After the badly plotted and ill thought out 'The King's Demons', 'The Awakening' (which is also essentially filler material) demonstrates how to make perfect use of the two-episode format. It is a well-paced, compact little story with enough of a plot to fit its duration without trying to be over ambitious. The idea of an ancient alien menace awakening within the church of a sleepy English village is of course recycled from 'The Dжmons' (as is the exploding church at the climax and the idea of a village sealed off from the outside), but 'The Awakening' uses the concept very effectively. The Malus is an alien war machine sent to clear the way for an invasion that never came; feeding on psychic energy, it is reawakened after being buried under the church of Little Hodcombe for centuries, whereupon it seizes control of local magistrate Sir George Hutchinson and uses him to set about generating the psychic energy it needs to revive fully and complete its programme. The war games are its means of doing this, and after the Doctor uses the TARDIS to stop it feeding on psychic energy from the village and Sir George is killed, it realises it has failed and self-destructs in last ditch attempt to clear the area. It is a very economical plot, but one that works extremely well; the Malus provides a memorable monster, Sir George provides a human villain, and there is plenty for the rest of the supporting cast to do. 

Part of the success of 'The Awakening' is that it is often very creepy. The ominous crack in the church wall builds suspense from the start, as smoke starts to pour from it and it gradually widens over the course of Episode One. The disfigured beggar, revealed to be a psychic projection from the past, is also rather sinister, as is the projection of a wizened old man that appears to Tegan. The increasingly dangerous war games further fuel the atmosphere, as it becomes clear that something is very wrong in Little Hodcombe, helped largely by Denis Lill's manic performance as the unhinged Sir George. Will's terrified account of seeing the Malus builds nicely towards the Episode One cliffhanger, and once the Malus itself appears it works very well. For one thing the large prop of the Malus' face is very impressive, and the fact that it seems irrefutably malevolent without actually speaking is to the credit of scriptwriter Eric Pringle. The smaller prop of the Malus projected into the TARDIS is equally sinister, and on a personal note I rather like getting the chance to see what the whole creature looks like, since it remains buried beneath the church except for its face. 

The acting throughout is exemplary, from Denis Lill's Sir George, to Glyn Houston's thoroughly likeable Colonel Wolsey, and Polly James very slightly eccentric Jane Hampden. Special mention must go to Keith Jayne as Will Chandler however; the character is very well scripted, and Jayne tackles the period dialogue very convincingly. Will's angst at killing Sir George is superb; so terrified is he by the Malus and the evil wreaked via Sir George that even he Doctor doesn't chide him for pushing Hutchinson into the Malus' jaws. The regulars too do very well out of such a short story; the presence of Tegan's grandfather results in predictably response when she discovers that he is missing, and leads to a rather charming final scene in which the Doctor is gently coerced into agreeing to stay in Little Hodcombe for a while. I always rather like any suggestion that the TARDIS crew has had time to relax and have fun, since it makes it easier to believe that the Doctor's companions are willing to endure so much stress with him. Davison is great in this scene, petulantly complaining that he's had a hard day, but suspiciously easily convinced to stay and relax for a bit… In fact the Fifth Doctor is magnificent here; after the futile bloodbath of 'Warriors of the Deep', here he quickly and efficiently identifies and neutralizes the threat of the Malus with relatively little bloodshed. Turlough also gets a surprising amount to do, and Pringle captures the character well; he takes action when it is essential to do so (such as when he and Verney knock out Willow and his associate from behind), but prioritizes his own safety over reckless heroism. 

The production is exemplary; the sets are astonishingly good, especially the ruined church which never looks like a mere studio set. The sets also complement the luscious location filming beautifully. Peter Howell's incidental music captures the pseudo-historical mood perfectly, and Michael Owen Morris directs the story with modest skill. 'The Awakening' is one of the finest examples of the two-part Doctor Who story and is an impressive addition to Season Twenty-One.

It is unfortunate that Colin Baker made so few Doctor Who stories for television, but his short era is fascinating, as in many ways it is a microcosm of the series. In Season 22 there is a multi-Doctor story, a Dalek story, a Cybermen story, and this, a pseudo historical adventure set during the Luddite riots in England. While on the whole it is probably one of the better Sixth Doctor adventures, lacking as it is many of the obvious faults that befell his two and a bit seasons, it is still a somewhat misjudged.

