I always forget how great the season 11 title sequence is. Not sold on the full length shot of Pertwee but the starburst start is great and I love the blue hue.
It's not just the Royal retinue this time round, we're getting to see the miners of Peladon.
Well, we're stuck straight in here - Aggedor's at it already!
We have a queen on the throne of Peladon now...
...and good old Alpha Centauri's around, with a new shower curtain...
...and hairy carrot Vega Nexos and the rather laconic Eckersley, are both great new additions.
It seems the High Priest as Chancellor model has stuck after the last Peladon story.
Ortron is Hepesh's immediate successor.
"Another rotten gloomy old tunnel!" Yay, Sarah! Yay, Pertwee's cool green get up.
I'd love a new series return to Peladon. Sam Troughton as the King & chuck in aliens from The End of the World and The Rings of Akhaten. Absolute no brainer.
Eckersley and Vega Nexos arrange a demonstration of the sonic lance for the Queen to allay the miners fears.
Sarah accuses the Doctor of namedropping when he refers to his "good friend the King"...
...who ordered his death and harassed his companion that one time they met.
The demonstration goes tits up, though - the tech does the job...
...but ghost Aggedor strikes Vega Nexos dead!
Badger man pronounces it's the Curse of Aggedor!
The Doctor remembers the secret passage into Aggedor's temple...
...but not that being there gets you arrested. Which it does.
Ortron introduces the Doctor to the Queen - the daughter of the King that he once knew.
...but not that being there gets you arrested. Which it does.
Ortron introduces the Doctor to the Queen - the daughter of the King that he once knew.
Alpha Centauri vouches for the Doctor but doesn't know Sarah from Adam, almost literally.
Ortron blames the Doctor for their current troubles - he was the one that persuaded them to join the Federation!
Ettis isn't willing to wait for Gebek's attempt at diplomacy & plots to attack while he has the chance.
"Gebek, you know the Citadel is forbidden to those of your kind!" Ortron attempts to keep out the riff-raff.
The Doctor tells Eckersley that the Federaton has itself to blame for the unrest on Peladon
The Federation is at war after an unprovoked attack from Galaxy 5; now they need the trisilicate of Peladon
Ettis and his band of clowns try to break into the armoury.
Eckersley watches them on CCTV and barely bats and eyelid at their tedious efforts.
Eckersley isn't bothered by "local politics" until Ettis has him at sword point.
Naturally enough, the Doctor chucks in a bit of Venusian Aikido to take down the fanatical Ettis.
Alpha Centauri is worried that its appearance might bring tears to Sarah's eyes.
Gebek begs the Queen to send the Federation aliens away so the miners will get back to work.
But the miners are revolting! Gebek's attempts at peace talks are torpedoed by Ettis' attack.
When the Doctor intervenes to allow Gebek to escape...
When the Doctor intervenes to allow Gebek to escape...
...Ortron tars him with the same brush.
The Doctor is able to persuade the Queen to give him a chance to investigate ghost Aggedor.
While the Queen's champion accompanies the Doctor to the mines...
...Ortron orders Gebek & co. captured and killed!
"I'll say one thing for your friend the Doctor, he's got quite a knack of talking himself out of trouble!"
The Doctor finds a rich vein of Trisilicate at the spot where Vega Nexos died, but Ettis blows up the cave mouth...
...and Aggedor appears to zap Blor, who gives the most bizarre strangulated scream ever heard.
I reckon the reason that people lose patience with the Monster of Peladon is that it has an odd structure - it shoves all its water-treading padding into the 1st 2 eps, keeping you at arm's length until it's ready to start. Pertwee seems to be lazily enjoying coasting through it. He seems very cosy.
Recap: The Doctor wants to see the murder scene. Crazy badger man wants to sacrifice him.
This Aggedor ain't right - it's not the furry chap the doctor hypnotised, it's a statue with laser eyes.
