she’s not there but brought the machine. They had it to him and he uses it to discharge the energy of the attack within him.

Tommy goes into the library at the meditation center and pulls a book off a shelf. He starts reading, “Tiger, Tiger, burning bright…” and so forth, from “Tiger” by William Blake. He stops, saying, “That’s pretty,” in a child-like voice, then, in a more adult voice, “No… that’s beautiful.” He starts grabbing other books from the shelf.

Sarah Jane is brought to the spider’s lair. She sees Sabor laying in a bunk, covered in webs, then she sees one of the spiders, but when she tries to run, she is stunned by a guard.

Mike knocks on the door to Barnes’ room, scaring the conspirators. They hide and when Yates comes in, Moss attacks him as he tells Barnes he thinks they should have a talk, as he’s been listening.

When the sun rises, the morning bell tolls. The Doctor sits up, all chipper, waking the others.

Sarah Jane is seen waking; like Sabor, she is wrapped from shoulders to feet in webbing, like a coccoon. Sabor tells her it’s no good struggling. When she asks what will happen to them, he intimates they’ll be eaten by the spiders.

The Doctor is fed mutton, while he sits with Arak, who gives him a basic history of his people, who arrived over four hundred years ago from Earth. He asks how the spiders got there.

Meanwhile, Sarah has asked Sabor the same, and he responds they, too, came from Earth. It seems the blue crystals of Metebelis Three mutated the spiders, making them larger, giving them great mental powers.

The Doctor asks Arak and his brother to fetch him an assortment of stones and pebbles.

Mike is tied up and gagged on a bed, and he struggles with his bonds.

The Doctor holds up a variety of stones to the machine that cured him. Each time he does, the machine buzzes. He’s looking for a stone that will absorb the energy from the spiders’ attacks. One of the stones registers and he says they’re getting somewhere.

Later, The Doctor leaves the village, the machine in hand. Arak insists he take one of the stones, and he accepts it from Arak. They clasp arms and The Doctor departs.

Sabor tells Sarah Jane to get some rest. He tells her there is no hope of rescue and that is why he’s not afraid.

The Doctor skulks through the spiders’ citadel; a guard attacks him and he uses the machine to absorb the blast. They move to hand to hand and the machine falls to the floor. Another shows up and when The Doctor goes for the machine, Lupton steps on his hand. But before any more can happen, a third guard, a superior of some sort, has Lupton arrested and taken to the council. The Doctor, too, is taken away.

Sarah Jane sees The Doctor and rejoices until she sees he’s accompanied by guards… and the credits roll.

They should have left the bit with The Doctor being captured off camera, so when he showed up, the viewer would have thought he was there to save them.

 

 

Episode 5:

Lupton has been brought before the Queen with his confederate (the spider); the council has learned that the crystal is still on Earth. Lupton’s spider tries to turn this against the Queen and several of the council are quick to join in. The Queen says she will go consult The Great One.

The Doctor has joined Sarah Jane and Sabor in the larder. The Doctor tells Sabor and Sarah Jane that Arak is trying to get together a rescue party and begins to tell them that they know how to protect themselves, but he stops when guards come in to cut Sarah Jane free and take her away.

In the village, Arak and his brother and the menfolk of the village prepare to attack. Their mother tries to dissuade them from going, but the brothers tell her they must, not just for their father and the strangers, but for all the villages. The men put on headbands that have the stones The Doctor identified in them.

The Doctor escapes the cocoon by using a trick he learned from Harry Houdini. He leaves Sabor there and goes off to rescue Sarah.

Sarah is thrown to the floor and brought before a solitary spider; it is the Queen, and she pretends that she wants peace with all two legs. She says she has lied to the council about consulting The Great One. The Queen wants Sarah and The Doctor to return to Earth and collect the blue crystal.

The Doctor skulks through the spiders’ citadel, avoiding guards.

Mike struggles with his bonds, as Barnes comes in and takes off his gag. Barnes says they’re waiting for Lupton to come back. Mike talks Barnes into letting him assist them in re-establishing the link, suggesting that Lupton may be waiting for them to do exactly that.

Lupton and his spider argue with the rest of the council; there’s lots of talk of not trusting the Queen, nor trusting Lupton. Lupton and his spider argue and she drops him with a mental attack (seemingly backed up by the council, as this time he cannot fight back.)

The Doctor hears Sarah Jane calling out for him and goes down a tunnel.

Tommy is reading a big book, full of big words, and doing rather well with it. He has a dictionary next to him, trying to understand words he doesn’t know, trying to understand what has happened with him. He decides to ask Yates what is going on, but overhears them talking about the cellar. Tommy remembers Lupton appearing out of thin air, and having the crystal in his hand.

Tommy then decides to ask Cho-Je, but hides the crystal first.

The Doctor walks into a large chamber, where he is told to stop; should he enter further, he will die. The voice of Sarah Jane is an illusion, used to lure him in. He asks who he is speaking to, and she identifies herself as The Great One. He asks why he cannot see her, but she says he will, but not until he brings back the crystal – she says it is “the one last perfect crystal of power.”

He defies her, saying she will never have it. She attacks his mind, forcing him to march about. He struggles against her, to no avail. She orders him to leave and go fetch the crystal and then goes into a cacophony of “go now, I must have it” over and again.

The chanting circle begins chanting and the spider council detects it. Lupton warns them that the group might not be allies and the spiders are sent to Earth, manifesting in secret in the room, not in the mat in the center of the group.

Tommy tells Cho-Je what he knows; the deputy abbot says he will go to the cellar and instructs Tommy to fetch the crystal. Cho-Je is not surprised as the transformation in Tommy. Cho-Je enters the cellar, stopping the men, but they are attacked by the spiders. Cho-Je and Yates are blasted and drop to the ground. The spiders close in on the rest of the men, and Tommy, watching from the stairs (with the crystal in hand) rushes away to go tell K’anpo.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane reunite in the larder room. As Arak and the villagers arrive to rescue Sabor, Sarah Jane uses a trick taught her by the Queen to teleport her and The Doctor to the TARDIS. They enter and head to Earth.

On Earth, the chanting circle seem to be merged with spiders – they are looking at their backs, rolling their shoulders. When the TARDIS materialises in the cellar, they hide. When Sarah Jane and The Doctor exit, they are ambushed; The Doctor has a stone that protects him from their blasts until Tommy helps them escape and locks the cellar door. Tommy is blasted by one of the men, but it has little effect.

When Sarah Jane says, “Tommy, you’re normal – you’re just like everybody else,” Tommy has the best response, EVER – “I sincerely hope not.”

Tommy leads them to meet with K’anpo. The Doctor speaks to the abbot in Tibetan, apologising for not bringing a symbolic gift. The abbot says he and The Doctor have no need for symbols, and The Doctor looks at him curiously at this. Tommy goes out to keep a watch out for the others.

The Doctor begins talking about the blue crystal. He asks if he and K’anpo have met before, and the abbot says, “the recognition of friends is not always easy.” He encourages The Doctor to go on about the crystal.

Outside, Barnes, Moss and the other two of the chanting circle who are now spider-hosts arrive. Tommy stands outside the abbot’s door, protectively. One of the spiders says the crystal is in the room. Barnes steps forward, ordering Tommy to get out of the way. Tommy meets his gaze, defiantly, and Barnes backs away, sensing something about Tommy.

Barnes blasts Tommy with the blue lightning, but again it has limited effect. He fights several of them off physically, but then they attack with the blue lightning in concert… and the credits roll.

I like Tommy. This would have been one pisser of a cliffhanger if I had to wait a week to find out what was going to happen to my boy.

 

 

Episode 6:

K’anpo reveals that he has the crystal. Suddenly, Sarah Jane demands that the crystal be given to her. She blasts The Doctor with blue lightning and he falls to his knees, at K’anpo’s side. The abbot takes The Doctor’s arm and instructs him to see through his eyes, and when The Doctor looks, the Queen spider can be seen attached to Sarah’s back.

Again, we see Tommy face off with Barnes and his fellow spider-hosts, the cliffhanger from last week.

The Doctor and the abbot call upon Sarah to resist the Queen. The Doctor urges her to look at the crystal, to look into the light. The Queen falls from Sarah’s back, landing upside down, her legs curling as she disappears.

The spider-men stop blasting Tommy and link their hands and begin chanting.

Sarah Jane apologises for allowing the Queen to control her. The abbot says that The Doctor’s greed is responsible for all of this – had he not taken the crystal in the first place, none of the events would have happened (though, honestly, I imagine The Great One would have the crystal and that would be worse.)

The Doctor turns to the abbot, saying, “I know who you are, now.” It seems that K’anpo is also a Time Lord.

The two Time Lords explain regeneration to Sarah Jane – this is the first time that it has been codified or named. When the First Doctor “regenerated”, it was just explained that the TARDIS fixed him, healed him. When the Second Doctor regenerated, the Time Lords “changed his appearance”. This is monumental, folks… and, well, just you wait and see.

K’anpo explains that Cho-Je is a projection of his own self and not really a seperate entity.

Cho-Je rouses Yates and they leave the cellar.

The chanting circle chants.

The spider council sends power to their sisters on Earth.

K’anpo says the moment of truth approaches. He asks The Doctor if he knows what he must do, but he says that he does not. K’anpo asks what The Doctor fears most, and The Doctor recalls his confrontation with The Great One. He tells Sarah Jane that he has to go, even if the cave of crystals would destroy him.

The spider-hosts stop their chanting and turn their attacks on Tommy; this time they seem to have more effect, though he still stands. Yates runs up and takes a hit and drops like a rock. The spider-hosts rush into K’anpo’s room as The Doctor disappears. They blast the abbot who falls to his chair.

The Doctor appears in the cellar and hops in the TARDIS. It dematerialises just as the spider-hosts make the cellar. He arrives on Metebelis Three, where he is greeted by Arak and his brother. They agree to show him how to get to the cave of crystals.

Under Cho-Je’s instruction, Tommy picks up Yates to take him to K’anpo.

The Doctor is led into the spider council chamber by the brothers; it seems their attack failed and they are enslaved. The Doctor says the crystal is to be returned to The Great One. Lupton moves to grab the crystal, but the spiders stop him. The spider council tells The Doctor that he has beaten them and it is good that he will die. He turns and leaves.

Lupton begins ranting at the spiders, calling them spiders and they react poorly to that word. He moves to strike the spider confederate, but she blasts him with blue lightning.

K’anpo helps Mike recover. K’anpo then says that his body cannot take any more and his head drops. Cho-Je begins speaking, but in mid breath, he fades. As they watch, K’anpo changes, becoming Cho-Je in form. He says not to concern themselves, he is not dying, merely regenerating.

The Doctor arrives at the cyrstal cave and is allowed all the way in, where he sees The Great One, a giant spider, the size of a small building. The Doctor says that he has brought the crystal, and asks her to leave Earth alone.

She laughs, saying the paltry plans of her subjects are no concern of hers. Her plans are greater than one small planet. When he asks why it is so important to her, she explains that the web of crystal above her in the cave is a replication of her brain, it lacks only one perfect crystal to be complete. When complete, her mind and mental powers will be increased to an infinite level, allowing her to rule the entire universe.

Wow, that’s a pretty big thing, that. That’s the sort of thing that’s going to take some great sacrifice to balance out. What could The Doctor do to make that “payment”? (Doctor Who is the sort of show that, at times, the hero wins because of a sacrifice. Sometimes it’s an ally or innocent who pays the price. Sometimes a companion goes away. Sometimes, it’s a personal cost.)

The Doctor tries to tell The Great One that completing the circuit will only destroy her. She refuses to listen, mocking him, saying he is dying, the cave is destroying his body as they speak, but she will grant him one favour, to allow him to see her ascension before he dies.

The crystal moves from his hand, by the power of her mind presumably, into the spot in the crystal web. She says she is complete and gloats and rants and praises herself. The Doctor begs her to stop, but she’s too busy singing her own glory, telling the stars to bow down and worship her.

The power consumes her, burning her up from within. The Doctor flees as the cave shakes.

The spider council screams as the building shakes – it seems they’re dying. The villagers come to, and flee the building.

On Earth, the spiders fall off the spider-hosts and die.

The Doctor makes it back to the TARDIS and enters as the mountain begins to explode.

In The Doctor’s lab at UNIT, Sarah Jane is holding The Doctor’s coat. She sniffs it and seems melancholy, or at least pensive. The Brig walks in and realises she’s there to see if “the old fellow” has popped up. She says it’s been over three weeks, but the Brig says that’s nothing, “One time, I didn’t see him for months… when he did turn up, he had a different face.”

Sarah Jane says they’ll never see him again, but just then, the TARDIS materialises. The Doctor staggers out, weak and weary. He says he got lost in the time vortex, but the TARDIS brought him there. He collapses and they put a pillow under his head.

The Doctor explains he had to go back, to face his fear. She begs him not to die and cries, while the Brig kneels quietly beside them. He touches her tears and says, “Don’t cry, while there’s life…” but his hand drops and he says no more. Sarah Jane closes his eyes, but before anything else can happen, there’s a strange noise.

Cho-Je/K’anpo materialises in the lab, sitting in a lotus position. “It is all right, he is not dead,” the Time Lord proclaims. He apologises for startling her. The Brig asks for an introduction, but Sarah is confused on how to explain who K’anpo is.

K’anpo says he will give The Doctor’s cells “a push” so he can regenerate. When he explains that The Doctor will become a new man, and look different, the Brig exclaims, “Not again!” I love the Brig.

K’anpo says that the change will shake up his brain cells and they might find his behavior “a little erratic”. He gestures and says good bye and disappears. The Brig and Sarah Jane turn and look at The Doctor. Sarah Jane says it’s starting and the Brig quirks an eyebrow, “Well… here we go again.”

We get a close up of The Doctor and watch as his face changes, is replaced by a darker haired man with a more pointed nose.

IT’S TOM BAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY DOCTOR! MY EVER-LOVING DOCTOR!!!!!!!!

Yes, this was no surprise, but it still doesn’t change the fact that IT’S MY DOCTOR!!!! I love all the kids complaining about how they miss David Tennant, how Ten was their Doctor and it will never be the same, whine whine whine.

I lost MY Doctor almost thirty years ago, thank you very much. The show goes on and you find things to love about it, regardless.

Next week, we begin the seven season of Tom Baker.

MY DOCTOR. 

Serial 74 – Planet of the Spiders 1/2

I’ve seen this before, a couple times, and as recently as last year. It’s a good one, but not a great one. However, one of the most important ones of all. You’ll see why in a bit, and not just because of the big obvious reason you might know about. (I’m being vague in case there are people who have no idea.)

Episode 1:

We open with Mike Yates, no longer of UNIT, walking along a country path. There are cows in the pasture. He looks around, takes it in and moves on.

The Doctor and the Brig are sitting in the audience at some performance, obviously a comedic one. From their faces, it’s not very funny.

Mike walks along and we see a large house in the distance.

The Brig complains about it being a waste of time, but just then, they introduce a Turkish dancer, and the Brig is no longer complaining.

Mike is inside the house, and seems to be skulking. He opens a door and opens in and we hear chanting from within. He steps in and listens at another door.

A group of men are seated around an ornate rug/mat on the floor. One clangs cymbals together as they chant. Mike opens the door and creeps down, listening intently. He steps into a spider web and panics, making noise, alerting the men as he leaves.

The Doctor tells the Brig that the next act is the one he’s come to see, a mind reader.

The men chanting get up; they decide it’s time to quit for the night, and argue whether someone was there or if it was just the wind. They hear a car depart, and the leader says that only one person there has a car, Mister Yates.

The next day(?), Professor Clegg, the mind reader, is invited to UNIT. The Doctor has interest in things psychic, but Clegg pretends he is just a performer. The Doctor tells him that he knows he has some true gift. Clegg is very upset about having any actual abilities.

The Doctor talks him into demonstrating his psychokinesis, and using his mind, he moves a tray with food on it. The Doctor tells Clegg that he might be able to help him understand his powers, why he has them.

Back at the household, the man leading the chants argues with Cho-Je, the deputy abbot of the… monastery? It seems a female reporter (gee, who could that be?) is coming to visit. The man is not happy about this, but Cho-Je throws out snippets of zen koan in response. He says that it is too late, that Mister Yates has gone to the train station to fetch her.

At the station, Mike picks up Sarah Jane Smith (what a shocker) and they take off, Sarah asking what it’s all about.

Back at the monastery, Lupton, the leader of the chant circle, tells one of his fellow chanters that they’re on to something, they’re making progress, they were tapping true power the night before. He says they cannot afford to pull back and hide because of a visitor.