The title refers to a Time Lady, the Rani, who has been stealing brain chemicals from pit workers in 19th century Newcastle. The Doctor and Peri arrive, forced there by The Master, who plans to kill his nemesis. But they both become involved in the strange events, the former trying to prevent the alteration of history, the latter planning to use George Stevenson to aid him in his dreams of world domination.

The script, by Pip and Jane Baker, is intriguing, but they come up with some of the most preposterous dialogue heard in series history. They should probably be praised for trying to enlarge our vocabularies, but then again does anyone know what "Apposite epithet" means, or even care? They also seem to get the characterisation of The Doctor and Peri wrong, and insert a set piece in which The Rani and Peri must traverse a field of mines...that turn unfortunate victims into trees. It's so out of place you have to suspect that substances were involved during the writing...mind you, some of the blame must be pointed at poor Eric Saward. He might've been apathetic to The Master, but that's no reason not to provide an explanation as to his escape from death in Planet of Fire. Sometimes, I think he's undeserving of most of the critical flack he receives. But for laziness like that, most of the time I have to agree with it.

The performances are mixed. Colin Baker is as good as ever, but Nicola Bryant is growing increasingly annoying. Granted, she gets some of the worst dialogue ("You suspect another motive?"), but she still doesn't have the skill to deliver it in a way to make it sound half-decent, and her American accent is growing even more wobbly. She also wears too much, although that's perhaps a more trivial complaint. Anthony Ainley returns with an oddly restrained performance, acting as nothing more than The Rani's lackey throughout the story. And The Rani herself? Well, Kate O' Mara's not bad, but essentially her character is nothing more than a female Master, and when she's in a scene with former co-star Colin, or Ainley, things really do get cheesy.

It's left to director Sarah Hellings to make up for these deficincies. Helped by an atmospheric location, she works wonders, which are magnified when you look at who directed the two stories surrounding this one. There are some delightful visual touches, like the volcano, The Rani's TARDIS (which, I'm afraid to say, is a lot better than the Doctor's) and the odd shot at the end in which one of the dinosaur embroyos inside her TARDIS begins to grow at an accelerated speed, which is a surprisingly effective, er, effect.

Unfortunately though, The Mark of the Rani also has bad dialogue and some duff performances, so they negate these good points to a certain extent. But I'm prepared to be generous to this one as Colin made so few, and was such an enjoyable and under-rated Doctor, even when the odds were stacked against him.

Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not an imaginary story (except, aren't they all?)!

Today I shall tell you why Silver Nemesis is one of my top three Doctor Who stories, ever. No, really!

Bear in mind, I was probably all of seven or eight years old when I first saw this story (on PBS, before the Cleveland PBS station decided to follow the BBC's lead and exile the TARDIS from the airwaves, boo hiss). I watched Nemesis with a child's glee...and still do, even to this day. The Seventh Doctor and Ace are my favorite Doctor and companion, respectively and as a team, and here they're in top form. 

The Doctor is playing chess, manipulating Nazis, Cybermen, and Elizabethan nutters to to win the day...yet he does so with whimsy, and hardly a touch of angst. When he confounds the Cyberleader by preprogramming the Nemesis to 'understand, and disobey' its orders...to my younger incarnation this was an utterly brilliant twist, and still today it feels triumphant. It is the essense of the Doctor, I would argue; he's one of those rare heroes whose best weapons are their wits. We also see quite a bit of the so-called 'Cartmel master-plan' at work here, an attempt to restore some mystery to the Doctor. In addition to Lady Peinforte's babblings about Gallifrey and the Dark Time, we have the Doctor's own conversations with the Nemesis. The statue asks when she shall have her freedom...

"I told you when. Things aren't perfect yet..."

