Serial 108 – Horns of Nimon 2/2

Recap: The Nimon is a minotaur like creature who has made a contract with the former glorious empire of Skonnos. The Skonnons have been gathering tribute for the Nimon, and when the final batch of Anethans (food for the Nimon) is delivered, he is to give them technology to build their new battlefleet and start a Second Skonnon Empire.

The Doctor and Romana get caught up in things. (Yanno, that line could be a regular description.)

Episode 3:

The Doctor shows up, just after the Nimon slays the co-pilot. Waving a red piece of cloth, he speaks to the Nimon, coaxing him to follow. Backing into the larder, he waves the cloth like a matador’s cape, but the Nimon blasts at it with his horns, seemingly releasing one of the Anethans in cryo.

Romana grabs the co-pilot’s gun and fires on the Nimon, urging the Anethans to flee. Only two, Seth and Teka, do so and follow. The Doctor runs off in a different direction.

The Nimon begins speaking of the journey of life again, something he speaks of often, apparently. He says that the mere five crystals will suffice.

Soldeed and Sorak examine the exterior of the TARDIS. K-9 watches them from within.

The Doctor reunites with Romana, Seth and Teka. They discuss the changing walls and pathways and the crystals that were brought as tribute and the Nimon’s using them in his furnace.

The Nimon orders the Anethans to bring forth the tribute and they place the crystals in a machine. The machine (the furnace?) glows brightly and the Nimon growls and gesticulates. He says they have achieved “operational power level” and “the next step in the great journey of life will soon be accomplished.” He then blasts one of the Anethans with his horns.

The Doctor and others find a room full of machines. The Time Lords quickly deduce that the set up is for transmitting energy – even the horns on the building itself are for that. Teka and Seth are sent to keep watch for the Nimon.

The Doctor then realises that the complex resembles a giant positronic circuit, which is why the walls keep moving. They decide they need K-9 to solve what the system is designed to transmit. The Doctor blows his whistle.

K-9 comes out and is accosted by Soldeed, Sorak and the guards. Soldeed manages to neutralise K-9.

Trying to guess what the purpose is, The Doctor speculates a transmat, but there’s no transmat pad. They quickly determine that it’s beaming to the black hole.

The Doctor brings up mentioning the black hole to Soldeed and him not knowing what The Doctor was talking about. Romana gets the best line ever in response: “Oh, well, people often don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Soldeed gives a rousing speech to his Skonnon battlefleet leaders. Afterwards, he speaks with Sorak, who questions what’s in it for the Nimon. Soldeed says that the Nimon is godlike and thus it appeases him to receive tribute in exchange for power.

They return to Soldeed’s quarters, where Sorak says something for nothing is something he finds hard to trust. Soldeed claims that he is playing the Nimon “on a long string”.

The Nimon walks the halls, growling. Teka and Seth stand on watch; again Teka seems to think that, somehow, this little boy is going to solve it all. They hear the Nimon approaching and Seth sends her to warn The Doctor.

Seth follows her to the room where the Time Lords await, as the Nimon is right behind him. Everyone hides behind machines as the Nimon enters and tends to the instruments. The Time Lords try to determine what he’s doing, but it’s no use, they’re unable to.

Soldeed crows about how he has used the Anethans, the Nimon and he said he would use K-9 (who is in the room, his side panel open) if he could figure out how. He admits that K-9′s construction is greater than his knowledge.

Suddenly, the horns on the power complex begin glowing; Sorak sees this through the window and points it out to Soldeed, who says to mark this moment as the beginning of the Second Skonnon Empire.

The sky glows red and the Skonnons are trepidatious. Soldeed enters the power station to confer with the Nimon.

Teka asks Seth what the Nimon is doing, but the ‘prince’ admits he doesn’t know. She demands to know why he doesn’t know. I could really do without the whole Seth/Teka storyline.

As the Nimon works the controls, a door opens in the room and a large stone… egg? Appears. The Nimon approaches it, growling. He opens a hatch and out step a group of other Nimons. He welcomes them to the new home for the Nimon race.

One of the two new Nimons say that his work is just in time – their planet, Crinoth, is finished. The three of them set about to begin the migration.

The Doctor and Romana realise that they’ve used the black hole as part of a hyperspace tunnel to travel across the universe. Seth and Teka are set on guard duty again as the Time Lords set to examining the capsule and equipment.

A gleeful Soldeed marches through the halls.

As the Time Lords tinker, an alarm sounds. Romana rushes to where The Doctor is, but he says not to worry. He thinks he can reverse the beam and possibly even send the Nimons back.

Soldeed calls out for “Lord Nimon”. Seth and Teka hear him and rush to The Doctor to warn him. The Doctor is busy with the beam reversal and ignores them, but accidentally sends the capsule, WITH ROMANA STILL IN IT, back to where it came from.

As he sets to bringing her back, Soldeed arrives and blasts the machinery with his staff. As The Doctor frets about Romana, Soldeed points his staff, saying “You shall die…” and the credits roll.

