The Invasion of Time - Episode 6

This is the last episode to feature Louise Jameson as Leela. Not that you would know that due to the fact there has been no real build up. This is the 40^th episode to feature Louise Jameson and this ties her with Debroah Watling in terms of episodes. The episode starts with the Doctor and everyone on the TARDIS about to be thrown into a black star. The hand held camera adds to the great dramatic feel to the start of the episode.

Stor takes off his helmet and everytime I see it, I cant help think that it looks like Bernard Cribbins. I cant help it. No matter how many times I see this story I think that this is Bernard Cribbins is making his first appearance in official Doctor Who. This is the episode where the TARDIS is explored in a way that has never been seen before or perhaps since. I wonder if the rooms that we see in this episode get deleted in ‘Castrovalva’. Would it really be missed if they were?

There is a moment when Kelnar and a Sontaran are looking at art and I cant help think about the opening scene in the Big Finish play ‘Dust Breeding’ where the Seventh Doctor and Ace are talking about art and I cant help think of the set used for this story. If you haven’t heard that story then you should because it’s a great story.

The new Doctor is tagged with being cold and heartless and perhaps the moment when Tom Baker’s Doctor kills Stor is an early example of this. I think that the shot of the Doctor holding the gun at Stor in a particular way is his ‘John Wayne moment’ is a very cool shot and is one of my favourite shots in the entire piece. I think that all the shot inside the TARDIS are quite nice however they are completely forgotten about as future tours into the bowels of the TARDIS are completely different so its hard to really take this episode seriously as far as continuity is concerned.

Leela’s final scene is a bit rushed and feels like it. Suddenly she has developed feelings for Andred and the Doctor is rather too quick to let her go. Even though Leela looks sad when the Doctor leaves, it seems like the Doctor couldn’t wait to get rid of her. It’s a shame that more effort wasn’t made to write a better departure for her. It surely would have made more sense to have her fall in love with one of the rebels. However as the story and episode stands it’s a fine end to the season. It’s not a perfect story by any means but I think that I would be lying if I said I didn’t largely enjoy it. Oh well, now we are onto the Key to Time series which is going to be a rollercoaster of quality.