The Macra Terror - Episode 4

The final part of Ian Stuart Blacks story which I don’t think is as good as his last story ‘The War Machines’. I have sort of lost track of what’s going on which is a slight worry as it’s been a short story. I think that the despite the advantages of not seeing the Macra (not that many people in the story did either).  The purpose of this episode is obvious. It’s to make sure that the Macra are defeated and do it in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or feel like it’s a bit of a cop-out. The thing that has definelty a theme in this story is the mixed balance of humour and drama.

I love the idea of seeing Jamie’s dance. Considering where he came from the idea that he would be dancing is clearly designed as a comedic moment. Frazer Hines does comedy very well and its moments like this that show why he becomes the much loved personality that he does. It’s only his 12^th episode but he feels like a integral part of the show already. There is a moment that made me chuckle but I’m sure that no one else would have found funny is when something will happen in four minutes and Polly and Jamie both ask “Why four minutes?”. Answer is simple and its because there’s only four minutes and forty seconds of the episode left.

I’m not totally sold on the ending as I feel that we should have got a stronger exit. Ok the colonists are happy that they are free from the Macra and the Doctor has saved the day but it just seems that there could have been a better way for the regulars to depart. It’s becoming a regular thing of them just leaving without a goodbye and I think that its going to be a bug-bear of mine. It’s the weakest episode of the story in my ratings that I do with every episode its currently in 28^th place out of 34 stories. Only the Highlanders and the Smugglers have scored lower ratings which seems right as far as I am concerned. It’s not the worst story and there are some good moments in these four episodes but I think that coming off the heels of ‘The Moonbase’ was always going to be a tough act to follow but its fair to say that ‘The Macra Terror’ is an average story.