We learn that there is a device on the
TARDIS that alerts them if someone is on the same time path. We also learn that
the TARDIS takes 12 minutes to get itself together. I like the idea that it has
to sort itself out instead of a quick departure. The Doctor talks about
constructing the alert thing and whilst they couldn’t have known what the
future producers and writers would do, it’s the first bit of discontinuity.
The first scene in the Daleks time
machine isn’t quite the ideal scene that it should have been. There is the age
old problem of dummy Daleks with a picture at the back of the scene. In fact I
don’t really like the Dalek’s time machine from the look of it right down to
the sound it makes when it lands and takes off. Compare the Daleks first scene
to the regulars first scene its clear that the creator of the Daleks had an
easier time coming up with good lines for humans than monsters.
This episode is the first time we see
Peter Purves in Doctor Who as the first point of the adventure is the Empire
State building in New York. Purves plays Morton Dill who is your typical
tourist that you would have come across if you have been on holiday. When you
consider his performance in the final episode it’s a blatantly comedic role. It
ends when he goes a bit mad after encountering two time machines landing and
departing and encountering the Daleks. I’ll comment a bit more when Steven
Taylor arrives but I thought that the Morton Dill character was quite fun and
very tongue in cheek
The story finally becomes a chase. The
first as mentioned is the Empire State Building which is quite a small set and
sadly doesn’t have a proper background to show the surrounding ‘Ancient’ New
York area. Though it could be argued that it was a foggy day I suppose. The second
place that they land I the Mary Celeste which famously was discovered to have
no crew. The set itself is quite good as its quite big and also have many
levels to it. In this part, Barbara gets caught as a stowaway and Ian gets
knocked out by Vicki then they leave and the Daleks arrive and scare everyone
to jump overboard. It’s not until the end that Barbara realises that her love
of boats led her to being on the Mary Celeste. It’s not really made obvious
until the very end.
Something that happens in this episode
that doesn’t get addressed is the clear image of the Dalek on a different level
which clearly indicates that they can fly. It’s just that don’t see it on TV.
It’s the first of two instances in this story.
The 12 minute lead has gone to 8 which
is the cliffhanger and its not as effective as it could have been because of
the music really. It’s a bit to upbeat for my liking and thought that they
could have lowered the tone to create the right impression. As an episode its
good that they have finally got to the chase part and considering they go
through two different settings, its quite an achievement of what they actually
get done in the episode. The episode is starting to pick up but the end of the
story is getting close and we all know what that means.
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