Story 7 - The Sensorites
The Sensorites, here we go. I think I am not alone in getting bogged down in this story. I want to like it! I like the novelization! So it seems I must dig in and have some feelings.
Maybe it's like washing dishes--I always dread washing dishes but then they turn out not to be so bad. So there's that.
Episode One - Strangers in Space
Short Summary: The crews lands, and find they are on a ship with a seemingly dead crew. The crew slowly revives, and explain they are the prisoners of the Sensorites, who inexplicably control their minds and put them in a death-like sleep, but take care of them too. Carol and Maitland (which I got from the credits, because I honestly could not tell what that dude said) convince the Tardis crew to leave, but a mysterious person has removed the door lock to the Tardis.
Suddenly the ship is taken over by the Sensorites and the crew (both Tardis and earth) try to get the ship in control. Once the ship is under control, Maitland explains about his mind control, and the crew decides to eat and figure out their next steps. Barbara and Susan misunderstand the directions to get water, and wander down a corridor. John, the missing third crew member, follows them. Carol and Maitland don't want to talk about John, but he's trapped Susan and Barbara with him.
Initially afraid of John, Barbara and Susan realize he is also deeply afraid and his mind is hurt. On the other side of the door, the remainder of the crew has to burn through the door to circumvent the lock to get to Susan. They hear a high-pitched whining, and Maitland explains that the Sensorites are going to attack. John moves to protect Barbara and Susan, while the Doctor and Maitland convince Ian that violence first isn't the right answer. The first Sensorite floats into view outside the view window….
Goodbye Marinus!
The Sensorites, here we go. I think I am not alone in getting bogged down in this story. I want to like it! I like the novelization! So it seems I must dig in and have some feelings.
Maybe it's like washing dishes--I always dread washing dishes but then they turn out not to be so bad. So there's that.
This exposition info dump is a little awkward. It reminds me more of the second episode of any American TV show now, the "just in case you never watched before but were intrigued by the reviews/response premise recap". It was definitely shoe-horned in, and not very naturally performed either, I don’t think. According to the info text it was written to pad the episode because of short run. Maybe that's why it's awkward--it was never rehearsed? Although they are very happy. And Jackie is so good at listening. Have I mentioned I love Barbara? It doesn't get good until the Doctor starts his Henry V story. He's very good at that laughing at a memory thing.
I'm glad they are questioning their first assumption that everyone was dead. Certainly those don’t seem like corpses. I've seen too many CSI episodes--the evidence doesn't add up! How does the doctor know what time it is? And they have a 24 hour time cycle? Oh boy.
Long establishing conversation--we're from the future, the London you know is gone, blah blah blah. Every companion has to go through this when they come across the first iteration of "people from their own future." It seems pretty bog standard, anyway. The actor who plays Maitland is very stiff so far. And weirdly condescending and accepting of random humans suddenly appearing on his ship. I have a pet peeve about the whole "not using contractions to prove alien-ness" thing (though Leela gets a pass on that).
This exchange about the Doctor learning not to meddle in other's affairs is great. It makes me think that intro really was unrehearsed, compared to the comfort and ease that the actors relate to each other here. This scene is so static, a long talky exposition with no almost no cutaways.
"They are hostile, these Sensorites." Ka-plunk. Awkwardly spoken, awkwardly delivered. This crew seems remarkably uncaring about their predicament. For now I'm going to assume it's the Sensorites mind control. And maybe they are lying? There's nothing sinister or menacing about either of these performances by the guest cast, though. Trusting and open minded space explorers.
This is a long long talky scene.
It's interesting the different iterations of the door opening/closing that goes on over the course of the show. It's not so safe that some random can easily remove the door lock. Traditional key, but there are no tumblers? Hand wave, hand wave. I wonder who belongs to that gloved hand. Could it be the Sensorites? The mysterious John we've just learned about?
Maitland is weak, weakly acted. His panic at the ship being taken over is completely ridiculous. Why would he ever be made a ship's captain? Wait, was the Doctor wearing glasses before? Oh, I see where he puts them on. At least Carol is doing her job, even if she's having some fear.
Oh I see, Maitland is mind controlled. I'm still not sure of this performance, though. It should have felt like he had a conflict between his training, and the overriding of his training by an outside influence. We didn't know enough about him from before to see that contrast.
Peeling chocolates in the background? Oh, dinner.
Obvious Water isn't so obvious. I kind of like that they are having trouble with the door. Why would you know how to use every alien door anyway? ( I got foiled by a stupid door at a restaurant just the other day, because the handle was hidden. It looked like the door was locked with no handle, but if you reached with your right hand to open the door there was a hidden indentation. Because 100% of the world is right handed. End of extracurricular rant.)
This must be John. He doesn't look so good, eh? Now we know it must have been the Sensorites who removed the lock, as his hand has no glove. (Unless this is misdirection).
The actor who plays Maitland is just too stagey. He's acting for the back row, and just too hysterical. They mystery of John is good though. Carol obviously has a deeper connection to him, and is trying to protect him, even though it's hella obvious that he is disturbed.
That corridor is very short, but one should still be able to escape from the shambling wreck that is John.
I guess Maitland is good for something.
This is a nice scene between Carol and Ian, though.
Why are they so afraid of a person who is in pain? Jackie is so good at empathy and kindness. They establish a rapport right away.
"Anything but this awful waiting." So true Doctor, so true.
I wonder why the Sensorites landing would be accompanied by that high-pitched whining this time, when it wasn't the time that they came before. Was someone always on the ship?
Ian does like a good bit of violence, doesn't he. He's having none of the peace first thing. Does this track? I think it does.
Nice reveal of the Sensorite. I’m not so sure why its "ship" would land, but they would still be EVA in the space vacuum. No lungs? Isn't there some kind of landing bay? He doesn't look so scary, does he? Is this the first true alien creature they've seen? The Daleks were encased, (I don't think they saw them), and the Thals looked human enough.
Episode Two - The Unwilling Warriors
Short Summary: After helping Maitland get some control of his mind back, the cockpit crew attempts to break through the door again. In the meantime, John fights against an outside force that is attempting to get him to hurt Barbara and Susan while the Sensorites board. Both the Doctor and Susan separately come to the same conclusions about how to resist the Sensorite mind control, and Susan and Barbara manage to hurt the Sensorites mentally. Ian surmises that John, as mineralogist, discovered something the Sensorites want to hide, and everything that has happened is a result of them trying to keep their secret. The Sensorite leader tells the two on board to keep an eye on the newcomers, and destroy them if they get too close to the secret.
The crew reviews John's data to see what he discovered. When the Doctor figures it out (a rare ore that is valuable in industrial production--Molybdenum), the Sensorites attack the minds of Carol and Maitland. Barbara and Ian explore the ship to try to find the Sensorites and talk to them. Once they meet up, Ian tries to hold the Sensorites off while Barbara uses John to lock them behind a door. They learn that the Sensorites are also frightened and not very aggressive. The aliens very quickly undo the door locking technology, and contact Susan through her mind. During the negotiation, it seems the noise bothers them, and the Doctor surmises that low light will also be a problem. The Sensorites consider the crews demands for freedom, and decide to take Susan to the planet with them instead…
Maitland and Carol should look more resigned to their fates, right? They've seen the Sensorites before.
