"As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves."
Episode 3: The Edge of Destruction.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date: Two episodes. 8th February to 15th February 1964.
The Doctor, while attempting to correct the TARDIS's faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan are all temporarily rendered unconscious. After they awake, Ian and Susan appear to have slight cases of amnesia and everyone begins to act strangely. Unexpected events are happening in the TARDIS, the travellers are becoming suspicious of each other's motives, and the Doctor even accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotage.
The Edge of Destruction is the first story to be set entirely inside the TARDIS and featuring only the main characters. Through that medium we get to understand the characters a little more as they interact with one another and the crisis growing around them. For example, by the end of this story we have the Doctor go from the grumpy, paranoid grandfather to someone who realises what he has been like and now cares for and respects his new companions.
The story is essentially that the TARDIS seems to be breaking down around the characters and slowly time seems to be running out for them. The cause is eventually explained as the fast return switch has become stuck and is sending them into the explosive birth of a new star system. You also get more hints that the TARDIS is alive and aware due to this.
It is nice to have a short story in this era of overly lengthy ones. The acting seems a little off but I wonder whether that it is true or it is party of the story that isn't quite revealed. After all, some of the characters do go a little crazy during the events around them. But sometimes a spot of bad acting helps with the enjoyment.
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