Episode #70 : The Time Warrior

Sarah Jane Smith : "You're serious, aren't you?"

The Doctor : "About what I do, yes. Not necessarily about the way I do it."

Episode 70:   The Time Warrior.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 15th December 1973 to 5th January 1974.

 

Journalist Sarah Jane Smith is impersonating her aunt, virologist Lavinia Smith, in order to gain access to a research centre where top scientists are being held in protective custody while UNIT investigates the disappearance of a number of their colleagues. The missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship.

 

Another excellent story that gets us away from UNIT and back into time travel. In The Time Warrior, a Sontaran officer has been forced to crash in 13th century England and using crude time travel techniques is abducting scientists from the 20th century to held repair his space ship. The Doctor with new companion, and stowaway, Sarah Jane Smith travel back to medieval England to stop him. This story is good classic science fiction and the OTT acting from the medieval inhabitants is so amusing that you can easily ignore any issues with the story.

 

In this episode we have the introduction of the most famous and arguably the most beloved companion ever, Sarah Jane Smith. In my opinion, no one will ever match her as a companion. Played by the late Elizabeth Sladen, Sarah Jane became an immediate hit and would remain about of Who lore right up until the current incarnation of the show. The character starts off as a tough no-nonsense feminist which is a big change to Jo Grant. There is immediate great chemistry between her and the Doctor.

 

This is our introduction to the Sontarans as recurring villains. A race of warrior clones at war with a race called the Rutans (who will eventually make an appearance). They seek to conquer the galaxy much like every other villain out there but in all of the show they never seem to actually get anywhere.

 

We also learn for the first time the name of the Doctor's home world: Gallifrey. Now that it has a name, we will be seeing it a bit more often in the future.

 

I have great fondness for this story because although there has been humour before, I think this is the first time that it is used so well by the Doctor and will become part of his make up from here on. The show is about time travel and for ages we do seem to have been bogged down with UNIT stories.

 

The Time Warrior is another great story that everyone should check out.