Episode #84 : The Brain of Morbius

"You can't really go on calling yourself Morbius. There's very little of Morbius left! Why don't you think of another name? Potpourri would be appropriate!"

Episode 84:   The Brain of Morbius.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 3rd to 24th January 1976.

The planet Karn is home both to a mystic Sisterhood, whose sacred flame produces an elixir of life, and to Mehendri Solon, a fanatical scientist who is using the remnants of spaceship crash victims to put together a new body for the still-living brain of the executed Time Lord criminal Morbius. When the Doctor and Sarah arrive on the planet, Solon decides that the Doctor's head is just what he needs to complete his work.

The Brain of Morbius is a fantastic retelling of the Frankenstein story complete with mad scientist, an assembled from body parts monster, a an Igor-like henchman and at the end a group of flaming torch wielding sisters to defeat the creature. The writer has taken all the classic elements of the original story and given them a Whovian spin.

This is another story that gets a big thumbs up from me. The plot and pacing are spot on and it so adds to the atmosphere of the story. The characters and the acting also fit very well. For most of the story Sarah Jane is blinded and she pulls off that condition brilliantly and realistically. As for the Doctor, after the last couple where the character seems to have been a grumpy mood, here he is back to his lovable eccentric self.

The setting for this story is the planet Karn, which may be in the same system as Gallifrey or a neighbouring one. It is home to a mystical order known as the Sisterhood of Karn who keep the sacred flame capable of producing an elixir of life highly valued by the Time Lords. This is not the last time we see them as they have a part to play much further into the Doctor's life time.

In this story there is a mental struggle between the Doctor and Morbius (in his new body). In this struggle they pit the power of their minds against one another. On a screen appear images of past incarnations, including the first three Doctors. But there are four or five other faces that appear. It has caused discussions among fans ever since as it initially implies that the Doctor has had more incarnations that we know of. Of course, where we are at the moment with modern Who, we know that this isn't the case. However, it has always been my thought that these other faces are simply images of Morbius in his prior incarnations. It seems strange to me that that has not been mentioned before (though some corner of the Internet must have raised it) and it explains that mystery.

The Brain of Morbius is another big thumbs up from me. It isn't one of the best but it certainly is worth a watch. Enjoy.