This serial has a lot going for it. There are the big-ticket items, like the introduction of an iconic companion, as well as just delightful fun, like an entertaining blend of different genre conventions and some old-fashioned excitement and creepiness.
The Seventh Doctor and Mel arrive on Iceworld, where they run into their old friend/scoundrel Sabalom Glitz. He has a treasure map and dreams of a big score, and the Doctor is intrigued by tales of a dragon guarding the bounty. But their search gets them on the wrong side of Kane, the ruthless crime lord who controls Iceworld. Along the way, our heroes also meet Ace, a spirited displaced human with a lust for adventure and a talent for explosives.
There are a lot of different elements that come together here to make an enjoyable story. I like that we get pirate vibes with the treasure map, fantasy vibes with the dragon, and dystopian vibes with Kane’s army of brainwashed soldiers, all thrown into a blender and set to sci-fi. It results in a serial that ducks and weaves in fun ways, serving up a little genre something for everyone.
Kane is an effective villain, and I enjoy watching as his story is gradually doled out. He’s not exactly Mr. Freeze, but he flirts with that idea, so we get cool stuff like his cryogenic evil lair and his soldiers being branded with ice.
It’s fun to see Glitz again—while the Doctor can be a trickster, they’re always firmly on the side of good, so it’s interesting when they have acquaintances who aren’t straight-up villains but have much more flexible morals than they do. I also like the story with the dragon and how that shakes out.
The best part of the story, though, is that it debuts Ace. When it comes to companions who are really distinct from the others, she’s up there quite a ways, and that starts from the minute we meet her. Her attitude is infectious, her backstory is intriguing, and she throws herself into the adventure with her trademark reckless abandon. I’ve always enjoyed Mel as a companion and think the fandom often doesn’t give her her due, but I also get why Ace makes such a splash from the jump. I wish we’d gotten more of the two of them together—their interactions here are a ton of fun.
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