For the most part this episode is a brilliant classic horror story. The only slightly disapointing part of the story is the horribly designed Rutan. Its hard to believe that even in equal numbers they managed a thousand year war with the Sontarans.
This set is good look at some of the missing episodes and some of the few that could not be released individually without major reconstruction and explanation. Overall, it makes you long for more of the great pieces of television lost forever.
The shortest Tom Baker adventure is essentially a segue episode that fills us in a little bit more on the Sontarans. This is the first of the "classic villain trilogy" in which the producers hit us hard and fast with all the great enemies.
Ok, lets forget the cheesy dinosaurs. This was decades before Jurrasic Park. There is some sloppy science, but lets forget that too. Here is a story from an era where people feared nerds and the hippie movement was in full swing, so its not about the dinosaurs, its about the dangers of trying to ignore science and putting to much faith in it.
Following up The Deadly Assassin and the realization that this Doctor doesn't necessarily need a companion, we are introduced to Leela who is in many ways his exact opposite. This is a brilliantly written story following a classic science theme of brain versus brawn and how they complement one another.
My Best Buy number: 964219036
What's great about it: Excellent Story, great new companion
What's not so great: One or two unexplained plot devices.
This is another example of Tom Baker at his best. This is another one of the stories from his era where you wonder he needs a companion at all. Most of K-9 and Romana's part in this episode, outside of the brilliant opening scene, could have been easily cut.
My Best Buy number: 964219036
What's great about it: Tom Baker
What's not so great: K-9 and Romana could have stayed in the TARDIS
In his first episode, Peter Davison sets the standard for new Doctors to come. Completely erratic and confused and unsure of himself, he stumbles through the story, until finally deciding what kind of person he will be.