A simple man interrupts their conversation; Tommy shows Lupton and Barnes a flower he’s found, but Barnes shoves him down.

Sarah quizzes Mike about why he invited her there. Mike tries to play it off that he just thinks a story on their “meditation center” run by a couple Tibetan monks would be a great sell for the paper. He explains he’s there trying to sort himself out after “that Golden Age business” (referring to INVASION OF THE DINOSAURS.)

The chant circle is at it again.

Mike explains that the chant circle is up to something; he thinks it’s a job for UNIT to investigate. He wants Sarah to come check it out and then go to the Brig or The Doctor for him.

The chanters chant, more emphatically.

As Mike and Sarah Jane drive down, suddenly there’s a tractor in their way. They spin out of control, but when they come to a stop, there’s no tractor to be seen. Sarah Jane feels this is evidence that something is afoot.

Clegg is hooked up to a machine with earphones (it’s the same prop from THE GREEN DEATH!) to test his brain pattern. The Brig is asked to give Clegg something personal and he hands over his watch. Clegg does a psychometric reading, saying it was given to him eleven years ago in Brighton by a young lady named Doris, but the Brig interrupts before more can be said.

Another device can translate his thoughts into pictures. The Doctor hands Clegg his sonic screwdriver and on the video screen, we see the Drashig from CARNIVAL OF MONSTERS and The Doctor using the screwdriver to ignite the marsh gases to burn up several Drashigs.

Sarah Jane and Mike sit in a meeting with Cho-Je who is explaining what can be learned through meditation. Cho-Je says that the powers of meditation and powers unlocked through self-realisation could be used for good or evil. He leaves to teach a class.

Clegg apologises, feeling what he saw was not real. Benton comes in with a package from South America, addressed to “The Doctor or the Brigadier or Captain Yates or Sgt Benton”. It seems to be from Jo, and The Doctor asks to see it. Before he opens it, he asks Clegg to use his powers to see what is within it.

He says it is from beyond the stars, and it is a beautiful blue gemstone. The Doctor opens it, and in fact, it is the Metebelis 3 sapphire that he gave Jo.

Mike is showing Sarah Jane about the meditation center. They enter the meditation room, but Mike cautions her to be quiet. A larger group of people sit and meditate, listening to recorded chant. As they leave, Lupton and his crony, Barnes, confront them. Mike makes an effort to get her out of there as soon as possible, much to Sarah’s confusion.

Lupton watches from the window, telling Barnes they won’t be a problem any more, “That young man is frightened.”

Mike drives away, telling Sarah that Lupton knew they were coming and must have been responsible for the hallucination that almost killed them. When Sarah asks why they’re running, Mike’s reply is, “We’re not, we’re just letting him think we are.” He pulls the car over and parks, “We’ll head back on foot.”

The Doctor reads Jo’s letter. The letter says that the crystal is causing problems with their native guides, who say it is bad magic. She hopes they’ll keep an eye on it for her.

Mike and Sarah get caught sneaking back in the house through a window by Tommy, the simple man. He wants to play games with them – he seems rather smitten with Sarah Jane. He tells her the game they’re going to play is called “Secrets” and it’s a secret that she’s there. He is fascinated with Sarah’s lapel pin and she gives it to him to buy his silence.

Mike leads Sarah to the lower basement where the chant circle meets. The mat and their cushions are laid out but nobody is there. They hear voices and the two hide, Sarah getting spider web on her. The men come in and take their seats and begin chanting.

Clegg is still holding on to the crystal, and has been, while The Doctor reads the letter. The crystal glows and as he finishes the letter, the room begins to shake, papers and small items are cast about. The Doctor makes it to Clegg and pulls the crystal from his hands, but the psychic is dead.

Sarah and Mike watch as a spider materialises in a blue-green light in the center of the chant circle… and the credits roll.

Yay, Mike Yates! (Having seen what went on with Yates, it makes more sense why he’s here, etc.) Mystery, stranger spiders, an alien crystal – it’s a good one thus far.

Episode 2:

The men react in fear as the spider manifests; one man rises and flees, but the spider strikes him down with blue lightning. The spider addresses Lupton, saying it has come bring him “the power you seek”. It tells him to turn his back to it, and he reluctantly does so. It leaps and lands on his back and disappears, seemingly phasing into his body.

The Doctor plays back the machine that records thoughts, to see if Clegg’s dying thoughts were visualised. They were, and they see spiders.

Lupton dismisses the men, telling them to return to their rooms, not to tell anyone.

The Doctor says the only thing to do would be for him to look into the crystal; Benton offers to do it, as he’s expendable, but The Doctor says he’s already got one death on his conscience.

Mike sends Sarah out the window, and hides, as Lupton and Barnes discuss the spider; Lupton says it didn’t go away, it’s still there. He says their minds are joined together. Lupton dismisses Barnes, telling him not to worry.

The spider tells Lupton about the crystal, saying they must find it. Lupton is bid to concentrate, and he does. He says he sees a man staring into a blue crystal.

The Doctor is seated, staring into the Metebelis crystal. When Benton brings in a cup of coffee, the aroma of which brings The Doctor out of his trance. (It seems that, at least according to The Doctor, Benton makes the second best cup of coffee in the world.)

The Doctor starts talking about the old man hermit on the mountain (the same hermit he told Jo about when they were locked up in the dungeon in episode 6 of THE TIME MONSTER), saying that when he looked into the crystal, he saw the face of the old man, who had been the teacher who taught him how to look into his own mind.

Tommy stops Yates, as he tries to go upstairs to see K’anpo, the senior Tibetan monk. Tommy is distracted by Yate’s medallion, which he gives to the simple man. As Tommy walks off, he admonishes Mike to go to bed, and Lupton appears moments later, to reinforce the advice.

Sarah Jane has been telling The Doctor about the events, but he’s more interested in the crystal. When she mentions the spider, however, he is very, very interested, and makes her start over from the beginning.

Lupton arrives… presumably at UNIT HQ, as there’s a car lot with Bessie and a man working on The Doctor’s new car, the hovercrafty one. He asks to speak to The Doctor and the mechanic gives him directions, before asking for Lupton’s pass. Lupton blasts the man with blue lightning from his hand, just the same as the spider did to the one man in the chant circle. (No idea if he was killed or what, nobody seemed to note.)

The Doctor explains to Sarah Jane where he got the crystal from. He explains the crystal can be used to clear a mind and amplify it. When Sarah asks about the giant spiders on Metebelis Three, The Doctor says there weren’t any there when he was there.

Benton comes across Lupton, who does the lightning blast on him. Lupton peers into the lab, seeing the crystal. The spider in his mind tells him to concentrate.

As Sarah Jane dithers on about things, the crystal disappears and we see Lupton come out of a trance, holding it. He runs off, but Benton tries to stop him, so he punches him in the gut.

The Doctor, Benton and Sarah Jane give chase. Lupton encounters the Brig, who sees the others chasing Lupton, and he opens fire multiple times, missing completely – I’m horrified that the Brig is such a bad shot.

Lupton steals the hovercar, while the others take Bessie. They drop The Doctor off at the airfield and then pursue in Bessie. The Doctor takes a one man helicopter to pursue by air. I guess this is the running scene for the serial. The Doctor radioes directions to the Brig on how to catch up to Lupton.

A local cop sees the three vehicles and gives chase. I can’t help but think this is completely unnecessary. Eventually, after shenanigans, they find the hovercar parked. The Doctor lands and confers with the Brig and Benton and Sarah Jane as they argue with each other and the copper.

Lupton, who was hiding in the weeds, steals the helicopter – the spider says it can pilot it. The Doctor and Sarah Jane hop in the hovercar, which The Doctor takes into the air after him.

The copper radioes in that there was nothing to report.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane give chase, but the spider tells Lupton that fuel is low and they have to land. Lupton runs around some farmland while the hovercar lands. Again, what is the point of all this. None of this makes any sense, doesn’t add anything to the story whatsoever. It’s like padding.

Lupton steals a boat, blasting one of the men. There’s a hovercraft (the water kind) and The Doctor hops in it to give chase.. what? ANOTHER chase? Oy vey.

After a bunch of whatever, we get to the end of the chase, when The Doctor leaps from his hovercraft into Lupton’s boat. Just before this, Lupton is told by the spider to concentrate, and when The Doctor makes the boat, there’s nobody on board… and the credits roll.

Really displeased with the silly chase(s).

Episode 3:

Lupton is nowhere to be seen, and The Doctor is very confused.

In the meditation center, Tommy watches as Lupton appears out of thin air. He sees the crystal in Lupton’s hand and is fascinated by it. (Tommy likes pretty things, as likely you’ve noticed.)

Lupton returns to his room, soaking wet from his fleeing. He pulls out the crystal and asks the spider about it; the spider says it can give them more power than he could dream of. The spider tells him to shield his thoughts from her sisters on Metebelis Three.

On Metebelis Three, we see a group of spiders sitting about on tables. One of them is the queen. They communicate with the spider with Lupton, but he is privy to the conversation and demands to know what will become of him. Lupton’s spider argues that he has served them.

There is talk of “The Great One” and her plan, involving the conquest of Earth, their rightful home.

Communication ended, the spider tells Lupton to sleep and he lays down, falling asleep immediately. The spider separates from him and phases through the door.

Cho-Je meets with Sarah Jane, Mike and The Doctor. Cho-Je argues whether Lupton could have been involved with the theft of their equipment, when he saw Lupton in the house at the same time they say they were chasing him.

Barnes overhears this and wakes Lupton to tell him what he heard. Barnes wants to leave, especially after learning that the spider isn’t currently there. Lupton goes into a spiel about how he gave his company twenty-five years, but when the company was changed, he was thrown out. He tells Barnes that he came there for power, not peace of mind, and he’s not going to leave now that he has a chance to get it.

The spider eavesdrops on The Doctor’s conversation with Cho-Je.

While Lupton and Barnes talk, Tommy reaches in through an open window and steals the blue crystal. He takes it to his room under the stairs and puts it in his box of baubles. His “pretties”.

The spider returns to Lupton’s room, telling him to expect a visit from Cho-Je who will want him to speak to The Doctor. Lupton says he will not talk to The Doctor, but the spider uses their link to twist his mind, causing him pain. Lupton reverses it on the spider – seems he’s a rather quick learner.

Lupton and the spider make their plans to help each other – power for Lupton on Earth, and for the spider on Metebelis Three. They merge again and then realise that the crystal is gone.

Tommy calls over Sarah; he wants to give her a present and leads her off.

Cho-Je continues to utter rather silly zen things.

Barnes and Lupton argue over the crystal’s whereabouts. Lupton tells the spider they’re going to bluff the queen, but the spider says it will never work.

Tommy leads Sarah to his access beneath the stairs. He goes in, telling her to wait, and she overhears Lupton talking about going to their ritual area by himself. Moss, sent to bring Lupton to The Doctor, arrives but Lupton says to tell him that he couldn’t find Lupton. Lupton and Barnes depart for their rooms.

When Tommy returns with his box of pretties (including the crystal, which I bet is the present he wants to give her), Sarah Jane is dismissive to him, almost rude. She asks him politely to go tell Yates that she’s going after Lupton to the cellar.

As she leaves, Tommy holds out the crystal, saying it’s her present, but she doesn’t look. She goes down below, hiding before Lupton can come down with his mat and cushion from his room.

In the cellar, Sarah Jane watches as Lupton disappears into thin air while chanting. She runs over and steps on the mat, and cannot move from it.

The Doctor runs down and yells at her to get off it. As he runs to her, she disappears, appearing on Metebelis Three. She sees Lupton in the distance and follows him, hiding behind rocks. A pair of hands grab her from behind.

The Doctor tells Mike he’s going to Metebelis Three after Sarah Jane. When talking about the TARDIS, Mike says, “You talk about it as if it’s alive.”

The Doctor smiles, “Yes, I do, don’t I?”

On Metebelis Three, Sarah is brought to a village of humanoids. She’s accused of being a spy by the man who caught her. They argue amongst themselves, some wanting to kill her, others not.

Hearing the queen of the spiders’ retinue, the villagers hide Sarah. The queen is brought on a cushion bore by “two-legs”. One of them speaks of an assault by Arak on another. If Arak does not surrender himself, they will take one male from each family as punishment. Arak is one of the ones hiding Sarah Jane.

Arak’s father, Sabor, comes forth to explain why Arak struck the guard. Sabor lies and says that he helped his son escape to the hills. The queen says that Sabor will take his place. When Sabor’s wife comes forth, she is struck down, but Sarah Jane is being a busybody, watching through an open door and the queen sees her. Sarah Jane surrenders herself to protect Arak.

The Doctor arrives on Metebelis Three, appearing in the village just as Sarah Jane is being taken by the queen’s guards. The queen says they both will be taken in for questioning, but The Doctor fights her guards. One of them blasts The Doctor with the blue lightning and he falls at the TARDIS, reaching for the door… and the credits roll.

That’s a most excellent cliffhanger, and one we’ll leave you with until Friday.

Interesting note – one of the spider voices is done by Kismet Delgado, the widow of Roger Delgado, The Master.  

Serial 71 – Invasion of the Dinosaurs 2/2

We’re mid serial, so it’s time for a spoiler warning.

 

Episode 4:

General Finch storms in, demanding an explanation about “this latest fiasco” from the Brig. The Doctor tells Finch that there was sabotage, much to the displeasure of Captain Yates, who, after The Doctor and the Brig step out, confronts Finch about his agreeing to sabotage The Doctor’s machinery, but not agreeing to murder – seems Finch is, after all, a part of their little conspiracy!

The Doctor checks out his “new car”, a hovercraft looking thing – horribly silly looking, honestly. Bring back Bessie! He goes for a ride, with his portable tracking device on board.

Sarah Jane, on the “spaceship” (I’m guessing it’s a big farce) is greeted by others, who introduce themselves as “the Elders”. She recognises them, a novelist, an anti-pollutionist activist and the man who first woke her up is an athlete.

They tell her they’re on a ship on the way to “New Earth”, a simpler world, unspoiled by man’s technology. They explain there are over two hundred sleepers on the ship – Sarah Jane was the first to awaken of the sleepers… and there are other ships as well, seven in all, on their three month journey. (Yeah, totally a sham.)

The Doctor follows his device’s readings down below the streets of London; he hides as labcoat blondie accesses a lift hidden as a wardrobe closet. When the lift comes back down, The Doctor takes it back up.

Labcoat blondie reports to Professor Whitaker, but notices the blue lift is in operation from a flashing signal on a map. The Doctor exits the blue lift and wanders down the hallway.

On the security screen, blondie and Whitaker watch him as he makes his way to the reactor powering the facility. A metal door slides down, blocking him off at one point, then another behind him as he passes along another hallway. Penned in eventually, he has no choice but to enter the lift again.

Whitaker operates his device, finding a pterodactyl on the viewscreen, then using the device to pull the creature out of the past, depositing it at the exit of the lift. It attacks The Doctor, who fights it back with a mop from the lift. He manages to escape back up the stairs to the street level.

Sarah Jane debates the way things “were” on Earth – the Elders talk about how bad things were, but Sarah Jane speaks up for the good things. Her talk is very disturbing to the Elders. They decide that she has to be “re-educated”.

The Brig and The Doctor return to the location in a jeep. (No soldiers with? Really?) They go down the steps to the Underground location, but when he shows him the lift, it really just seems to be an actual mop room.

They go to Grover’s office and he pretends there’s no such place, that when Sarah Jane came, she found the file showed the project was abandoned. Grover calls in his chauffeur who claims he took her back to UNIT HQ.

Sarah Jane is subjected to video documentary about the horrors of what man did to the Earth. She’s given a sparse meal of bread, with the promise of better food when she learns her lesson.

The Elders discuss having Sarah Jane killed if she “doesn’t respond to re-education”.

Professor Whitaker, Captain Yates, General Finch and Minister Grover have a pow wow in the lab. They talk of the “colonists” on their spaceship. Whitaker says in a matter of hours they’ll be ready to start the countdown. They discuss discrediting The Doctor as a way to neutralise him.

The Doctor and the Brig argue over what to do. The Doctor feels Grover is part of whatever is going on. After the Brig leaves, The Doctor receives a call from Professor Whitaker. Whitaker says that he’s been tricked into working for Grover, he thought he was working for the government. He makes arrangements for The Doctor to come to the hangar where the t-rex was held, but to come alone.

When The Doctor arrives, they beam in a stegosaurus. Moments later, General Finch, leading the Brig and soldiers, walks in, saying The Doctor is “the monster maker, caught in the act,”… and the credits roll.