Combined with his actions in 'Remembrance of the Daleks' (which has a rather same-y plot, in the broad outlines, but I never noticed until it was pointed out, and frankly I still don't mind!), this Doctor seems to have a far grander plan for the universe than ever we'd imagined. The author Neil Gaiman, on his commentary track for the 'Neverwhere' DVD, talks about creating a character with the early Doctor Whos in mind...with a sense of danger about him, a sense of his own agenda. The seventh Doctor here brings that back in spades...yet without ever crossing the line into anti-hero territory. He remains firmly on the side of the angels, and his companions. He remains our lovable, magical, silly uncle. (I've always felt the New Adventures novels lost that balance, should not have crossed those lines, but that's a debate for another day.)

Ace, meanwhile, kicks some major cyber-bottom. Pinned down by three of the argent adversaries, she cleverly shoots one (with a gold coin) and ducks, so the other two miss her and kill each other...and okay, its the oldest trick in the book, but at the time it seemed novel to me!

Although many fans decry the Cybermen being turned into weaklings in Silver Nemesis, a poor joke, this is the very story which made me fall in love with them. I loved watching Ace racing about the warehouse, dodging laser blasts, and picking them off one by one with her 'catapult'. I loved their ridiculous cyber death screams. I've never really been particularly worried if they were 'scary' or not. In stories like 'Tomb' they're creepy, in Earthshock they're diabolical...but in Nemesis, they're just plain fun.

Then there's Fiona Walker, of "I, Claudius" fame, as the twisted Lady Peinforte, an Elizabethan sorceress who's managed to meddle with Time Lord technology, and even to learn their secrets, the Doctor's secrets (or so she claims). In less able hands she might have been a poor caricature, but Walker's performance is marvelously subtle, a delight to watch, and a worthy foe for the seventh Doctor. She is so carefully composed...utterly ladylike, despite her ruthlessness, even viciousness. Even in the raving phase of her madness, she is measured, her passion bubbling beneath the surface yet never boiling over the top. Her megalomaniacal musical number is hilarious, yet strangely pitiable. Her scenes in the limo with Mrs. Remington are beautifully played, and cleverly scripted...

"Now let me see, there WAS a Dorothea, she died in 16--"

21. 'Twas a slow poison..."

Lady Peinforte also displays an intriguing self-awareness, perhaps even pangs of conscience, when confused by Richard's insistence on saving her life, despite years of ill treatment. Richard, in turn, is another wonderful character. A simple archetype, the sinner with the heart of gold, but played with such feeling by Gerard Murphy that he transcends the trite. Instead he rings true, and his single-handed destruction of the Cyberleader is another of the story's triumphant moments; the good heart wins through.

I have always considered it one of Doctor Who's great strengths that it is a show for ALL ages, that it is as ridiculous as it is meaningful, as whimsical as it is thoughtful. In what other show would you find our heroes taking a break from their pursuit of the enemy to lie on a hillside for a 'jam session'? I would argue that few, if any, series have that breadth of imagination...that ability to take itself utterly and not at all seriously, all at once. In Doctor Who, as in life, there are times to philosophize, and times just to sit back and enjoy the ride. And so for me, Silver Nemesis really was a perfect anniversary story, a Who for all seasons, the quintessence...and whatever anyone says, I shall proclaim it proudly!

And for my next trick, a rave review of 'Timelash'...

You think I'm kidding.

We all know how successful the Daleks are and how interesting they can be storywise under the pen of their creator Terry Nation, but in 'The Keys of Marinus' we are presented with an interesting six-part sci-fi yarn that doesn't feature the Daleks at all. The question is, does it succeed?

The answer to that is really up to the personal opinions of those that watch it. It is noted that people are of a divided opinion about this story, some love it, others don't. I happen to be one of those people that love this adventure. Although there are sufficient reasons why it can be viewed as a failure or a disappointment, I disagree. I'll admit that there are some flaws, but it is still enjoyable nonetheless. There are some reviews from critics that complain and nitpick this adventure till the cows come home, sometimes to the point of ad nauseum. That is not my intention. 

The premise of the story reminds me of the quest/adventure type adventures found in most fantasy novels and are even used in scenarios for most role-playing games like 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Our heroes are forced to travel to various parts of the planet to retrieve four micro-key circuits from elaborate traps and obstacles (some physical some mental), meet some interesting characters & creatures along the way, in order to return the keys to a master computer that is essentially a brainwashing machine. 

