Author: Toren

Season 14, 4th story, January 1977.

I thought this was going to be one where the Doctor had visited the planet before and created a terrible legacy, like violating the Prime Directive, which interfered with the natural development of the local society, but it turns out that the computer that they worship like a god is only partly the Doctor’s fault. And he references the past trip to the planet but they should have made this a revisit to a planet we’ve seen before. Anyway, it’s a fairly decent plot and this is the introduction of the companion Leela, of which I am a fan. I liked this one.

Next up: The Robots of Death

Season 14, Serial #3, 1976

Is this the first episode without a companion? At first I was excited but by the third (of four) episode my attention waned. I think this is the first time we visit Gallifrey the home of the Time Lords, and no surprise they’re all narrow-minded, stuffy white geriatrics. The Doctor is framed for murdering the president of the Time Lords (what?) by The Master, who looks like a ghoul from Fallout because he’s past his 12th regeneration or some such sillyness. There’s a deadly game of cat and mouse inside a psychic matrix where the danger of death may or may not be real. The climax is reduced to eyeroll-inducing fisticuffs.

Also there’s a panopticon, which is pretty cool.

Next up: Face of Evil

Season 14 ep 2 1976, Fourth Doctor

“The Hand of Fear” should have been called “Eldrad Must Live!” and includes a non-white actor for a change, though not in a significant role. In which the Doctor calls a pod of whales a school, tells a peon to go collect an obviously dangerous artifact and pays the price for it, and has an oops moment with an actor’s bosom. Looks like it was filmed in a milk plant but it was an actual nuclear power plant. Companion Sarah is dressed like a toddler and spends most of the time screaming and being a liability, hailing back to the early season companions. This was her last episode before coming back in a 2006 Tennant episode. I enjoyed that the Doctor worked to save the villain, even though it would obviously turn on him. A few clever and enjoyable turns.

Next up: The Deadly Assassin

Season 14 ep 1. Fourth Doctor

Back to a 4 episode story. An energy thingy uses the TARDIS to bring it and our heroes to 15th century England for some Shakespearian noble intrigue and an evil cult (not the good kind of cult) with prophecies and ‘magic’. The resolution is pretty lackluster and again the Doctor gloats over a pile of corpses. I liked the previous one better.

Next up: The Hand of Fear

Season 13, ep 23, February 1976. Fourth Doctor

Not to be confused with the Seeds of Death episode from some years prior.

All the usual Who tropes, this one in particular has so many old white men it’s hard to keep track of them (at least the psychopathic killer had a goatee). 6 episodes means longer than most stories from this season (13), and there’s an excessive amount of quips in the denouement. Just like Ark in Space was Alien 4 years before Alien, this was The Thing 6 years before The Thing (but 23 years after The Thing From Another World)

Next episode – season 14 The Masque of Mandragora

Season 13, 1975

Android Invasion was not too bad. A lot of the old “is this the real you or a doppelganger” moments. I wouldn’t put it on the essentials list though, especially since the Kraal aliens introduced in this ep never turned up in another TV episode.

Next up: The Brain of Morbius

Season 13, 1975

The mummies are robots! A classic classic with a great portrayal of the British archaeologist possessed/reanimated by an alien Osiran god, sarcophagus space/time tunnels, a puzzle dungeon, and a regular guy named Dr. Warlock. Good stuff. Essential Who viewing.

Next up: The Android Invasion