Oh, really, if the Brig buys into this, I’m gonna call bullpucky.

 

 

Episode 5:

The Brig tells The Doctor that he’s under arrest.

Sarah Jane is still subected to more of the propaganda. The athlete, Mark, comes in to warn her about the Elders’ plans for her if she doesn’t get in line. Suddenly, the gravity of her situation becomes obvious, and she plays the role of penitent, using it to distract Mark, elbow him in the gut and escape the room.

The Doctor is brought in; General Finch insists that The Doctor is to be locked up and not to be interrogated until later. He insists that the Brig accompany him when he reports to Grover.

Captain Yates ignores The Doctor’s appeal for assistance, ordering Benton to lock him up and not let him talk to anyone. The Doctor realises that Mike was the mole in the operation the entire time. When Yates leaves, Benton sends the two soldiers to fix up a room as a temporary cell. With them gone, Benton asks The Doctor what’s going on.

See, this is why I love Benton. He’s a simple, straightforward guy. He’s a good egg. He’s a loyal soldier, but he knows right from wrong. The Doctor tells him that Yates is the man working against them, and though he doesn’t want to believe it, he knows he can trust The Doctor.

Ah, man… I just stood up and applauded Benton. Had to stop the playback and rewind and watch it again. Benton listens to The Doctor’s story and says, “Right then, Doctor, you’d better get busy.” When The Doctor looks at him, puzzled, he explains, “You’d better start overpowering me, hadn’t you?”

He allows The Doctor to knock him out with his Venusian karate, using a nerve pinch. The good Sgt drops like a rock and The Doctor takes off.

Grover returns to the lab to tell Whitaker and blondie that The Doctor is under lock and key. He says it doesn’t matter how long they’ll keep The Doctor locked up, as “Soon, The Doctor and his associates and everyone on this planet, except for our chosen group, will never have existed.”

Wow, that’s pretty heinous and massive!

Whitaker uses the time field to demonstrate how it can reverse time and we see a cup smashed by blondie leap back up into his hand. They seem well to small in scope to do what they’re planning, though… I would think demonstrations like this would have been done months ago.

Sarah Jane sneaks about the “spaceship”, accessing a control room, and flipping a switch, but nothing happens. She starts randomly punching buttons, but again, nothing happens.

She goes back and finds Mark, and when he grabs her, she begs him to listen.

General Finch tells Benton he’ll be court-martialed. Yates seems very uncomfortable about the whole situation. Finch orders Benton to be placed under arrest and leaves, with Yates in tow. The Brigadier asks Benton where The Doctor has gone off to, Benton says he believes he went to “that underground place”.

The Brig tells Benton to ready the men, they have to get there and find him before Finch and his men do – Finch has said The Doctor is to be shot on sight.

Sarah Jane argues with Mark, trying to show him some proof that all of this is a fake. Finally, she realises that she has to go to extreme measures, and goes through the airlock as he watches.

One of the Elders talks of talking to her, but Mark tries to dissuade him. It doesn’t seem it’s going to work.

The Doctor drives about London, trying to avoid military patrols, on his way to the underground lair. He is pursued and has to hide his jeep in a dilapidated warehouse until his pursuers pass by.

Sarah has left the “spaceship” and finds the laboratory. She overhears Whitaker and blondie talk (argue, really) about checking the reactor power levels. Poking about, she finds the lift and triggers the door. She finds herself back in the “file room” lift that leads to Grover’s office and slips out.

A helicopter flies over The Doctor and radios his activity to a patrol in a jeep. They get on his tail quickly and pursue. They find his jeep, but he’s nowhere in sight. The four soldiers get out and begin to search the woods, while The Doctor watches from hiding.

He grabs their jeep and calls in to the helicopter, pretending to be one of the patrol. He tells them they’ve caught their prey and are bringing him in. The ‘copter pilot says he’ll call off the other patrols. The Doctor drives off as one of the patrol men returns and fires on his jeep. Hopping in the other jeep, the soldier finds that the engine won’t start.

Sarah Jane argues with a guard at the school room over her not having a pass, over The Doctor being responsible for the monsters. General Finch shows up and Sarah Jane says she’ll tell him everything, as she knows what’s going on. Finch dismisses the guard and Sarah Jane tells him Minister Grover is behind it all. He plays skeptical but says they must go and investigate.

They arrive at Grover’s office and she leads him to the file room. After she activates the lift, Finch pulls out his gun and takes her prisoner and leads her to the lab room where Grover and Whitaker are. Grover gives Finch orders to withdrawl all the soldiers, including UNIT and the general leaves Sarah Jane with Grover.

Grover explains what they’re doing, that they’re going to “roll back time”.

In an attempt to drive out the last remnants of people in London, Whitaker brings in a bevy of dinosaurs all over London. The Doctor is forced to stop his jeep when a t-rex appears just in front of him… and the credits roll.

 

 

Episode 6:

I’m enjoying this immensely, but like many of the earlier serials, I think some tighter writing/editing, cutting out one episode, would make for a better story.

The appearance of the dino has killed the engine of the jeep The Doctor was driving and he’s forced to leave it. The t-rex and another dino get into a fight. It’s really, really bad puppetry/animation. Laughably bad. Ouch.

As The Doctor runs off, he comes across a jeep with Finch and two guards in it. Just then, the Brig and Benton come up behind The Doctor, claiming The Doctor as their prisoner (since Finch had, in fact, turned The Doctor over to UNIT earlier, the Brig is 100% correct.) Reluctantly, especially after Benton points a gun at them, Finch agrees and leaves.

Sarah Jane is thrown in a store room by blondie, who tells her she’ll be coming with them when it’s time to go.

The Brig, Benton and The Doctor return to the school room base to learn that the troops have been ordered by Finch to evacuate. The Doctor explains that Finch is part of it, along with Grover. The Doctor and Benton also try to convince the Brig that Yates is as well.

The Doctor finds a note from Sarah, saying she has proof Grover is behind it all. The duty private says she left the note “very early this morning” and left with General Finch. (The timing and pacing of these episodes is always uneven.)

The Brig says he’s going to contact Geneva, but The Doctor says there’s no time for that. When Benton gets Geneva on, the Brig is handed the phone but Yates comes in with a gun, stopping them.

Sarah Jane struggles and removes vent grill from a duct and climbs in.

Mike explains Whitaker’s plans. Mike seems willing to not exist, should they not be within the protective field – the base is on the edge of the expected field of protection from the time roll back. When the duty private comes back with tea, Mike is distracted and Benton kicks his gun away and grapples him.

On the spaceship, the Elders and Mark are waking up others, when Sarah Jane sneaks back on. She explains to Mark what’s going on.

The Doctor and the Brig head off to the tube station; Benton is staying behind to rendezvous with any remaining patrols and then bringing back up to help.

Sarah Jane and Mark try to convince the Elders and the awakening “colonists” the truth of things. However, they won’t listen and drag her and Mark away. Adam, one of the Elders seems to see some truth in their words. He begins fiddling with the controls, contacts spaceship one, asking to speak to Charles Grover.

The Doctor and the Brig head towards their destination, at one point driving the jeep under a brontosaurus. They arrive at their destination, to find a stegosaurus outside the entrance and have to scare it off with explosives.

On the spaceship, Charles Grover boards, having come over by shuttlecraft. He goes through the process of pressurising the air lock before entering. Then he takes off his space suit and asks Adam what the problem is.

The Doctor and the Brig make their way into the tube station.

In the “reminder room”, Grover confronts Sarah Jane and Mark, as Adam (the Elder) listens in from outside.

A triceratops comes near where The Doctor and the Brig are and Lethbridge-Stewart lights a flare to try to scare it off. The Doctor wires up some explosives while the Brig holds it off.

Adam frees Sarah Jane and Mark.

The Doctor blows the explosives, blowing a hole in the mop room, exposing the lift shaft. (Surely those below would have heard/felt the explosion?) The Doctor readies to scale down while the Brig goes back to the jeep to call in to Benton.

However, Finch has Benton at gun point. Benton makes a grab for the gun and the men struggle.

Sarah Jane shows everyone by exiting through the air lock that they’re not on a ship.

The Doctor has gained access to the bunker and takes out blondie with his Venusian karate.

Whitaker and Grover discuss Finch not being present; Whitaker says the timing is crucial they can’t wait. Grover says he must be on his way and should be in the protective area. As Whitaker moves to start things, the “colonists” arrive and Mark grabs him. Grover appeals to them to let go ahead. As he gives his speech, The Doctor, then shortly after, the Brig and his troops, arrive.

In the distraction, Whitaker grabs the lever and pulls it. The time effect begins, but The Doctor manages to move through the field and return the lever upwards, stopping it. He starts flipping other switches and toggles, but Grover leaps forward, grabbing the lever again. Whitaker tries to stop him, saying, “No! He’s reversed the polarity,” and as the two men struggle, Grover gets the lever down and both of them and the computer bank are sent back into the past.

The Doctor explains that because he was a Time Lord, he was able to move when nobody else could, saving the day. We get a pretty little speech from The Doctor about pollution (the moral of the story, I guess.) The Brig says he has to write a deposition for General Finch’s court-martial, and Benton asks about Captain Yates.

The Brig says he put Yates on extended sick leave and he’s been given the chance to resign quietly. “The best I could do,” the Brig says, somewhat disappointed.

As the Brig walks off, calling for Benton to follow, Benton leans over the table to address The Doctor and Sarah Jane. “Still, I’ll say one thing, not many Sergeants get the chance to punch a General on the nose!” They laugh, but when Benton turns, the Brig is standing right there.

“Just don’t make a habit of it, Benton,” the Brig says as the two soldiers depart.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane banter about the TARDIS; she says it’ll be a long while before she gets in, but The Doctor gives her a speech about a planet named Florana, one of the most beautiful planets in the universe. She keeps saying no, he keeps doing the hard sell… and the final credits roll.

A fun serial, again, could have used some tighter writing/editing. Shame about Captain Yates (I knew he ended up being a bit of a traitor, but never knew the specifics about it.)  

Serial 71 – Invasion of the Dinosaurs 1/2

Another serial I’ve not seen before/know nothing about. Looking forward to it!

Episode 1:

We open on what appears to be modern day London, the River Thames. But the streets are empty, devoid of people! London has become a ghost town. A few dogs roam the streets, picking through trash, but that’s it.

The TARDIS materialises in a park and Sarah Jane and The Doctor exit. Sarah seems uncertain that they’re in the right time period – she’s very suspicious of his getting her back to the right time and place, which suggests of some other adventures between THE TIME WARRIOR and now.

They find a telephone booth, but the line is dead. They decide to try catching a bus at the nearby stop.

A man carrying a duffel bag departs a building, looking about. Seeing the coast is clear, he starts descending the flights of metal stairs (it’s like a factory or warehouse), but lays down on one landing when he hears a jeep approaching. Soldiers in the jeep drive by, not seeing him and once they pass, he hurries down to his car, parked around the corner. He gets in and drives off.

Waiting at the bus station, The Doctor remarks there are no vehicles, pedestrians, bikers. They set off walking as a car comes down the road; they step out, trying to flag him down (seems to be the man we saw leaving the warehouse) and he almost runs them over.

He pulls up to a storefront, looking about, before grabbing the duffel bag and running it over to one of the storefronts.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane come down the street, as if following his car. They find it parked out front, door open. The Doctor sees an open door and enters, but the man has a gun pointed at them. He leaves them there, driving off, telling them to find their own places.

Sarah Jane tries calling the police, but there’s no answer.

Outside, they hear a car crash and a strange roaring. They dash out and down the street, to find the man dead, and his car totaled.

UNIT troops are in a room with a map of London, tracking sightings of something. The Brig is on the phone and Sgt Benton moves a push pin on a map to indicate the latest sighting. Captain Yates reports to the Brig about the looters becoming more organised, but the Brig is more concerned about the sightings.

At the police station, The Doctor and Sarah Jane try to get it, but it’s locked up. They have the looter’s duffel bag with them. They hear a vehicle and see a jeep roll by, but hear it slow down out of sight. They hurry to find it, but it’s already backed into a garage by time they get there.

Entering the garage, The Doctor calls out, “Hello,” and further in, we see the men scatter and hide. The Doctor encounters one of them and fights, but is attacked from behind. The men rush off after they hear the sound of automatic fire.

As The Doctor and Sarah Jane try to open the garage door, to drive the jeep they heard earlier, a pterodactyl flies down into the garage and attacks. They manage to get into the jeep and drive through the door to escape.

The Brig argues with a superior officer over firing on looters; the Brig feels it is wrong for his men to fire weapons at civilians. Talk of The Doctor comes up – the Brig is waiting for him to show up, any day now. The general(?) gives the Brig extra men for patrols, but with the caveat that any looters who do not surrender immediately will be shot.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane encounter a patrol who fire into the air and demand they raise their hands. They comply and are searched while the vehicle is searched and the loot is found inside. The Doctor realises there’s no point in arguing.

They’re brought into the processing location and are taken for mug shots. They seem to think it’s a big lark. One of their fellow captives tells them the military are in charge because of “the monsters”.

A tyrannosaurus rex burst through a building as army troops fire upon it. Using grenades, they chase the dinosaur off. Back at UNIT HQ, upon hearing the report, during which the radio cuts out, the Brig and Benton discuss the issue with the radio and how it must be related to the dinosaurs.

Upon reviewing the latest batch of looters, Benton comes across the pictures of The Doctor and Sarah Jane. The Brig orders Benton to send someone.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane’s fellow prisoner tries to get them to make a break for it. The Doctor says thanks but no thanks. An officer shows up and a trial (for lack of a better word) is held for their fellow prisoner. He’s declared guilty (it’s really that simple) and sentenced to be locked up during the course of emergency, to be turned over to civil authorities after the emergency has ended.

Sarah Jane tries to tell the officer they didn’t steal the items, but since that was the same story the guy before them gave, he’s not remotely believing it (and likely one he’s heard a hundred times before.) The Doctor tries to explain that he’s an associate of the Brig, but again, the man doesn’t buy it (not that I expect he’s heard that one before.)

The officer sentences them to the same sentence as the previous man. The officer leaves and the other prisoner gives them the “I told you so” line. The Doctor is more interested in the man’s escape plan. They fake a fight until the guard comes over and The Doctor immobilises him. The other prisoner turns the gun on them, but The Doctor takes care of him and he and Sarah Jane run off.

However, as they find a jeep and try to find the keys, the soldiers arrive and take them prisoner again. As they’re being transported (in the very vehicle they were trying to steal), the truck comes to a sudden halt. Looking out, they see the tyrannosaur… and the credits roll.

Okay, the dinosaurs are kinda shoddy, but if you can look past that, it’s a pretty fun serial so far. London under seige, abandoned, and dinosaurs? Yes, please.

Episode 2:

The soldiers exit the jeep and open fire on the rex. Using the distraction, Sarah Jane and The Doctor (handcuffed to each other by one wrist) slip out the back and run off. They find shelter in someone’s workshop and The Doctor rummages about for a tool or something to free them of the handcuffs.

The soldiers return to the truck to discover their prisoners are gone.

As The Doctor and Sarah Jane talk, trying to figure out how the dinosaurs got there, they encounter a man who seems to be from King Richard’s time. He attacks and during the struggle, a strange effect envelops him and he disappears.

Soldiers arrive and The Doctor and Sarah Jane try to bar the door, but there’s nothing to do so with. The door opens and The Doctor moves to attack, but it’s the Brig! He’s oh-so-thrilled to see his scientific advisor.

Back at UNIT’s HQ, the Brig fills in The Doctor and Sarah Jane what’s been going on; it started shortly after they left in THE TIME WARRIOR. The temporary HQ appears to be in a class room, from the children’s artwork on the walls. The Brig informs them they’ve evacuated eight million people from London.

It turns out that not only are the dinosaurs appearing and ravaging the streets, but they are also disappearing. General Finch arrives, wanting to hear The Doctor’s answers for what’s going on. The general thinks that some mad scientist has been breeding dinosaurs and lost control of them.

A dinosaur has been spotted and the Brig and The Doctor go off to see it. It’s a stegosaurus! I love stegs!

Back at the HQ, Yates and Sarah Jane are talking. He’s summing up “that business in Wales” and needing a holiday for a bit (referring to the events in THE GREEN DEATH and the mind control he underwent). They discuss London without people – Sarah Jane is bothered by it, but Yates rather prefers it.

As the Brig and several soldiers are about to give The Doctor a hand in trying to catch the stegosaurus, there’s another time eddy and it disappears.