The story is interesting in that it would stand as a prototype to the more expanded and flesh out quest story 'The Key to Time'.

Terry Nation (God rest his soul) must be commended for his creativity. He creates intriguing concepts for each location and that in itself is a marvelous thing to behold. The fact is, in science fiction you rarely see alien worlds with a diversified population, actually going to different locations, each with a different culture and a society all existing on the same planet. 

All of the ideas, concepts and situations our heroes are thrust into I feel are some of the finest examples of speculative fiction to be used on television. It is the sort of thing that most people weren't prepared for in the 60's. I like that in some of the places that are visited not all of the answers are given, because it actually gives the viewers the chance to maek their own conclusions or develop their own theories about things. 

There are many examples throughout each part. Take the Voord, who are they precisely? Are they a race of men who've banded together as a terrorist/rebel group? Why do they wear skintight scuba suits on dryland? Are they a separate race that also developed on the planet? Or are they in fact the original inhabitants of the planet, trying to take back control from the race of men they see as their oppressors? Are the Voord sea-dwelling creatures originally, and wear the suits to survive on land the way we would wear scuba gear to survive underwater? And the city of Morphoton, how exactly did the individuals controlling everything evolve into such a state to which they survive as beings of pure thought? Was it through genetic manipulation or a mutation caused by radiation? And why is the new culture of the city modelled after the Roman civilization? Could the super brains have once been men from Earth, who were transformed through cosmic radiation? Since their mental abilities gave them power, perhaps they became 'Gods' to the city of Morphoton, and they wished to model the society to reflect their new status, with the the technology of the mesmeron perhaps allowing for greater control over a vast populace. And the soldiers encased in ice? How did they get that way, were the chosen to be key guardians did they volunteer? Were they followers of Arbitan? What process of cryogenics was used to preserve them? Why are they wearing suits of armor that make them look like medieval knights? 

Some people complain that what Arbitan does is essentially blackmail/entrap our heroes and force them to help him retrieve the micro-keys. I don't see it that way. When Arbitan places the forcefield around the TARDIS, it is more out of desperation than from any malicious intent. You can clearly see that he is someone that did not take any pleasure in forcing the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan to help him. My take on the reasons Arbitan didn't simple use the travel dial himself to get the keys and return with reinforcements to fight off the Voord are simple. Arbitan could've been too old to survive the journey, he could've been reluctant to leave his pyramidal fortress/home because of the Voord, but the main reason is simply this: if Arbitan did use the travel dials to get the micro-keys himself, then there wouldn't be much of a story now would there?

What is also intriguing are the trademark Nation touches that make a planet truly alien, the little things that differentiate the planet from what we Earthlings are used to: the beach of glass crystals instead of sand, a sea of acid instead of regular water, is the acid natural or is it indeed a deliberate defense barrier? 

Still, the creative ambition of Terry Nation's script is a bit bogged down by the production values. Some of the effects work and some of them don't. The sets are impressive and do adequately showcase a different area of the planet Marinus, from a sandy beach, to a Romanesque city of Morphoton, to a jungle, to snow covered plains and mountains, to a 'somewhat' highly civilized city in Millenius. 

'The Velvet Web' is an impressive episode even though a bit cliched considering the overly content atmosphere that is given off. It is a sure sign that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Still, this episode clearly belongs to Barbara once she inadvertently breaks free of the effects of the mesmeron and sees that Morphoton is not as beautiful as she once thought. Jacqueline Hill beautifully portrays a sense of knowing a truth her friends cannot see. Her disgust, confusion and outrage over the deception and lies she and her friends are subjected to is well conveyed. There is a nice bit of camera work in which we see things as Barbara sees them that is most effective in conveying that something is terribly, terribly wrong. She proves very adept at being the heroine as she eludes capture and even finds Arbitan's daughter Sabetha, with the missing micro-key, and proves vital in helping Sabetha to break free of the hypnotic conditioning and to remember her initial purpose in travelling to Morphoton, as is indicated by the micro-key she wears around her neck. She also proves vital in ending the reign of the super brain trio by destroying the machinery that acts as both their life support and power amplifier for their mental abilities. The resulting revolution that comes about after their death indicates a sign of hope. The episode is a great parable and allegory when thinking about the price of pure pleasurable indulgences result in a decayed and corrupt culture, being run by equally corrupt individuals. 