Again, I’m not terribly thrilled with this serial, like most of this season.

Episode 4:

Seth shoots Soldeed before he can blast The Doctor. The Doctor checks on the damage to the machinery, but seems less than optimistic.

Romana appears on Crinoth and is pursued by two Nimon.

The Doctor says he cannot fix the machinery without K-9.

Sorak enters Soldeed’s chambers and contemplates K-9.

Romana runs from the Nimons.

As The Doctor tries to use his gravitic anomoliser to get the machine working, Soldeed slips off. There’s a whole butt load of overacting. It’s really not impressive.

As Romana is cornered by the two Nimon, a man comes to her aid, using a staff much like Soldeed’s. He blast the Nimons and introduces himself to Romana as Sezom. Romana is very, very jumpy and Lalla Ward is overacting. Seems to be a theme.

Sezom says this is left of Crinoth; the Nimons have destroyed everything, everyone… everyone but him. He is weak and says his time is almost up. She helps him to sit down. He says the total destruction of the planet and his people is his fault – he was the one who allowed the Nimons to come there, to serve them in exchange for promised peace, technology, prosperity.

Sezom says there was only one Nimon at first, that he had no idea that the cost would be so great.

Seth (carrying Soldeed’s staff) and Teka (wth the blaster) get separated in the changing halls as they pursue Soldeed.

Sorak fiddles with K-9 and results in activating him.

Sezom compares the Nimon to locusts. He agrees to help Romana try to get back to Skonnos to warn them.

Seth runs through the halls, calling out for Teka. There’s a lot of S-names in this serial. Teka walks backwards through the halls, then comes across the dead co-pilot, his body laid out on the feeding table. This brings her to the larder.

Soldeed takes her captive there, but then the three Nimons arrive, much to Soldeed’s horror.

The Doctor fiddles and pulls the lever, bringing back the capsule. However, inside is not Romana, but several Nimons. He quickly closes the door and sends them back.

On Crinoth, the Nimons depart the capsule, confused to find themselves still on Crinoth. One stays to guard the capsule while the other departs.

Sezom and Romana skulk about, hiding from a Nimon who storms by, growling.

K-9 demands to know where he is. Sorak is amazed he can speak, but once K-9 blasts him with a warning burst, he obeys the robot dog’s instruction to put him on the floor. K-9 departs, Sorak calling after him to wait.

Romana overhears several Nimon discussing the “final contingency”. If Crinoth explodes too soon, too many Nimon are still there and the great journey of life must continue. They leave and Sezom explains that without the power plant on the other side, the only way for the Nimon on Crinoth to power the transfer would be to canniablise Crinoth’s energy itself.

Sezom explains that though the Nimons gave him his staff, he’s modified it enough so that it can stun them, using jacenite (a rock with a powerful electromagnetic charge) to amplify it. They use the staff to stun the Nomon guarding it, but before it goes down, he blasts Sezom.

As he lays dying, Sezom holds off other Nimon with his staff, while Romana goes back inside the capsule.

Two Nimon approach The Doctor. In a great case of shoddy dialogue, one Nimon tells the other, “Kill him… but not yet, we need to know who he is.” Yeah, that’s really awesome. They take him prisoner.

On Crinoth, two Nimon prepare to blast the capsule, knowing an alien is inside.

On Skonnos, the Nimon reverse the beam and the capsule is brought there, just as the Crinoth Nimon start to blast the capsule.

Romana throws the jacenite to Seth, who just arrived, and he is instructed to wedge the rock into the staff and blast the Nimons. One of them blasts Seth (though he’s barely hurt), but K-9 (who just arrived) blasts it from behind.

The Doctor sends Romana and Seth to the larder to find Teka and save the others, while he and K-9 work on trapping the Nimons in a time tunnel.

At the larder, they find Teka in one of the cryo chambers. Soldeed is there and he calls Romana a “meddlesome hussy”. She confronts Soldeed with the knowledge that there are a great many Nimons and he’s been played. Soldeed’s mind doesn’t handle this, but he blames Romana. He rushes to the furnance and pulls down some levers, saying they’re all doomed. Seth blasts him, but it’s too late.

The reactor has gone critical.

Seth frees the others from the larder (ok, not cryo, just paralysed.) Teka celebrates that Seth defeated the Nimon. K-9 leads everyone out of the power station.

The Nimons awaken in the control chamber and leave in pursuit.

Outside the power station, Skonnons gather, perplexed and confused.

K-9 keeps having to recalculate the path. This is the slowest, most boring chase scene ever, worse than when the cops were chasing OJ Simpson. He leads them to a wall, but K-9 insists it is an exit. The Doctor argues with him for moments, not figuring out it is an illusion.

The Skonnons are amazed as the Anethans come out. Teka starts praising Seth as the Skonnons ask questions, but the Time Lords come through, yelling for everyone to take cover. (Right, a nuclear reactor is going to blow and taking cover isn’t going to help much, yo.) Everyone flees the great hall.

The power complex explodes. I love when the little model buildings go blooey.

