(552) Logopolis - Part 3

The penultimate episode is perhaps the one where there is the most advancement happens in terms of plot. It where all the various elements from the past couple of episodes finally meet up. Firstly there is the companion line up having a decent amount of time together and I quite like it. I like how they all have different things that they bring and something I hadn’t clued on before reading the information text that they actually all have something in common and that is they have all suffered a loss before joining the Doctor. The episode restarts with the shrunken TARDIS and it reminded of the recent story ‘Flatline’ where the TARDIS is the same size. Due to the TARDIS being smaller that it meant the Doctor was out of action for a while and when he does get back to normal size he is rushing around like a mad man (in a blue box).

There might be a new Master but the problems with the Master are still the same. He doesn’t think things through until its too late. This is the first time that we get to see the Anthony Ainley version of the Master. I think that it’s a solid performance but its hard to judge really at the moment. I think that the problem with Ainley’s Master is that he is always going to be judged against Roger Delgado so I am going to try and be fair and judge Ainley’s Master against what I see.

As far as the narrative is concerned it feels like its trying to do two things at once. Its trying to tell a story right here and now but its also getting the groundwork done for Peter Davison’s arrival. The appearances of the Watcher felt like they were more significant in this episode than in previous ones and as the ending draws closer it feels like there is no real way for the Doctor to get out of things. There is a line that the Doctor gives where he says “I’m going to stop him if it’s the last thing that I do”. There is a sadness behind this that I cant figure out whether its acting or Tom Baker being real.

As far as the cliffhanger goes its another good one because it sees the Doctor and Master form an alliance and more importantly shake hands. It’s a handshake that’s going to be bad for the Doctor but I like that its not necessarily dramatic but its more what it signifies and I think that this is why the cliffhanger is so good. As an episode I really enjoyed it and for a while I almost forgot that the next episode would be the final episode for Tom Baker.