Doctor Who Story 097 The Invasion of Time by Gerald Blake (1978)
25 August 2008Not just a one of the greats, or even a classic, but an all time classic story which deals not only with intrigues on Gallifrey, but also with an almost unstoppable enemy, and the fourth doctor acting stranger than he every has before. Could he really be a traitor to the timelords? I doubt it. And this series ends Leela as the companion, which was sad because she was such a great contrast to the only uses his mind Doctor. THis one is really a classic, I love seeing Tom Baker strut around, and become President of Gallifrey. He is perfect as the Doctor here. And this story is also one of the best ever. Plus it is fun to see so much of the Tardis, and to see the Doctor getting a bit lost in his own Tardis. A must see series.
The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) makes a deal and signs a contract with some unknown aliens, then heads to Galifrey with the warrior Leela (Louise Jameson) and K-9 Mark 1 (John Leeson), and the Doctor seems to be acting very strangely indeed. The Doctor is met by Commander Andred (Chris Tranchell) of the Chancellory Guard and he demands to be taken to Chancellor Borusa (John Arnatt) the Doctor’s old teacher who currently in charge of the Time Lords. The Doctor demands the position of the President of the Timelords, and do to some previous happenings, the request cannot be denied. The Doctor demands his Presidential chamber is decorated with lead lining, and shortly thereafter is sworn in, and given a staff, a thing that goes around his neck, a circlet that allows him to connect to the Matrix which is the sum of all TImelord Knowledge, and is supposed to get a key, but he isn’t given in. When he puts on the circlet, he collapses to the ground in pain. When he recovers he orders that Leela be expelled from the Citadel of the Timelords into the wastelands, then heads to his Tardis to work on a plan with K-9 to sabotage Galifrey’s defenses.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
(It is really too bad the box gives away who the final enemy are).
Leela runs to try to avoid banishment, and ends up meeting with a lower level time lord named Rodan, who she eventually takes with her into the wastelands to escape the aliens.
The Doctor helps to get K-9 to read the matrix, and to help him blow a whole in Gallifrey’s induction barrier defenses. The Doctor then brings the timelords together and introduces them to 3 shimmering Aliens called the Vardans who can travel down any energy wave.
The Doctor then meets Borusa in his office, and explains that the lead walls are to prevent the vardans from overhearing. He sent Leela away to save her, and wants to work with Borusa to defeat not only the Vardans, but also whoever are their mysterious masters who are running the whole show.
Meanwhile though the corrupt and amitious Castellan is working all he can with the Varden’s and doing all he can to destroy his own enemies among the timelords.
Leela and ROgan end up meeting a people called the Shobogans who live in the wastelands and who are led by a man named Nesbin (Max Faulkner). Leela organizes an attack on the capitol.
Andred corners the Doctor and is going to execute him for crimes against Gallifrey. K9 stops Andred, and they explain what is going with the help of the Tardis’s shielding, and they put some shielding into his helmet. THe Doctor needs to get the Vardens to appear in their true form so he can trap them.
The Aliens decide the Doctor is being untrustworthy, so to prove himself he opens a big whole in the planetary defenses. The Vardans then invade as humanoid warriors, and K-9 is able to track down their home planet. The Doctor uses this information to trap the Vardans in a time loop. Then the real enemy appears, and it is the Sontarans, led by Commander Stor (Derek Deadman) who want the Great Key of Rassilon so they can be masters of time itself.
The Doctor tries to get the Key from Borusa, and finally manages to get it, which will make him the most powerful time lord in a very long time. They retreat to the Doctor’s Tardis, but Stor gets help from Kelner, and is able to break in. The Doctor manages to close the hole in the planetary defense shield though, so the Sontarans can not get more troops planetside.
The Sontarans then get into the Tardis with Kelner, and go after the Doctor. The Doctor hypnotises Rodan, and has her and K-9 construct a secret timelord weapon, the Demat Gun, which is powered by the Great Key, and erased people from time itself. The Doctor and his friends run through the Tardis, and eventually the Doctor gets the gun, and uses it on Stor, but it also wipes all his memories of recent events.
Kelner is arrested, and Borusa takes over again. And when the Doctor is ready to leave, Leela tells him she is staying with Commander Andred, and K-9 informs him that he is staying with Leela.
The Doctor leaves, and pulls out a box labeled K-9 Mark II, and grins at the audience.
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Wow, this is an amazing Doctor Who adventure. One of the most enjoyable I have ever seen. A real must see!
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