The actor who plays John is very believable here. I really do feel his anguish. Smart of the Doctor to understand that emotional vulnerability would be the opening the Sensorites would use to gain access to the mind. And he would know that. Speaking of… Why aren't Barbara and Ian, at least, more vulnerable to the Sensorites mind control? They are, after all, also human. Huh.
The Sensorites and their unfortunate footwear are on board. Not a bad mask, though. Some character differentiation. Nothing for the actors to work with as far as subtle facial performances, though.
It's nice for Susan to use her knowledge of the universe to come up with a non-human defense. We defy you might be a little on the nose. But it does look like she had some abilities. Did Barbara really help?
They've skipped some time now. I guess the full crew is reunited. I'm glad we were finally done with the door cutting scene. Though with the way this episode is padded, I'm surprised we didn't get a full, "It's almost done, it's almost done, It's cut through, now knock out the welded hole, now tell everyone you're in, now open the door…" Easily another 3 minutes out of that! (thank goodness that wasn't there).
Ian is a clever clog. Now we maybe are getting to the root of the conflict. How does this last for 6 episodes, though--it's a little thin.
That was an unfortunate mask seam reveal. Why did the leave the ears free like that? Still, on the whole, the Sensorites work very well.
Carol is very nonchalant about time travel, isn't she? There's a lot of exposition in the scene too, but it's better because there are props, and the learning is more organic to the story. And of course the doctor can see what Ian and Maitland can't.
Menace music, slow walking, slow walking, slow walking….
Seriously, Ian could break these two Sensorites with one hand. I know the Doctor said no violence, so he's trying to comply, but this slow walking backwards again. Why do they feel menaced when they haven't even talked? Wasn't that the whole point of this walkabout? I’m confused. OMG, I rewound to see what the plan was, and this corridor slow walking really is interminable. Yes Ian did say "come on Barbara, let's find them." So the big plan is to find them, then back away slowly while waving a spanner at them? Scary.
Why do they want to lock the doors now after wanting to find the Sensorites? Wasn't the whole point to find them? And if Ian was so frightened, why wasn't he vulnerable to the Sensorites' mind control? Why would the locked door hold the Sensorites back, anyway, if they have a technology that can remove the lock from the Tardis? So many questions. Oh, I see; the Sensorites aren't held back.
I like how completely in charge the Doctor is in this story. He is creative, problem-solving, and open-minded. You can tell William Hartnell is having a good time portraying this thinking doctor.
Susan talks to the Sensorites through their shared telepathy.
I wonder if the door mechanism on that prop quit working; suddenly everyone is operating it manually.
I love that the Doctor is using his mind. I like that Jackie questions the Doctor's conclusion that they are frightened of the dark. Susan is brave here as well. Underplaying the "otherwise we'll all be killed" worked for me as well, although it's a low-key cliffhanger.
Episode Three - Hidden Danger
Short Summary: Susan leaves with the Sensorites. Ian, Barbara and the Doctor follow, and convince Susan she cannot go with the Sensorites. Then they turn off the lights, and frighten the Sensorites. The Doctor leaves Ian and Barbara to guard the Sensorites as they contact the Sense-Sphere for instructions, while the Doctor takes Susan aside to berate her for not following his orders. Susan tries to argue for her connection to the Sensorites to be trusted, but the Doctor only wants to exploit it at his explicit instruction.
The Sensorites get permission from the First Elder to negotiate with the earth crew. The Doctor emphasizes they want only their freedom, and agrees to go down to the planet to talk. It seems the plan is for everyone except Maitland and Barbara to go to the Sense-sphere--they will attempt to cure John, and negotiate for release. They also find out the that Sensorites have been suffering from an unknown plague since the first human contact, which ended disastrously when all 5 humans died when their spaceship exploded.
In a meeting on the Sense-Sphere, the Elder is open to the humans, the City Administrator reserves judgment while pretending to agree with the First Elder, while the Second Elder believes the humans should not be trusted. The Administrator has a weapon on hand in case negotiations don't go well, and he secretly plans to use it no matter what.
The Administrator is stopped from using his weapon on the humans by the second Elder, but he starts to foment rebellion. Just as the group have reached a point of consensus--the Doctor will help with the disease cure, (which seems to affect only the general populace and not the Elders) and the Sensorites will let the humans go--Ian collapses. The Elder pronounces that Ian will soon be dead…
We're back to Susan leaving with the Sensorites. It doesn’t last long though.
Kind of a devastating conversation for Susan, there. That was a bald statement by the Doctor: I don't trust you to represent us? Why doesn't he offer to go as well? Instead he is using autocratic authority to cow Susan's will. She has a right to be upset at him. Though we have seen her be naïve in the past in her acceptance of what she is told (see, the Daleks re: their intentions towards the Thals).
The Sensorites reaction to the light is very extreme. How long will the Doctor torture them. Though, the Sensorites seemed perfectly content to torture the earth crew on their vessel indefinitely.
And treating Susan like a silly little girl is not a help. She does have some good ideas. Using the Sensorites trust of her to exploit their vulnerabilities is quite mercenary. Though the Sensorites deserve it, I guess, for their initial hostility. Except again, we've already learned that the Sensorites were only responding to previous hostilities from a human expedition. This story has a nice bit of moral complexity.
So the Sensorite leader is called the First Elder. It is interesting that they agree to negotiation. There was some posturing the threatening on both sides, but from a place of fear and the reality that they have been attacked and threatened in the past. It's legitimate. Now what's next?
The Sensorites still haven't let go of John, though. His anguish is very real. Jesus, Carol, though. Give up and throw John off the bus, why don't you?
And Ian being all pissy pants about Barbara staying behind. Yes, I might be a bit of a shipper, and I like that when Barbara insists she'll be fine, he acquiesces. He is throwing a hissy fit, though isn't he? This scene also does a good job of getting the terms of the negotiation laid out. The exposition has gotten better since the awkward first episode.
The Sensorites make more and more sense. A plague, and human greed. And although we sense John's anguish, we also know one reason he was attacked was that they sensed his greed again.
So Maitland, Barbara, and Skinny face Sensorite stay behind while everyone else heads for the Sense-sphere.
I love the set design here! Everything rounded, with depth and layers, and light and dark. Lovely work.
One sash does not want the humans to come and compares them to animals in the forest. Two sash (the first Elder) argues cogently for an open mind. The City Administrator (collar man) is obsequious and boot-licking. I don’t trust him at all. This is also nicely done--before our protagonists land, we have a feeling for the political landscape of the Sense-sphere, and we get a notion of the conflict within their society. They are a diverse group. The sashes are useful to tell them apart, though there is enough differentiation in the masks and body types you could probably tell them apart eventually.
Ah, the City Administrator shouldn't be trusted. He has beamed an alarming weapon--The Disintegrator, hey I wonder what it does?--into the negotiating room without permission, just in case. Oh wait, not just in case…. He's just going to use it. Man he is playing all sides. Not trusting = not trustworthy?
Three ring Sensorite explains their caste system. Ian is skeptical. Did Ian always have such a wry sense of humor? The main Sensorites have completely plain out fits, besides their head communicators.