Back in the TARDIS, Romana bemoans when she sees The Doctor is tinkering with the TARDIS console yet again. They discuss leaving Skonnos with Sorak in charge – The Doctor says he won’t be much better, but they’ll be too busy rebuilding to bother anyone else.

On the scanner, they watch as Crinoth explodes. The Doctor says it’s the end of the Nimon, and good riddance, too. Then they watch the Skonnon ship taking Seth and the Anethans back.

And we end with a silly joke that I won’t even bother repeating.

Not the worst serial this season, not by far, but I am still pretty much not happy with this entire season.  

Serial 108 – Horns of Nimon 1/2

Once more, no idea if I’ve seen this one or not, though the title seems to be very familiar to me.

Episode 1:

A ship flies through space (hey, seems like an awful lot of serials are starting off that way…) and on board, several crew work the controls, one of them complaining about the lack of modern equipment. The other is more laid back, trying to calm his companion down. They talk of wanting to fight, of promises by Nimon and how there will be plenty of fighting for the Skonnon people (inhabitants of Skonnos, not to be confused with Skaro…)

The laid back crewman gets fed up with his companion’s bitching and informs him that they are piloting the last shipment, fulfilling their part of the contract with Nimon. This puts the bitchy man in a better mood. He goes to check the cargo, now realising its import… and he goes into a room with a group of young adults in yellow suits, who cower from him.

Returning to the bridge, he gloats about how weak the prisoners are and then insists they can make the twelve hour journey to Skonnos in six. His companion says the computer can’t take it… and they agree on a nine hour trip. However, the enthusiastic crewman pushes for six and overloads the computer.

They switch to manual, but they lose track of the beacon and the ship goes out of control.

In the cargo hold, the captives fret, not knowing what’s going on.

In the bridge, there’s an explosion. Both men are down.

In space, the ship comes to a stop.

The Doctor works on the TARDIS. There’s comedy as he shocks himself. I didn’t LOL, but maybe you did. K-9 insists the TARDIS is still moving, though The Doctor says he’s “completely immobilised it”. K-9 confirms that while this is so, the TARDIS is now accelerating.

Romana shows up, looking rather hot in a red coat.

“I’ve simply got to stop saying that. You know, every time I say ‘what could possibly go wrong,’ something does.” – The Doctor

The Doctor opens the scanner, showing nothing. Romana points out on the console that they’re moving very fast. She urges him to reassemble the dematerialisation circuits. K-9 moves to assist him and there’s an explosion that spins the dog’s head upside down.

The Doctor does mouth-to-mouth on K-9. No, really.

There’s more “comedy” involving things blowing up and all. Yeah.

On the scanner, they see the Skonnon ship – somehow, it has enough gravitational pull to draw the TARDIS to it.

On the ship, the enthusiastic crewman checks on the other, but the other seems to be very unconscious if not dead. Enthusiastic crewman then tries to contact Skonnos.

Presumably on Skonnos, a bunch of men in black march around inside a building. A bearded chap walks out of a wall, announcing that he has spoken with the Nimon. He speaks with one of the militant looking guys, and they talk of the last shipment of sacrifices coming and of the new ships promised by Nimon.

The bearded man (didn’t catch his name) confirms Sorak (the militant dude)’s belief that they are on the brink of having Nimon’s promise fulfilled. He prophesies, “The Second Skonnon Empire WILL be born!”

The Doctor can’t get the defense shields repaired in time and the TARDIS slams into the spaceship. The Doctor speculates that the ship is old and has been there for some time, possibly centuries. He extends the door defense shield (which conveniently operates on a circuit separate from the main shields, one that wasn’t fried) to create a safe walkway through space from the TARDIS door to the ship’s door.

They enter the ship, then The Doctor sends K-9 back to check on and begin repairs on the TARDIS. The Time Lords find radioactive cargo, and then move on to the next cargo hold, which is the one containing the captives.

Introductions are made – we learn that one is Seth, the prince of Aneth (a planet that The Doctor says is a charming place.) Seth tells the Time Lords that they were bound for Skonnos, that they were “the bearers for Aneth’s tribute to the Nimon”. He tells them the ship seems to have gone out of control.

The Time Lords discuss that the gravity is increasing on the ship; they hear other objects crashing into the ship, and The Doctor speculates that someone could be artificially creating a black hole.

The Skonnon enters, demanding to know who they are, what they are doing with “the sacrifices to the Nimon”. The man takes the Time Lords at gun point to look at the ship controls.

The co-pilot begins blabbing about the sacrifices being “payment in the great contract”.

On Skonnos, the bearded man (Soldeed, he is named, played by Graham Crowden, who… OH MY GOD, he was picked to play the Fourth Doctor, but ultimately turned down the role, not wanting to commit three years to the show. In fact, when they were thinking of him, and thinking he was going to accept, the producers decided he needed a younger male companion to do all the action, and thus Harry Sullivan was created!!!)

