Harry -
Hmmm, those Daleks are up to something again...
But what? Just when it was getting good, the story was over. That was the longest prelude/prologue/teaser thing we've ever seen in Doctor Who. And I'm including the Moffat era.
Sarah -
What an odd little thing. I want to rush ahead to "The Daleks' Master Plan", but will restrain myself as best I can.
Harry -
I looked into what our friends Rob and Toby had to say, and they captured everything that was happening in my fevered mind after watching this story today.
Sarah -
It’s like consulting Holy Writ. "And then Robert doth sayeth to Tobias..."
Harry -
Exactly!
Rob spoke highly of the concepts introduced in this brief piece. The Doctor as a saviour, evidenced by the destruction wrought when the Daleks are free to run riot. The sickening idea of the Varga thorn (grown in laboratories on Skaro) that poisons first the mind and then the body of its victim. And the notion that "The Daleks' Master Plan" is so epic that it is beyond epic -- it requires a couple of breaks in between so as not to utterly blow the minds of its viewers.
Sarah -
It’s definitely a foreshadowing of the current series concept of the Doctor being the only thing keeping the entire universe from spinning horribly out of control. No pressure or anything.
The moment when Marc “Space Security Service, licensed to kill” Cory, identified the Varga as having been created by the Daleks sent a little shiver down my spine. Such a creative little race of sociopaths they are.
Epic beyond epic is how I like my Doctor Who.
Harry -
Meanwhile, Toby joined in the speculation that surrounds the mysterious alien emissaries. Who are they? And who played whom?
Sarah -
This little bout of speculative geekery may just be my favorite section of the book so far.
Harry -
A while back, after watching this Loose Cannon recon for the first time, I did my own googling and found...
...this interesting attempt at solving the puzzle. (courtesy of Doctor Who Magazine)
Sarah -
Well now, that’s impressive. I love the mysteries that shroud these stories. Historians need something to keep themselves in work.
Harry -
I wonder how many of the alien delegate actors Toby has managed to meet in real life. He seems to be highly skilled at that sort of thing.
For me, this episode is all about the Daleks and their grand alliance of intergalactic baddies aligned against the Doctor. Everything old is new again, right Moff?
Sarah -
Isn’t it though?
For all its brevity, the story of Cory, Garvey, and Lowery is a compelling one. Having to shoot one’s crewmate to save the rest of the crew isn’t a new story, but it’s handled well here. The who’s-going-to-be-next tension is palpable, even though we know Lowry will inevitably brush against that Varga. Poor guy has Red Shirt written all over him.
Harry -
Cory spoke with such a lovely, crisp RAF accent, you knew he'd be the last one standing.
Sarah -
The information we get from their story is tantalizing. It’s a thousand years since the Daleks invaded earth. (On the plus side, that’s a thousand years without Susan getting into a scrape!) More than 110 planets are controlled by the Daleks, which suggests more than a bit of appeasement by Earth, the current dominant force in the universe.
Harry -
Busy little sociopaths, those Daleks. Like the obnoxious kid in school who was always racing ahead of the lessons. No one gets behind that sort of thing.
Sarah -
Someone on Earth seems to have an inkling that the Daleks are up to something, sending Cory and his team to Kembel to have a look around. So many questions to have answered.
Harry -
Good thing Cory figured out how to use that archaic 20th Century tape recorder in time to record his message!
Sarah -
In addition to being the only story not to feature the Doctor or any of his companions, "Mission to the Unknown" also has the distinction of being Verity Lambert’s last story. What a swansong!
Harry -
Class. Legend. Mint.
Sarah -
Have we just managed to say more about this one-parter than the previous four-parter? Let’s hear it for a good story well told!
Harry -
Aye, twas quite excellent!
Sarah -
Lasting image: The Supervillans Conference
Favorite moment: The revelation of the Daleks master plan to conquer Earth
Best line: “The seven of us represent the greatest war force ever assembled. Conquest is assured!"
Doesn’t Malpha know that uttering this line is pretty much sealing his doom?
7/10
Harry -
"Tobias..." (*still giggling*)
Lasting image: definitely the alien emissaries scheming around the table.
Favourite moment: Cory and the big-spool tape recorder.
Best line: "I suppose you've heard of the Daleks..."
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #20 - The Myth Makers...
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