"I have given the alien's cave back to the sacred mountain & made a sacrifice to Aggedor!" Ettis, you berk.
Gebek uses the sonic lance to re-open the cave...
...allowing the Doctor to dive out of the way as "Aggedor" reappears!
Sarah goes off to find the Doctor, via the "secret" passage through the temple.
Now Gebek and the Doctor are even. Ettis doesn't trust the Doctor's offer of help.
Blah blah miners, tunnels, fisticuffs, yeah yeah.
Wonder what that ice-warrior-y thing in the refinery moving about in an ice-warrior-y way might be?
Sarah's set off Eckersley's burglar alarm.
In fact, Eckersley seems far more concerned about anyone getting into the refinery than he did the armoury.
The miners grumble that they don't have enough food to feed their families despite the Federation's promises.
Gebek tells the others that he believes the Doctor's their friend and can help their case.
Ettis gives it a bit of crazy eyes, so you know he disagrees.
Eckersley dismisses the idea of anyone being in the refinery, putting it down to concussion & disorientation.
Alpha Centauri just misses what Sarah was on about...
The plan is for Gebek to waste Ortron's time so the Doctor can speak to Thalira alone.
I like the queen; bit too much "startled face" but she's far more pro-active than her dad.
Ettis is back on it, knocking Eckersley unconscious...
...and taking Sarah & Centauri at sword point demanding that the armoury be opened.
Ettis threatens Sarah, so Centauri unlocks the armoury, allowing Ettis' hotheads to arm themselves. This won't end well.
"This is what comes of softness with the common people!" Another vote for David Cameron from Ortron there.
Now armed with Federation guns, the miners go on the rampage, but Centauri has raised the alarm.
...and though she squirms free...
...she's only able to escape as far as the palace guard, who take her to Ortron.
The Doctor arrives to talk sense to Ortron...
...but he's not listening.
Eckersley's stilted recap for the Queen hardly pleads Sarah's case. With friends like him...
Prepare the pit! Blimey, is Ingrid back?
The queen gets wind of Ortron's plans too late! Look out below!
They throw Sarah down the pit, Terry Walsh catches her, then Pertwee pops up to shine a light on Aggedor.
Pit-bottom cliff-hanger!
The Doctor subdues the "monster" with a belicose rendition of his favourite Venusian Lullaby.
Ortron has to admit defeat and haul them up.
Eckersley's a cool customer. Reminds me of a saner Tom Baker at times, vaguely similar face too.
Alpha Centauri, egged on by Eckersley, decides to call in the Federation.
Whatever that is they've given Sarah to eat, it looks rank. Like a lump of luminous green cheese.
The Doctor sets Sarah the task of bringing feminism to a feudal society. How long has she got?
"It would be different if I was a man. But I'm only a girl."
"Now just a minute. There's nothing only about being a girl, your Majesty. Never mind why they made you a Queen, the fact is you are the Queen, so just you jolly well let them know it."
Silly little thing, but I think those twisted dead branches in the caves are actually a nice touch.
Sarah finally gets round to telling the Doctor what she (half) saw in the refinery.
Ortron has the Doctor arrested for stepping outside the citadel against his orders. Plod plod plod.
Warned by Sarah, Eckersley goes on the rampage with the sonic lance to cut a swathe through the miners but Gebek gets the drop on him.
Ettis is disgusted that Gebek allows Eckersley & Sarah to leave unharmed but the lance is in his hands now.
Sarah's the brains of the operation - she's come up with the plan to all play nice so the incoming Federation troops will about turn.
The 3rd Doctor behind bars again. Must feel at home.
Sarah is able to persuade Gebek to organize a jailbreak.
There's gratitude; Pertwee tricks Terry Walsh with a conjuring trick and Gebek clubs him unconscious.
Ettis aims the sonic lance at the Citadel.
The Federation troops are coming into land. Ooh, I wonder who that ice warrior-y voice belongs to?
