Episode #153 : Silver Nemesis

"I don't suppose you've completely ignored my instructions and secretly prepared any Nitro-9, have you?"

Episode 153:   Silver Nemesis.
Companions:   7th Doctor and Ace.
Air Date:         23 November to 7th December 1988.

The Doctor and Ace visit England in 1988, where three rival factions - the Cybermen, a group of Nazis and a 17th Century sorceress named Lady Peinforte - are attempting to gain control of a statue made of a living metal, validium, that was created by Rassilon as the ultimate defence for Gallifrey. The statue has three components - a bow, an arrow and the figure itself - that must be brought together in order for it to be activated. They have been separated since 1638 when, in order to foil the first attempt by Peinforte to seize it, the Doctor launched the figure into orbit in a powered asteroid.  This asteroid has been approaching the Earth at twenty-five yearly intervals ever since, leaving a succession of disasters in its wake, and has now crash-landed near Windsor Castle.

The show's 25th anniversary (silver, hence the episode title) is an excellent piece of classic Doctor Who. With just a little bit of effort to cover up the one or two plot holes, I would have given Silver Nemesis a full five point rating. As is though, I think it is one of the better McCoy era stories.

Silver Nemesis continues elements of the Cartmell Masterplan by having Lady Peinforte drop references to who the Doctor might possibly be. Unfortunately, the Cybermen nor Ace care and she is cut off before she can actually say anything. The way it is done is suitably mysterious and leaves you wishing there was more to the Cartmell Masterplan than what appears on screen.

The story continues from events in an untelevised adventure where the Doctor encountered Peinforte and the Roundheads. Whatever the events were (and which incarnation?) it put the Nemesis statue into a returning orbit whose presence caused the first and second world wars and the assassination of Kennedy.

There appears to be many fans who dislike this story due to the plot holes, humour and multiple villains (Peinforte, the Nazi's and the cybermen) but I feel they do Silver Nemesis an injustice.