Back at the schoolroom, The Doctor argues with Finch and tells everyone that whomever is responsible is in central London, despite it being evacuated.

We see several men in lab coats (and one of them is Nyder from GENESIS OF THE DALEKS – I mentioned this back in DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS, where Peter Miles played Dr. Lawrence, the head of the nuclear facility in that serial. I can’t wait till GENESIS OF THE DALEKS, I’ve always considered that my favourite of the original run) discussing the next time transference.

They discuss keeping the authorities off balance – whatever they’re up to, it has more to do than with just bringing in dinosaurs.

There’s a bit of “comic relief” where The Doctor is trying to work quietly but everyone keeps bugging him. It’s kinda cute, mostly for Sarah Jane’s part, but in the end, is ruined by Pertwee’s googly eyes of frustration.

The lab coated men receive a visit from Mike Yates – seems he’s in league with them!

Sir Charles Grover, the Minister with Special Powers (what about one with Super Powers, that’d be cool) arrives at the military HQ. The Doctor is still working on a device to KO a dinosaur. The Doctor recognises Grover as a staunch anti-pollutionist, and a man whose work he admires.

The main lab coat (Nyder’s actor, they haven’t named him in story yet) isn’t impressed with Yates’ opinion of The Doctor’s threat to their operation. His associate says if Yates is right, “Operation Golden Age” could be at risk, all their plans would be for naught. They tells Yates to deal with The Doctor, but he says he won’t harm him, nor allow any harm to be done. “If we descend to that sort of thing, we’re no better than the society we intend to replace,” he tells them.

It seems Mike is definitely in cahoots; he doesn’t seem blackmailed or under control. This is shocking to me, as I rather like Yates.

The Doctor tells Grover that he suspects the dinosaurs are merely being used to clear out central London for some greater purpose. A brontosaurus has been spotted, and the Brig, The Doctor and Benton go off to try out The Doctor’s stun gun. Grover is left behind and he has an odd look on his face (from his politics and ecological view point, I wonder if he’s part of the plan with the scientists and Yates.)

Lab coat boss guy gives Yates a small device to put on the stun gun, which will disable it.

At the location with the brontosaurus, they prepare to use the stun gun. Yates has arrived on scene and fetches the gun for him, placing the device given to him on it. He gives it to The Doctor who approaches the dinosaur and takes aim. He seems to have issues working the gun and the brontosaurus disappears in a time eddy.

Suddenly, behind The Doctor, a tyrannosaurus appears! The Brig orders for his men to fire… and the credits roll.

That’s a pretty good cliffhanger there!

Episode 3:

The troops fire on the t-rex, and the blast stuns The Doctor. Afraid for The Doctor’s safety, Yates rushes in, removes the disabling device, and uses the gun to stun the t-rex.

Later, Yates confronts the lab coats, accusing them of intentionally bringing in the t-rex, knowing it would kill The Doctor. He asks them permission to tell The Doctor what is going on. They say no and say he must go back and sabotage The Doctor’s instruments so he can’t track them.

After he leaves, the lab coats discuss Yates’ loyalty, fearing he’s too concerned with “this precious Doctor of his”.

The t-rex has been brought back to a warehouse, where it has been chained down. The Doctor says they must wait for the temporal energy to fade, upon which the dino will return to its proper time and he can trace the energy.

Sarah Jane says she’s been doing research into time travel experts and a man named Whitaker seems to be the leading scientist in the field. The Brig recognises his name and Sarah Jane says he’s disappeared about six months ago, after being refused government funding.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane catch a ride with the Brig back to the temporary UNIT HQ; The Doctor needs to get some equipment from the TARDIS, which has been brought back there. Once there, Minister Grover tries to put off any suspicion about Whitaker, saying he’s just a harmless crank.

General Finch is the only person who seems interested in Sarah Jane’s theory about Whitaker. When she complains about not being allowed to take pictures of the dinosaur, Finch gives her a note to take to his driver, saying he’ll take her to his HQ where she can get a special pass allowing her to photograph the dino.

After consulting with Grover, The Doctor and the Brig return, to find Sarah Jane gone. The Brig discovers that she left in the general’s car.

Sarah Jane returns to the warehouse, with her camera, so one assumes she got her pass. She begins photographing it and the flash starts to waken the sleeping dino. It begins to rise and Sarah Jane runs out, but cannot get past the office door, as it is locked. As she tries to get out, the dino’s tail starts smashing everything, knocking a piece of the wall down onto Sarah Jane. (Seems to me this would have been a great cliffhanger to end an episode on.)

The Doctor arrives in the nick of time to save her and they run out. The t-rex breaks through the warehouse wall as they drive off.

Back at the school room, Sarah Jane is being tended to by The Doctor. She says she was locked in on purpose, someone tried to kill her. Benton shows the Brig one of the chains – it was cut through. He says they were all like that. The Doctor’s machinery was sabotaged, as well.

Sarah Jane wants to track the power source and corrals Sgt Benton into assisting her. She goes to visit Minister Grover. He takes her into a file room and there’s a sinister air. He plays along with her and they find records of an underground bunker, built under that very building! It turns out that the file room is an elevator and has taken them below to the very bunker.

Benton tells The Doctor that Sarah Jane has gone out; The Doctor finds her behavior baffling.

Minister Grover and one of the lab coats (not Whitaker) leave Sarah Jane in a room, saying they won’t find her where she’s going. Lights begin to flash in the room and there’s a strange alarm-like sound. She begins to react adversely to the lights, entering an almost trance-like state.

She wakes on her back on a bed in a futuristic chamber. A man looms over her, welcoming her, talking about being on a spaceship heading to the planet that will be their new home. Looking out a window (or on a viewscreen perhaps) she sees outer space. The man says, “We left Earth three months ago,”… and the credits roll.

Okay, that’s a much better cliffhanger than the dinosaur bit. Wow. And that’s the cliffhanger you guys are going to get until Thursday!

See you then!

Episode 69 – The Green Death 2/2

Maggot spoilers!!!

Episode 4:

Perhaps I missed it last night, but the maggot that is stalking Jo breaks out of the egg that she and The Doctor brought back (I had wondered where it came from.) It inches through the house into the room where Jo is seated on the floor reading.

Hinks is outside a window, and opens it, slipping in to the room behind Jo. He doesn’t see the maggot until it is too late and it leaps up and bites him on the arm. It inches away as Hinks falls and screams, rousing the others, who come running.

The Doctor collects a sample of the green slime to analyse.

UNIT has arrived at the pit, Benton and soldiers running about, unloading all sorts of explosives.

The Doctor and Professor Jones work on the sample; when exposing it to human mucous membrane cells, the green ichor attacks and transforms the human cells into cells like itself.

When The Doctor finds out the Brig plans to blow up and seal the mine, he asks for time, and the Brig gives him thirty-two and a half minutes. The Doctor goes to speak to Stevens, asking him to rescind the order to seal the mine.

Stevens refuses and brings in a man from the Ministry department – Mister Yates – yes, Captain Yates!

As The Doctor argues with Yates, who pleads the old “orders” bit, the Brig has the mine blown. Upon hearing the explosion, The Doctor tells Yates that this could be the worst day mankind has ever seen.

After The Doctor is dismissed and Yates is taken off to the executive suite, the computer taunts Stevens, saying it is not safe to allow outsiders to do their work. The computer says that D-Day is approaching.

The Brig explains that he had Yates assigned as the Ministry representative, to have an inside man. The Brig is no more fond of Stevens than The Doctor is.

A cleaning lady lets herself into the chamber Fell and Elgin were arguing in, where The Doctor and Jo escaped the pipe, and sees maggots in the pipe chamber. She finds Elgin and cues him in.

Benton patrols the various UNIT guards on duty, checking in on one. A maggot burrows out of the ground at the man’s feet and hisses at the soldier.

Elgin argues with Stevens, who still refuses to believe in the existence of the maggots (or at least pretends so.) Then, mid breath, Stevens seems to change to “oh, I’m not disputing it, just not concerned” (not an exact quote.) When Elgin tries to leave, saying he’s going to find someone who will do something, Stevens locks the door from the desk and tells Elgin to come sit down near the computer.

Elgin refuses and Stevens presses a button; there’s a high-pitched shrill whine and Elgin holds his hands to his head in pain. Stevens tells him to sit down and Elgin listens, obediently. Stevens gets the funky headset out.

Maggots are all over the hillside. UNIT soldiers fire on them but seem to be really bad shots. The Brig fires his pistol, but the bullets bounce off. One of the UNIT boys uses an automatic rifle, also to no avail. Even insecticides don’t work.

The Doctor says that the only solution is a “biological counterstrike”. He says Jones is working on something. The Doctor says they need to get a sample of the waste from GC.

The Brig rings Mister Yates, who can’t speak plainly as he has a GC guard with him at most times. He manages to inform the Brig that he cannot help them get a sample directly, but might be able to assist The Doctor, should he find a way in.

The Doctor disguises himself as a dairy/milk delivery man, pretending to be the dad of the regular guy.

Jo is having fun assisting Professor Jones until she spills some samples and he gets rather brusque with her.

The Doctor gets inside the GC complex but an alarm is sounded and it is announced over the PA that he’s been found out. Oh very efficient, that.

Yates gives his escort the slip when he sees The Doctor, dressed as a washing lady. Yes, you read that right.

Jo goes wandering, hoping to find a maggot for Professor Jones. Benton, driving in a truck, stops and warns her off, but she doesn’t listen.

Yates lets The Doctor know where the formula is being kept, but before they can talk much longer, Stevens and Yates’ escort guard arrive. Nobody realises The Doctor isn’t the regular cleaning lady. This is high comedic entertainment here, folks.

Professor Jones realises that the dried mushroom extract that accidentally got spilled on the slime is the cure. Of course. THEN he realises that Jo is gone. Of course. He reads the note she left him and realises she’s off maggot-hunting and he dashes off.

The Doctor, back in his usual garb, accesses the private lift, using his sonic screwdriver.

The Brig tells Benton that the RAF is flying in with a HE grenade strike in seven minutes.

The Doctor finds a massive computer room, filled with various computer consoles and banks. The computer voice speaks to him and reveals that it is the boss and is “the computer”. The Doctor looks around, rather alarmed… and the credits roll.

Okay, I guess forty years ago that might have been a shock, but I took it from the get go that it was a computer running things.

 

Episode 5:

Jones shows up where the UNIT troops wait for the RAF strike. He sees Jo moving into the strike zone and follows, unaware of the impending strike.

The Doctor and the BOSS (acronym to be explained when it happens in story) banter, trading barbs and the such. BOSS is aware of The Doctor, having accessed his files at UNIT. When The Doctor asks BOSS what he is, he says he is the first Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor. (Told you we’d explain it.)

BOSS says that the secret to the human creative spark is inefficient and he programmed Stevens to program it to be inefficient and thus have the human spark. BOSS is programmed to make profit for GC and nothing will stand in its way.

Jones find Jo and hustles her away from some maggots that cornered her. They try to get out of the strike zone, but the RAF helicopter is given the all-clear to start dropping the HE grenades and they must take shelter in a mine shaft.

When BOSS says it is infallible, The Doctor gives it a riddle. The riddle seems to get the best of BOSS and when The Doctor makes his pithy departure, the private lift has Stevens and two guards in it, awaiting him.

During the bombing run, Jones is knocked unconscious.

Not all the maggots were destroyed by the grenade run.

The Doctor is sitting, wearing the funky headset. He seems to resist the programming, running sums in his head to fight off the brainwashing.

Jo tries to wake Professor Jones, to no avail.

BOSS has a temper and The Doctor is playing the computer like a cheap violin. When BOSS gets too pissed, it orders for The Doctor to be killed, but The Doctor suggests that killing him will be getting rid of a powerful bargaining chip.

Jo tries to repair her radio that was damaged during the bombing. Outside, maggots are getting closer to their hiding place.

The Doctor is placed in a room for holding, and shortly thereafter, Yates frees him. They try to sneak out, but are spotted on camera and an alarm is sounded. Again, over the general PA everything is announced. The Doctor escapes, but Yates is taken prisoner.

Jo finally gets her radio to work and contacts Benton as The Doctor drives up in Bessie. They drive to the strike zone and look for Jo, finding the cave she and Jones are sequestered in. They rescue Jones and Jo and bring them back to the commune.

Jones only partially wakes, mumbling, “Serendipity,” before passing out again. They see a glowing green spot on his neck!

The Doctor ponders what Jones meant by serendipity, ironically standing before the microscope which still has the slide Jones was looking out when he realised that his mushrooms would be the cure. Mike Yates suddenly appears from behind a desk (he was laying on the floor, apparently, which makes absolutely no sense.)

Yates tells The Doctor they let him go, but it’s obvious he’s been “processed”, especially after he pulls a gun on The Doctor. The Doctor tries to talk him out of it, even after the Brig walks in and starts barking orders.

The Doctor pulls out the blue crystal he took from Metebelis 3, and the stone and The Doctor’s voice begin overwhelming Yates’ programming.

Stevens talks to Mr. James, another GC associate who has been processed by the BOSS.

When Yates awakes, The Doctor tells him he needs to go back into GC, as he has something he needs him to do.

Stevens and BOSS go over “slave unit” numbers in major cities across the world. Seems they have a great number of slave units prepared. Yates arrives, informing them that The Doctor is dead.

Jones is suffering; Jo is very worried about him and The Doctor realises that he means a lot to her.

Yates tries to dissuade Stevens from having Jo killed, but Stevens seems to find Yates’ arguing suspect and has Mr James brought in to keep watch on Yates. Stevens leaves, and Yates uses the Metebelis crystal to free James. As he questions James on what is happening, James begins to talk about a takeover at four pm, but Stevens arrives with two guards and uses the computer to stun/drop/kill James… and the credits roll.

 

Episode 6:

The Doctor works in Jones’ lab, trying to find a cure, still pondering what Jones meant by serendipity.

Benton brings in a maggot’s shell; it seems they’re beginning to change. The Doctor says the cure has to take a second place to stopping the creatures.

The maggot that killed Hinks shows up in the kitchen, but after it eats some of the fungus that they use for food, it dies. They quickly realise the fungus could be what they need.

BOSS is humming and singing while Stevens works on figures. BOSS inquires how Yates broke James’ programming. Stevens advocates for elimination, but BOSS says he will be used to test a new processing treatment instead.

Benton and The Doctor take Bessie out for a spin, throwing bits of the fungus out to the maggots, who greedily eat it and then begin dying off.

“It’s working, I say it’s working. They’re dying like… well, like maggots!” – The Brigadier.

A giant fly watches Bessie drive by.

Professor Jones is very, very ill and Nancy and Jo all but sit by helplessly. Nancy is all zen, “The Doctor will help,” and Jo is all frantic, “even he doesn’t know what to do.”

Yates escapes Stevens and the guards as they take him for the new processing.

The giant fly… well, it looks more like a dragonfly… follows Bessie. There’s some really awesome (and by awesome I mean not) super-imposed images. The dragonfly thing squirts some of the green ichor at The Doctor, but fortunately Bessie’s windshield is in the way. The Doctor throws his cloak over the creature and it crashes to the ground.

Yates escapes Global Chemicals, dropping from the rooftop.

Jo tells The Doctor about her accident in the lab, spilling the dried fungal powder, and The Doctor realises that must be the cure. (Yay, about time.)

A maggot clean up is in process, when Yates arrives to tell the Brig about BOSS. We next see him at the “nut hutch” (Jones’ commune), telling The Doctor that something, but he’s not sure what, is going to happen at 4pm.

BOSS chastises Stevens in a most irrational fashion. Stevens reports that all slave units are ready to be activated. BOSS orders him to link him with all seven computers so the countdown to phase one can begin.

The Brig and The Doctor try to get in the gate at GC, but the guard won’t let them.

BOSS is acting very silly, talking about using the symphony orchestra to play during his triumph. (I guess this is supposed to be the funny part of the show.)

Stevens tries to get BOSS to stop acting childish; Stevens says that until all the links are established they are at their most vulnerable. Landline links are established, but radio links have not been made yet. This is really rather silly and not in remotely a good way.

Phase two begins, and Stevens puts on the funky headset, apparently to connect to BOSS.

A poultice of the fungus is applied to Jones’ neck and he comes to, recognising Nancy and Jo and starts kissing Jo’s hand. It’s really touching. Kinda.

The Brig and his boys wait at the gate; they have only six minutes left in the timeframe The Doctor gave them to wait before charging in to destroy the computer.

