The Ribos Operation - Episode 4

I have been continuing my tradition of watching the documentaries on the DVD’s after I finish the final episode of the story and I watched the one about the Graham Williams era on Doctor Who. It’s hard not to be impressed with Graham Williams considering just what he had to go through. What with strikes, budgets and Star Wars, it was amazing that all the stories he produced were anything other than rubbish. Ok so I haven’t been too positive about this story on the whole but before I even started to watch this episode I was feeling more positive towards this story.

I think that the scenes between Binro and Unstoffe are quite sweet really. It’s because Timothy Bateson and Nigel Plaskitt playing it perfectly. Binro’s final scene is quite sad and I think that it was the wrong thing to do. Sholakh is very good in this episode and seems like a more likeable person than the Graff Vynda-K. When he dies, its another sad moment. I was thinking that all the wrong people are being killed and also I wish that I noticed him earlier but I think that his role could have been made bigger. Paul Seed gives his best performance in this episode and it only really happened after the death of Sholakh. The fact he goes on roaming to avenge the death of Sholakh is perhaps a rather foolish if not quite accurate.

Garron gives a great little speech which feels like an act of defiance against the Graff Vynda-K. I have liked Iain Cuthbertson and thought that even his final scene shows why he’s such a great character. The seeker returns in this episode and she’s just as annoying as she was in previous episode, that’s why when she does meet her maker it comes as a blessed relief. Out of all the deaths in this episode, hers was the best.

The final scene between the Doctor and Garron and the business with the jethrik was quite funny. Garron tries to do a switch and the Doctor does a double switch and leaves Garron with a rock. I haven’t mentioned until now that the Jethrik was the first segment of the Key to Time. That’s because its largely been forgotten due to all the business with the Graff. The idea that all the segments would be disguised as other things helps narratively to make the task of finding them just that little bit harder.

Not only do I have to judge this story on its own merits, but I have to judge it as one part of a story arc. On its own it doesn’t really feel like Doctor Who. Had the Doctor and Romana not got involved then it wouldn’t have made much different and would have made a fine period drama. As part of the story arc it does a good job of pretty much setting up the upcoming season. It’s a perfectly fine serial and there are some good performances.