Frontier in Space - Episode 1

Officially this is the first part of a six part adventure however really it’s the first part of a twelve part adventure because they pretty much feel like the same story. There is nothing really to separate the two adventures. The model shots that we have in the early minutes of this adventure are very impressive. The impressiveness continues with the sets of the space freight. Ok so some of it screams the 1970’s but even comparing it to today’s standards there is something quite good about the sets.

The Doctor is confused as an alien race initially called a Dragon and Jo thinks that she is seeing a Drashig. The space crew and Jo are affected by the weird noise yet the Doctor isn’t which is quite interesting. I know the Doctor is an alien but sometimes it would be good if he could be affected just like everyone else. The only time he’s incapacitated is when he’s shot at by the Ogrons.

The idea of having a female president is a bold one and one that I thinks shows how Doctor Who did create good female roles from time to time. Vera Fusek plays the role as someone who has a lot of pressure but wont jump to the wrong conclusion. General Williams is a bit of a swine from the very moment that we see him. He is the exact opposite to the president. Michael Hawkins is playing the role exactly as it should be played because with the president being so passive, these scenes need someone to be the voice of opposition.

The Draconians were Jon Pertwee’s favourite monster and its not hard to see why. Visually they are very striking and the mask is perhaps the best mask that has been used in Doctor Who. They come across in this episode as a race that are proud but can also be stubborn. When they appeared in the 2010 Big Finish play ‘Paper Cuts’, they were one of the best things in it and that shows how good they are. We don’t see their full potential in this episode but that’s normal as there are many more episodes for them to show their greatness. We see the Ograns appear in this episode and it should have been a clear indication that the Daleks might becoming back. Even with the line that the Doctor gives about different races using them to do their dirty work, I think that it’s a subtle nudge that the Daleks will be returning soon.

As an opening episode it sets things up quite well. We know what the conflict is and the two parties that are involved. This ThIng of the Doctor and Jo being confused and accused of things that aren’t true is something that I have remembered in the past as one of the things that I don’t like and I get a feeling that the same thing is going to happen over the course of the next five episodes.