The Doctor finds Stevens in BOSS’ chamber. Stevens and BOSS seem one; Stevens’ mouth moves as BOSS speaks. The Doctor appeals to Stevens’ humanity, then pulls out the Metebelis sapphire, using it to deprogram him. Stevens breaks free and tells The Doctor to get out, quickly. He tells The Doctor that the whole place is going to go up in two minutes.

BOSS pleads for Stevens to stop what he’s doing as The Doctor rushes off to get out and make sure the others do, too.

Outside the gate, The Doctor grabs the guard and everyone takes cover just in time as the main building explodes.

Afterwards, Jones seems to be quite well. Jo tells The Doctor that she’s going to the Amazon with Professor Jones. In the course of explaining it, Jones mentions getting married, much to Jo’s surprise and delight.

The Doctor says he’ll come back and see them some time. He gives her the Metebelis sapphire as a “wedding present”. Everyone celebrates with drinks and gives speeches as The Doctor slips out alone. He drives off across the countryside… and the final credits roll.

A companion leaving is always bittersweet – happy for Jo to have found something greater, sad for The Doctor.

This serial really wasn’t one of the best – too much silliness in my opinion. The writing started well but once BOSS became the main focus it just devolved into too much of the silly. Also, what’s the point of having scientific characters if the day is saved by serendipity?

Ah, well.  

Serial 64 – The Time Monster 2/2

And, once more, it’s spoiler time.

Episode 4:

The convoy is hit by the bomb, though there are survivors. A local shows up, saying that’s the exact spot, more or less, where “that doodlebug fell, back in ’44”. I’m guessing that same bomber is the one The Master pulled out of time just now.

The Master celebrates his victory, telling that the TARDIS cannot be destroyed, but people can.

The Doctor, Brig and Jo tend to Yates as the UNIT boys try to free the TARDIS.

Benton gets word that Yates is okay (seems like there weren’t much casualties, just injuries) and then interrupts Stuart and Ingram arguing. Benton is so cool and he gets a great line when he gets off the radio and hears them arguing – “Hey, hey, is this is a private fight or can anyone join in?”

When Benton hears what Ingram wants to do (go to the lab and try to get The Master), he says it’s a good idea. When Stuart protests, Ingram makes a crack about men being spineless, and Stuart gets a great retort.

“Lovey, I’m not men. I’m Stuart Hyde, registered card-carrying, paid-up coward!” He finally agrees to go with them.

The Master and Krasis go inside The Master’s TARDIS, and we get the classic companion/associate line, slightly differently: “So vast a space inside so small a box!”

The Master’s TARDIS has a different console – instead of the crystal column in the center, it has a silver spinning column.

Jo tells The Doctor that the time sensor is picking up activity; The Doctor realises that it’s too low to be actual activity, so he deduces The Master has to power up before his TARDIS can take off. He tells the Brig that he’ll have to use his TARDIS there. He plans on using the time sensor to lock his TARDIS to The Master’s.

When Jo and The Doctor enter the TARDIS, Jo notes that the TARDIS looks different; he says it’s a “spot of redecoration” and then warns her what he’s doing is going to be dangerous. There’s a cute bit of banter/dialogue between The Doctor and his companion as he explains the risks and she says it’s her job to tag along.

Benton, Stu and Ingram skulk about the campus, approaching the building where the laboratory is located.

The Doctor talks about the TARDIS’ mood. Her refers to the TARDIS as a “her”.

As the the TARDIS “comes in for a landing”, The Master’s TARDIS appears inside The Doctor’s. When he steps out the door, he enters the console room of The Master’s – both TARDISes are inside each other.

The Master and Krasis are back in the laboratory. Krasis sees “alien warriors” – UNIT trucks rolling up to the campus, but The Master puts them in the time field, slowing them down. He tells Krasis to go in the TARDIS.

Just after the priest does so, Stu and Ingram burst in, distracting The Master, while Benton comes up from behind. The Master manages to slip past them and runs into his TARDIS, where he discovers The Doctor’s TARDIS is waiting. He laughs and activates his TARDIS.

Ingram and Stu watch as the computer bank disappears.

After a rough transit, The Master contacts The Doctor and Jo over the external sensor.

Stu and Ingram and Benton argue about switching off the machinery, after they see the Brig and troops are stuck in the time field. However, even with the machine off, they’re still stuck!

The Master and The Doctor banter and penis-wave at each other about who has whom trapped. The Master turns off the sound, telling Krasis that The Doctor cannot bear not to have the last word.

This is, of course, so very true.

The Doctor finally realises that The Master isn’t listening, but still wants to persuade him of the folly of his plan. The Doctor begins fiddling about with components.

Ingram says that TOMTIT must have created a permanent gap and she begins flipping circuitry in the hopes that it will do the trick. They run it up and back down, and it has no effect on the troops. Benton, who was standing nearby, is accidentally reverted into a baby.

The Master finds a way around the way The Doctor found around the lack of communication, forcing The Doctor to step out. He explains to Jo that the TARDISes are telepathic (I think this is the first time this is blatantly established, though it has been hinted at before.)

The Doctor steps out, where he is introduced to Krasis. “Any friend of The Master’s is an enemy of mine.”

The Doctor accuses The Master of being mad, paranoid. The Master’s reply is gold – “Who isn’t? The only difference is that I’m a little more honest than the rest.”

The Master unleashes Kronos, commanding him to devour The Doctor. The chronovore engulfs The Doctor and then The Master compels him back to the crystal. The Master tells Jo that The Doctor is the time vortex, trapped for all eternity.

The Master then says he is getting rid of Jo and The Doctor’s TARDIS; when Jo says she doesn’t care, just get it done with, The Master says, “Your wish is my command,” and presses a button. Jo is shown rocking back and forth and we hear the TARDIS dematerialise as The Master laughs… and the credits roll.

I’m not really sure this is a great cliffhanger. I think having it end where Kronos appeared would have been much better.

 

 

Episode 5:

The two TARDISes seperate in the time vortex. Jo, collapsed on the floor, wakes, hearing The Doctor, who is in the time vortex. The TARDIS is relaying his thoughts to her. He tells her that the TARDIS can help free him, and he directs her in what to do. She does so and he appears in the console room.

In ancient Atlantis, trumpeters sound their horns as the King and Queen enter the… throne room? Though I think it’s meant to be outside. One of his courtiers, Hippias, is instructed to speak plainly, and does so, criticising the king over the lack of crops.

The Master works out the exact landing coordinates, planning to arrive in the temple.

The king says he will speak plainly. He tells them that the power of Kronos was a curse, not a blessing. He says that with the good came much evil.

The Queen says she hears strange music – it is the warbling of the TARDIS, which appears, still a computer bank. The Master exits and says he is an emissary of the gods. Krasis steps out after him, testifying that he has seen Kronos. The king says the must speak privately with them and they leave, but The Queen and The Master make eyes at each other. She seems rather smitten.

The Doctor is again using the time sensor to follow The Master. They arrive at the temple, where Krasis awaits, with guards.

The Master tries to use his force of will on King Dalios, who is too strong and wise to succumb. He tells The Master that he knows he is no emissary and denies him the true crystal. He tells The Master, “When you find the true word to speak, I shall listen.”

The Master storms out, as The Doctor and Jo are brought to the king. The look of complete shock on The Master’s face is priceless.

The Doctor and Jo meet with the king. Jo is taken to meet the Queen while The Doctor and Dalios meet.

The Queen talks to her handmaiden; she seems quite smitten with The Master. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Hippias, who has brought Jo to her. The Queen has Jo taken to change her garb. It seems that Hippias was used by the Queen to make his challenge in open counsel today.

The king explains that they tried to destroy the crystal of Kronos, but it is indestructible. He asks The Doctor for help in saving Atlantis from destruction.

Meanwhile, the Queen has invited The Master to come to her, using the word “Kronos” to entice him to come.

Jo finds out that The Master is in counsel with the Queen and she endeavours to overhear their talk. She and the handmaiden hear the Queen tell The Master that Krasis has a key to where the true crystal is kept, but there’s a guardian.

The king tells The Doctor about the guardian – a minotaur (though the king knows not that name.) It seems that once, the minotaur was a man, a friend of the king’s. He was transformed by Kronos into the creature he is now.

Jo sees Krasis taking Hippias to where the crystal is, and she follows trying to stop them. Krasis throws her in the chamber, and we hear the roar of the creature… and the credits roll.

Definitely a better paced cliffhanger than last episode’s.

 

Episode 6:

The Queen’s handmaiden interrupts Dalios and The Doctor’s conference, telling them about Jo and Hippias and Krasis.

Jo runs from the minotaur.

The Doctor finds Krasis and takes the key.

Hippias challenges the minotaur as it chases Jo. The minotaur throws Hippias through tin foil, which is supposed to be a mirror or mirrored metal. No, really.

The Doctor plays matador with his jacket/cape. No, really. He sidesteps the minotaur when it charges, breaking down the wall to the crystal of Kronos (which doesn’t look that much bigger than the ‘shard’.)

After The Doctor says that the game is over, Krasis arrives to say that it has only begun. When The Doctor demands to be taken to the king, he is brought before The Master, who, along with the Queen, inform them that there has been a palace coup.

The Master foolishly pisses off the Queen, though, telling her to do as she is told, basically. Really rather stupid of him.

Locked in the dungeon, The Doctor relates a story from his childhood, about living on a mountain, and about a hermit who lived there, too. On the “blackest day” of his life, the young Doctor went to see the man, to seek his help during his black time. The story is rather daft and not worth repeating here.

The king is brought into the cell, all but thrown in there by the guard, not treated as honourably as said. The guard strikes down Dalios and they leave. Dalios says The Doctor is “the only one” to save Atlantis, and then dies.. or may just passes out, I’m not sure.

In the temple, court is held. Queen Galleia addresses the council, saying they no longer fret beneath the hand of an old king and introduces his holiness, the venerable Lord Master. The Doctor, tied near by, makes a snarky comment, but is yelled at to keep his tongue.

The Master promises that Kronos, the most terrible, will be brought before them. Jo and The Doctor tell the Queen that Dalios is dead, which she did not know. She demands to know if this is true, and The Master admits to this. She has the guards seize The Master, but Krasis throws the switch, and Kronos comes forth.

Everyone screams and runs. The Master realises that he cannot control Kronos and grabs the true crystal and runs for his TARDIS; Jo leaps on his back and is dragged in. The Doctor is freed and runs into his TARDIS, giving chase.

Atlantis is left to ruin after the destruction at the hands of Kronos.

The Master gloats, believing The Doctor dead in the rubble of Atlantis. As he rants and gloats, The Doctor contacts The Master’s TARDIS and threatens to “time ram” The Master’s TARDIS.

The Master calls The Doctor’s bluff. “Do you think I’m going to dance to The Doctor’s tune, like some performing poodle?” The Doctor can’t do it, but Jo reaches over and toggles a switch, forcing time ram?

There’s a… something. The two TARDISes arrive… nowhere? Nowhen? Jo wakes, The Master unconscious on the floor. She rushes out to The Doctor’s TARDIS and wakes him. She believes they’re all dead and in Heaven, “…or somewhere.”

The Doctor exits and says he doesn’t think they’re in Heaven. A woman’s face, larger than all of them, appears and speaks to them. She is Kronos. She says she was released from the crystal at the moment of impact and will grant them what they wish.

Jo says she wants to go home, The Doctor qualfies, “in the TARDIS,” and Kronos agrees. She says that The Master will stay and suffer torment for what she has suffered at his hands. The Master comes out, begging The Doctor for his help.

The Doctor asks Kronos to spare The Master, to free him. She does not understand, but agrees to it. The Doctor says that he is taking The Master back to Earth, but The Master manages to escape – Kronos does not stop him as The Doctor had asked for his freedom.

Stuart and Ingram run the TOMTIT again, freeing the Brig and troops from the time field. The Doctor and Jo arrive in the TARDIS as this happens, and the TOMTIT explodes. The Brig and crew burst in, demanding to know what’s going on and where Benton is, who stands up, having returned to his adult age, completely naked, asking if anyone will tell him what’s going on.

Everyone has a good laugh… and the credits roll.

A few too many silly plot devices and such for me to really have enjoyed this. Even with The Master, this one falls flat for me. It wasn’t bad, just not very good.  

Serial 64 – The Time Monster 1/2

Another six episode serial, two days of three a piece. Another one I don’t know the first thing about, so very excited.

Episode 1:

We open with what appears to be a dream sequence; first with start with explosions and lava, quite reminiscient of INFERNO. Then, in an ornate temple, The Doctor lays on a couch. He wakes and looks around and sees a glowing crystal artifact.

A giant form of The Master looms over him, up high, reaching towards him, shouting, “Welcome! Welcome to your new master,” and laughs then fades into mist. The Doctor wakes to find Jo shaking him, concerned about him. Spurred on by his dream, he asks Jo if there have been any earthquakes or volcanic activity. She chastises him for not listening to a story she had read him the night before.

The Master is seen handling a piece of crystal, much like the one from The Doctor’s dream. He’s in a lab, attended by two humans who know him as Professor Thascalos. He tells them he has to meet with some important people but gives them instructions go ahead with the experiment, saying a test run isn’t important.

Dr. Ingram, one of the people assisting him, gets very upset when he takes a patronising tone with her, but he apologises (although not horribly convincingly) before departing.

Jo gets Mike Yates to bring maps of the Greek isles. When Jo mentions Atlantis, The Doctor suddenly becomes urgently upset about things and calls the Brig to tell him about his dream.

At the Newton Institute (Cambridge), we see The Master walking to his meeting.

The Brig informs that Priority A-1 of UNIT’s standing orders is to keep an eye out for The Master. He tells The Doctor they need to go to the Newton Institute to observe the test run of TOMTIT (Transmission Of Matter Through Inter-stitial Time), a form of transmat, but The Doctor says he’s too busy. Benton gets drafted to assist the Brig in attending.

The Master is confronted by the director, who has determined that The Master is not who he claimed to be. The Master uses the force of his mind to force the man to do as he commands.

Dr. Ingram and the other guy are working with their equipment, running checks. She complains about not doing a test run, and he talks her into doing one.

The Doctor is working on a time sensor, a device to detect any time machines, TARDIS or otherwise. We see the scientists testing their machine and then, back at UNIT, the time sensor becomes active.

The Master, in the director’s office, notices the tolling of the clock tower is altered, and realises they must be testing the machine. He curses under his breath and rushes out.

In the lab, Stu (the male assistant) and Dr. Ingram dance around, celebrating, until The Master returns.

The Doctor tries to narrow down the location of the time activity, but isn’t able to. He and Jo head to Bessie, hoping to be mobile should it happen again.

The Master consults with Dr. Ingram over a power surge during the test run. He comes to a conclusion on what must be done and sets Ingram with instructions as Stu notes that the VIPs are arriving (he’s looking out the window.) When Stu mentions a UNIT jeep is part of the VIPs coming in, The Master is suitably concerned. He asks Dr. Ingram to go in his stead, claiming that he’s a pacifist and has no desire to be around the military men.

Benton and the Brig find a window washer (who had been watching the experiment through the window and fell) laying on the ground outside the Newton Institute.

The Doctor and Jo are driving in Bessie, when the device activates again. They narrow it down to a town, Wooten. Jo says that’s where the Brig went, and The Doctor worries that The Master might be behind TOMTIT. The Doctor drives quickly, hoping to get there before the 2pm demonstration.

The VIPs (professors, govt men and the Brig and Benton) are brought to the lab by Dr. Ingram, who wonders at the absence of the professor. Stuart says he was there a few minutes ago, but isn’t sure where he went off to. Dr. Ingram begins explaining to everyone the theories behind their machine.

The Doctor and Jo rush, pushing Bessie’s super-fast speed, but still have not arrived.

Professor Thascalos arrives in the lab, dressed in full radiation gear, obscuring his identity from the Brigadier and Benton. They begin the process, but this time, The Master increases the power, much to Ingram’s concern. Stuart says he’s getting too much power, but The Master ignores them, calling out, “Come, Kronos, come!”… and the credits roll.

The Master, pretending to be someone he’s not, meddling with time. You know it’s going to turn against him eventually, but it’s a great serial so far.

Episode 2:

Stuart clutches his head and collapses in the chamber. The Master seems to have disappeared when everyone was looking at Stuart. Ingram moves to the controls and starts flipping switches.

Bessie pulls up outside, but Jo is in a sort of trance-like state. He rushes out, almost in slow motion and enters the building, as The Master watches from a hiding spot.

The Doctor makes it into the lab and tells Ingram to reverse the temporal polarity! (Woo hoo, we’re reversing the polarity again!) After the levels are reduced, they go in to find that Stuart has been aged to a near terminal age.