The Doctor and Gebek make it to the refinery where the sonic screwdriver comes in handy - as a screwdriver!
Eckersley is sceptical of the theory that the Aggedor scam is running out of the refinery. One of his CCTV shots shows the Aggedor statue in the refinery that's used to run the scam.
Ortron appeals to the miners, promising a fair hearing once the Federation have gone...
...but ghost Aggedor strikes again!
Ice Warriors! Well I never saw that coming!
Into part 4 and The Monster of Peladon is finally about to start!
Azaxyr's basically taken over the entire planet. Easiest invasion the Ice Warriors have ever pulled off.
That helmet's gone to his head; Azaxyr thinks he'd Dredd: "I am your judge, your jury and executioner too. Perhaps."
"I am the law! That WAS your trial!"
Alan Bennion is incredibly cool as the Ice Lord, as always.
Clueless Ettis readies the other miners for an assault on the citadel.
I like the characters, and the sets & the feel of the whole word, but honestly, bugger all is happening.
Pertwee's phoning it in a bit too. It's only really Sladen, and a handful of others keeping this alive.
Special mentions for Frank Gatliff as Ortron, Rex Robinson as Gebek & Alan Bennion as Azaxyr.Donald Gee's Eckersely's the best of them, but seems to behaving an episode off.
Ettis and his clowns storm the throne room and are satisfyingly cut down by the Ice Warriors.
Sadly, though, Ettis himself gets away.
The Doctor, aided by Sarah & Eckersley, persuades Azaxyr that Gebek will listen to him & get the miners back to work.
The Doctor suspects that Azaxyr has his own agenda on Peladon. Centauri finds the phones are down.
The Doctor asks Sarah to check out Sskel and sure enough, it was him in the refinery earlier - which means the Ice Warriors were here a lot earlier than they claimed...
So the plan is to boil the Ice Warriors alive. Nice.
Gebek tells the miners to co-operate just like they do with Ortron, WINK WINK!
"I've always been very keen on Survival!" JP a big fan of season 26.
The Doctor turns up the heat in the mines.
Ettis stabs one of the other miners, Preba, when he points out how mad his plan to blow up the Citadel with the sonic lance is.
Thalira registers her protest, like Azaxyr gives a shit.
Love the Ice Warrior with the massive head (the original helmet).
The Doctor races to foil Ettis, leaving Gebek to lead the fight against the Ice Warriors.
Sarah is re-re-recaptured!
Sarah's startled to discover Azaxyr already knows that Ettis has the lance; he's already set it to blow up.
Terry Walsh is half the cast in this one! He's got more wigs than we've had hot dinners. There's Terry now, with that wig that's a much darker grey than Pertwee's hair.
Ettis gives the Doctor a Zidane-esque headbutt in the stomach, thumps him, then takes an exploding lance in the face.
Please say Ettis didn't survive that; he's single-handedly added 2 episodes to this story with his idiocy.
Quite a lengthy recap there.
Azaxyr plots to crush the resistance by pumping the air out of the mines.
Eckersley consoles Sarah about the Doctor's apparent death: "He should never have got mixed up in local politics!"
The Doctor and Gebek realize Azaxyr is trying to flush them out.
Centauri fears Azaxyr will conscript all Pels to work in the Trisilicate mines.
In the throne room, Sarah, Centauri, the Queen and Ortron plot an escape...
...which goes horribly wrong...
...when the ice warrior guard steps on Thalira's cloak...
...and Ortron is killed.
At least Sarah got away.
Centauri tries to send a message while Sarah flicks the CCTV & overhears Azaxyr & Eckersley in the refinery.
Eckersley's in on it too! It's one of those everyone's a traitor do's. He's the one controlling laser-Aggedor.
The Federation is at war with Galaxy 5. Must be them that's hoarding all the missing episodes.
Sarah is overjoyed to see the Doctor's alive and at his snooping best.
