Episode #121 : Earthshock

Cyber Lieutenant : "A Time Lord. But they're forbidden to interfere."

Cyber Leader : "This one calls himself the Doctor - and does nothing else but interfere."

Episode 121:   Earthshock.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric.
Air Date:          8th to 16th March 1982.

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the 26th Century in a cave system containing numerous dinosaur fossils. The Doctor's party comes under suspicion from a military force, led by Lieutenant Scott, who are investigating the disappearance of a group of palaeontologists and geologists. They are all then attacked by androids - the true culprits - under the control of the Cybermen.

After an absence of several years the Cybermen return to the show in a rather excellent adventure. This time their plan to halt a conference where different alien empires are joining forces against them, by blowing up the planet Earth. Due to the interference of the Doctor and companions their plans are stopped but not without cost.

This is the first serial to feature the death of a major companion. In this case Adric is the unfortunate soul who fails to get out alive. Instead he is stuck on board a freighter hurtling into Earth's past, becoming the course of the dinosaur's extinction. At the time it was quite a shock ending and even today that final scene still carries some weight. There are many who dislike the character of Adric but I feel it to be very unfounded. While he was a negative or naive personality at times, he was a good foil for the Doctor who is used to companions doing what they are told.

Speaking of companions, in this story Tegan gets her game face on for a change. She becomes a little more action heroine, grabbing a cyber weapon and going a tad gung-ho on the cybermen. While it may seem a little out of character it is nice to see her getting some spotlight again.

Now, while Earthshock is certainly an excellent adventure it is not without problems in the form of plot holes. If the Cybermen can plant a bomb on Earth undetected why do they need to sneak onto the planet via a freighter? How exactly does tampering with a computer send you back in time? Lastly, the crew of the freighter don't know who the Cybermen are and yet the conference the Cybermen want to stop is to unite different empires against them. Cybermen must be known for them to be such a threat. I think the writer got caught up in his story and forgot to check himself.

Episode #68 : Planet of the Daleks

 

"Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know.

It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."

 

 

Episode 68:    Planet of the Dalek.

Companions:  3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 7th April to 12th May1973.

 

Immediately after the events of Frontier in Space: the Third Doctor has been shot and gravely wounded by the Master. Jo helps him into the TARDIS, where he uses the telepathic circuits to send a message to the Time Lords before he collapses.

 

The Time Lords guide the TARDIS to the planet Spiridon where the Daleks have prepared an army ten thousand strong with which to conquer the Human and Draconian empires. A band of Thaals have also arrived to destroy the Daleks before they can release that army. The Daleks have also come to this world to take the natural invisibility of the native Spiridons.

 

It is interesting that since we last saw the Thaals on Skaro they seem to have achieved some advanced technology and even space flight. Have they fled Skaro to a new home world or have they somehow survived alongside the Daleks? This question is never answered.

 

At points in the story it feels very reminiscent of the original Dalek story. It definitively shares certain similarities with that story. Maybe that was the point since it was a very good introductory story for the Daleks.

 

As much as the previous story was quite bad, Planet of the Daleks makes up for it by being a very entertaining and enjoyable story. The plot works very well and there are some great moments of dialogue between the Doctor and the Thaals. If I have any grumbles with Planet of the Daleks it is simply that it could have been better handled as a follow up to Frontier in Space.

 

Episode #67 : Frontier in Space

"In a reminiscent mood are you, Doctor? Poor Miss Grant, you have my deepest sympathies."

Episode 67:   Frontier in Space.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 24th February to 31st March 1973.

The Doctor and Jo are caught in the escalating tension between planets Earth and Draconia, and discover that the Master is secretly working to provoke the two into all-out war.

Frontier in Space is a rather long winded and drawn out story that starts off as a tale of two empires on the verge of war, then moves to a prison tale before introducing the Master and the Daleks! It feels like there is just too much going on and it the pacing is far too slow because of it.

The story is basically about the Master trying to drive a wedge between humanity and the Draconian Empire, so that they go to war and then his "allies", the Daleks, can move in and mop up whatever or whoever remains. Other than an odd sense that he hates Earth because the Doctor likes the planet (and us) there seems to be no real reason for the Master to actually be doing any of this.

The end of the story seems alsmost as pointless. Having defeated the Master's plans by allying Earth and Draconia, he sends a telepathic transmission to the Time Lords and then passes out. Frontier in Space continues on, although unconnected really in the following story, Planet of the Daleks. I guess it must have been a time of slow ideas for the show.

Unfortunately this story is also the last time we see Roger Delgardo as the Master. In June of 1973 he was tragically killed in a motor accident while filming a movie in Turkey. Although Anthony Ainley would continue the role in later years and very well, it is Roger Delgardo who I think carried the character best.

Sadly Frontier in Space is really not a very well written story and other than it continues immediately into the next story it would be one I would suggest viewers avoid. In this instance I really feel that I have to give a thumbs down.