Anyhow, sorry. On Skonnos, Soldeed fiddles with a machine, confused to why it’s not responding (though whether it is the machine or something else, I don’t know.) The militant dude, Sorak, enters with something important to tell him – the transport ship from Aneth has been lost!

Soldeed is obviously the superior on Skonnos and he demands that the ship must be found. He leaves, saying the Nimon must be informed.

The Doctor says he can repair the ship, but he needs a source of power. Romana suggests using the ‘hymetusite’ crystals to generate the power needed to escapes before a black hole is generated.

Both Romana and The Doctor notice that the ship engine controls are a hybrid of different technology, new and old, and Skonnon and something else.

We see Romana’s personal sonic screwdriver, one she made herself. It’s smaller and daintier (much like her).

The Doctor returns to the TARDIS, where he finds K-9 covered in tickertape, the full damage report bigger than he is! The damage to the TARDIS is quite extreme. The Doctor asks K-9 what his databanks have on the Skonnon Empire and the dog says that it was a military dictactorship that covered over 100 star systems.

Soldeed enters the Nimon’s lair/base, calling out for “Lord Nimon…”

On the ship, gravity effects are increasing – we have warbly audio as they talk and they’re moving slower. Oh, this is great television here. /sarcasm

All about the ship, the light increases and the gravity effects return to normal. The Doctor has returned to the TARDIS to bring it back into the Skonnon ship. The co-pilot pilots the ship away, leaving the TARDIS behind. As it is the greatest mass there, the asteroids and other space debris are drawn to it instead.

The Aneth tribute tell Romana that their planet gives a tribute every year, else the Skonnon battlefleet will attack. Romana questions if they’ve ever seen the fleet, but learns that it’s been several generations – the youth’s grandparents were the last to see it, in the days of the First Conquest.

Romana realises that the co-pilot has taken off without The Doctor.

The Doctor realises he and K-9 have been abandoned.

Romana goes to the bridge, demanding the co-pilot turn back, but he levels his gun at her, yelling that “the Nimon waits for no man!”

Soldeed enters a room, walking trepedatiously. It is filled with devices. The Nimon, a horned alien being steps forth, “You dare disturb me at this time?”

K-9 detects an asteroid of a mass of 228,000,000 tons approaching. The Doctor says that’s a small planet, and realises that it’s coming straight at them… and the credits roll.

Okay, that would have been a great cliffy if it weren’t for the completely over the top performance and farcical feel (one that pervades most of this season.)

Episode 2:

K-9 tells The Doctor they have a minute and a half. The Doctor gets all sorts of silly, putting a First Place ribbon on K-9. I wish I were making up this silliness.

Romana tries to take the ship back, but the co-pilot orders her back to the cargo hold at gunpoint.

The Doctor does something. The TARDIS spins wildly and the planetoid bumps it, sending it flying. The Doctor and K-9 get up off the floor. His gambit worked, the planetoid knocking them out of the gravity well.

The Nimon is not happy with Soldeed. The Nimon is a vaguely minotaurish type alien. It reminds Soldeed of the importance of the contract. Soldeed gets brazen, asking for an advancement of the technology promised them so that they could more easily complete their part of the contract.

The Nimon says no, the contract is very clear. He will be paid in full first.

Soldeed leaves, telling Sorak that the Nimon will seek reparation from Sorak personally if they do not either find the first ship or get a second shipment of sacrifices from Aneth. Soldeed says that they must attack Aneth. Sorak does not seem happy about this (presumably because of the rather decrepit state of the Skonnon battlefleet, not out of any lack of desire for war, being a military dude and all.)

Romana speaks to the tribute from Aneth, trying to get them to help her overpower the co-pilot and take over the ship. The Anethans are more afraid of the Nimon destroying Aneth. Despite Seth’s warning not to say too much, one girl, Teka, says that prince Seth is going to destroy the Nimon and “take us home in triumph”.

Sorak reports that the lost ship has been found and is two hours away. Soldeed is very gleeful. The two men look out the window at a building that is reminscient of the Nimon, the building has two large towers that quite resemble the Nimon’s horns.

Romana quizzes the Anethans about the Nimon. They tell her that he is the god of Skonnos. Seth says that he lives in the power complex, and only Soldeed can enter and return – all others who go in never come out.

It turns out that Soldeed is a scientist, apparently the only remaining scientists on Skonnos; he built the power complex for the Nimon. The other scientists were destroyed in the “Great Civil War” – only the army survived. In the aftermath, the Nimon arrived.

Seth is overwhelmed by his task, he doesn’t want to be a hero. He confides in Romana that he’s not even a prince, he’s a runaway, but somehow the king believed a story he made up. (Um, wouldn’t the king know who all the princes were?)

The co-pilot enters, demanding Romana to come assist him in landing the ship. Every time he is in the room with the Anethans, he’s yelled, “Weakling scum,” at them. I don’t know if it is to show him as a bully or if it’s comedy, but it fails at both, coming across as stupid.

The Doctor is effecting repairs or at least temporary fixes. He tries to start it up, but there are explosions and bizarre sounds. This is more comedy.