In the two episodes that follow with the Doctor's absence (a plot device used to provide William Hartnell some time off), Ian and Barbara are given more of the spotlight. This is especially true of Ian when Barbara goes missing and his realization of Varos' malicious nature, his concern for Barbara is evident and very well displayed as he is willing to do just about anything to ensure her safety. This includes facing the various booby traps put in place, trudging through an icy blizzard, or dealing with jungle plantlife run amok. 

Therein lies another unanswered question, what caused the jungle plants to reach a state that a collective screaming could be emanated and that the plants would achieve a form of sentience that would permit them to attack all humanoid life? Was it an experiment gone wrong? Perhaps, something involving a vegetation growth formula, something that would be beneficial to the reclamation of lands ravaged by deforestation? Who knows? 

I remember Darrius' dying words to Ian and Barbara was a series of letters and numbers that would help them locate the micro-key, it was actually my girlfriend that pointed out that it might stand for a chemical compound. 

'Snows of Terror' is a pretty good episode for several reasons; chief among them is Vasor, the large loner of the mountains that helps out the others, only to serve his own purposes. The attempted rape scene between him and Barbara is very well played (along with daring for its time) and his behavior/attitude is so despicable that you are glad that he gets what he deserves by episode's end. Another reason would have to be the 'ice warriors' (no not the Martian ones you fool) that guard the micro-key encased in ice. 

In 'Sentence of Death', Ian shows great courage and determination in the face of adversity and his justifiable outrage at the legal system of Millenius can also be something attributed to the unfairness of our legal procedures. It is a delight to see the twists and turns in the story unfold.

One point of fact that I must make is in regards to the outfits worn by the judicial tribunal, although impressive they still looked like three Jewish Rabbis. 

William Hartnell's Doctor continues to excel as he has completed the transformation of a cantankerous & grumpy old man, to a lovable and doddering grandfather. He also continues to show his keen interest and curiosity of the alien wonders of the universe. Even when the Doctor is absent for two episodes, his reappearance in 'Sentence of Death' to help defend Ian and investigate his frame up in the city of Millenius is very much appreciated, not just by the companions but the viewers as well. To see him use his experience and intelligence in gathering facts and information is truly a delight as we can see the pleasure he gets from solving a mystery as well as demonstrating his skills in the courtroom, long before Leo McKern would similarly do so as 'Rumpole of the Bailey'. He is quite at home using his mental capacities to manipulate circumstances to uncover the truth. It is also entertaining to see the Doctor re-enact the crime scene in true forensic fashion long before 'Crossing Jordan' or even 'CSI'. 

Altos & Sabetha, the young couple are not as well-defined as individuals, but they go have some good moments as they are both eager and willing to assist the Doctor and his friends in the quest to retrieve the micro-keys. Altos proves himself to be an enthusiastic adventurer and protector, not just of Sabetha but of Susan as well. 

It all reaches a satisfying conclusion as the phony micro-key is put to good use in destroying the Conscience Computer. Despite some flaws in the execution of effects and some rushed plotting, it is an overall enjoyable story. Terry Nation proves adept at creating obstacles and scenarios for our heroes to solve as well as providing imaginatively creative ideas and concepts. It definitely proves that he is adept at spinning a satisfying sci-fi yarn of Doctor Who without using the Daleks.

For many years when references are made to the Hartnell story "The Edge of Destruction" it has always been a part of the negative criticism of the early years of the show. It is generally looked down upon as a bad example despite that fact that this story was the highest rated story of the first season according to "Doctor Who: The Sixties" by Howe and Stramers. "It's so cheap" or "There's no plot" are the most common remarks yet when Warner Video released the story with the "Missing Years" video many of those comments started to change as the story was finally being viewed in a different light. Not only did the new release have a cleaner picture and sound quality but it included the original ending that was cut from the US broadcasts.