Susan is smart to trust addled John's connection to the Sensorites. Perhaps they shouldn't have done such a good job breaking his mind, eh?
My god, this weapon is terrible. Except will the humans really sit exactly where they are supposed to?
John thinks the Second Elder is good. That's nice. It might not be smart for him to confront the city administrator two against one though. Seems to have worked out okay.
And the First Elder is making a pretty good case for what happened with the earth ship. Still not sure that causing the crew to randomly sleep for the rest of their lives was really the best solution as a prison sentence, especially when there was no attempt at communication.
Plot point, Ian drinks the city water, the Elders drink special water. And then Ian succumbs. That seems like a great clue, huh?
Good of the Doctor to be so supportive of Susan during the negotiation. As he should.
Oop…. Ian collapses. Could it have something to do with the water? You gotta wonder.
Episode Four - A Race Against Death
Short Summary: After Ian's collapse, the doctor surmises the problem could be in the city water supply, which the Elders don’t drink. He convinces the First Elder to change the water and asks for access to the Tardis for his equipment to test the aqueduct water. The Second Elder comes across the City Administrator ranting about the cure of John. The Administrator convinces the Second that there is nothing wrong with the water, and that this is a plot by the earthlings to get access to their ship to bring in mass destruction to the Sensorites. The Administrator then rants it out to John.
The First Elder decides to listen to the Second Elder, and tells the Doctor he will only have access to the equipment on the Sense-Sphere. The Doctor is outraged, but he goes to work. After surmising that atropine poisoning is the culprit, they isolate it to District 9. The First Elder is elated, and sends the second Elder to let him know, but the second Elder has an appointment first with the Administrator, who has already plotted to take the Elders place by switching sashes.
The Doctor questions what the source of the atropine poisoning is, as John gives them the rambled warnings of a traitor in the ranks. The City Administrator fools the scientist into giving him the antidote, and smashes it to bits, thinking this will prove the Doctor et all are faking the cure. Meanwhile the Doctor and Scientist go to the aqueduct to investigate the source of the poison. When the Scientist explains he won't go into the tunnels because of the noise and darkness, the Doctor senses a larger plot. Ian and Barbara decide to go in after the Doctor, when they hear of the monsters. The First Elder tells the Second Elder of the plan, so the City Administrator finds out as well. As Ian and Barbara head into the aqueduct, the Doctor finds Nightshade, and then hears the roar of a monster…
Three down, three to do. It's better than I remember.
That First Elder is quite the fatalist isn't he. You can't tell the Doctor "there is no hope."
The Doctor figures out quickly that it is probably poison and coming from the Aqueduct water.
Fingers crossed for the cure. You go Susan.
The First and Second Elder do have a consulting relationship. In the last episode is seemed less democratic.
I'm not sure why the Second Elder would be swayed by the City Administrator's arguments here, when the administrator has only just tried to murder their guests where they sat. Neither the administrator nor the doctor have any proof at this point of their theories, but the Doctor is asking to work with scientists while the Administrator puts forth theories without proof.
The whispery voice of the Sensorites is also good--it calms down what could be a heady rant by the administrator.
Nice for the City Administrator to rant out his plans to John, who can't do a thing. And good job Carol, give the second administrator a plan for takeover! Except just because the earth people can't tell the Sensorites apart without their badges and sashes, does that mean the Sensorites can't tell each other apart? They've already said they can't tell the humans apart. Huh.
And it's totally fair for the First Elder to offer the science of his city to the Doctor without the equipment from the Tardis. This society sure has a lot of tools the Doctor will be able to use. He shouldn't get quite so shouty.
Science montage! They kind of skipped right to atropine, when those symptoms seem pretty vague to me, but okay, I'll play.
The City Administrator sucks, most definitely. Taking the Second Elder's family group hostage. But he stops at murder of his own people, at least at this point. How far will he be willing to go.
And now the Doctor has solved the immediate problem, he does that other important science thing…. Why? Why atropine? Why in isolated districts? What's the source? This was also nicely played.
And there the show tried to calm my fears about the Sensorites… no one really knows the Second Elder, so he should be fine in his impersonation no matter what. He should still avoid the first elder, though, right? Who knows the Second Elder very well indeed.
Wow, smashing the antidote! He's right, though--Ian will be dead, which proves the Doctor is right, or Ian won't be dead, which proves the Doctor is a rat. Either way, one less earth person to deal with.
I'll bet Ian wishes he'd stayed up in the ship with Barbara eh? Ah well. Another great scene with the First Elder and Ian and Susan. The First Elder is convinced by behavior, not by words.
Not just any kind of nightshade, eh Doctor? Deadly Nightshade.
This episode moved along at a much faster pace than the first two. Lots happened, and it happened organically.
Episode Five - Kidnap
Short Summary: Ian and Barbara find the Doctor unconscious. When he awakens, they figure out that the antidote was never delivered to Ian, and they realize they have enemies amongst the Sensorites. In the meantime the City Administrator plans to get the firing key back from the Senior Warrior to use the disintegrator by threatening the Second Elder. The flunky Sensorite does not retie the hands of the second Elder, so that he is able to destroy the firing key to the weapon before it is used. They kill the Second Elder, accidentally. They plan to frame the Doctor for the murder; however, when presenting their case to the first Elder, they don't realize the Doctor no longer has his coat. The City Administrator finagles his way into being the Second Elder with the help of the Doctor.
John is better, and remembers Carol and Susan. He also remembers they have an enemy but can't figure out who it is when questioned by the City Administrator, only later after the Administrator has left. The new Second Elder helped his acolyte escape, and has a new plan for him--to sabotage their weapon wands. The First Elder allows the Doctor and Ian to go the aqueduct and find the source of the poisoning. The Second Elder also alters the layout of the aqueduct so that the Doctor and Ian will be lost and helpless.
The Doctor and Ian head to the aqueduct while Susan, John, and Carol enjoy a meal. Carol heads off to the palace to find out what's taking the others so long to join them, and she is grabbed from behind…
Carol's hair looks very pretty down like that. I'm less impressed with the actress as this moves along though. She's okay, her character just has much less to do except be in love with John.
Evidently off screen, Susan and Ian went back to the lab to get more of the antidote. Does the City Administrator know? And now they've figured out there are enemies within the Sensorites. Forewarned is forearmed. Though the Sensorites also know that they know, due to the spy who overheard. Plots upon plots.
Sometimes Susan is a silly girl after all, making fun of the Sensorites. Though it was smart of the administrator to run from the Doctor who might recognize the deceit. I guess we get Barbara back now? Jackie must be back from vacation.
The Doctor is given a cloak by the Sensorites, and then they frame the Doctor. But they get messed up because they didn't realize the Doctor's coat was destroyed. Oops!
It's kind of sad that the First Elder won't waste sympathy on his second Elder, who after all, died a hero.
This City Administrator does have a silver tongue when he needs to, and now the Doctor and co. are going to support their enemy. This is a good plot. They should have tried to talk to John, eh? He would set them straight.
Oh First Elder, this transfer of power makes me sad. Your ideals and intelligence have been betrayed.