Sarah nearly drops the Doctor & Gebek in it but the distraction she provides allows Gebek to get the guard stoned.
Centauri lets slip that the Doctor's at large.
Azaxyr co-opts the Queen.
Eckersley admits to being a traitor but is tight-lipped about his motives...
...until he cracks under the intense pressure of Centauri politely asking once...
...and admits he wants the wealth of the Trisilicate and to rule Earth under Galaxy 5.
The Doctor, Sarah & Gebek make it into the refinery and the Doctor starts to get to grips with the controls.
The Ice Warriors are melting their way into the refinery. With a heat weapon. That they're holding. Nope, no idea.
The Doctor's able to use laser-Aggedor to get rid of the Ice Warriors knocking on his door.
Eckersley stays he still has one or two tricks for the Doctor. If it's that one where you make a coin appear in your mouth by tapping your head, he's three episodes ahead of you, mate.
Gebek goes to the miners; to get them back on side all the Doctor has to do is make laser Aggedor appear on cue.
But equally there's still about 15 minutes to go, so we have to wait a bit.
Eckersley's set his car alarm off at the Doctor, but he's resisting for now.
The Doctor starts to polish off the remaining Ice Warriors with laser-Aggedor.
Azaxyr's fed up of all this waiting. It's alright for you, mate, you only turned up in episode 4, mate, pity the rest of us!
Azaxyr goes to kill some time. Sorry, I mean some miners.
Eckersley's car alarm finally gets too much for the Doctor, so he puts himself in a coma.
Mark it off on your Pertwee-era bingo card!
Sarah races to the rescue, and picks up a gun to point at Eckersley.
Sarah thinks the Doctor is dead. Again. Beginning to think she *wants* him to be dead.
Eckersley guns down a miner to make his getaway...
...while Gebek & Co. attempt to retake the throne room and rescue the Queen from Azaxyr.
Azaxyr gets too close and a struggle ensues; Sskel's own weapon is turned against him.
Eh? One of the guards just stabs Azaxyr to death? Really? That's a bit... I dunno, not what I expected.
Sarah trudges to see the Comatose Pertwee Exhibit in the refinery.
"Tears, Sarah Jane?" NOT YET, JON!! NEXT STORY!!
Eckersley takes the Queen hostage in a desperate bid to escape now that the Ice Warriors are beaten.
Eckersley's not only kidnapped the queen but he's thumped Alpha Centauri too! The bounder!
So Jon sets his pet Aggedor on him, and the day is saved.
Except he gets Aggedor killed. Nice one, Jon.
The Doctor nominates Gebek for Chancellor. Bit of a poisoned chalice bearing in mind the last 3 all died in office.
Comedy ending: The Doctor grabs Sarah's ear, and fails to disguise that the police box is empty. Class.
Coming Next... The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
Surprising that nobody has posted any personal observations on this story yet. So I'll start it off: Granted, not the most compelling story of #3's tenure per-se, but one of my all-time favorites--enough for me to imagine a crossover modification to it to help clear up one random factor that Brian Hayles didn't address (what about the ship or ships in orbit?). After all, with "Federation" mentioned, it would be easy to add just one more character, a lone Starfleet officer serving the unrewarding position of security chief for the planet...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back to the actual story...Sarah in her natural demeanor--standard classic expression which we have gotten to love. Donald Gee made me do a double-take when I first saw this story, because I swore I was looking at a dead-ringer for Tom Baker--the only differences were the hair and the voice. He did a fine job as the two-faced villain. But the one detail that instantly mesmerized me and gave this story such a high rating from me for all time was Nina Thomas, THE most doll-like beauty ever to grace "Who." It's a pity we would not see her in other roles, because I saw her as the ultimate "It" girl to come out of Britain, trumping the looks of even Britain's most famous actresses of the time. To this day I still have a high regard for her, and "Who" girls still end up in a comparison test to her--none of which have yet equaled, much less surpassed.