To address the first complaint about how cheep the story was I'd like to introduce you to a television term called a "Ship in a bottle" show. This term refers to episodes that are produced using only the already existing sets. These stories are very popular with producers because they allow them to work inside the budget constraints by saving time and money with the designing and building aspects. It is a commonly used practice in all television genres but is most prevalent in the science fiction field. You would be hard pressed to find a series that's never done it at some point. "Star Trek-TOS" used it in several episodes including "Doomsday Machine," "Immunity Syndrome," Tholian Web," and "The Changeling." All in all the fact that only one story was a bottle show in a twenty-six year run is a very impressive accomplishment.

As for the second complaint of "There's no plot" this will depend on your approach. If you look at this as a high event driven story like "Talon's of Weng-Chiang" then there is no plot. But if you look at it as a high powered character driven story then there are many things happening.

The Doctor is presented in most of this story as a villain. Since kidnapping Ian and Barbara there has been a growing animosity for him but he has come across as a stubborn man with an insatiable curiosity that gets him, and them, in to trouble. In this story he goes beyond that to where he is not only directly lying to his companions but he also purposefully drugs them to put them out of commission while he works on the TARDIS.

Many fans have commented on how the 7th Doctor becomes such a chess player in the series and the Virgin novels. Many of the elements that made the darker Doctor so popular are in the 1st Doctor's persona and are present in this story. Susan is one who is also expanded to darker levels bordering on violence. For a good part of her time on the show she is used as a buffer between the Doctor and Ian and Barbara. Here her paranoia and suspicions manifest themselves as she turns on the Earthlings she has previously admired by threatening them with scissors. Even by today's standard that is a very strong depth of character that shouldn't be faulted.

The audience also gets to see different sides of Ian and Barbara. Until this point Chesterton had withstood all the fantastic things going on around them. He has taken everything easily and has worked hard to be a sturdy pillar for the group. But here he shows that, like everyone else, he is vulnerable. He takes to the sidelines and tries to act as a peacekeeper while Barbara's much stronger character is featured. She burst out at the Doctor for being ungrateful for all they have done for him. This story succeeds in making them stronger and deeper characters for the audience to relate to.

This episode also strongly changes the way the characters relate to each other from this point on. It is obvious by the end that the Doctor realizes he has badly underestimated his companions and they have, grudgingly, earned his respect. Even to the point where he apologizes to Barbara for the cruel things he has said and admits his mistakes. "As we learn about each other we learn about ourselves."

One of the other aspects of this story that makes it stand out are the atmosphere and music. The usual bright areas of the console room are sunk in to shadows. The entire presentation is much darker than usual for the series with haunting sounds and music. As the characters become more aware of their situation and try to investigate there is discussion of the threat that something else may have entered the TARDIS when they were unconscious. This is heightened when we see the Doctor checking the others, as they appear to be sleeping. Then, as he works on the console, a pair of hands suddenly grabs him by the shoulder, swing him around, and then clasp very tightly on his throat. The result is very shocking and successful, perhaps even frightening, cliffhanger for the first episode.

Looking back on these two underrated episodes it is clear that this is a quality story on it's own as well as being important to the future of the characters. From the next story, "Marco Polo," on the four main characters are much deeper and more interesting than they were at the beginning. As viewers we are made aware of just how far these characters can be go and the suspense of what lies underneath their cool exteriors makes them much more exciting to watch. Watch this story again for the sheer excitement and drama of a character driven story and you'll soon see how this is an example of the series at it's best.

I noted when I reviewed 'Robot' that Terrance Dicks is not my favourite Doctor Who writer. Whilst I stand by this comment in general, I regard 'The Brain of Morbius' as the highlight of his Doctor Who career, and the success of this story is perhaps therefore due to the fact that Robin Bland is not, in fact, Terrance Dicks, but Terrance Dicks heavily script-edited by Robert Holmes. 

