The Web of Fear - Episode 5

The first four minutes are taken with the possessed Professor Travers explaining the Great Intelligence’s plans and gives the Doctor an ultimatum. This is a good moment because it sets up the next two episodes. It seems like the balance of storytelling has shifted from finding out who is working with the Yeti to firmly dealing with their plan. There are two teams in this episode, the Doctor and Ann Travers and Jamie with the Colonel. Every time I write Colonel in relation to Lethbridge-Stewart, I instinctively want to writer Brigadier. The Colonel and Jamie part is the more action packed

I like how the Doctor and Ann are working together in a way that seems to show us that the Doctor works with a scientist like a companion. Even to the point where Ann defends the Doctor when Lethbridge-Stewart and Jamie have a go at them for not achieving very much. I think that she could have become a very good companion as she’s not as brainy as Liz but is still smart enough to be useful in the show.

Evans does something which isn’t like him at the beginning of the episode and suggests that they give up the Doctor. Yet later in the episode he goes back to his comedic self. It’s like they couldn’t make up their mind about what they want the character to be like. He’s still thought of as the traitor even when Chorley’s name is mentioned it doesn’t seem to have the same weight to it as it does when Evans is pretty much accused. Colonel Lethbridge Stewart is barking orders out like a Brigadier. He continues to be one of the best supporting characters in the story and Nicholas Courtney is clearly enjoying himself. He doesn’t have the same action that he didn in the previous episode but he’s still dominant in the scenes that he’s in.

Victoria does something quite clever and drops things to leave a trail for the others. She then spends the rest of the episode with her dad…er I mean with Professor Travers. She doesn’t do very much until Travers becomes dispossessed and seems to get something to do but sadly its too little too late. Jamie has a slightly better time but unfortunately he’s next to Lethbridge-Stewart that he kind of gets sidelined.

The cliffhanger is quite good with the effect of the smoke breaking down a wall and into a room looking effective. It’s a good episode but doesn’t seem to have the same energy that the previous episode did which means that no matter what they did in this episode was always going to look a little dull in comparison. Still a good story though and the final episode should tie things up nicely.