Things are getting weird aboard the TARDIS at the beginning of this one.
The four travelers are standing around the TARDIS console staring intently at it. The lights have dimmed and the glow from the time rotor casts an eerie light over the four slack faces. All goes dark.
When the lights return to their dimmed state, the four are no longer dressed in 13th century garb. Ian is wearing a sports coat, the Doctor is in his usual suit, Barbara looks a bit frumpy in her dress and sweater combo and Vicki is wearing a little girl style dress, knee socks and mary janes. I don't think that going for a juvenile look was the best choice with this actress.
Everyone is stunned that their clothing has suddenly changed. Everyone except the Doctor; he's pleased that he won't have to change out of his cloaks.
Vicki goes to confirm that the crusading gear has been put into the closet on the way back she gets the Doctor a glass of water. The food dispenser provides a glass instead of the plastic bags that it had previously provided.
Vicki drops the glass, but it's OK; the film reverses itself saving her the trouble of cleaning up.
The travelers are getting a little freaked out at this point. A look outside with the scanner shows them that they are in, what the Doctor believes to be, a space museum. There are rows upon rows of alien space craft that show various stages of technical savvy and model making skill.
The Doctor is convinced that the answers are out there in the museum.
Things continue to be weird on the outside. The Doctor comments on the amazing amount of erosion present in the environment. Ian points out that they are walking on dust, two to three inches at least. They are walking on dust, but not leaving any prints.
There is no sound that the travelers themselves do not make.
They make it to the main building of the museum. The doors open and two white clad figures come out and walk past the travelers. The travelers press against the wall in the hopes that they won't be noticed. Vicki sneezes. The white clad figures keep going on as if they hadn't heard her.
The four explore the museum. They nearly plotz when they turn a corner and see a Dalek. It's only a display Dalek, probably on loan from the next serial. In a nice continuity nod, Vicki knows about the Daleks from her history books. The Dalek Invasion that is a hundred years in Ian and Barbara's future, is 300 years in Vicki's past.
At one point the four see someone coming and hunker down behind a display in an attempt to hide. Two goths (well they're wearing black and have on eye make-up, I'm calling them goths until we find out their real name next episode) walk in. They have a conversation that is completely silent.
F#@%ing goths.
Ian makes some lame science explanation that even he doesn't believe. The Doctor agrees that it is lame.
In the hallway the goths now walk right past the travelers without noticing them.
Vicki tries to touch a display and her hand passes through it. There is some freaking out.
The Doctor thinks that he knows what has happened, but needs to explore further to confirm. After hours of doing so they come across what the Doctor was looking for; a TARDIS that they can't touch and themselves under glass in a display.
The Doctor tells them that they have jumped a time track. They are really in the cases. The "them" who are observing what is going on haven't arrived yet. They can't be seen, or touch anything, or leave footprints because they haven't arrived yet. When they do arrive, they will be able to interact with their environment and vice versa. The display of the Doctor and companions will disappear and they will be in grave danger of being put in them for real.
The episode ends with the travelers arriving. Just as the Doctor said, the displays vanish. Outside the museum the white clad figures find the TARDIS and the footprints that are now visible.
This was a fun episode. It reminded me of the original Twilight Zone. Characters find themselves in a bizarre situation that makes sense once the big reveal is made at the end of the episode. There was even some shaky science mumbo jumbo.
The actual arrival was done a bit clumsily. We are shown a series of still photos and video of the water glass falling. Videotape editing was clumsy and expensive back then and I suspect that they had to do this to save money on the edits although I could be wrong.
The acting talents of the regulars aren't exactly stretched by this one, but the performances are all credible.
We are in the countdown to the end of Ian and Barbara's run on the TARDIS. They leave at the end of the next story.
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| You know that Barbara is wishing she'd worn something a little nicer before getting pickled. |
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