Oh, John also has a beautiful smile. He has a most convenient amnesia, though huh? I guess he remembered when he needed to, so that they aren't blind to their enemy anymore. But only betrayal can remove him from power. This is a nice setup of a credible threat.
For all of the talking, this is moving along nicely. There isn't a lot of action, but the "court intrigue" aspects are working very well. We don't have a sense of general Sensorite society (are there women anywhere? Are they hermaphrodites, maybe? There was a family group, but gender has been completely avoided.)
I really like the First Elder. I can't remember how this story ends now; have I fallen asleep while watching it every time? The first two episodes could easily have been one, and they wouldn’t have been such a snooze.
And the Doctor has no compunction about leaving Susan behind. He knows she wouldn't let him have an adventure with her!
I do love this sweet gentle John.
Wait, what? That's the cliffhanger? That came out of nowhere. So that's where the episode title came from; I assumed it was from the kidnap and murder of the Second Elder.
Episode Six - A Desperate Venture
Short Summary: Carol has been kidnapped by the Second Elder, who wants to keep Carol for a while. Unfortunately for him, Barbara's back, so they know that Carol didn't go back to the spaceship no matter what her note says. The Doctor and Ian realize that their weapons and map are useless. After a discussion with the First Elder, the group guesses that Carol is being held in the disintegrator ray room, and John rescues her with the help of the First Warrior. After the traitor is interrogated and reveals the Doctor and Ian are in the aqueducts with bad maps and bad weapons, the First Elder gives Barbara and Susan the opportunity to rescue their friends.
Barbara and Susan test the mind communication device, and find they can use it. The Doctor and Ian discover it is the original human group who is poisoning the Sensorite water supply. Barbara heads out to get the Doctor, and Susan and the First Elder have a chat about trust and friendship. Ian and the Doctor are ambushed by the leftover humans, who have gone mad in the tunnels. While Barbara and John get closer to them, the Doctor and Ian placate the Commander with news that the Sensorite War is over. The Commander is suspicious of Barbara and John, but he is convinced they are also allies. Once they all get outside, the Sensorites subdue the earth crew easily. The First Elder is convinced of the Second Elder's treachery, and he is banished. The Tardis lock is returned, and the First Elder wishes them good luck.
Ian makes a joke about the Tardis being unreliable to navigate, and the Doctor reacts with pique and promises to put Ian off at the next landing. Till next time…
So Second Elder, this is why you shouldn't bwahaha your evil plans to your enemies, even if they seem to be mad and incoherent.
Why would the Second Elder keep Carol, of all people? Barbara says it is in a quest for power, but it still doesn't make much sense for him to take Carol. It's hard to tell what taking any of the earth people will do in his quest for power at this point. The Second Elder's plan is falling apart. (I hate calling him the Second Elder... it's sacrilege.)
The Doctor and Ian realize their weapons and map are useless. Yeah?
I like John's shush face. It looks a bit like he is trying not to laugh, though.
Bad luck for the second Elder that Carol is rescued. She really knows he is the baddie.
Why hasn't she said anything? They are relying only on the word of the other traitor Sensorite to confess? And why are Barbara and Susan the ones reporting the results of the interrogation to the First Elder? That doesn't make any sense.
Famous Last Words, Ian. We're fine, la di da! Although I wouldn't want my weapon against a terrible monster to be a rolled up map, would you? Why is he even wielding it?
It's not a monster, it's a man! The doctor is very smart to figure out that it's the original humans who are the ones poisoning the water supply. He certainly seemed very beardy in that short shot. That must have been a tricky shot to get--enough to reveal the action, but not enough to show it was a man before the discussion.
Barbara sure learns to use that Sensorite communication device easily enough. I'm doing some suspension of disbelief here.
Oh first Elder. Another gentle person having his philosophy altered by their interaction with the Tardis crew. Here's hoping he doesn't end up like Autloc.
Susan's nostalgia for home is nice too. I wish we would get this Susan more often--a thirst for adventure, yes, indeed. Susan has at least convinced the First Elder they should be able to go home.
The Doctor is cheery for an ambush. He does enjoy being smarter than everyone, doesn't he? It's about time they ran into these guys, eh?
Why isn't Carol telling the First Elder about the Second Elder?
The Doctor is very quick on his feet.
Why couldn't they make a second map?
Oh, saying they are alone is going to bite him in it, isn't it?
This scene is psychologically surreal isn't it. We know this commander can't be in full command of his faculties, but he's so… commanding. You can tell it's bothering Ian more. It's nicely done. And the Commander really is unhinged, isn't he? The way he swings from treason to allies to treason to allies again.
Although, whose allies are these Sensorites on the outside? They are wearing the warrior bands, but based on their actions they seem like they belong to the Second Elder. Oh, I guess they are the First Elder's after all.
Wait, that's all we get about the treachery of the Second Elder, a random discussion of his banishment? They just blew right past that, didn't they? The first two episodes could easily have been one, and this episode could easily have been two. Surely he had more allies than just the one. What's going on here?
Susan learns that her thought transference won't be available from now on, and she's bummed. And her longing for a place to belong--this was nicely set up in her discussion with the First Elder as well. I wonder if they knew Carol Ann Ford was leaving at this point?
Where is this bad attitude of the Doctor's coming from anyway? Suddenly he wants to throw Ian off the ship because of a random comment about the Tardis navigation being unreliable? Okay.
End Thoughts
My short summaries could use some shortening. But I kind of want to keep them as is, with no editing, since what follows is reactionary, and not necessarily plot driven. Hmmm….
I liked this a lot more than I remembered. I actually do think I have never made it past episode two the many times I've watched it. The actual story is very good. It has moral ambiguity, a nice collection of characters with conflicting motivations. The set and character design is very good, and Barbara's outfit is cracking.
The main problem seems to one of pacing. Almost nothing happens in the first two episodes, and then the by the end they had to blow by several plot points to get to the end in time. First, no goodbye scene with their main allies (Carol, John, Maitland). Second, the arrest and discovery of the Second Elder's betrayal happens entirely off screen for the First Elder, which should cause more of a moral crisis for him. Third, what happened to John's greed for the Molybdenum, was it superseded by their curing him and becoming allies? Fourth, should there have been further negotiations between the Sensorites and the actual Earth crew about their new relationship?
The particulars of the way the Sensorites kept the original earth crew imprisoned doesn't really jive so well with their "trust trust" philosophy later on. Using fear as a form of control (and for how long? Forever? Only the presence of the Doctor triggered any change in their situation, after all) is hard to stomach, and harder to align with the First Elder as he was when we met him.
I suppose you could put it down to gaining empathy through learning… the Sensorites became more sympathetic because we got to know them. And I really did like the First Elder very much. He was such a tiny man, but he was a commander, and thinker, and a dreamer. The original Second Elder, too, did a great job of portraying his anguish at his family and his brave sacrifice, even under that rubber mask. Even the paranoia of the City Administrator had its root in real experiences--they had been under attack by the first earth group, after all. I'm not sure what his long term xenophobia would have done for the society of the Sensorites in the long-term.
All in all, I liked this story. It was much more complicated, in a good way, then I remembered, and the weaker actor performances were soon forgotten in the service of the overall plot. I think I'll say….. 6 for a rating? Should I go higher? 6 it is.
