Between episodes the Doctor has been moved to a cell. Aside from the recap of last episode we don't see Hartnell in this one; just his voice (prerecorded) calling out from his cell every once in a while.
Vicki and Steven wake up after having slept in the woods. Steven has managed to gather some blackberries. Neither is thrilled at having spent the night in the woods. Steven is rubbing the existence of the wrist watch into Vicki's face when the hunter from last episode returns with some friends.
The four men are able to overcome the two travelers and the pair are quickly brought back to the village.
Edith, the woman who befriended the Doctor last night/episode, visits the monastery to deliver some food. She interrupts the Monk from spying on a viking ship with a pair of 20th century binoculars. There is a little bit of chit chat before the monk sends her off so that he can return to his meditations.
Edith returns to the village to find her husband, the Headman of the village, arguing with the hunter over the fate of Vicki and Steven. Wulnuth (the Headman) believes that they are travelers like they claim to be, while Eldred (the hunter) thinks that they are viking scouts.
Edith and Vicki soon have the men sorted out and it's decided that the strangers are just travelers and Wulnoth has Edith give the two some food for their journey.
Steven seem genuinely touched by this generosity. It's a rather nice turn of acting on Purves' part.
Edith tells Vicki that the Doctor went to the monastery last night. She volunteers to show her the way, but Vicki declines. I like Edith. She's a genuinely nice person and those are few and far between in Who.
Vicki and Steven head to the monastery. The Monk feeds them some BS. There is something about the way that he dances around the conversation that reminds me a little of the Doctor back in Totter's Lane.
When the Monk goes back inside to confer with his fellow monks Steven tells Vicki that he doesn't believe the monk and that he has a plan to deal with him. The Monk overhears this from the other side of the door.
Steven tricks the Monk into giving a description of the Doctor; a description that the pair didn't provide. Steven says that it proves that the Monk is lying about the Doctor. They'll have to break in and rescue him.
Vicki thinks that it was very sloppy of the Monk to give himself away like that and believes that the Monk is trying to trick THEM. She thinks that he means to trap them as well. Even knowing this, the two don't have a better idea for how to deal with the situation; they'll break in after dark.
While this is going on a viking scouting party makes it's way up the cliffs. They will be traveling through the area for intelligence to provide their King for a major attack.
During there recon, they encounter and injure Edith. When Edith is found by her husband she tells him that Vikings attacked. He takes a band of men to track them down.
The villagers manage to ambush the Vikings. The fight is nasty and Eldred (not to be mistaken for Eldrad) gets a nasty axe wound from a one-eyed hulk of a Viking. Wulnuth decides that the monastery is closer to the village and takes the injured hunter there for treatment.
Vicki and Steven break in to the monastery. The Monk has set up the same trap for them that he used to catch the Doctor. Unfortunately for him Wulnuth and Eldred arrive before he can spring it on them.
Vicki and Steven find the victrola. The look on Vicki's face is priceless. They find their way to the cell where the Doctor is being held. Steven uses his pocket knife to jimmy the door. They find the room empty. The Doctor used his cloak to make some straw look like his sleeping form.
There were several moments in this episode where the characters just moved in silence. I approve. Many a fine scene can be ruined by having someone constantly spouting unneeded exposition. It shows a faith in the writer and the actors. Neither side let us down.
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| Steven and Vicki break into a monastery. By their facial expressions, I'd say that they have smelled something not too nice. |
Next up: Battle of Wits
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