"Now Doctor, look, let's talk this over like civilized time-travelers."
The TARDIS has landed in ancient Egypt when the pharaohs ruled and the pyramids were state of the art. The Doctor decides that they need to repair the lock that the Monk damaged last episode and shouldn't move on despite being pursued by two different time travelers.
Mavic Chen and the Daleks are confused by the fact that the TARDIS doesn't dematerialize. I'm a little surprised that the Daleks aren't more suspicious; the last time that the Doctor stopped to take his breath during a time chase, they ended up getting there ass kicked.
The Daleks and Chen arrive properly in Egypt.
The TARDIS crew assume that the time machine that has just arrived is the Monk's. Steven and Sara (not Jane) go off to encounter what they believe to be the Monk. They spy the Daleks and Chen, but are grabbed by some Egyptian guards before they can do anything.
The Egyptians go after the Daleks next. The Egyptians have loin cloths and sticks with sharp pieces of metal on them; the Daleks have bonded polycarbide armor and projected high energy weapons. Guess who wins.
The Doctor finishes repairs on the lock and goes off to find Steven and Sara (not Jane). While out and about he sees the Monks TARDIS materialize. He realizes that his companions have gone off to meet the Dalek time machine.
The Egyptians regroup some distance from the Daleks. Steven and Sara (not Jane) are tied up, feigning unconsciousness when they are left lightly guarded. The Egyptians believe the two human time travelers to be in league with the "fire throwing machines" and aren't too friendly.
There is a bit that I would dearly love to see (this is a lost episode). The Monk is walking along towards the Doctor's TARDIS still dressed in his robes from 1066 (with some sunglasses for eye protection and bling value). He's about to bump into someone and decides to fall back on the pious routine. Unfortunately for him, the creature he says "good morning, my son" to, while keeping his head lowered, is a Dalek.
The Daleks want to exterminate him. Chen wants to use him. The Monk just wants to be left alone to wreck his "terrible vengeance" on the Doctor, although he defers that the Daleks probably have the prior claim.
That's the thing that I love about the Monk; he's polite. And not in that James Bond mega-villain way where it's just for form's sake and appearance. The Monk is the sort of fellow who, upon capturing you, will spend half an hour fussing over getting your breakfast just right, making sure to use the guest china and using the good butter for your toast. They don't make villains like that anymore and he's a welcome addition to this very long story.
The Monk agrees to get the core or be killed. He moves off after the Doctor's TARDIS using a fancy dancy TARDIS magnet (well that's what they called it in The Chase anyway).
Meanwhile, the Doctor gets into the Monks TARDIS and changes the outer form to that of a 1960s Police Box. He is very pleased with himself as he walks off carrying some piece of circuitry.
Sara (not Jane) and Steven have cut their way through their bonds with a shard of pottery, since that is what one does when one is tied up by ancient Egyptians.
The two beat the living snot out of the guards. The narration on the audio makes Sara (not Jane) seem like Doctor Who's answer to Emma Peel, which is cool, but raises the question of why she didn't use those moves to take down Steven and the Doctor when they held her prisoner back on Mira. Oh wait, that was a Terry Nation script, I forgot.
The Doctor confronts the Monk outside of the TARDIS, which has been dragged into the tomb proper with the other treasures. The scenes between the Monk and the Doctor are always good and this is no exception.
The escaping companions come towards the tomb looking for the TARDIS. Before they meet the Doctor and the Monk, they encounter what looks to be a mummy.
Next up:Escape Switch
No comments:
Post a Comment