Maybe it's like washing dishes--I always dread washing dishes but then they turn out not to be so bad. So there's that.
Episode One - Strangers in Space
Short Summary: The crews lands, and find they are on a ship with a seemingly dead crew. The crew slowly revives, and explain they are the prisoners of the Sensorites, who inexplicably control their minds and put them in a death-like sleep, but take care of them too. Carol and Maitland (which I got from the credits, because I honestly could not tell what that dude said) convince the Tardis crew to leave, but a mysterious person has removed the door lock to the Tardis.
Suddenly the ship is taken over by the Sensorites and the crew (both Tardis and earth) try to get the ship in control. Once the ship is under control, Maitland explains about his mind control, and the crew decides to eat and figure out their next steps. Barbara and Susan misunderstand the directions to get water, and wander down a corridor. John, the missing third crew member, follows them. Carol and Maitland don't want to talk about John, but he's trapped Susan and Barbara with him.
Initially afraid of John, Barbara and Susan realize he is also deeply afraid and his mind is hurt. On the other side of the door, the remainder of the crew has to burn through the door to circumvent the lock to get to Susan. They hear a high-pitched whining, and Maitland explains that the Sensorites are going to attack. John moves to protect Barbara and Susan, while the Doctor and Maitland convince Ian that violence first isn't the right answer. The first Sensorite floats into view outside the view window….
Goodbye Marinus!
The Sensorites, here we go. I think I am not alone in getting bogged down in this story. I want to like it! I like the novelization! So it seems I must dig in and have some feelings.
Maybe it's like washing dishes--I always dread washing dishes but then they turn out not to be so bad. So there's that.
This exposition info dump is a little awkward. It reminds me more of the second episode of any American TV show now, the "just in case you never watched before but were intrigued by the reviews/response premise recap". It was definitely shoe-horned in, and not very naturally performed either, I don’t think. According to the info text it was written to pad the episode because of short run. Maybe that's why it's awkward--it was never rehearsed? Although they are very happy. And Jackie is so good at listening. Have I mentioned I love Barbara? It doesn't get good until the Doctor starts his Henry V story. He's very good at that laughing at a memory thing.
I'm glad they are questioning their first assumption that everyone was dead. Certainly those don’t seem like corpses. I've seen too many CSI episodes--the evidence doesn't add up! How does the doctor know what time it is? And they have a 24 hour time cycle? Oh boy.
Long establishing conversation--we're from the future, the London you know is gone, blah blah blah. Every companion has to go through this when they come across the first iteration of "people from their own future." It seems pretty bog standard, anyway. The actor who plays Maitland is very stiff so far. And weirdly condescending and accepting of random humans suddenly appearing on his ship. I have a pet peeve about the whole "not using contractions to prove alien-ness" thing (though Leela gets a pass on that).
This exchange about the Doctor learning not to meddle in other's affairs is great. It makes me think that intro really was unrehearsed, compared to the comfort and ease that the actors relate to each other here. This scene is so static, a long talky exposition with no almost no cutaways.
"They are hostile, these Sensorites." Ka-plunk. Awkwardly spoken, awkwardly delivered. This crew seems remarkably uncaring about their predicament. For now I'm going to assume it's the Sensorites mind control. And maybe they are lying? There's nothing sinister or menacing about either of these performances by the guest cast, though. Trusting and open minded space explorers.
This is a long long talky scene.
It's interesting the different iterations of the door opening/closing that goes on over the course of the show. It's not so safe that some random can easily remove the door lock. Traditional key, but there are no tumblers? Hand wave, hand wave. I wonder who belongs to that gloved hand. Could it be the Sensorites? The mysterious John we've just learned about?
Maitland is weak, weakly acted. His panic at the ship being taken over is completely ridiculous. Why would he ever be made a ship's captain? Wait, was the Doctor wearing glasses before? Oh, I see where he puts them on. At least Carol is doing her job, even if she's having some fear.
Oh I see, Maitland is mind controlled. I'm still not sure of this performance, though. It should have felt like he had a conflict between his training, and the overriding of his training by an outside influence. We didn't know enough about him from before to see that contrast.
Peeling chocolates in the background? Oh, dinner.
Obvious Water isn't so obvious. I kind of like that they are having trouble with the door. Why would you know how to use every alien door anyway? ( I got foiled by a stupid door at a restaurant just the other day, because the handle was hidden. It looked like the door was locked with no handle, but if you reached with your right hand to open the door there was a hidden indentation. Because 100% of the world is right handed. End of extracurricular rant.)
This must be John. He doesn't look so good, eh? Now we know it must have been the Sensorites who removed the lock, as his hand has no glove. (Unless this is misdirection).
The actor who plays Maitland is just too stagey. He's acting for the back row, and just too hysterical. They mystery of John is good though. Carol obviously has a deeper connection to him, and is trying to protect him, even though it's hella obvious that he is disturbed.
That corridor is very short, but one should still be able to escape from the shambling wreck that is John.
I guess Maitland is good for something.
This is a nice scene between Carol and Ian, though.
Why are they so afraid of a person who is in pain? Jackie is so good at empathy and kindness. They establish a rapport right away.
"Anything but this awful waiting." So true Doctor, so true.
I wonder why the Sensorites landing would be accompanied by that high-pitched whining this time, when it wasn't the time that they came before. Was someone always on the ship?
Ian does like a good bit of violence, doesn't he. He's having none of the peace first thing. Does this track? I think it does.
Nice reveal of the Sensorite. I’m not so sure why its "ship" would land, but they would still be EVA in the space vacuum. No lungs? Isn't there some kind of landing bay? He doesn't look so scary, does he? Is this the first true alien creature they've seen? The Daleks were encased, (I don't think they saw them), and the Thals looked human enough.
Episode Two - The Unwilling Warriors
Short Summary: After helping Maitland get some control of his mind back, the cockpit crew attempts to break through the door again. In the meantime, John fights against an outside force that is attempting to get him to hurt Barbara and Susan while the Sensorites board. Both the Doctor and Susan separately come to the same conclusions about how to resist the Sensorite mind control, and Susan and Barbara manage to hurt the Sensorites mentally. Ian surmises that John, as mineralogist, discovered something the Sensorites want to hide, and everything that has happened is a result of them trying to keep their secret. The Sensorite leader tells the two on board to keep an eye on the newcomers, and destroy them if they get too close to the secret.
The crew reviews John's data to see what he discovered. When the Doctor figures it out (a rare ore that is valuable in industrial production--Molybdenum), the Sensorites attack the minds of Carol and Maitland. Barbara and Ian explore the ship to try to find the Sensorites and talk to them. Once they meet up, Ian tries to hold the Sensorites off while Barbara uses John to lock them behind a door. They learn that the Sensorites are also frightened and not very aggressive. The aliens very quickly undo the door locking technology, and contact Susan through her mind. During the negotiation, it seems the noise bothers them, and the Doctor surmises that low light will also be a problem. The Sensorites consider the crews demands for freedom, and decide to take Susan to the planet with them instead…
Maitland and Carol should look more resigned to their fates, right? They've seen the Sensorites before.