The ship has come to Skonnos, the tribute and Romana are brought to the great hall, where Sorak brings them before Soldeed. He demands to know why two of the crystals are missing, but Romana speaks up, saying she can explain. Soldeed is more interested in who she is. She gives her name and says she’s from Gallifrey, but because of her impertinence, Soldeed threatens to have her “eliminated on the spot” if she speaks again.

The co-pilot says she’s a space pirate; he claims that they attacked the ship, killed the pilot, but he drove the rest off and took her prisoner. He repaired the engines himself. Romana says that’s a lie.

Soldeed questions how the co-pilot repaired the engine and he claimed he adapted the engines to use the hymetusite crystals. Soldeed obviously doesn’t believe him, knowing he doesn’t has the skill. Soldeed says so, then accuses him of deviating from the set course.

The co-pilot (who is played by Malcom Terris, whom I believe we last saw in the Patrick Troughton serial THE DOMINATORS, as one of the natives, Etnin) now blames the computer, saying it malfunctioned.

Soldeed forces the co-pilot into the the power complex. He then says the rest will follow, including Romana.

The Doctor tries, again. This time it works.

Soldeed informs a group of men that the final tribute has arrived. He remarks upon the irony that through the tributes Aneth has given them, they will have the power to reconquer Aneth, and from there, build the Second Skonnon Empire. All they need is the secrets from the Nimon.

There’s lots of pompous speaking and cheering and steel and blood and all that.

The co-pilot wanders the halls of the power complex, pistol in hand. He hears growling and hides. Romana and the Anethans walk past and he follows, subversively, but then turns back and seems to be lost.

Romana and the Anethans hear the growling of the Nimon. They’re all frightened/spooked, even the Time Lady. As they move about, they discover that the walls seem to be moving or changing.

The Doctor seems to be in orbit and sees a… complex? The city? I’m not sure, but he seems to be reminded of something and decides to start there. K-9 detects a defense shield. The Doctor says they will have to land somewhere nearby, then, “somewhere unobtrusive”.

The TARDIS materialises in the great hall. The Doctor steps out and several Skonnons greet him. He tries to make small talk, but then two guards show up, pointing guns at him. They take him off to their leader.

More wandering through the corridors by Romana and the Anethans. They find a body, seemingly mummified or dessicated or dehydrated or something; dressed in yellow, much like the Anethans. Romana says it is dead and it appears that the life force was drained from it.

Teka realises that is their fate, that as much as the hymetusite, they are the tribute. She touches the body and it collapses into dust. Teka says the Nimon did this and Seth will destroy him.

The Doctor is brought to Soldeed. The Doctor is very interested in the machine Soldeed was working on earlier, asking if he’s having trouble with the neutrino converter. Soldeed claims this is his invention, but The Doctor says that’s curious as Soldeed has no concept of neutrino conversion.

The Time Lord then changes tack, asking if he knows someone is building a black hole on his doorstep. Soldeed realises that The Doctor is the one who rescued the ship. The Doctor asks if he’s seen Romana, but he claims he has not.

Sorak arrives with the gravitic anomoliser from the TARDIS (which was used to jury rig the conversion of the engines to use the crystals) and The Doctor calls out Soldeed on his prevarication. (Look it up.)

The Doctor flees as Soldeed grabs his big staff. The guards and Soldeed chase him and they end up before the wall leading to the power complex. Soldeed points his staff and says the command phrase to activate the portal, “in the name of the Second Skonnon Empire,” and The Doctor falls through.

Soldeed tells Sorak that the Nimon will take care of him.

The Doctor wanders the halls (I swear, they could have cut out an entire episode if they got rid of the pointless wandering scenes.) He places stars on the walls (stickers) as he goes, but checks back after a few moments and they’re gone.

Wow, the corridors are like a labyrinth, huh? (Nyuk nyuk nyuk.)

In another room, Romana and the Anethans find a bunch of other Anethans apparently in suspended animation. The Nimon’s larder. The co-pilot arrives, taking them into the next room, using his gun to herd them, keep them controlled. The co-pilot calls out to the Nimon, saying he’s brought the tribute from Aneth.

The Nimon appears, seemingly enraged, demanding to know who dares call him. He tells the co-pilot that the sacrifices didn’t need to be brought. The co-pilot says he was sent by Soldeed to keep them in check, but the Nimon knows better and says he was sent in to be executed.

The co-pilot begs for mercy. The Nimon blasts him with his horns, killing him, and then turns towards the tribute. Romana and the Anethans cower against the wall in fear… and the credits roll.

See, this was a much better cliffy, even with some over the top on Lalla Ward’s part.

Okay, that’s it for today, see you Monday!

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 45 – The Mind Robber

I’m leery about this one; I saw it last year and seem to recall not really liking it much. After “The Dominators”, that’s not a promising sign for this season.

Episode 1:

 We open with The Doctor and Jamie rushing into the TARDIS. Zoe is already inside, watching the eruption on the scanner. The console room begins to fill with smoke and The Doctor isn’t able to get the TARDIS to dematerialise.