'The Brain of Morbius' is of course heavily influenced by Frankenstein, and in many respects feels like a homage to Hammer Horror. This results in a distinctly gothic feel to the story, which is unusually horrific even for this period in the series' history. The opening scene of Kriz the Mutt being beheaded by Condo sets the tone, and this is followed by Kriz's twitching head being wired up by Solon, the discover of the headless but obviously living Morbius monster at the end of Episode Two, the revelation of Morbius's brain floating in a tank, Condo's bloody and graphic shooting at the hands of Solon, and the grotesque sight of Solon gingerly cradling Morbius's brain in Episode Three. In addition to which we have the Sisterhood carrying out human sacrifice. This macabre atmosphere typifies 'The Brain of Morbius' and is crucial to its success; the entire story is set on an alien planet, but it could just as easily be set in a Hammer Horror version of Transylvania, with a gothic castle atop a bleak and rocky mountain, a mad scientist, a hunchbacked manservant, and a local coven of witches in the form of Sisterhood. 

The actual plot of 'The Brain of Morbius' is very simple; Solon wants the Doctor's head in order to house Morbius's brain and the Doctor is understandably reluctant to surrender it. Solon thus spends most of the first three episodes chasing after the Doctor, whilst he is alternately hindered and helped by the Sisterhood of Karn. By Episode Four, Morbius once more has a body and the emphasis changes as the Doctor, Sarah and the Sisterhood strive to destroy him. Whilst this plot is sound enough in its own right, what really makes it work is the exemplary characterisation and acting. Philip Madoc almost steals the show as Solon, playing a mad scientist without succumbing to the temptation to go over the top. Whilst Solon is undoubtedly insane, Madoc plays him with such pathos that we see numerous different aspects of his personality. Most overwhelming of course is his obsession with Morbius, and obsession, which has, as he himself notes in Episode Three, forced him to spend years in desperately lonely isolation. His absolute devotion to Morbius drives him completely, everything he does motivated purely by his need to complete his work. As played by Madoc he is nervous and twitchy, impatient to find a head for Morbius's brain, and this results in an air of wild eyed but restrained of mania. But Solon displays other attributes too; he's short-tempered, most notably with Condo, and when enraged he resorts to physical violence, cuffing his servant around the head and eventually shooting him. But he's also largely a coward, and it is thus his obsession with Morbius alone that drives him to desperate measures. When Solon realsies that the Sisterhood have "rescued" the Doctor, he rants and raves, describing them as "a squalid brood of harpies", and when he reaches their temple and discovers that they intend to sacrifice the Doctor, his desperation to obtain the Doctor's head drives him to dare to interrupt the ceremony. However, once his adrenaline rush wears off, he realises his folly and panics; when he pleads with Maren for the Doctor's head he babbles in obvious fear, offering Condo instead out of shear desperation. Indeed, his desperation is such that in addition to endangering himself by risking the wrath of the Sisterhood he comes close to blurting out his reasons for wanting the Doctor's head, thus also endangering Morbius. In addition to his humiliating failure, he also pushes Condo too far, resulting in his near death back at his castle, as Condo angrily pulls a knife on him. With little other option, he is then forced to offer Condo his other arm back, a promise he has no intention of keeping; this further complicates matters for him, as he needs to find a way of stalling Condo as a result. 

It is this deeply flawed persona that makes Solon work so well as a character, and there are other examples throughout. In Episode One, when the Doctor and Sarah first arrive, Solon is at his most charming as he grasps the opportunity presenting itself, but despite the effort he makes, his desperate obsession means that his charm barely covers his grotesque intentions for the Doctor's head and he comes across as decidedly creepy, as Sarah very obviously notices. Ironically, it seems that despite Solon's total devotion to Morbius, Morbius himself has little regard for Solon; Morbius's paranoia and rage whilst trapped in his tank is understandable, but it is worth noting than when he is finally properly installed in his new body, he casually discards the corpse of the newly deceased Solon, despite the fact that he has Solon to thank for his resurrection. It is perhaps fitting that Solon dies just as he completes his life's work. 

Morbius too is well characterised. Whilst trapped in his tank, he sounds desperate and paranoid, and Michael Spice's voice conveys some of the horror of his situation very well. Once Morbius is released however, he changes, becoming both confident and arrogant as he confronts the Doctor in Episode Four. For all that the Doctor and Maren describe the threat posed by Morbius, most of 'The Brain of Morbius' essentially revolves around a very localized threat to the Doctor and Sarah; nevertheless during the brief period in which Morbius is housed in his new body and is lucid, Spice manages to create sufficient charisma for Morbius to make it believable that he could rouse an army to threaten the entire galaxy. Appropriately, Morbius's confidence proves his undoing, as he accepts the Doctor's challenge of a mindbending contest, and pays the price. And the sight of Morbius's brain almost literally blowing a fuse is strangely disturbing as his brain case fills with smoke. 