When Dr. Ingram mentions the name of Professor Thascalos, The Doctor and Jo realise that ‘thascalos’ is Greek for ‘master’.

Stuart wakes, muttering about seeing seeing him, seeing Kronos, and then collapses. The Doctor seems to recognise the name and orders Dr. Ingram to come tell him about the machine; he says he has a job for the Brig and leaves Jo to watch over Stuart, with orders to ring him if he wakes and talks again.

The Brig calls in to Yates, telling him to bring a bunch of men and weaponry there, as soon as possible, as well as The Doctor’s TARDIS.

The govt man tells the director that there will be a Whitehall investigation. The Brig overhears this and asserts that there will be no such thing as he is taking over here as it is now a UNIT matter. The govt man takes off in a rush. The Brig approaches the director, informing him he wants the location evacuated by three o’clock.

The Doctor and Ingram arrive at the lab, where Benton is keeping watch. She shows him the crystal, which is, in fact, the one from his dream – the Crystal of Kronos. He explains to Ingram that he’s been outside of space-time, it’s a dangerous placed filled with chronovores, time eaters. Kronos is the most fearsome of the lot.

The director (Dr. Percival) returns to his office, to find The Master waiting for him.

The Doctor informs Ingram and Benton that The Master is trying to use the crystal to capture Kronos, which would be a threat to all of existence.

The Master, once more, forces his will into Percival’s mind. He tells the director to attend to his telephone while he tries to sort out why the massive power build up happened.

The Doctor realises that one of the computer banks in the lab is The Master’s TARDIS. As he works out some figures in his head, he comes to the same conclusion that The Master did – logically, that power build up should not have happened. (Both of them use the same quote in the seperate scenes.) The Doctor says that the only thing to do is switch on the apparatus and see what happens. (Because, that’s what I’d do with a machine that was trying to capture a chronovore and bring it to the space-time continuum.)

Benton is instructed to move the crystal, but he can’t. The Doctor realises that the crystal has swapped places with its self in ancient Atlantis.

We see a hazy view of Atlantis. We see a young boy run to a priest, telling him that the crystal is afire. The priest sees this and praises Kronos as another man looks on.

The phone rings in the lab, and Benton answers. Jo has called to let The Doctor know that Stuart has woken and is in a bit of a state. When he wakes, he discovers that he’s become old and is, obviously, quite upset. The Doctor and Ingram arrive and he describes what it felt like, what happened to him. He explains he “just knew” about Kronos.

Benton receives a call from the director, saying that the Brig wants him to lock up and come attend him. When Benton questions it, The Master orders the director to tell him to call another line. Benton hangs up and does so, and The Master answers, disguising his voice as the Brig’s, telling him to do exactly that.

They watch as Benton leaves, but he circles back, having left the window open, not trusting the phone call. He reenters the lab and waits, his gun at the ready. The Master and Percival enter and Benton steps out from his hiding spot, ordering them to put their hands in the air. However, The Master manages to overcome the sergeant.

Benton taken out, The Master tells Percival he’s bringing someone who can help him harness the power to take over the Earth.

Back in ancient Atlantis, we see the priest praying to Kronos, calling out for power and strength. The priest is surrounded in a nimbus of light and brought to the modern day… and the credits roll.

Episode 3:

The Master enters and greets Krasis, who introduces himself as high priest of the temple of Poseidon in Atlantis. The Master introduces himself as “The Master, Lord of Time and ruler of Kronos,” which offends the priest. The Master says that with the assistance of Krasis, they can bring Kronos there and get him to obey them.

Benton, who has recovered, escapes, but The Master says it is of no import. He gets Krasis to hand over the seal of of the high priest, from which The Master says he can figure out the formula to summon and bind Kronos.

Jo, Ingram, the Brig and The Doctor escort Stuart out to a waiting ambulance. Benton shows up to inform them that The Master has gained access to the laboratory.

The Master uses Krasis’ amulet to know the proper settings and adjusts the apparatus accordingly. He activates the machine, again calling out for Kronos to come. A winged human form appears, glowing white and absorbing Percival. The Master calls out that he is Kronos’ friend, but Krasis only carries on that Kronos is The Destroyer.

Holding forth Krasis’ amulet, The Master manages to get Kronos to calm down a little, and closes the door on him. (Okay, so the chronovore can eat time, but a simple door will keep him penned in?)

The Brig and others rush on, but are caught in a time field. The Doctor is able to rush in and bring them out one by one – he is not affected by the time effect. Stuart has become young again.

In the lab, Kronos flies around the one room as The Master reverses some interstitial effect or another. Kronos is forced into the crystal. The Master bullies Krasis into serving him, demanding to know why he could not control Kronos. Krasis says that the crystal The Master has is only a part of the true crystal of Kronos.

Back in time, in Atlantis, the young man who was watching has brought his King, telling him that Krasis and the crystal disappeared. The king fears that Kronos will return, and says the world is in great danger. He leads the young man down into lower levels of the temple. The king says that when he was a boy, some five centuries before, he saw the raising of the temple of Poseidon. He shows the youth the true crystal of Kronos, hidden in a secret lair.

He tells the youth that the crystal is guarded by a creature, half man, half beast, after they hear it roar.

Back at Stuart’s apartment, The Doctor asks for tea. The Brig gives him a hard time for this, but The Doctor goes on to explain the time slowing was a side effect of the apparatus creating a crack in time between the now and now.

The Master drains the temporal energy from the crystal, preparing it to be moved.

The Doctor works with a wine bottle and various household implements, creating a “time flow analog”, something that will somehow put a fly in the Master’s ointment, so to speak. The Doctor is disappointed that he doesn’t work, but when handed a cup of tea, realises tea leaves are the missing component. He places the drained cup atop his device and it works!

Just as The Master gets Krasis to believe the crystal is safe to touch, because of The Doctor’s device, it begins to glow. The Master runs some feedback through the TOMTIT apparatus, frying out The Doctor’s device. As he and Krasis begin to move the crystal, The Master overhears the UNIT troops coming in with The Doctor’s TARDIS.

He sets an ambush, bringing a knight on horseback out of time to charge the UNIT trucks. They move off the road, and end up stuck in the mud, and the knight disappears. As Yates orders his men to get the truck(s) out of the mud, they find themselves under attack by roundheads with a cannon.

The Doctor realises that The Master is using the crystal to bring them out of time. He, Jo and the Brig head off to help Yates and his men. The roundhead forces disappear and The Master brings in a B1 bomber from WW2. The convoy has freed itself from the mud and the Brig tries to radio Yates to warn him. The signal is weak and they see the convoy driving down the road, entering a wooded area. The plane drops a bomb and there’s an explosion from the woods… and the credits roll.

Great cliffhanger, that one. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what happens next!

Serial 60 – Day of the Daleks

The return of the Daleks to the Whoverse; Terry Nation had apparently tried to sell the Daleks as a property to American TV, but I guess it didn’t work out and he brought them back to Doctor Who, all the better for the show and the viewers. Looking forward to this one, have never seen it before, know nothing about it.

Episode 1:

In an ornate decorated house, a man stands at guard. A woman exits the room he’s by, instructing him to make sure that “no one disturbs him”. She walks away, and inside the room, we see an elderly man working at his desk. He takes off his spectacles and rubs his eyes. Through an open window, the wind blows. He walks over to the window, but a man in camouflage comes in, pointing a futuristic looking gun at him.

The man backs from the intruder, pleading, “No, no!” and stumbles back, falling down. The soldier points his gun, but there’s a vortex-ish effect and he disappears, much to the surprise of the elderly man. The woman bursts in, worried about Sir Reginald, and he tries to explain what happened.

The Brig receives a call from the Minister, who is contacting him in regards to Sir Reginald; the Brig says he’s putting his best man on it.

The Doctor and Jo stand at the TARDIS console, which is outside of the TARDIS again. He is working on trying to defeat the override on the dematerialisation circuit and crawls under the console to fiddle (oh no, not fiddling again) with something. While he’s down there, the french doors to the room open and The Doctor and Jo look in, as the Jo inside the room stares in shock. The Doctor tells Jo not to worry, and then her Doctor stands up and sees himself.

The newcomer Doctor has difficulty trying to explain it, but says it’s nothing to worry about. There’s a poof of smoke from the console and they disappear with it. Jo is confused and The Doctor is dismissive, saying when you tamper with time, odd things happen.

The Brig arrives to talk to him about Sir Reginald, who is the key diplomat at the UN, and is needed if there is any hope of getting China to attend the upcoming summit. The Brig tells The Doctor about Sir Reginald’s “ghost”.

In a field, we see the vortex-ish effect and the “ghost” appears. He dashes to hide in some overgrowth, then heads towards a house, but stops and turns and runs in fright. Two neanderthal-like men (dressed in non-neanderthal garb) attack him and leave him unconscious.

The Brig, The Doctor and Jo meet with Miss Paget, Sir Reginald’s assistant, in Sir Reg’s office. He walks in and tries to disclaim that anything happened, saying he must have been dreaming. The Doctor points out the muddy foot prints on the floor, saying someone was there.

UNIT troops search the grounds and find the “ghost”. The Doctor touches the man’s forehead and says “he’s in a bad way, you need to get him to the hospital”. The Brig notes that the man’s weapon, which is lying there, is notable.

Benton finds a small case about fifty feet away, while The Doctor plays with his bottom lip.

A man in a futuristic room sits in a swivel chair. The two neanderthal-men walk in a report to him that they found and destroyed the enemy. The man in the chair (not a neanderthal-like man) tells them that the others must be found and eliminated.

The Doctor and the Brig confront Sir Reginald with the man’s gun; he’s visibly frightened, but continues to dismiss any recognition or acknowledgement.

The Doctor examines the gun and explains to the Brig and Jo that it’s a weapon not yet made on Earth, a disintegrator, though the metals used in its construction are definitely from Earth. He says the small pack they found is a time machine of sorts, albeit a crude one.

He demonstrates to Jo there’s a mini-dematerialisation circuit for the small pack. He pops it in and presses the button and says it’s working.

In the ambulance taking the “ghost” to the hospital, Benton watches as the man disappears.

In the future(?), the man who was in the chair receives a report that there’s a “time transmitter” in operation, but the scanning technician cannot narrow it down. He yells at her for not being able to trace it. As he steps away, we see a Dalek at the doorway, which demands a report.

The Doctor says the temporal feedback circuit has overloaded on the device. The Brig receives a call from Benton, saying that the “ghost” just vanished, faded away.

The Doctor and Jo are spending the night at Auderly House. Jo is all sorts of skittish, wishing The Doctor had not dismissed the servants, and jumping when a clock chimes. I guess she really thinks it is a ghost, which makes no sense, as The Doctor has already demonstrated that they’re dealing with time travel.

Benton and Yates supervise UNIT troops on the premises. Benton reports in to Yates that all is well, it’s quiet as a morgue. Nearby, we see the vortex effect start.

The Doctor sits, drinking wine and eating cheese while Jo paces nervously. She’s so afraid, she departs the room and wanders around the house. Because that makes PERFECT sense for a frightened girl to do.

Benton spooks her, checking in on them. She goes back to fetch some cheese and wine for Benton (drinking on the job, really, Benton, tsk tsk) but Yates shows up, chases him off and takes the wine and cheese for himself. When Jo complains that wasn’t fair, Yates says RHIP. (Rank Has Its Privileges)

Near where the “ghost” was found, two men and a woman appear in the time transmitter vortex effect. She seems to be in charge and says they’ll wait there until it is light.

The next morning, The Doctor wakes Jo, saying nothing has happened.

The three time travellers move across the grounds, and vaporise two UNIT soldiers.

The Brig walks into a radio room, apparently having just woken. An emergency call comes from Geneva, saying that the international situation has gotten worse and war seems inevitable. No word from Sir Reginald Styles. Fighting has broken out in South America and Southeast Asia. All UNIT personnel are now on “maximum alert”.

The Doctor tinkers with the time transmitter, sets it down, and steps outside looking for Jo. The three time travellers close in on the house, seeing him as he returns inside. One enters the office and fights The Doctor, but the soldier begs The Doctor to turn off the machine or “they’ll kill all of us”.

In the future, the scanning technician woman alerts her superior that she has a stronger lock on the device. The man reports this to the Daleks via video link. The Daleks tell him to destroy whomever is operating the machine and then we get three Daleks doing a chorus of “Exterminate them!” over and over… and the credits roll.

So far, good start. I know I’ve seen something about the neandertal-like men before, but don’t recall what I know (and I’m not about to spoil it for myself by looking them up.) Daleks are back, yay!

Episode 2:

The Doctor has the intruder pinned to the couch with his Venusian Karate when the other two soldiers come in with Jo hostage and tell him to let the man go and turn off the machine.

The man reports to the Daleks in person that they lost the trace.

The woman tells The Doctor it is time for his execution; she seems to think he’s Sir Reginald. When he says he’s not Sir Reginald, she doesn’t believe him until he tells her to look at the paper saying Sir Reginald is in Peking. (Maybe there’s even a picture of Sir Reginald?)

One of the two men keeps challenging Anat (the woman)’s authority. She sends him outside the room to keep guard.

Benton reports to Yates that two men are missing from patrol. They go in the house to check that they’re not in there.

The time travellers take The Doctor and Jo down to the basement when they see Yates and Benton approaching the house. Yates reports in to the Brig who is busy on multiple phones with the Minister and others. Half listening, he tells Yate to search the grounds, and they leave the house as ordered.

The travellers tie and gag Jo and The Doctor and leave them in the basement. As Jo works on his bonds, The Doctor explains that they must be from the future – the gun would indicate the twenty-second century. He muses out loud, wondering why they’re trying to kill an important twentieth century politician.

Jo, bless her heart, knows her role as a companion, and quips, “I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking the questions.”

The Daleks tell the human coordinator to send security forces to the twentieth century to hunt down the other subversives. They also tell him that the Magnetron has been set up to bring anyone who uses the particular time transmitter (the one The Doctor has been fiddling (augh!) with) will be brought there.

Anat tries to contact her base, but there is “interference in the vortex” – obviously the effects of the Magnetron. The one guy again challenges her authority (he pretty much argues with anything she says. If I were her, there’d be one less member of this time team.) The one who doesn’t argue, Shura, takes the communicator back to the tunnel where they arrived, as it should have better reception there.

When he gets there, he pulls out a package from the grass, fiddles (augh!) with something in it, and puts it back. Then, when he tries to contact their base, one of the neanderthal-men is there and they fight. Shura vaporises the neanderthal-man and then runs off, clutching his injured arm.

Benton and Yates report in person to the Brig about The Doctor and Jo gone missing. He calls in to Auderly House.

The phone in Sir Reginald’s office rings and once more, Anat and the other guy argue. The other guy is sent to bring The Doctor and Jo to the phone. They put The Doctor on the phone and he manages to let the Brig know that all is not well.

Jo breaks free of her bonds and grabs the machine and manages to activate it. She’s pulled into the vortex and appears in the future where the man in the chair spins around to see her. Behind him stand two of the neanderthal-like men. (Okay, they’re Ogrons. We haven’t been told that yet, but they’re Ogrons. I’m tired of typing ‘neanderthal-like men’.)

Anat and Argues-With-Anat tell The Doctor that Jo was likely scattered through the vortex. If she did make it to the 22^nd century, “she would be better off dead”.

Dude-in-Swivel-Chair (also known as Middle-Management-Lackey-To-Daleks) tells Jo that the Ogrons are called Ogrons, and are “a form of higher anthropoid. They used to live in scattered communities on one of the outer planets. They make very useful servants.” And now you know.

He offers her his chair and asks her about the three people who attacked her. He tells her they are ruthless fanatics and she is lucky that they didn’t kill her outright. (He’s playing the I’m-The-Good-Guy trick on her.) He says there’s a chance he can help save The Doctor, but needs to know the location and exact date.

(It’s interesting to note that when she gives the date, September 13^th, the year is not discussed. He says, before he asks, “you’ve already told me the year”, which she must have done off-camera. The point of this is that the UNIT stories are never specified when they take place – a few years in the future in relation to the transmission of the show is all we know. There’s been a great geek debate for many years over WHEN exactly they’re set. Late 70s? Early 80s? Unfortunately, some of the ‘chronology’ of the show’s writing has been sloppy and doesn’t match others and there’s no definitive answer. Not that that will stop geeks from arguing about it. And, yes, I’m a geek, though I don’t argue about this.)

He has Jo escorted off to a room to rest, having learned about the tunnel. When she is gone, he reports to the Daleks. He says he should lead the expedition to lay a trap at the tunnel, but the gold/copper Dalek says it will do so instead, there can be no room for failure, which makes Swivel Chair dude frown.