 Things are getting too hot and The Doctor is forced to use the “emergency unit”, which moves the TARDIS out of time and space altogether. The TARDIS is completely enveloped by lava (which looks more like milkshake to me) as they activate the emergency unit. The ship moves but it seems differently. 

 Zoe asks why the scanner isn’t showing anything if they’ve landed and he responds that they’re “nowhere”. The Doctor goes off to the power room while his companions change their outfits. Zoe goes to The Doctor, curious to what might be outside the TARDIS. He warns her that they must stay inside, that there’s no way of knowing what is out there.

 Meanwhile, Jamie is in the console and on the scanner there are scenes of Scotland and the sound of bagpipes, until Zoe walks in. They argue if he saw it or not, but Zoe then sees her home on the screen, “the city”. But when she points it out to Jamie, the screen is blank.

 “Anyway, we’ve both seen something, so that proves we landed, doesn’t it?” – Zoe, using horrible logic for such a brainiac.

 Jamie goes to fetch The Doctor, and again “the city” appears on the screen. Zoe opens the doors and exits, not waiting. Outside, there’s nothing but mist and she disappears into it. When The Doctor and Jamie come into the console room, they discover she’s gone. Jamie ignores The Doctor’s warnings and runs out after her, while the time lord (still a term not yet introduced into the series, though we know it will be by the end of this season) fights mentally against some force.

 Outside, Jamie finds Zoe. They’re surrounded by opaque nothingness. They quickly discover that they’re lost in the nothingness. They wander, calling out for The Doctor. The image of the city appears and Zoe can’t help but believe it’s real… until Jamie shakes her and drives home the point. Then, Jamie is under the spell, hearing bagpipes, seeing Scotland, until she slaps him out of it.

 They turn and encounter what appear to be robots or some form of mechanoid life.

 The Doctor, sitting in the TARDIS, fights the urge to go and save his companions. A voice whispers in his head, “Follow them… follow them and save them!”

 The Doctor exits the TARDIS, where Jamie and Zoe, their clothing transformed to all white are accompanied by the robots. He grabs them and pushes them into the TARDIS (and their clothing is back to normal) and they’ve snapped out of whatever influence they were under.

 The Doctor activates the TARDIS, and says it is motion. There’s still concerns about whether they’re free of whatever force was trying to effect them. The Doctor and Zoe discover that the TARDIS is using more energy than it is recharging and they work to boost it back up, while Jamie fitfully sleeps. He wakes to tell them of a dream he had about a charging unicorn, but The Doctor seems to fall into a fugue state of some sort.

 There’s a deep hum that affects the there of them. The Doctor proclaims that it is alien. They find it hard to concentrate and they try to fight it, but it seems to be too powerful.

 We see the TARDIS spinning in darkness, then it explodes, leaving only the console, to which Jamie and Zoe cling to in the void. Zoe points to The Doctor and begins to scream. We see a close up of The Doctor, his eyes closed, as he spins. Then the console spins into a bank of mist… and the credits roll.

 Okay, so far not as bad I remember from last year. Still have four more episodes to go, so it’s early yet to to be relieved.

 And, wow, that was bad.

Episode 2:

 Jamie wanders through a… forest?… and hears Zoe’s voice. He tries to find her, but sees a Redcoat prowling about. He draws his knife and moves to attack, but the British soldier shoots him and he’s transformed into a life-sized photograph.

 Zoe keeps calling out for Jamie, but he doesn’t respond, because photographs can’t talk. She suddenly finds herself surrounded by walls and bramble, but there’s a large door, like a castle or ancient estate. The door opens on its own and she enters (really smart, that) and suddenly falls down, screaming.

 We see three monitors, one showing Jamie. Two voices talk, one harsh, one gentle, talking about The Doctor, though we only see on figure on screen. Apparently he is not quite under their control just yet…

 The Doctor wakens, calling out for his companions. He hears Jamie and Zoe calling out for each other and for him (but their voices don’t sound quite right). He runs about the ‘forest’, while the figure with the monitors watches. Both the gentle and harsher voice seem to be emanating from the one figure.

 In the forest, The Doctor hides from large bulky robots, though they’re very different looking from the ones from the first episode. The figure in the room gives orders (in both voices) to the robots, telling them to track down and find The Doctor.

 A man with a gun tries to speak to The Doctor in various languages, though the two men settle on English. Eventually the man puts his gun away, as they seem to realise they’re in like circumstances. The Doctor says he must find his friends, but the man says it is forbidden by The Master (no, but I do wish… I know we have to wait another couple seasons still…), that there are articles of impeachment against The Doctor for treason and other capital crimes.

 The man takes his leave of The Doctor, but when the time lord follows him around the bend, the man has disappeared. Then, six children (boys and girls) surround The Doctor, asking him riddles. After answering their questions successfully, a sword is rearranged into words, and The Doctor ends up with a dictionary.