The actor who plays John is very believable here. I really do feel his anguish. Smart of the Doctor to understand that emotional vulnerability would be the opening the Sensorites would use to gain access to the mind. And he would know that. Speaking of… Why aren't Barbara and Ian, at least, more vulnerable to the Sensorites mind control? They are, after all, also human. Huh.
The Sensorites and their unfortunate footwear are on board. Not a bad mask, though. Some character differentiation. Nothing for the actors to work with as far as subtle facial performances, though.
It's nice for Susan to use her knowledge of the universe to come up with a non-human defense. We defy you might be a little on the nose. But it does look like she had some abilities. Did Barbara really help?
They've skipped some time now. I guess the full crew is reunited. I'm glad we were finally done with the door cutting scene. Though with the way this episode is padded, I'm surprised we didn't get a full, "It's almost done, it's almost done, It's cut through, now knock out the welded hole, now tell everyone you're in, now open the door…" Easily another 3 minutes out of that! (thank goodness that wasn't there).
Ian is a clever clog. Now we maybe are getting to the root of the conflict. How does this last for 6 episodes, though--it's a little thin.
That was an unfortunate mask seam reveal. Why did the leave the ears free like that? Still, on the whole, the Sensorites work very well.
Carol is very nonchalant about time travel, isn't she? There's a lot of exposition in the scene too, but it's better because there are props, and the learning is more organic to the story. And of course the doctor can see what Ian and Maitland can't.
Menace music, slow walking, slow walking, slow walking….
Seriously, Ian could break these two Sensorites with one hand. I know the Doctor said no violence, so he's trying to comply, but this slow walking backwards again. Why do they feel menaced when they haven't even talked? Wasn't that the whole point of this walkabout? I’m confused. OMG, I rewound to see what the plan was, and this corridor slow walking really is interminable. Yes Ian did say "come on Barbara, let's find them." So the big plan is to find them, then back away slowly while waving a spanner at them? Scary.
Why do they want to lock the doors now after wanting to find the Sensorites? Wasn't the whole point to find them? And if Ian was so frightened, why wasn't he vulnerable to the Sensorites' mind control? Why would the locked door hold the Sensorites back, anyway, if they have a technology that can remove the lock from the Tardis? So many questions. Oh, I see; the Sensorites aren't held back.
I like how completely in charge the Doctor is in this story. He is creative, problem-solving, and open-minded. You can tell William Hartnell is having a good time portraying this thinking doctor.
Susan talks to the Sensorites through their shared telepathy.
I wonder if the door mechanism on that prop quit working; suddenly everyone is operating it manually.
I love that the Doctor is using his mind. I like that Jackie questions the Doctor's conclusion that they are frightened of the dark. Susan is brave here as well. Underplaying the "otherwise we'll all be killed" worked for me as well, although it's a low-key cliffhanger.
Episode Three - Hidden Danger
Short Summary: Susan leaves with the Sensorites. Ian, Barbara and the Doctor follow, and convince Susan she cannot go with the Sensorites. Then they turn off the lights, and frighten the Sensorites. The Doctor leaves Ian and Barbara to guard the Sensorites as they contact the Sense-Sphere for instructions, while the Doctor takes Susan aside to berate her for not following his orders. Susan tries to argue for her connection to the Sensorites to be trusted, but the Doctor only wants to exploit it at his explicit instruction.
The Sensorites get permission from the First Elder to negotiate with the earth crew. The Doctor emphasizes they want only their freedom, and agrees to go down to the planet to talk. It seems the plan is for everyone except Maitland and Barbara to go to the Sense-sphere--they will attempt to cure John, and negotiate for release. They also find out the that Sensorites have been suffering from an unknown plague since the first human contact, which ended disastrously when all 5 humans died when their spaceship exploded.
In a meeting on the Sense-Sphere, the Elder is open to the humans, the City Administrator reserves judgment while pretending to agree with the First Elder, while the Second Elder believes the humans should not be trusted. The Administrator has a weapon on hand in case negotiations don't go well, and he secretly plans to use it no matter what.
The Administrator is stopped from using his weapon on the humans by the second Elder, but he starts to foment rebellion. Just as the group have reached a point of consensus--the Doctor will help with the disease cure, (which seems to affect only the general populace and not the Elders) and the Sensorites will let the humans go--Ian collapses. The Elder pronounces that Ian will soon be dead…
We're back to Susan leaving with the Sensorites. It doesn’t last long though.
Kind of a devastating conversation for Susan, there. That was a bald statement by the Doctor: I don't trust you to represent us? Why doesn't he offer to go as well? Instead he is using autocratic authority to cow Susan's will. She has a right to be upset at him. Though we have seen her be naïve in the past in her acceptance of what she is told (see, the Daleks re: their intentions towards the Thals).
The Sensorites reaction to the light is very extreme. How long will the Doctor torture them. Though, the Sensorites seemed perfectly content to torture the earth crew on their vessel indefinitely.
And treating Susan like a silly little girl is not a help. She does have some good ideas. Using the Sensorites trust of her to exploit their vulnerabilities is quite mercenary. Though the Sensorites deserve it, I guess, for their initial hostility. Except again, we've already learned that the Sensorites were only responding to previous hostilities from a human expedition. This story has a nice bit of moral complexity.
So the Sensorite leader is called the First Elder. It is interesting that they agree to negotiation. There was some posturing the threatening on both sides, but from a place of fear and the reality that they have been attacked and threatened in the past. It's legitimate. Now what's next?
The Sensorites still haven't let go of John, though. His anguish is very real. Jesus, Carol, though. Give up and throw John off the bus, why don't you?
And Ian being all pissy pants about Barbara staying behind. Yes, I might be a bit of a shipper, and I like that when Barbara insists she'll be fine, he acquiesces. He is throwing a hissy fit, though isn't he? This scene also does a good job of getting the terms of the negotiation laid out. The exposition has gotten better since the awkward first episode.
The Sensorites make more and more sense. A plague, and human greed. And although we sense John's anguish, we also know one reason he was attacked was that they sensed his greed again.
So Maitland, Barbara, and Skinny face Sensorite stay behind while everyone else heads for the Sense-sphere.
I love the set design here! Everything rounded, with depth and layers, and light and dark. Lovely work.
One sash does not want the humans to come and compares them to animals in the forest. Two sash (the first Elder) argues cogently for an open mind. The City Administrator (collar man) is obsequious and boot-licking. I don’t trust him at all. This is also nicely done--before our protagonists land, we have a feeling for the political landscape of the Sense-sphere, and we get a notion of the conflict within their society. They are a diverse group. The sashes are useful to tell them apart, though there is enough differentiation in the masks and body types you could probably tell them apart eventually.
Ah, the City Administrator shouldn't be trusted. He has beamed an alarming weapon--The Disintegrator, hey I wonder what it does?--into the negotiating room without permission, just in case. Oh wait, not just in case…. He's just going to use it. Man he is playing all sides. Not trusting = not trustworthy?
Three ring Sensorite explains their caste system. Ian is skeptical. Did Ian always have such a wry sense of humor? The main Sensorites have completely plain out fits, besides their head communicators.