The Doctor is tied up in the wine cellar again. He manages to break his bonds in less than a minute, where he and Jo couldn’t do it in the hour or so they were tied there. Yeah, great writing.

A large group of Ogrons approach the house. Anat and Boaz (Argues dude) open fire. The Doctor enters the office and he and Boaz fight, but Anat holds him off with her gun and the two guerrilas flee. The Doctor gets a gun from an Ogron who breaks in and exits the house. Two Ogrons approach him and he vaporises one, while the Brig shows up in a jeep and shoots the other.

The Doctor takes the jeep to the tunnel, where we see Anat and Boaz going in. He follows them in, but runs into a Dalek… and the credits roll.

That’s a great cliffhanger, imagine having to wait a week after that one? Yeesh.

Episode 3:

The Doctor runs from the Dalek, looking for the guerrilas. He finds them as they activate their time transmitter and he’s caught in the time field. We see the three of them in the vortex and they arrive in the 22^nd century. When Anat tries to soften the blow of having travelled two hundred years through time, The Doctor’s response is to calmly reply, “Thank you, but I’m probably more familiar with the concept of time travel than you are.”

Boaz wants to leave The Doctor, Anat isn’t sure that’s the right thing to do. Before they can argue, and Ogron patrol shows up and the three split up. The Doctor finds a ladder and ascends it, exiting through a trap door into a field. The Ogrons report to the Daleks that they lost their prey.

The Doctor evades a patrol of Ogrons and heads towards some buildings in the distance.

We see a black Dalek for the first time in this serial (but apparently it’s not a leader type) as Swivel Lackey reports the failure of the Ogrons to find anyone in the catacombs. When he discusses Jo mentioning The Doctor, the Daleks realise who he is and demand that he be found and exterminated.

The Doctor arrives at the buildings, but he is being watched by electronic surveillance.

The Daleks tell Swivel Lackey that production target for the next work period has been increased by ten percent; he starts to argue, but is told “do not dispute with the Daleks! Obey without question!” and does so.

Anat, Boaz continue to argue. Monia, a third rebel, tries to settle the two down, and he tries to explain things are different. Boaz, surprisingly, argues… Monia explains that their intelligence reports that Jo is at the Dalek base.

The Doctor skulks about, watching the workers, but is captured by an Ogron.

Swivel is razzle-dazzling Jo with fresh fruit and promises of 20^th century food for dinner. He tells her that The Doctor has been seen in the company of the renegades, obviously they brought him to the 22^nd century as a prisoner. While they talk, word comes in that The Doctor has been found.

A human security officer type interrogates The Doctor as two Ogrons stand by. The Doctor tries to deflect all questions, while the human tries to be all tough guy. Classic case of small man with a little power. A grey garbed man, obviously a superior, shows up and dismisses the first man and his Ogrons.

When they’re gone, the grey garbed man tries to get him to tell him which group he’s with – seems he’s sympathetic, if not actually part of the rebel movement. However, before any more can be said, the Controller (Swivel Lackey) arrives and apologises for the poor treatment.

He tells The Doctor that he is an honoured guest of their government. He tells The Doctor that Miss Grant is waiting for him in the guest facility. The grey garbed man gives The Doctor a visual warning, shaking his head somberly.

A guard escorts The Doctor away, while the Controller confronts the grey garbed man, who is apparently the supervisor for that area’s factory (where The Doctor was caught.) It seems that his production figures are consistently lower than any other factory in the central zone and The Controller wants to know why.

After The Controller leaves, the factory supervisor radios to the rebels, to report about The Doctor being taken in. While he’s on the radio, an Ogron attacks him.

Jo and The Doctor have dinner with the Controller. The Doctor challenges some of the facts of the society, but the Controller passes off the factory as a “rehabilitation center for hardened criminals” and says that the Earth has never been more efficiently, more economically run, nor have the populace ever been happier or more prosperous.

Jo seems have fallen under the spell of the Controller’s hospitality, believing that the rebels are criminals and that the Controller speaks the truth.

When The Doctor asks him, “Who really rules this planet of yours,” the Controller excuses himself abruptly. The Doctor goes on to tell Jo about the Daleks, though their conversation is being watched by video screen. The Controller and a gold Dalek watch and the Dalek says the physical appearance of The Doctor does not match their data, but it notes The Doctor’s appearance has changed before. It says they will use the “mind analysis machine” to find out.

Jo and The Doctor stage an escape, hijacking a three wheeled ATV. Instead of a running scene, we have a ATV scene, but eventually they are recaptured by Ogrons.

Monia tells Anat and Boaz they must go rescue The Doctor. Boaz, quite shockingly, argues this. Monia says that they must rescue him as he is their greatest enemy and the one man they are afraid of.

The Doctor is hooked up to the “mind analysis machine” and on a large screen we see pictures of Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell’s faces playing as the Daleks says, “You are The Doctor! You are our enemy!” and then they all join in a chant of “You will be exterminated!”… and the credits roll.

Quite a nifty scene, that last one.

Episode 4:

The Controller stops the Daleks from exterimating The Doctor by telling them he’s working with the rebels and therefore is more useful to them alive. He says that the factory manager at one-one-seven was a subversive and that The Doctor was trying to contact him when the Controller got there.

He appeals to the Daleks, saying that he understands human psychology, that he would be more successful in finding out what they needed to know. The Daleks agree.

The Daleks tell The Doctor that they have the secret of time travel (though this is nothing new, so I’m not sure why this is such a big deal) and have changed Earth’s history and soon all of space and time will fall before them.

The Controller appeals to The Doctor to reveal what he knows, else the Daleks will destroy he and Jo. The Doctor says that the Daleks will kill him and Jo regardless. The Doctor accuses the Controller of being a Quisling, a traitor. The Controller explains that at the end of the 20^th century, Earth broke out into a hundred years of wars, killing seven-eighths of the popluation, reducing mankind into near-primitive state. And that’s when the Daleks showed up, razing the planet for minerals for their expanding empire.

The Controller is part of a family of Controllers; he tells The Doctor that he has done good in his position, he has earned concessions and saved lives. He tells The Doctor that the rebels aren’t capable of defeating the Daleks.

The rebels raid the control center, using explosives to kill Daleks and their guns to vaporise Ogrons. They break into the command center and free Jo and The Doctor, the latter who speaks up for the Controller, saving his life.

Back in the 20^th century, the UNIT troops search for The Doctor and Jo, to no avail. The Brig receives a message that Sir Reginald and other delegates will be arriving at RAF Manston at 1800 hours. There’s a dramatic tone of music as we fade to black.

The rebels say that the reason they wanted to kill Sir Reginald was their history books tell them that he was a power-monger who called the conference as a trick… he brought the delegates to the house and there was an explosion, but Styles (Sir Reg) was killed in the blast as well. (Okay, I already figured the rebels were erroneous in trying to kill Sir Reg, and I fully expected a double-twist sort of deal, in trying to kill him they were creating the very future they were trying to stop, but how does this history make him out to be the bad guy?)

The rebels explain how they stole the time travel technology from the Daleks and the problems they had with it (causing people to travel back but then disappear – much like the “ghost”.)

They ask The Doctor to help, and they tell him that they want him to return to the 20^th century to kill Sir Reginald.

Shura watches the house from the trees, seeing the UNIT troops all over the place. He manages to find a route to approach and enter the house.

The Doctor is horrified at the idea of murder, and he’s not sure their version of history is correct. The Doctor asks if any of their people are back in the time zone, and Anat says Shura is still there, but they believe he might be dead.

Shura accesses the basement and sets up the device he had been tinkering with at the tunnel – obviously an explosive… and it seems my guesses earlier were correct.

The Doctor, after finding out that explosives were taken back in time with them, realises that they caused their own future.

The Controller tells the Daleks he is setting up an ambush to capture The Doctor as he tries to return to his proper time. The Daleks tell him that if he fails, he will pay with his life.

The Doctor and Jo are escorted to the catacombs to return back to their time. The rebels stay above to keep watch, but the Controller and his Ogrons catch them inside the catacombs. The Doctor says he can change things, he can stop the Daleks. The Controller dismisses his Ogrons and asks how can he be sure – The Doctor says he can stop the war that led to humanity’s enslavement by the Daleks.

“You saved my life, you could have let them kill me. Go, quickly.” – The Controller

The Doctor and Jo activate the time trasnmitter and they are gone. The Controller walks off, but around the corner, one of the human guards overheard it all.

The Controller reports to the Daleks, but he is exterminated for his treason. The Daleks elevate the guard who was in the catacombs to the position of Controller, obviously reward for ratting out the previous one. The Daleks then talk of going to the 20^th century, to ensure that the peace conference results in disaster and war breaks out.

At Auderly House, Alex MacIntosh, a reporter stands outside, giving a summation of what soon will take place there – “the most important summit conference of this century.” He sets the stage quite well – what we already know, diplomats gathering to avert a third world war.

We see many diplomats arrive – Sir Reginald, the Chinese contingent,, African representatives, more.

The Doctor and Jo arrive in their jeep and rush in. They find the Brig and Sir Reginald (who’s been a prick as usual) and tell them that everyone has to get out of the house, stat.

A large force of Ogrons and Daleks exit the tunnel and shortly engage in combat with UNIT forces, who are sorely overpowered.

The Doctor goes down to the basement to find Shura and try to appeal to him.

Since the hosue is under attack, the Brig is able to force Sir Reginald to comply and the delegates are ordered to leave the house post haste. Jo comes down to the basement to tell The Doctor that everyone is out but the three of them. Shura tells them that his explosive is the only weapon that will destroy the Daleks and he must set it off.

The Doctor and Jo leave and tell the Brig to let the Dalek forces into the house. When the Brig looks at him like he’s lost his mind, The Doctor has a great line: “It may not make military sense, but it’s the only way!”

The Daleks search the house, looking for the delegates. When Shura hears them above, he sets off the explosive, destroying the house and the Daleks within… and poor Shura, too.

From afar, after they see the explosion, The Doctor tells Sir Reginald the conference has been saved… now it’s up to him to save the world. Sir Reginald, for once not an uptight prick, says, “Don’t worry, we know what will happen if we fail.”

The Doctor looks at Jo and replies, “So do we… we’ve seen what will happen, haven’t we, Jo?”… and the final credits roll.

For the most part, a most excellent serial. A few minor complaints here and there, but nothing so big to take away from the fun of the serial. I love the rebellion and the Ogrons and the Dalek-run oppression. Some great scenes, especially the visual homage to Hartnell and Troughton in the “mind analysis machine”.  

Serial 59 – TheDæmons 2/2

Half way in, it’s spoiler time.

Episode 4:

The UNIT men assemble the device under the impatient guidance of The Doctor.

The Master orders Azal back, chanting at him.

Jo wakes up, saying she must get to the cavern. She slips out the windo of her room and climbs down a ladder that just happens to be there and heads off on her own.

The Doctor tells the UNIT science officer to “reverse the polarity” of the transistor. I think this is the first time that exact phrase has been used. Geek love!

Azal demands The Master explain why he has summoned him. The Time Lord says that he should be the leader of the inferior humans, but Azal says that he would speak to the other representative of his race first. Azal says that he will consider The Master’s reqeust, and says that he will appear but once more. He brings up Atlantis as a warning that his race destroys their failures and reveals that he is the last of the Dæmon race.

After the second tremor (when Azal took leave of The Master), Yates discovers that Jo has slipped off. He leaves Hawthorne and Benton at the pub to await The Doctor while he goes off after her, feeling she’s going to the cavern.

The Master admits to the publican that he was foolish to summon Azal without the coven to back him up and sends the publican off to deal with The Doctor.

Yates slips into the church, not realising Jo was unconscious outside, having been caught in the second tremor.

The Doctor departs back for the village, having given instructions to the Brig and his science sergeant. As he watches The Doctor head away on motorbike, the Brig quips, “You know, Sergeant, sometimes I wish I worked in a bank.”

Jo wakes and heads to the catacombs. There, she screams as she sees Bok in his inert state, but Yates grabs her from behind. Before they can leave, they have to hide when a cultist arrives.

The Doctor rides the motorbike back to town (this is the running scene, I guess) and is fired upon by the publican. He loses control of the bike and gets to his feet and runs off (okay, THIS is the running scene.)

Benton tries to raise the Brig, but because the science man is testing the machine, no signals can get through. Benton starts going on about not being able to find anyone and when Hawthorne brings out tea, gives her a hard time for “nattering on about tea”.

The publican returns to Vicar Magister, to explain his failure.

Benton finally gets ahold of the Brig, to discover that The Doctor should have been back there by now. Benton and Hawthorne watch the May Day ceremonial dancers, and then, when The Doctor tries to pass by, they take his prisoner. Benton leaves to help but one of the dancers attacks him as he opens the door.

After tying up The Doctor, the villagers decide, under the leadership of the publican, to burn The doctor. 

Yates and Jo watch as The Master begins the ceremony to summon Azal, assisted by his coven this time.

Hawthorne rushes out, claiming The Doctor is a magician named Quiquaiquod. He pretends to cause a streetlamp to burst, a weather vane to spin, and then Bessie to come to him. Benton comes out and grabs the publican when he tries to run. Hawthorne frees The Doctor.

Jo rushes out, trying to stop The Master, but it’s too late. Azal manifests and we see him for the first time, appearing as a classic satyr, laughing terribly… and the credits roll.

Episode 5:

The Master welcomes Azal. As Jo and Yates try to run off, the cultists grab them.

The Doctor tells Hawthorne and the villagers that neither he nor Magister are magicians. The Master is using the cultists mental energies to power his ceremonies and to control Azal.

The Master demands the power he sees as rightfully his. The cultists bring forth Jo, in a white dress, apparently some form of sacrifice.

Yates escapes the church, still tied up, to warn The Doctor about Jo being in the cavern and Azal having been summoned. The Doctor radioes the Brig and says they need that machine ASAP.

The Master sends Bok out to deal with the villagers. Bok vaporises the publican when he approaches.

The machine creates a passable tunnel in the heat barrier and the UNIT vehicles start passing through.

Azal starts reacting – even then, the machine is affecting him. After they bring it through the barrier, the machine blows up.

The Doctor makes in past Bok and enters, soon finding The Master, Jo, Azal and the cultists.

The Brig and his troops arrive in the village and Yates fills him in on what’s happened. He points out Bok and throws a rock that the gargoyle vaporises.

At this point, one of the Brig’s most notable lines is uttered. So notable that Nicholas Courtney used part of it as the title to one of his autobiographies.

The Brig calls up Jenkins, one of his soldiers, who has a rifle. He indicates Bok and says, “Chap with the wings there – five rounds rapid.”

Sadly, the rounds seem to have no effect.

Azal asks The Doctor why he came. The Doctor says he has come to talk, but first he demands that Jo be set free, and Azal frees her. The Doctor tries to bluff that he has a machine that could destroy him. When confronted by Azal for lying, The Doctor says he was only trying to get him to listen.

The Master orders Azal to kill the Doctor but the Dæmon says he commands, not obeys. He tells The Master he only answered The Master’s call because it was time for his awakening. He is here to complete the experiment or destroy it. Again, The Master appeals to be granted power to rule over the Earth.

Azal is not convinced that The Master is the right choice to rule over the planet. The Doctor says that he can leave, just leave the planet alone. The Master says that a strong leader can show mankind the proper way and Azal agrees, but decides to give the power to The Doctor.

The Doctor shouts that he doesn’t want it.

The UNIT team blows up Bok with a bazooka, but the gargoyles reforms itself.

Since The Doctor refuses the power, Azal decides to give the power to The Master. But first, he says he must destroy The Doctor. He begins to blast The Doctor with some force but Jo cries out “No, he is a good man! Kill me, not him!” and in reaction, Azal becomes confused, staggering about, crying out in agony.

Tremors shake the village as everyone flees the catacombs. Bok has reverted to stone. There are explosions from the catacombs and all seems well.

Benton takes The Master prisoner.

The Doctor reveals that Jo’s willingness to sacrifice herself was what saved the day, turning Azal’s power against himself. They hear an explosion from afar, and the man at the dig reports that the barrow had a big explosion and the barrier has gone down.

The Master hops into Bessie and tries to drive off, but The Doctor uses his remote control to bring Bessie back and they recapture The Master. The Doctor tells them to be careful with him, that he wants to deal with him later.

“Do you, Doctor? You always were an optimist.” – The Master

There’s a bit of a happy-sappy ending with May Day dances and the like. And the final credits roll.