 Again, he hears the voice of Jamie (still not sounding quite right), and finds the photograph of Jamie, with a safe, a wishing well and some letters. It’s a puzzle, which he solves to be “Jamie is safe and well”. Suddenly, Jamie’s face disappears from the photograph and The Doctor must choose from an assortment of eyes, noses and mouths to “reassemble” it. But he does it wrong and Jamie is reanimated with a new face (and a different actor, obviously).

 It seems that it is Jamie, though he looks different. They hear Zoe calling out and find the door she went through – but it’s a brick wall with a door painted on it.

 “When is a door not a door? When it is ajar!” – The Doctor. The door transforms into a large jar that Zoe is in. They rescue her from the jar.

 Jamie climbs one of the trees to discover that it’s a letter. The forest is a forest of words. From his vantage point, Jamie reads them – “Slow but sure… in for a penny, in for a pound… look before you leap”, though that’s all he can read. He thinks he sees a way out and climbs down to leave.

 They run into the man The Doctor met earlier. The man’s replies are phrased in curious ways – answering them but not always directly, as if he’s quoting something to give them a near-answer, or as best an answer as he can. “The Master” is brought up.

 They hear the robots approaching and hide in the trees, though the man does not. The robots arrive and the man doesn’t seem to see them and addresses the travelers, giving away their hiding places to the robots.

 The man in the monitor room gives them orders to bring in The Doctor and companions. On the screen we see one of the robots and it looks like a toy soldier from the Nutcracker. They lead the travelers away and we see they have wind-ups in their backs.

 They take them into a dark area and stop. Jamie says he feels he’s been there before. They hear the galloping approach of a horse, but it’s a unicorn, like from Jamie’s dream. It charges at them and The Doctor admonishes them to stand still but they cry and whine… and the credits roll.

Episode 3:

 The Doctor talks them into saying out loud that the unicorn isn’t real, it doesn’t exist and this results in the unicorn turning into a photograph. The Doctor says that a fantastic mind is behind this all, and as the figure in the monitor room watches, the kindly voice praises The Doctor’s intellect in kind. Presumably addressing the other person/voice (the harsh one), the kind voice says, “You were right to choose the good Doctor.”

 The soldiers return to the travelers, but the harsh voice orders them to let them go, saying the trap is set, they will walk into it.

 The Doctor and companions move through thick sninewy strands of some form of webbing or overgrowth. They find a house, but outside is a redcoat, the same one perhaps, who shoots Jamie again. Once more, Jamie is a photograph and his face must be rebuilt – this time, The Doctor gets it right. (I understand that Frazier Hines had chickenpox and that’s why that was all done, so another actor could play him.)

 They enter the house and find some twine and a bunch of tunnels – obviously a maze and an invitation. Zoe states the obvious that whomever is behind this is aware of where they are, they know they’re coming.

 The figure watches a screen, a map of the maze, with three lights indicating the travelers.

 The thread runs out and Zoe and The Doctor leave Jamie to wait at the end of the twine while they move onward. On the map, we see they’re almost at the center of the maze. The harsh voice coaxes them on.

 Zoe and The Doctor make it to the center; he’s disappointed that there’s nobody waiting to greet them. They see human bones and hear a roar. Zoe brings up the story of the Minotaur. Again, there’s a roar and they see a shadow of what must be the minotaur.

 Jamie encounters one of the soldiers and throws his coat over its head to escape.

 Again, by proclaiming that the minotaur is mythical, they escape danger – the beast just vanishes. They return to where Jamie was, and they run into the man they’ve met before. By listening to his phrasing, The Doctor determines who he is – Lemeul Gulliver, the hero from Gulliver’s Travels, and he’s been speaking in passages from the stories.

 Jamie is outside in a rocky terrain, on the run from the Nutcracker soldier. He climbs the rocks to evade the soldier, who obviously cannot climb. He gets about halfway up his climb, but the rest is too steep to make it unaided. As he’s about to say he needs a rope, a rope is tossed down from above.

 He makes it up to a castle, with the rope coming from out a window. It turns out the rope is attached to the head of a lovely lady named Rapunzel. She tries not to admit him, once she finds out he’s not a prince or a son of a woodcutter, but when he appeals to her, she lets him in.

 Once inside, Rapunzel is nowhere to be seen and Jamie quickly realises that it’s no princess’ castle but a scientific place full of technology. He finds a machine printing out a narrative of The Doctor and Zoe. The printout says that The Doctor and Zoe returned to the minotaur’s cave.

 There, we see that they have returned there. There’s a statue of a figure with snakes for hair. The Doctor quickly determines that it is Medusa. He tells Zoe they have to say she doesn’t exist, though once more she argues the point. Medusa approaches and despite his admonitions, Zoe turns to look at Medusa… and the credits roll.

 Being someone who lives in the 21^st century, I find it hard to accept that Zoe (also from the 21^st century) is so easily to believe in the mythological creatures as real.

Episode 4:

 The Doctor uses a mirror so Zoe can look without being turned to stone. Medusa becomes a statue once more and the printout machine reports CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL. Jamie moves on, triggering an alarm, and a PA announces that there is a stranger to be apprehended. Gulliver shows up and speaks to Jamie.

