This serial is memorable for a lot of reasons. It introduces a new companion, revisits an old one, and kicks off a mini arc, and besides all that, it’s just an interesting story. Quite a bit going for this one (premise spoilers.)
An encounter with a damaged spaceship waylays the TARDIS, and the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, and Tegan need to repair the mysterious capsule before the TARDIS can take off again. They land near a boarding school, where their paths cross with an old friend: the Brigadier, who started working at the school after leaving UNIT. However, they also meet Turlough, a young humanoid alien stranded on Earth and posing as a student. A particularly persuasive devil has convinced him that he’s Turlough’s only way home, but the ticket he requires is for Turlough to kill the Doctor.
I’ve said before that I really like Turlough’s introduction on the show. Apart from the novelty of being a bit of a black-hat companion from the start, I also love that he’s an alien stuck on Earth. It’s a nice demonstration of the fact that, even 20 years in, the series still had some tricks up its sleeve. Turlough’s interactions with Team TARDIS are immediately interesting.
And mixed in with that serving of something new and different, we’re also treated to something familiar. This is the first story to feature a return visit from an old companion, even if some quibble over whether or not the Brigadier “officially” qualifies as such. It’s delightful to see him with Five and have him meet Nyssa and Tegan. I like what they do with his story, which takes some fun turns. In addition, we also get another appearance from the Black Guardian, who first showed up in the Key to Time arc in the Fourth Doctor era. Granted, I’ve never been a huge fan of either Guardian (although the Black Guardian’s ridiculous bird hat is a sight to behold,) but his presence adds to the callback feel of the whole serial.
It’s funny—episodes that are set on Gallifrey often feel pretty dull to me, but I tend to love stories that introduce other Time Lords or give us insights into Gallifreyan history, so long as those stories are set elsewhere. Give me the Meddling Monk or the Rani and tell me the story of Omega any day! While Mawdryn’s story is a little tangential in that regard, he and his people tie to the Time Lords in interesting ways. (Disgusting, though—I did not need to see his brain peeking through his skull!)
What else? Mawdryn’s ship is really cool-looking, Turlough is a weasel but one who’s compelling to watch, Tegan handles herself well in a tricky situation, and the Brigadier is a stand-up guy anywhere in time. (It’s funny. During the UNIT era, Three is frequently annoyed by the Brigadier and the two of them often butt heads, but any kind of return appearance from or callback to him in the Whoniverse is always so fond.) A neat story that sets the Black Guardian trilogy in motion, which I really like despite, as I said, not being very into the Black Guardian himself.
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