Ep. 5 The Dead Planet

As a countdown to the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who I and my wife will be watching an episode a day until we are caught up to whatever the Beeb has planned. This is a record of my initial reaction to each day's episode published with minimal editing and crappy synopsis.

"Don't you ever think he deserves to have something happen to him?"

   At this point I'd like to mention that The Doctor Who Project is not a solo operation.  I am joined in my obsession with my lovely wife of four years Angela.  Angela has been watching the Doctor's adventures since she was knee high to a Zygon.  At our wedding reception we gave out bags of jelly babies with Doctor Who quotes written on the bags.  We're geeks and we're proud.
  Hi honey.
  Doctor Who was pitched as entertainment that would also educate.  The serials would alternate between historical and science fiction with Barbara (the history teacher) and Ian (the science teacher) taking turns using their expertise to move the plot and teach little Billy and Jilly the true meaning of Christmas or something.
   This is the beginning of the first science driven story.
   In this episode we get our first look at the TARDIS beyond the control room.  There's the Fault Locator, a bank of machinery the size of a small room whose only purpose is to tell the Doctor what's wrong with the Ship.  There's the food machine that makes space age bacon and eggs and sounds like a clown farted laughing gas.
   The first alien seen in the series, other than the Doctor and Susan, is a dead metal magnetic spiked armadillo.  The prop isn't half bad.
   There's a running gag in the series that the Doctor doesn't get Ian's name (Chesterton) right.  Half the time the Doctor refers to Ian as "young man," the other half he mangles the name (Chesterson for example.)  It's possible that I missed a name mangle in the first four episodes, but I'm sure that the Doctor called Ian "Chesterfield" while they were exploring the petrified forest.
   In an earlier episode I mentioned that the Doctor is a dick at this point.  That continues into this story.
   The time travelers arrive on a strange planet.  There are no signs of life in either the petrified forest or the advanced looking city that the Doctor sees through his binocular-glasses.
   The Doctor wants to explore the alien city, but Ian and Barbara think that it's too dangerous and put their feet down, they won't be exploring.  They also make it clear that since the Doctor is the only one who can fly the Ship that he is too valuable to go off alone.
   The Doctor seems to capitulate to their demands that they just move on.  He sets the TARDIS in motion and then sabotages the fluid links when no one is looking.  He tells the others that they will need to replace the mercury in order to leave.  The problem is, he is fresh out.   But maybe they can find some in that strange city.
   Ian knows that he is being played, but decides to let the baby have his bottle.
   There has also been someone trying to make contact with the TARDIS crew.  Susan was freaked out in the petrified forest when she thought someone put their hand on her shoulder.  Someone knocked on the TARDIS.  There was a mysterious package of drugs left outside the Ship when they depart for the alien city.
   Before long the Doctor and party are in the city.  They quickly discover that the doors operate through some sort of motion sensor.  They decide to split up and meet up again in ten minutes.
   Barbara walking through the corridors of the Dalek city is an iconic image of the series.  They employ camera tricks that make it seem that the corridors go on for miles.   Barbara has to crouch to get through the Dalek sized door frames.
   She is carefully herded by a succession of closing doors until she is confronted by the occupants of the city.  Occupants whom we will not see in whole until the next episode.
    Next up: The Survivors.