Doctor Who: Series 7, Episodes 12-18 – “The Ambassadors of Death” (1970)

*Some spoilers.*

I actually really enjoy the Third Doctor’s whole first season, even if the seven-part serials definitely drag in places (more on that later.)  Of its stories, though, I think this one might be my favorite.  It has an inventive story with some good twists, and the chief characters acquit themselves wonderfully well—what’s not to like?

When radio contact is lost with the returning Mars Probe 7, UNIT is called to help with the problem.  However, as the Third Doctor and Liz soon realize, something far more severe than a mechanical fault or atmospheric disturbance is in play here.  There’s an even greater mystery surrounding the returning astronauts, one that takes the Doctor from Earth into space (although without the help of the TARDIS) and forces Liz to be quite brilliant in a high-pressure situation.

There’s so much cool stuff going on here.  The initial recovery of the probe is great, I love the whole plot with the astronauts and the secret plan to use them for nefarious purposes, and the twist with the ambassadors is awesome.  It’s a well-drawn plot with a lot of moving parts to it, but they all fit together to make a satisfying whole.  The story has mystery, scares, surprises, and humor, not to mention our heroes getting the job done.

As I said, the seven-episode stories can get long, and this one is no exception.  In particular, the race between UNIT and the bad guys to recover the capsule, while not as long as the endless chase scene in “Planet of the Spiders,” still drags on too much (even if I get a kick out of the nifty trick the Doctor pulls with Bessie.)  But really, the story fills seven episodes better than most—there’s enough going on that it never gets too repetitive.

And team TARDIS is awesome here, the main reason I like it so much.  Three is Bond and Q rolled into one in this story, simultaneously brainy and action-man.  He recognizes a lot of important clues early on to help figure out just how wrong things have gone, and he mocks up neat devices that do cool things (including secret additional devices when the baddies think he’s making something else.)

Then there’s my wonderful, badass Liz Shaw.  Even when she’s kidnapped by the villains, she’s tears it up.  She’s completely proactive the entire time, coming up with plan after plan to escape or give word as to her whereabouts while at the same time trying to thwart the evil scheme.  And in the presence of some genuinely tough customers, she doesn’t bat an eyelash.  I’ve mentioned this scene before, but when a nasty henchman warns her, “Don’t try anything,” she replies, simply and coolly, “It’s all right.  I won’t hurt you.”  How cool is that?