Doctor Who, season 2 continued …

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor is still in a contemplative mood over the loss of Barbara & Ian.  Vicki tries to console him.  They’re interrupted by a noise from the living quarters, and they fear a Dalek got on board.

The introduction of Steven Taylor as a TARDIS crewmember is both fun and nicely done.  (“Don’t call me ‘Doc’.  Do I make myself clear?”)  Steven’s disbelief on the topic of time travel is refreshing, and his curiosity leads us to one of my favourite pieces of Hartnell dialogue.

“That is the dematerialising control.  That over yonder is the horizontal hold.  Up there is a scanner, those are the doors, that is a chair with a panda on it.  Sheer poetry, dear boy!”

This, together with the Doctor’s later line (“What do you think it is – a space helmet for a cow?”) shows how comedy should be done.  Subtlety with wordplay, not comedy Daleks, inappropriate music, and the directing equivalent of a custard pie in the face.  The humour allows Hartnell to cover for his own fluffs (“I prefer walking to any day.  Besides, I hate climbing.”) without it seeming like a real fluff.

Their arrival is observed by a monk with a ring just like the Doctor’s.  A villager sees it, too.  The Doctor separates from Vicki & Steven as darkness falls and he seeks out a nearby village.  The villagers reach the beach, but the tide has already come in and all they can see is the sea.

The Doctor is caught by a woman at the village, but he quickly strikes up a friendship.  They can hear monks singing, which intrigues the Doctor’s curiosity.  He subtly figures out what year it is, displaying a memory of English history that would have made Barbara proud.  When the singing monks slow down in unison, the Doctor’s curiosity has him heading in the direction of the monastery.

Steven and Vicki seek out civilisation via another route, and they seem to have got lost.  A commanding Vicki keeps Steven safe from his own brashness.  A fight sees Steven win a dropped wristwatch, which reaffirms his skepticism.

The Doctor reaches the monastery, and quickly discovers a gramophone playing the singing of the monks, but this enables the monk to trap him.

An excellent first episode to The Time Meddler which has a bit of everything in it – comedy, drama, suspense, disbelief, intrigue, historical setting, and some great dialogue and scenes.  A good continuation from the previous episode.

Next time … The Meddling Monk