Susan is smart to trust addled John's connection to the Sensorites. Perhaps they shouldn't have done such a good job breaking his mind, eh?
My god, this weapon is terrible. Except will the humans really sit exactly where they are supposed to?
John thinks the Second Elder is good. That's nice. It might not be smart for him to confront the city administrator two against one though. Seems to have worked out okay.
And the First Elder is making a pretty good case for what happened with the earth ship. Still not sure that causing the crew to randomly sleep for the rest of their lives was really the best solution as a prison sentence, especially when there was no attempt at communication.
Plot point, Ian drinks the city water, the Elders drink special water. And then Ian succumbs. That seems like a great clue, huh?
Good of the Doctor to be so supportive of Susan during the negotiation. As he should.
Oop…. Ian collapses. Could it have something to do with the water? You gotta wonder.
Episode Four - A Race Against Death
Short Summary: After Ian's collapse, the doctor surmises the problem could be in the city water supply, which the Elders don’t drink. He convinces the First Elder to change the water and asks for access to the Tardis for his equipment to test the aqueduct water. The Second Elder comes across the City Administrator ranting about the cure of John. The Administrator convinces the Second that there is nothing wrong with the water, and that this is a plot by the earthlings to get access to their ship to bring in mass destruction to the Sensorites. The Administrator then rants it out to John.
The First Elder decides to listen to the Second Elder, and tells the Doctor he will only have access to the equipment on the Sense-Sphere. The Doctor is outraged, but he goes to work. After surmising that atropine poisoning is the culprit, they isolate it to District 9. The First Elder is elated, and sends the second Elder to let him know, but the second Elder has an appointment first with the Administrator, who has already plotted to take the Elders place by switching sashes.
The Doctor questions what the source of the atropine poisoning is, as John gives them the rambled warnings of a traitor in the ranks. The City Administrator fools the scientist into giving him the antidote, and smashes it to bits, thinking this will prove the Doctor et all are faking the cure. Meanwhile the Doctor and Scientist go to the aqueduct to investigate the source of the poison. When the Scientist explains he won't go into the tunnels because of the noise and darkness, the Doctor senses a larger plot. Ian and Barbara decide to go in after the Doctor, when they hear of the monsters. The First Elder tells the Second Elder of the plan, so the City Administrator finds out as well. As Ian and Barbara head into the aqueduct, the Doctor finds Nightshade, and then hears the roar of a monster…
Three down, three to do. It's better than I remember.
That First Elder is quite the fatalist isn't he. You can't tell the Doctor "there is no hope."
The Doctor figures out quickly that it is probably poison and coming from the Aqueduct water.
Fingers crossed for the cure. You go Susan.
The First and Second Elder do have a consulting relationship. In the last episode is seemed less democratic.
I'm not sure why the Second Elder would be swayed by the City Administrator's arguments here, when the administrator has only just tried to murder their guests where they sat. Neither the administrator nor the doctor have any proof at this point of their theories, but the Doctor is asking to work with scientists while the Administrator puts forth theories without proof.
The whispery voice of the Sensorites is also good--it calms down what could be a heady rant by the administrator.
Nice for the City Administrator to rant out his plans to John, who can't do a thing. And good job Carol, give the second administrator a plan for takeover! Except just because the earth people can't tell the Sensorites apart without their badges and sashes, does that mean the Sensorites can't tell each other apart? They've already said they can't tell the humans apart. Huh.
And it's totally fair for the First Elder to offer the science of his city to the Doctor without the equipment from the Tardis. This society sure has a lot of tools the Doctor will be able to use. He shouldn't get quite so shouty.
Science montage! They kind of skipped right to atropine, when those symptoms seem pretty vague to me, but okay, I'll play.
The City Administrator sucks, most definitely. Taking the Second Elder's family group hostage. But he stops at murder of his own people, at least at this point. How far will he be willing to go.
And now the Doctor has solved the immediate problem, he does that other important science thing…. Why? Why atropine? Why in isolated districts? What's the source? This was also nicely played.
And there the show tried to calm my fears about the Sensorites… no one really knows the Second Elder, so he should be fine in his impersonation no matter what. He should still avoid the first elder, though, right? Who knows the Second Elder very well indeed.
Wow, smashing the antidote! He's right, though--Ian will be dead, which proves the Doctor is right, or Ian won't be dead, which proves the Doctor is a rat. Either way, one less earth person to deal with.
I'll bet Ian wishes he'd stayed up in the ship with Barbara eh? Ah well. Another great scene with the First Elder and Ian and Susan. The First Elder is convinced by behavior, not by words.
Not just any kind of nightshade, eh Doctor? Deadly Nightshade.
This episode moved along at a much faster pace than the first two. Lots happened, and it happened organically.
Episode Five - Kidnap
Short Summary: Ian and Barbara find the Doctor unconscious. When he awakens, they figure out that the antidote was never delivered to Ian, and they realize they have enemies amongst the Sensorites. In the meantime the City Administrator plans to get the firing key back from the Senior Warrior to use the disintegrator by threatening the Second Elder. The flunky Sensorite does not retie the hands of the second Elder, so that he is able to destroy the firing key to the weapon before it is used. They kill the Second Elder, accidentally. They plan to frame the Doctor for the murder; however, when presenting their case to the first Elder, they don't realize the Doctor no longer has his coat. The City Administrator finagles his way into being the Second Elder with the help of the Doctor.
John is better, and remembers Carol and Susan. He also remembers they have an enemy but can't figure out who it is when questioned by the City Administrator, only later after the Administrator has left. The new Second Elder helped his acolyte escape, and has a new plan for him--to sabotage their weapon wands. The First Elder allows the Doctor and Ian to go the aqueduct and find the source of the poisoning. The Second Elder also alters the layout of the aqueduct so that the Doctor and Ian will be lost and helpless.
The Doctor and Ian head to the aqueduct while Susan, John, and Carol enjoy a meal. Carol heads off to the palace to find out what's taking the others so long to join them, and she is grabbed from behind…
Carol's hair looks very pretty down like that. I'm less impressed with the actress as this moves along though. She's okay, her character just has much less to do except be in love with John.
Evidently off screen, Susan and Ian went back to the lab to get more of the antidote. Does the City Administrator know? And now they've figured out there are enemies within the Sensorites. Forewarned is forearmed. Though the Sensorites also know that they know, due to the spy who overheard. Plots upon plots.
Sometimes Susan is a silly girl after all, making fun of the Sensorites. Though it was smart of the administrator to run from the Doctor who might recognize the deceit. I guess we get Barbara back now? Jackie must be back from vacation.
The Doctor is given a cloak by the Sensorites, and then they frame the Doctor. But they get messed up because they didn't realize the Doctor's coat was destroyed. Oops!
It's kind of sad that the First Elder won't waste sympathy on his second Elder, who after all, died a hero.
This City Administrator does have a silver tongue when he needs to, and now the Doctor and co. are going to support their enemy. This is a good plot. They should have tried to talk to John, eh? He would set them straight.
Oh First Elder, this transfer of power makes me sad. Your ideals and intelligence have been betrayed.
