Doctor Who continued …

The second animated episode of The Reign of Terror.

At last the plot really moves on apace.  Ian is captured and shackled for information.  Barbara is allowed to speak to the Doctor so that they can be overhead.  Oddly, Barbara says that Susan had a fever but is recovered now.  That was a bit sudden?  Her illness was just a ploy to stop Barbara from escaping, and then to get them recaptured.  When they’ve finished not-escaping and being captured, she’s suddenly all healthy again.

What looks like a great gunfight and battle in the church during the rescue of Ian doesn’t come across so well in animation form.  It must have been great in live-action.

Hartnell is again on top form as he secures Barbara’s escape and attempts the same with Susan (he really likes bashing people around the head, doesn’t he?), leading to a foiled escape but an important progression of the plot.  An excellent heated discussion between Barbara and Ian with each taking one side of the revolutionary argument.  And plot development with the wonderful paranoia of Robespierre in his panic with L’Maitre.

The animation is just as before, with the depiction of Ian and his hair being particularly dodgy, but it’s not quite enough this time to weigh too heavily against what is an exceptional episode.

Next time … Prisoners of Conciergerie