Contributing to the atmosphere of 'The Brain of Morbius' is the Sisterhood of Karn, who despite ending up on the same side as the Doctor in the fight against Morbius is by no means particularly friendly. Whereas Solon is motivated by his obsession with Morbius to commit murder, the Sisterhood are motivated by their jealous possession of the Elixir of Life to commit atrocities that are at least as bad. So paranoid are they about guarding the Elixir and their Sacred Flame that they drag ship after ship to its doom, regardless of whether those ships are headed for Karn or of what their occupants intend. On first discovering the Doctor's presence on Karn, Maren assumes the worst and decides to burn him alive; in short, the Doctor's only allies on Karn are not nice people, and this adds to the general sense of danger in 'The Brain of Morbius'. As with Michael Spice as Morbius and Philip Madoc as Solon, Cynthia Grenville as Maren puts in a great performance, alternating between imperious and unforgiving in the first two episodes, and later showing a more vulnerable side, as the Doctor's criticisms of the unchanging Sisterhood hit home and she shows the weariness one might expect after centuries of stagnation. The Doctor's effect on the Sisterhood is quite profound, as his constant gentle mockery gradually has an impact not only on Maren but also on Ohica. By the end of the story there is a suggestion that the long-unchanged Sisterhood has been affected not only by Morbius's brief return, but also by the Doctor, and that there is hope that they will, if nothing else, at least stop hijacking passing space travellers and killing strangers without discrimination.

By this point in the season, it almost goes without saying that Tom Baker and Elizabeth Sladen are excellent, but it is worth noting that 'The Brain of Morbius' is a particularly good story for Sarah. Unusually, all three cliffhangers revolve around Sarah instead of the Doctor, and of course she also gets blinded, a situation with allows Sladen to shine as she conveys a sense of barely restrained panic. Sarah is also frequently terrified here, encountering headless monsters and being forced to assist Solon in his brain transplant operation in Episode Four, unable to see and under threat of death. When Condo grabs her by her hair in Episode Three she is again clearly terrified, this giving way to revulsion as Condo shyly tells he likes her. When he saves her from the monster in Episode Four but is killed in the process, she sounds suitably guilty, as she struggles with the fact that Solon's hulking manservant has saved her life at the cost of his own. Of all the supporting characters in 'The Brain of Morbius', Colin Fay's Condo is arguably the most sympathetic; whereas Solon commits atrocities out of obsession and the Sisterhood commit murder out of jealous possessiveness, Condo kills (at least as far as the audience knows) because of Solon's hold over him; Condo wants his arm back. This doesn't excuse him, but in a story filled with characters who are on very dubious moral ground, Condo's actions are marginally more justifiable. His attraction to Sarah also adds to his character, in an amusing nod to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The Doctor also shines, on the one hand at his wittiest when dealing with the Sisterhood (to Maren's obvious annoyance), on the other at his most intense when dealing with Morbius and Solon; his decision to resort to using cyanide gas to try and stop Solon is testament to how dangerous he considers Morbius and shows him at his most committed.

Production wise, 'The Brain of Morbius' is exemplary. It's very well directed, the score is marvelously evocative, and the sets are superb, especially Solon's castle. Also worth mentioning is the rocky landscape of Karn, which is one of the series better rocky landscape sets. The costumes are also very effective, from the elaborate flame-decorated robes of the Sisterhood to Solon's understated tweedy suit. The Morbius monster is particularly impressive, managing to look like it is made of alien body parts whilst still successfully looking like a piecemeal abomination rather than an actual alien creature. Overall, 'The Brain of Morbius' is a highly effective if unusual story, and after the dreadful 'The Android Invasion' it marks a return to the generally high quality of the season as a whole. A level of quality that will be maintained for the season finale…