Oh, John also has a beautiful smile. He has a most convenient amnesia, though huh? I guess he remembered when he needed to, so that they aren't blind to their enemy anymore. But only betrayal can remove him from power. This is a nice setup of a credible threat.
For all of the talking, this is moving along nicely. There isn't a lot of action, but the "court intrigue" aspects are working very well. We don't have a sense of general Sensorite society (are there women anywhere? Are they hermaphrodites, maybe? There was a family group, but gender has been completely avoided.)
I really like the First Elder. I can't remember how this story ends now; have I fallen asleep while watching it every time? The first two episodes could easily have been one, and they wouldn’t have been such a snooze.
And the Doctor has no compunction about leaving Susan behind. He knows she wouldn't let him have an adventure with her!
I do love this sweet gentle John.
Wait, what? That's the cliffhanger? That came out of nowhere. So that's where the episode title came from; I assumed it was from the kidnap and murder of the Second Elder.
Episode Six - A Desperate Venture
Short Summary: Carol has been kidnapped by the Second Elder, who wants to keep Carol for a while. Unfortunately for him, Barbara's back, so they know that Carol didn't go back to the spaceship no matter what her note says. The Doctor and Ian realize that their weapons and map are useless. After a discussion with the First Elder, the group guesses that Carol is being held in the disintegrator ray room, and John rescues her with the help of the First Warrior. After the traitor is interrogated and reveals the Doctor and Ian are in the aqueducts with bad maps and bad weapons, the First Elder gives Barbara and Susan the opportunity to rescue their friends.
Barbara and Susan test the mind communication device, and find they can use it. The Doctor and Ian discover it is the original human group who is poisoning the Sensorite water supply. Barbara heads out to get the Doctor, and Susan and the First Elder have a chat about trust and friendship. Ian and the Doctor are ambushed by the leftover humans, who have gone mad in the tunnels. While Barbara and John get closer to them, the Doctor and Ian placate the Commander with news that the Sensorite War is over. The Commander is suspicious of Barbara and John, but he is convinced they are also allies. Once they all get outside, the Sensorites subdue the earth crew easily. The First Elder is convinced of the Second Elder's treachery, and he is banished. The Tardis lock is returned, and the First Elder wishes them good luck.
Ian makes a joke about the Tardis being unreliable to navigate, and the Doctor reacts with pique and promises to put Ian off at the next landing. Till next time…
So Second Elder, this is why you shouldn't bwahaha your evil plans to your enemies, even if they seem to be mad and incoherent.
Why would the Second Elder keep Carol, of all people? Barbara says it is in a quest for power, but it still doesn't make much sense for him to take Carol. It's hard to tell what taking any of the earth people will do in his quest for power at this point. The Second Elder's plan is falling apart. (I hate calling him the Second Elder... it's sacrilege.)
The Doctor and Ian realize their weapons and map are useless. Yeah?
I like John's shush face. It looks a bit like he is trying not to laugh, though.
Bad luck for the second Elder that Carol is rescued. She really knows he is the baddie.
Why hasn't she said anything? They are relying only on the word of the other traitor Sensorite to confess? And why are Barbara and Susan the ones reporting the results of the interrogation to the First Elder? That doesn't make any sense.
Famous Last Words, Ian. We're fine, la di da! Although I wouldn't want my weapon against a terrible monster to be a rolled up map, would you? Why is he even wielding it?
It's not a monster, it's a man! The doctor is very smart to figure out that it's the original humans who are the ones poisoning the water supply. He certainly seemed very beardy in that short shot. That must have been a tricky shot to get--enough to reveal the action, but not enough to show it was a man before the discussion.
Barbara sure learns to use that Sensorite communication device easily enough. I'm doing some suspension of disbelief here.
Oh first Elder. Another gentle person having his philosophy altered by their interaction with the Tardis crew. Here's hoping he doesn't end up like Autloc.
Susan's nostalgia for home is nice too. I wish we would get this Susan more often--a thirst for adventure, yes, indeed. Susan has at least convinced the First Elder they should be able to go home.
The Doctor is cheery for an ambush. He does enjoy being smarter than everyone, doesn't he? It's about time they ran into these guys, eh?
Why isn't Carol telling the First Elder about the Second Elder?
The Doctor is very quick on his feet.
Why couldn't they make a second map?
Oh, saying they are alone is going to bite him in it, isn't it?
This scene is psychologically surreal isn't it. We know this commander can't be in full command of his faculties, but he's so… commanding. You can tell it's bothering Ian more. It's nicely done. And the Commander really is unhinged, isn't he? The way he swings from treason to allies to treason to allies again.
Although, whose allies are these Sensorites on the outside? They are wearing the warrior bands, but based on their actions they seem like they belong to the Second Elder. Oh, I guess they are the First Elder's after all.
Wait, that's all we get about the treachery of the Second Elder, a random discussion of his banishment? They just blew right past that, didn't they? The first two episodes could easily have been one, and this episode could easily have been two. Surely he had more allies than just the one. What's going on here?
Susan learns that her thought transference won't be available from now on, and she's bummed. And her longing for a place to belong--this was nicely set up in her discussion with the First Elder as well. I wonder if they knew Carol Ann Ford was leaving at this point?
Where is this bad attitude of the Doctor's coming from anyway? Suddenly he wants to throw Ian off the ship because of a random comment about the Tardis navigation being unreliable? Okay.
End Thoughts
My short summaries could use some shortening. But I kind of want to keep them as is, with no editing, since what follows is reactionary, and not necessarily plot driven. Hmmm….
I liked this a lot more than I remembered. I actually do think I have never made it past episode two the many times I've watched it. The actual story is very good. It has moral ambiguity, a nice collection of characters with conflicting motivations. The set and character design is very good, and Barbara's outfit is cracking.
The main problem seems to one of pacing. Almost nothing happens in the first two episodes, and then the by the end they had to blow by several plot points to get to the end in time. First, no goodbye scene with their main allies (Carol, John, Maitland). Second, the arrest and discovery of the Second Elder's betrayal happens entirely off screen for the First Elder, which should cause more of a moral crisis for him. Third, what happened to John's greed for the Molybdenum, was it superseded by their curing him and becoming allies? Fourth, should there have been further negotiations between the Sensorites and the actual Earth crew about their new relationship?
The particulars of the way the Sensorites kept the original earth crew imprisoned doesn't really jive so well with their "trust trust" philosophy later on. Using fear as a form of control (and for how long? Forever? Only the presence of the Doctor triggered any change in their situation, after all) is hard to stomach, and harder to align with the First Elder as he was when we met him.
I suppose you could put it down to gaining empathy through learning… the Sensorites became more sympathetic because we got to know them. And I really did like the First Elder very much. He was such a tiny man, but he was a commander, and thinker, and a dreamer. The original Second Elder, too, did a great job of portraying his anguish at his family and his brave sacrifice, even under that rubber mask. Even the paranoia of the City Administrator had its root in real experiences--they had been under attack by the first earth group, after all. I'm not sure what his long term xenophobia would have done for the society of the Sensorites in the long-term.
All in all, I liked this story. It was much more complicated, in a good way, then I remembered, and the weaker actor performances were soon forgotten in the service of the overall plot. I think I'll say….. 6 for a rating? Should I go higher? 6 it is.