 Jamie hides in a room and Gulliver stands at guard, but he doesn’t see the robots (the ones from the first episode, this time), nor do they acknowledge him. After they move on, Jamie comes out and asks Gulliver for help on getting out, but Gulliver says it is impossible.

 Jamie and The Doctor are below the citadel, when they encounter the Karkus, a comic strip superhero type from Zoe’s homeworld, in the year 2000. (Home world? In the year 2000? Really.) By declaring the Karkus’ weapon (an anti-molecular ray disintegrator) as “scientifically impossible” the weapon disappears. However, the Karkus (wearing a really dumb muscle suit), who has the strength of many men attacks them, though Zoe single-handedly defeats him and he submits to her.

 Really?

 The Doctor and Zoe gain entrance to the citadel, where they meet up with Jamie and Gulliver. The latter advises against them seeking out The Master. He advocates them settling in and living peacefully under the rule of The Master.

 Gulliver departs and Jamie shows them the machine that was printing out the story. Zoe stupidly triggers the alarm. The Doctor says that they will not run and hide, but will wait for the robots, who show up. The Doctor demands an interview with The Master, whose voice comes over the PA and invites them through an open door.

 Reluctantly, they enter. They find themselves in the control room. A man in spectacles and suit and tie greets them. Obviously the man who has been observing all the while – he speaks in the gentle voice we’ve heard before. Turns out he’s a writer of a pulp story from the late 1800s. He’s connected by a wire to a machine – his brain, his imagination powers all that transpires.

 While The Doctor and the man speak, Jamie and Zoe slip off into a library filled with books. The Doctor has been brought there to take the man’s place – since The Doctor is “ageless”, he is a better substitute. 

 When The Doctor refuses, the man speaks in the harsher voice – obviously the computer attached to him is speaking through him now. He shows The Doctor the ‘script’ that Jamie and Zoe have been captured and makes the deal – his acceptance for their lives.

 On the monitor, Zoe and Jamie are herded by robots into a giant book which closes on them… and the credits roll.

 Only one more episode, thank goodness.

Episode 5:

 The Doctor refuses and leaves, encountering Jamie and Zoe, but he discovers they keep repeating the same sequence of dialogue – they’ve been turned into fiction!

 The Doctor sees the mastertape of the fiction, but he cannot get in. Out loud, he wishes for the strength of Karkus (because, obviously, the power of a man who can be OUT-WRESTLED by a ninety pound fifteen-year-old girl is to be desired), and Karkus appears to help him. He tears off the sky light, then Rapunzel shows up to let The Doctor use her hair to climb down into the room.

 He sits at the table and starts to write, “The enemy had been defeated by The Doctor,” while The Master (so weird writing that and not meaning my favourite character from the entire franchise) coaxes, “Yes, go on!”

 The Doctor stops, realising that he cannot say that – if he had done that, he would have turned himself into fiction. He leaves, climbing back up. The Master, watching says no more games will be played.

 Up above, Jamie and Zoe are gone, but Gulliver and the children show up. They pester The Doctor, while The Master writes that Jamie and Zoe realise that The Doctor is evil. Robots bring the companions to him and they repeat what he has written in regards to The Doctor.

 The Doctor mopes while the children dance and play. Suddenly, the TARDIS appears, and Jamie and Zoe pop out, beckoning him within. He enters and they stay outside, closing the door on him. The face of the TARDIS falls forward and it’s revealed to be a trap.

 We next see The Doctor trapped in the machine in the control room. The Master reveals they want to use The Doctor to take over Earth, move everyone there and have the planet to theirselves.

 … this just seems kind stupid to me.

 But, anyhow. The Doctor is attached to the master computer, directly. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

 The Doctor says he’s not under the control of the master brain – now he has equal power with The Master and he will take control from there. The Master and The Doctor battle with their minds and their creativity, summong and manipulating characters to fight each other. Cyrano de Bergerac, D’Artagnan, Karkus, Nutcracker soldiers, Blackbeard, Sir Lancelot all are thrown at each other. It’s really stupid, no matter how cool it might sound.

 The master brain voice dictates that The Doctor be destroyed; The Master pleads, he doesn’t want to do this forever. The robots march on The Doctor and remove him from the master brain. Zoe and Jamie (who The Doctor helped free from fiction earlier) are in the room, hiding.

 Zoe has an idea to overload the master brain… by pressing all the buttons on the console for the master brain. Because that’s how you overload a computer.

 The Doctor breaks free of the robots (cuz, well, I guess robots don’t know how to hold on to someone) and after The Master gives the order to destroy, he removes the wires from his head. The robots begin to fire and destroy the computer.

 They rush off with The Master, and stand in a black area that gradually fills with mist. There’s massive explosions nearby as the robots destroy. We see the TARDIS reform… and the final credits roll.

 What a horrible serial. Stupid, insipid, not remotely clever and just plain stupid. Guh. Ugh.

 Horrible.