Episode #54 : Inferno

"Listen to that! It's the sound of the planet screaming out its rage!"

 

 

Episode 54:    Inferno.
Companions: The 3rd Doctor and Liz Shaw.
Air Date:        Seven episodes. 9th May to 20th June 1970.

 

UNIT is providing security cover at an experimental drilling project designed to penetrate the Earth's crust and release a previously untapped source of energy. Soon however the drill head starts to leak an oily green liquid that transforms those who touch it into vicious primeval creatures with a craving for heat.
The Doctor is accidentally transported by the partially repaired TARDIS control console into a parallel universe where the drilling project is at a more advanced stage. Thwarted by his friends' ruthless alter egos, he works to save both universes.

Inferno is an excellent story that keeps you fixed throughout. The story deals with two elements: a drilling operation that has gone too far and threatens to destroy the world, and an alternate dystopian Earth where the drilling has gone too far allowing the Doctor to learn how to avert disaster.

The story deals with a mining operation led by an unscrupulous man named Stahlman who seeks to drill down into the core of the Earth looking for something he has named Stahlman's Gas. Unfortunately all he finds initially is a strange green goo that transforms those who touch it into weird green furred primitives called Primords. The effects for these look awful and remind me far more of the old werewolf effects from the 1930's wolfman movies.

From there an accident sends the Doctor sideways in time to an alternate Earth where Great Britain is a dystopian society. Much like the classic mirror universe Star Trek stories there are evil versions of the characters from the Doctors universe, including an evil version of the Brigadier and Liz Shaw. On their world the drilling has punctured the core and the release of energy has set the Earth on the path to fiery death. The Doctor must find a way to travel back to his universe and save the Earth.

Although the story is really good elements don't make much sense. Why does the green go create Primords and why do they want to bring about the end of the world? That never gets explained. Also, considering that later on in the show we learn that Torchwood managed to drill down to the Racnoss ship at the centre of the Earth, why didn't they encounter the problems presented here? Think too much and there are continuity issues here.

Unfortuantely this is the last time we see Liz Shaw. No goodbye. She just doesn't return in the following season. The character of Liz is another strong female role and I wonder if she was replaced because it is easier to have a screamer type companion who can ask questions and needs to be rescued.

Episode #53 : The Ambassadors of Death

"No, no. You vanished first. I only seemed to have vanished because you went into the future, and I wasn't there yet."

Episode 53:   The Ambassadors of Death.
Companions: The 3rd Doctor and Liz Shaw.
Air Date:       Seven episodes. 21st March to 2nd May 1970.

The Doctor joins UNIT's investigation of the mystery surrounding Mars Probe 7. Space Control, headed by Professor Ralph Cornish, has had no contact with the astronauts on board since it started back from Mars seven months ago. Now the Recovery 7 rescue mission has run into similar difficulties.

The Ambassadors of Death is a difficult story to review. It features a mix of fairly typical science fiction elements along with aspects of conspiracy, first contact with extraterrestrials and action sequences. All together it is an odd mish-mash that also makes it tough to follow. The story deals with a first contact with an alien race who are never identified. For some reason it leads to a conspiracy on behalf of a military officer who first encountered them while part of the United Kingdoms space missions to Mars (though the aliens are not from Mars), who fears they are violent aggressors.

The alien ambassadors are not named and for some reason following the orders of the men who have captured them. These aliens are fed by radiation and can use it as a weapon to burn out electronics and even kill with a touch. They are not evil however, just being forced to serve.

Because the story is such an odd mish-mash it feels like it runs far too long when the length of the story overall is about right. The real problem is that the story just ends and you are left hanging with unanswered questions. What happens with our contact? Do they aliens leave or do they maintain contact with us? They are never mentioned again so I assume they leave, disgusted with mankind. A little explanation would have ended the story better.

This is another story to prove that the Whoniverse is not our own. The UK has its own space agency and in 1970 we have already reached Mars with manned craft, despite the Americans only just reaching the Moon a year earlier.

Overall it isn't a great story and it is another where I found myself looking to flick through books or whatever was at hand. Not a good sign.

Episode #52 : The Silurians

 

"My dear Miss Shaw, I never report myself anywhere, particularly not forthwith."

 

Episode 52:   The Silurians.
Companions: The 3rd Doctor and Liz Shaw.
Air Date:       Seven episodes. 31st January to 14th March 1970.

 

At Wenley Moor nuclear research facility, they're experiencing technical difficulties. The source is something old, the former rulers of the Earth, and they have awoken.

 

This story introduces a new villainous species, the former inhabitants of the Earth, a species that we call the Silurians. Not an accurate name but it fits for the purposes of the story. Fearful of a global catastrophe, the Silurian race entered hibernation along with some dinosaurs awaiting a time when the Earth would have been restored to being able to support life. Unfortunately the catastrophe never happened and their technology has broken down, preventing their awakening. When this group awakens they find that mankind has arisen in their place.

 

We are also introduced Bessie, the Doctors new car while he is exiled to the Earth. Throughout his time, the third Doctor upgrades the car to be something more suitable to him, and the start of that can be seen towards the end of this story.

 

I find the end of the story a little blunt however. The Doctor wants mankind and the Silurians to live together in peace. Throughout the story this seems to be his primary objective and at the end he thinks he may have started that. Unfortunately the Brigadier, under orders from the British government, blows up the hibernation compound, which upsets the Doctor greatly. Although he was following orders, I think it strips the Brigadier of something and he comes across as callous.

 

The Silurians is a very good story and I fully recommend it.

 

Episode #51 : Spearhead From Space

"All right, all right, I suppose you want to see my pass? Yes, well, I haven't got one. And I'm not going to tell you my name, either. Now you just tell Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that I want to see him. Well, don't just stand there arguing with me, man! Get on with it!"

 

 

Episode 51:     Spearhead From Space.
Companions:   The 3rd Doctor and Liz Shaw.
Air Date:          Four episodes. 3rd to 20th January 1970.

 

Exiled to Earth in the late 20th century and forbidden to continue travelling by his own people, the Time Lords, the newly regenerated Doctor arrives in Oxley Woods accompanied by a shower of mysterious meteorites. Investigating these unusual occurrences is the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT for short).

 

This for me is when Doctor Who really takes off. The show has returned in colour, and from here on the show just gets better and better. The writing improves, the acting improves and the effects are usually a lot better. All because the show has gone from black and white to colour. The show features a bit more action than usual and the humerous elements improve the show.

 

Spearhead From Space introduces us to a newly regenerated Doctor and sets up the physiological differences that are from here on often repeated such as having two hearts and his blood being immediately obvious not human.

 

Jon Pertwee's Doctor is immediately likeable and much more charming as a character. His new companion Liz Shaw is a strong female role model. She is a tough, uncompromising scientist and not the usual screamer that we are used to from a female companion.

 

We are reintroduced to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and the soldiers of UNIT who are now in charge of investigating strange occurrences around the world, though the Brigadier's mandate throughout the show seems to be protecting the United Kingdom. UNIT will continue to be the main focus for many stories to come as the Doctor joins them as a scientific advisor until he get can the TARDIS working again.

 

The story introduces us to a whole new recurring villain, the Nestene Consciousness and it's minions, the Autons - creatures of living plastic. Shop mannequins are creepy anyway and this story makes them even more so. These are perhaps the first enemies to play up on children's fears. Daleks are scary but you don't tend to see them on every high street.

 

Spearhead from Space is an excellent story and it is from here that I recommend viewers to start watching the show.