Project: Who - Arc of Infinity 1
Arc of Infinity 1
Written by Johnny Byrne
Directed by Ron Jones
On Gallifrey, a Time Lord communicates with someone who seems strangely familiar. He sells out the Doctor, sending his bio-data to this other being. Other Time Lords notice the transmission and cut it off.
On Earth, in Amsterdam, two travelers discuss meeting someone the next day and try to decide where they will sleep that night.
On the Tardis, the Doctor sets about repairing things when a strange signal comes in. The Doctor freaks out and tries to pilot the ship away.
The traitor Time Lord enters a computer data room, the same room his transmission had been discovered. There is but one guard on duty, and the guard instantly recognizes the man. He trusts the man without question, they are friends. And that's a shame, because the traitor has no problem whipping out a gun and killing the guard in cold blood.
Something comes through the Tardis shields and chases the Doctor and Nyssa. It is the familiar stranger, and he/it bonds with the Doctor. They literally become one, for a brief period.
We hear the Tardis land in Amsterdam, close to the underground burial chamber in which the two travelers are sleeping. But we don't actually see it.
A weird creature exists and it appears to kill one of the travelers, one named Colin. It also tries to kill the other one, but he manages to escape by the cunning use of running.
In the data room, a handsome young Time Lord with striking features and impeccable fashion sense enters to question the guard's partner. He orders the guard to recall one specific Tardis - the Doctor's.
Colin returns. He is a mindless zombie.
The handsome Time Lord holds the rank of Commander. He's obviously very high up in the chain of those running the planet, and he's named Maxil. He is rightfully pleased to see the Tardis when it arrives, almost as though it should be his.
The other traveler, named Stuart, is freaked out. He goes to a motel and checks in, despite the cost.
The Doctor and Nyssa, now on Gallifrey, rush out of the Tardis, and head towards the data room. The incredibly efficient Time Lord Commander Maxil and his guards, practical as they are, waste no time in finding the pair and stunning the Doctor. Nyssa is taken into custody.
* * *
I'd swear I've seen this Maxil chap somewhere before, wouldn't you? He's so brave, and efficient, and with such interesting fashion choices. I mean, not many could pull off a decorative feather, but he manages with brilliance. And when facing down a man as dangerous as the Doctor - a man who once stole the Presidency, of all things! - he shows cunning and refuses to back down. They should make this gentleman a series regular, don't you think?
Stuart and Colin don't seem to have much to do here. They haven't really been given anything to play with, in terms of characterizations or depth, but the actors manage to twist the words from the page and add their own spin to it, making both characters much better than they could have been.
There are a number of Big Finish audio stories set between the last story (Time-Flight) and this, with Nyssa as the Doctor's companion. I'm not sure how well that's going to work. His dialog, regarding the fight against the Cybermen and needing to repair the ship, ties directly into the recent stories. I wonder how they are going to handle you-know-who's return in the next episode? From Nyssa's perspective, will they have just left this person? Or will it seem like some time has gone by? I know from the other person's perspective it's been around a year or something.
One thing I probably shouldn't admit is, the cliffhangers usually don't work for me. The purpose of the cliffhanger is to get the audience excited for the next episode (or movie, or whatever). Leave them wanting more. Usually, it's "the Doctor is in danger, *yawn* see ya next week" or something along those lines. This one does work for me. I'm interested, I want to know more. Who is the familiar stranger? Will the Doctor survive, when his replacement is the one who shot him? We'll find out in the next episode.