A fun story, lots of screen time for my UNIT boys, always a good thing. Seems The Master keeps falling into the same cycle, find a power alien force, try to control it, lose control and try to escape.  

Serial 59 – TheDæmons 1/2

Another serial I know nothing about. Very interested to see what it’s about.  Five episodes, three today, two tomorrow.

Episode 1:

It is a dark and stormy night (no, really.) A man departs the pub with his dog, who gets loose and runs off into the nearby cemetary. He follows and we hear the dog yelping. The man rounds a corner and faces…. something, the camera is from the view of whatever he’s facing… and we hear a strange alien sound and the man’s face shows horror.

The next morning, Miss Hawthorne is walking next to a man, arguing that “the man died of fright”, though the man (a doctor) doesn’t seem to want to have this conversation.

The doctor says it was a heart attack as he gets in his car to depart. Miss Hawthorne says she cast the runes that morning and something wrong is afoot. She claims if Professor Horner opens the barrow, it will bring disaster upon them all.

A TV crew is set up at the barrow, readying to televise the uncovering of the barrow.

Jo tells The Doctor that it “really is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius” and as such, “the supernatural and the magic and all that bit” could happen. The Doctor criticises her ideas as Bessie starts up and drives off. He chastises it as she drives back and honks at him. He shows Jo and Yates the remote control device he has for her.

Yates and Jo are going off to view the televised uncovering, and The Doctor scoffs until he hears the name of the village – Devil’s End. This strikes some chord with him, but he says he’s going to watch the programme, suddenly.

We see the televised introduction from within the barrow, talking about pagan rituals, witches hiding, witch-finders, and strange things happening. Then, live, we see them standing outside. At midnight, there will be a live telecast of Horner’s work… but Horner cuts off the tv man and leads them down into the barrow. He shows them “the Devil’s hump”, saying there will be treasure from the Bronze Age inside. 

When the TV man asks Horner why midnight on that particular night, Horner replies that April 30^th is Beltane, and reveals that the real reason for his scheduling is that his new book is released on May 1^st.

Miss Hawthorne shows up at the dig, making a protest. She says Horner is tampering with forces that will bring death and disaster. When she claims to be a witch, the professor says, “See? I told you she was daft!”

After watching all this, The Doctor says he and Jo are going to Devil’s End to put a stop to Horner, before it’s too late. Yates and Benton watch them leave, a bit perplexed.

In the local pub, the residents discuss the ongoings. Strange events, Jim’s death, cows going dry, hens not laying eggs and the like. Mostly the talk is good natured jest but still…

Miss Hawthorne talks to a constable. As she passes by, a terrible wind starts blowing and the constable, in a trance-like state, picks up a rock and approaches her from behind, making to strike her with it. She’s preoccupied with the wind, calling upon the elementals to go away. She manages to do so, and as the wind subsides, the constable lowers the rock and seems himself again.

As we see The Doctor and Jo in Bessie, we see a wind (the very same wind?) spin a directional sign at a fork in the road, so the pointer to Devil’s End is in the wrong direction. The Doctor and Jo pull up to the crossroads and take the wrong path.

Miss Hawthorne goes to the church, and encounters Garvin, one of the workers there. She demands to see “the real vicar”, but the man reinforces the story she’s already aware of, that Smallwood took ill and had to leave, mysteriously in the middle of the night, then.

Mister Magister, the new vicar shows up… and shocker of shockers, it’s The Master!

At UNIT HQ, the Brig is in fancy dress uniform and tells Yates and Benton that he’s off, but they know where to reach him if they need him. After the Brig leaves, Benton complains about being stuck at work with nothing but television and corned beef sandwiches.

Hawthorne pleads to Vicar Magister to stop Horner, saying he must not open the tomb, not on Beltane of all nights. The vicar tries to dispell her concerns, being dismissive. He then tries force of will, but Hawthorne shakes it off easily enough – her mind is strong enough to resist, it seems. She calls him a fool and says she will find someone to help her. Garvin is sent after her.

The Doctor and Jo are driving about in the dark, lost.

At the dig, the television reporter is very irate and stressed. Horner is sitting about, drinking tea. He’s an ornery codger, the professor.

Yates and Benton are about to turn the telly to the dig telecast when the game highlights they’re watching catch their attention and they keep it on that channel instead.

The Doctor and Jo arrive at the pub in Devil’s End, asking for directions to the Devil’s Hump. The locals are rather uncooperative, not understanding that he’s in a rush, but eventually give him directions after some verbal barbs.

Girton, one of the townfolk, reports to The Master about the stranger with white hair and fancy dress. The ‘vicar’ asks if he was called ‘The Doctor’, which Girton confirms. He tells Girton to hurry and get changed for the ceremony.

In the catacombs, we see The Master, in a red robe, enter. Others are there in black robes and hoods, carrying goblets and other ceremonial doodads.

The dig goes on live air.

The Master performs a ceremony, surrounded by his acolytes, beckoning “the dark one” to come.

A tree falls across the road, impeding Jo and The Doctor’s progress. They continue on foot.

Horner sits at the stone wall, talking to the camera. In the catacombs, the ritual continues with chanting and walking and incantations and a smoky pot and flash powder.

The Doctor and Jo run to the dig, Jo falling and getting up on the way.

The Master’s conjuration continues; he seems to be summoning a being called “Azal”.

As The Doctor enters the dig and yells not to pull the stone, Horner does exactly that. A terrible burst of wind exits the burial chamber, blasting the surface crew, knocking down their equipment and sending people flying.

The Master laughs maniacally as one of the stone gargoyles’ eyes burn red and it starts looking about.

Jo arrives inside the dig, seeing The Doctor and Horner prone, covered in dirt (and maybe snow?) The tunnel shakes and Jo screams… and the credits roll.

Episode 2:

Benton and Yates switch over to the dig, just in time to see Jo crying over The Doctor, and then the signal is cut. Yates tells Benton to contact the Beeb, while he tries to reach the Brig.

Jo and some of the TV crew try to uncover The Doctor and Horner.

The Master calls out, greeting Azal, offering his servants to be his servitors. He speaks in formal ceremonial speak, but seems to be asking/telling this Azal to wait here to meet with him. He then dismisses the cultists, telling them to tell nobody and await his commands.

Jo and the producer discuss what to do – The Doctor seems to be frozen in ice.

Yates cannot raise the Brig, and Benton isn’t getting any luck with his line, either. Yates wants to go to the dig, but Benton says the Brig’ll “go spare” as they could get news any minute.

The town’s doctor says The Doctor is a goner, just like the professor. As Jo cries, the doctor changes his proclamation, saying he felt a pulse. Then, listening, he says he hears an echo, as if the man had two hearts. They cover him with blankets, as Jo calls Yates, but the line is suddenly cut.

The TV crew packs up and leaves, the constable from earlier left on duty at the dig. As he closes the gate to the location, we see glowing red lights coming from behind.

The Doctor is unconscious in a bed, Jo at his side.

The Master, dressed as a vicar again, seems to be awaiting something inside the catacombs. He checks his watch, then approaches the ritual are and start chanting in whispers.

Above, it is morning, and the constable is on duty at the dig. The ground starts shaking, there’s a loud thumping and he turns and looks up before crying out.

The Master’s eyes suddenly snap open and he smiles, then departs.

A helicopter approaches and lands, Benton and Yates on board. They see giant hoof marks in the countryside near the dig. They land and check out the hoof marks. Yates speculates that any animal making them would be at least thirty feet tall. They get back in the copter and land in the village.

Jo’s face lights up as she hears them land and goes out to see them.

The Brig is in bed, on the phone to UNIT HQ, discovering that The Doctor and Jo are gone and that Yates and Benton took his ‘copter to Devil’s End. He tells them to send his car.

Benton, scouting the village, hears a woman crying out. He goes inside the church building and finds Miss Hawthorne and frees her. They go downstairs to hide from Garvin and end up in the catacombs. Hawthorne realises that the gargoyle is gone.

She tells Benton that the vicar must be behind it all, as they discover the accoutrements of ritual worship. Garvin comes down with a gun, but Benton disarms and they struggle, but Benton is thrown onto the stone marked with evil signs (used in the ritual) and is nearly knocked unconscious after writhing in pain for long moments.

Yates tries to get The Doctor to wake, to no avail.

As they leave the church, something giant looms over them; Hawthorne and Benton run off as Garvin fires his rifle, but he is blasted into nothingness.

Jo and Yates get up off the floor (apparently the ground was shaking throughout the village as this happened) and The Doctor sits up, exclaiming, “Eureka!”

The Master is seen looking upward, his eyes shifting, saying, “Azal, I welcome thee!”

A man driving a lorry down a road outside of town pulls over and gets out, clucthing his ears. The lorry bursts into flames.

The Doctor tells Jo and Yates he knows what’s going on, but he won’t tell them until he confirms it. So I guess he doesn’t know what’s going on, just thinks he does? As The Doctor is about to leave, Hawthorne arrives with Benton and The Doctor tends to him. She tells them that the elementals in the catacombs were what beat up Benton.

The Doctor scoffs when she goes on to saw she saw The Devil. She tells him about the cult holding a sabbat the night before. When The Doctor hears that the leader of the cult is a man named Magister, he makes the connection to his enemy.

The Brig and his driver are stopped by the lorry driver, who tells them that he stopped during the tremor and when he was about to get back in, his lorry caught on fire. The Brig points in the direction of Devil’s End and the point of his crop (like a riding crop, he almost always walks around with it) bursts into flames – from this and the scortch on the road, they deduce there’s some form of heat barrier.

The Doctor and Jo move the tree and get in Bessie and drive back to town.

On the south side of town, the Brig finds signs of the heat barrier there as well. He radioes in and talks to Yates, who fills him in.

“I see, Yates. So, The Doctor was frozen stiff at the barrow and then was revived by a freak heatwave, Benton was beaten up by invisible forces and the local white witch claims she’s seen the Devil?” – the Brig

Yates also informs him The Doctor and Jo have gone to the dig and The Master is behind it all.

Jo and The Doctor arrive at the dig. After they go inside, over the rise the gargoyle from the catacombs approaches.

Inside, The Doctor says that everyone in the whole world is in danger. The Doctor begins to explain to Jo, “about 100,000 years ago” but suddenly the gargoyle enters the chamber and they recoil… and the credits roll.

Episode 3:

The gargoyle approaches them, making horrible sounds. The Doctor pulls a piece of iron out of his pocket and yells out in some strange language, and the gargoyle recoils from him.

We see The Master, standing still, focusing his will, as if directing the gargoyle, also perhaps forcing his will against The Doctor’s? He speaks out loud, “What’s happening, Bok, why do you not attack?”

Bok, the gargoyle, stands still, its head shaking. The Master says it is just mumbo jumbo, but then allows for Bok to return.

When Jo questions that The Doctor doesn’t believe in magic, he says he didn’t have to, but the gargoyle did. He explains the words he spoke were the first line of a Venusian lullaby. “Roughly translated it goes, ‘Close your eyes, my darling… well, three of them, at least’.” And we have the comic relief moment, apparently.

The Doctor says they’re not dealing with “your mythical Devil, Jo, no. Something far more real… and far more dangerous.”

Reverend Magister is meeting with Winstanley (one of the patrons from the pub, one who gave The Doctor a hard time, even mocking his ‘wig’). The Master is telling the man to “call a meeting of the village and start behaving like the Squire.” The Master uses his will to push Winstanley into agreeing with him, telling him he controls a power that can help them rule the world.

The Master tells Winstanley he controls the power of Devil’s Hump, but Winstanley demands proof. Closing his eyes, he makes a wind burst the doors open and blast around the room until Winstanley begs him to stop.

The Doctor argues with Hawthorne – “Magic!” “Science!” “Magic!” “Science!”

He says he’ll tell them what they’re dealing with, if there arent’ any more interruptions, but just then, the Brig contacts Yates on the radio, demanding an update. The Brig still can’t get past the barrier – it’s a circle around. The RAF has determined the barrier extends one mile high.

The Doctor breaks out a projector (the same prop as used in THE MIND OF EVIL) and explains to Benton, Jo, Yates and Hawthorne what’s going on. He shows pictures of creatures from mythology. Hawthorne comments that horns have been symbols of power since the dawn of mankind.

The Doctor explains that while man has turned them into myths like the Devil and other horned gods or devils, there are actual beings, aliens from the planet Dæmos, sixty thousand light years away. They’ve been coming to Earth as far back as 100,000 years ago.

The Squire has called together a town meeting. The vicar has been asked to addressed the townfolk.

The Doctor says that in the barrow their ship is buried, albeit miniaturised; the process of miniaturisation and growth has been causing the sudden temperature anomolies.

Yates’ reply is classic, “I see, so all we’ve got to deal with is something which is either too small to see or thirty feet tall, can incinerate you or freeze you to death, turns stone images into homicidal monsters and looks like the very Devil!”

The Doctor says the Dæmons have been helping mankind, helping Homo Sapien “kick out Neanderthal man”, as well as influencing Greek civilisation, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution and more. He explains that they’re not evil, perhaps amoral. Earth is just a science experiment for them.

The Master has forged a link with them, using their technology in the trappings of ritual, and that is where the true danger lies. They could be facing the very end of the world.

Reverend Magister appeals to the crowd to listen to him, that this could well be “the most important day” in their lives. He begins to single out people and air their llies, cheats and crimes. He tells them if they do what he says, they can have whatever they want in the world.

The Doctor says the Dæmon will appear three times – on the third, it likely will reveal their fate. Currently, it should be in the cavern, awaiting The Master’s second call. When Benton asks why they don’t go see the Dæmon, The Doctor says he’s so small he’s practically invisible.

The pub proprietor (who I believe is one of the cultists) asks The Doctor and crew if they would like a bite to eat. Benton says yes, but Jo shoots it down. He says he’s going to do some cleaning if they don’t mind.

The Brig contacts Yates to say they’re going to try blasting their way in. The Doctor gets on the radio and tells him that he will do no such thing and tells him he needs them to build an “EHF wide-band width variable phase oscillator, with a negative feedback circuit tunable to the frequency of an air molecule at the temperature of the barrier”, but the Brig’s technical man has no idea what any of that meant.

The publican is listening in to all of this from across the room. He departs as The Doctor tells the Brig he’ll come out to explain things. After he gets off the radio, Jo regurgitates The Doctor’s usual rhetoric about idiotic plans and blowing up things and The Doctor, rather surprisingly, chastises her:

“Jo, the Brigadier is doing his best to cope with an almost impossible situation. And, since he is your superior office, you might at least show him a little respect.”

The Master continues his sales pitch to the townsfolk, but the publican comes in to tell The Master about The Doctor. The Master then sends a crony out. That done, he tells the people, again, they can have whatever they want, he needs only their obedience and their submission. The Squire challenges this, saying he thought they were going to rule.

“You rule? Hah! Why, you’re all less than dust beneath my feet!” – The Master’s response. This of course only makes the townfolk more upset with him, so he switches tack – “You choose to question me, do you? Very well, I’ll give you another choice – obey me or I shall destroy you!”

The Squire says he’s leaving and tells the others they should go with him. The Master summons Bok, who attacks and destroys the Squire with a burst of energy. He asks if there are any others who feel as the Squire did, but wisely, none speak up. He dismisses them, telling them to go enjoy May Day with their families, he will summon them when he has need of them.

The Master’s crony runs to the helicopter and gets in and starts it. Yates pulls him out of the cockpit and they fight. Yates throws two punches that hit the man solidly in the face, to no effect. He drops Yates with one blow and steals the ‘copter.

Yates fires his gun, with no effect, then grabs a nearby motorbike and races off.

The Doctor and Jo, driving in Bessie, spot the ‘copter. It buzzes them, though they don’t realise it’s not being manned by Yates and Benton until after the second buzz. Yates arrives as The Doctor tries to evade the ‘copter.

The Brig watches via binocs as the copter tries to drive The Doctor into the barrier. The Doctor drives straight forward towards the barrier, the copter is close pursuit. He turns at the last moment, and Jo is thrown out of Bessie. The ‘copter slams into the barrier and bursts into flames.

Yates takes Jo back to the pub in Bessie while The Doctor hops on the motorbike to go consult with the Brig (though the heat barrier, of course.)

The Master, again dressed in red robes, and Bok enter the ritual room.

The Brig is not happy about the ‘copter. The Doctor tells him and his technical man what they need to do.

The Master begins the ritual to summon Azal. A tremor shakes the village and surrounding area. The Master cringes and backs away from the Dæmon, ordering it back to the mark, saying it will destroy him, crying out, “No!”… and the credits roll.

Ooooh, interesting cliffhanger there.

See you Friday for the last two episodes!