The Keys of Marinus
"The Keys of Marinus" has never been highly regarded, which is a shame but this is understandable. The direction is lacking in places, some of the performances are below par, and Terry Nation's script is a bit sloppy - reflecting that this was a last-minute commission. Despite all that, I can't help loving this story. This is partly due to the fact that it keeps on moving to different locations in each episode, keeping things fresh and giving the viewer a chance to fully explore the alien world of Marinus.
There's a considerable amount of imagination at work here, particularly the scenes set in Morphoton. Director John Gorrie uses clever point-of-view shots to illustrate how Barbara sees through the city's illusion of luxury. The scene where the Doctor goes into his "lab" and starts admiring a broken old mug is hilarious, and the brain creatures look suitably horrible. Indeed, Raymond Cusick's designs throughout the story are very impressive, considering the small budget he was working with.
William Hartnell, William Russell and Jacqueline Hill are all on good form, the latter two doing an excellent job of holding center stage during Hartnell's holiday in the middle two episodes. Upon his return - a punch-the-air moment for me! - in part five, Hartnell turns in a vibrant performance as the Doctor seeks to clear Ian of a murder charge. It's another significant moment in the character's development, as it shows the respect that he has developed for Ian after their initial hostility to each other. His little moral at the end about the dangers of man being controlled by machines is also notable, and has some relevance in our society today. Susan, alas, is back to being pretty much useless here after her improved role in "Marco Polo" (although she does get one moment of bravery restoring the bridge in the ice cavern), and the supporting characters are largely unremarkable, with the exception of the burly, brutish Vasor. He gives off a genuine sense of menace, and the scene where it is implied that he intends to rape Barbara is remarkably dark and bold for a family show.
All in all, there's a lot to enjoy in this surprisingly well-paced adventure. Definitely a guilty pleasure.
3 ½ / 5 stars