Here’s a change of pace – the Doctor MEANT to land on Peladon. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite manage to land in the Citadel as he planned. To quote Sarah, “It’s not your precious citadel at all. It’s another rotten gloomy old tunnel.”
A tunnel that happens to be the center of political intrigue!
Harry -
Metebelis III... Peladon... at least the Doctor has figured out how to land on the right planet. Baby steps.
Sarah -
You can't rush these things.
As you’ll recall from our last visit to Peladon, the planet had joined the Galactic Federation. It’s now 50 years on and things are heating up on Peladon once again. Queen Thalira, the young daughter of King Peladon, of blessed memory, now sits on the throne. Meanwhile, the Federation is at war with Galaxy Five and needs Peladon’s trisilicate to end the war.
Harry -
In many ways it's as if the Doctor never left. We have a tentative monarch being bullied by their chancellor, we have the local populace being menaced by the curse of Aggedor, and we have a colourful cast of aliens getting caught up in the affairs of the planet.
Sabotage? Paranoia? Just in time for the Doctor and Sarah Jane to step right into it.
Sarah -
Timing really is everything -- especially in television.
Harry -
I kind of wish this one had been written by Malcolm Hulke. Imagine how much fun he'd have had with the anxiety of Peladon joining the Federation (European Union?) and a bona fide miners' strike. This story is almost telegraphing real events that would unfold in England in the next decade.
Instead of searing political commentary, we instead get a bit of a goodies vs baddies runaround that feels very similar to "The Curse of Peladon."
Sarah -
Mac would have certainly kicked up the political allegory of the story. Still, the miner's situation certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines feeling.
Harry -
There are some visual differences that make this story stand out from its predecessor. Not the least of which are the badger headed miners. That's an unforgettable look to be sure.
Sarah -
I think I'm going to use that as an insult: "You badger head!" has a certain ring to it.
Harry -
Did you spot Roy Evans among the badger heads?
Sarah -
Of course! I nearly shouted, “It’s Bert!” I love our regular guest actors.
Harry -
If there is a subtext to the story, it's certainly sexism. Every female character gets tutted at, or spoken down to, or rudely dismissed. At times, the Doctor is guilty of it too. Sarah will have none of it - she stands up for herself and encourages Queen Thalira to be a more assertive monarch. It was nice to see Alpha Centuri come around to the concept of equality, even if the men of Peladon had a harder time with it.
Sarah -
The Doctor leaves Sarah with Queen Thalira specifically so she can have a word with the Queen about how “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a girl.” It’s a great scene as the Queen considers for the first time that she can actually assert her authority.
I had the realization in this story that one of the things that makes Sarah Jane one of the strongest companions of the entire series is that she’s not overly impressed by the Doctor. They’ve only been together a while, but she’s not afraid to tease, question, or even criticize him. He’s not a fatherly or grandfatherly figure for her. He’s a colleague more than anything. A senior colleague, perhaps, but still a colleague. When the Doctor is captured, she doesn’t panic, she simply completes his mission for him. Sarah Jane Smith knows how to get things done!
Harry -
Liz Shaw may have been too unimpressed, and Jo Grant might have been too much in awe. Barry and Terry got it just right with Sarah Jane.
At the end of part three, the Ice Warriors storm onto the scene and promptly declare martial law. Azaxyr is perfectly lizard-like in the role of dictator. It was nice to see the Ice Warriors turn heel again - their sort-of-friendly appearance in "The Curse of Peladon" didn't feel true to the Ice Warrior character.
Sarah -
I love that they’re back and badder than ever!
Harry -
Perhaps an unintended consequence of martial law was to unite the squabbling Peladonians against a common menace. Threats of summary executions always have that effect.
Sarah -
The Peladonians putting aside the differences to unite against the Ice Warriors is one of my favorite things in this story. It finally gives Thalira the chance to lead her people.
Harry -
Sure enough, we discover that the Ice Warriors are in cahoots with mild-mannered, keep-to-the-background Eckersley. They are all traitors in league with Galaxy 5.
Sarah -
Donald Gee’s performance as Eckersley was perfect. He underplayed every scene until his inevitable exposure.
Harry -
Unfortunately, there were still two more episodes to slog through and I must confess Sarah, my attention waned. If "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" is one of the best Pertwee six-parters, "The Monster of Peladon" might be one of the worst. It's overlong and it felt like they ran out of story after four parts.
Sarah -
While it was over-long and would have been stronger as a four-parter, I really enjoyed “The Monster of Peladon.” Also, we get to see the sonic screwdriver used as, well, a screwdriver. That’s always a highlight.
And, in another first, the Doctor is actually bested in a fight by Ettis. That certainly turned the tables – even if things didn’t work out for Ettis in the long run.
Harry -
One thing I did like about "The Monster of Peladon" was some of the cliffhangers. Part one actually ended with a double cliffhanger: first, the miners blew up a cave opening after the Doctor and the Queen's Champion had entered. It turned out they both survived, only for Aggedor to appear. Nice double whammy. I also liked the end of part four, in which the sonic lance blew up in very close proximity to the Doctor. Terrific puff of smoke and bang by the props department.
Sarah -
It may not be the strongest story of the season, but I still quite like “The Monster of Peladon.” Sadly, it’s the penultimate story of the Pertwee era. Are we ready for our next regeneration, Old Boy?
Harry -
Right before the end, this one almost felt like a regeneration story. The Doctor appeared to be killed by the refinery's psychedelic defence system. Turned out he'd only shut himself off for a time. It worked, but it's not a trick he can pull too often, as he will soon find out...
Sarah -
Best Line: “My Dear Sarah, there’s nothing I’d like more than a quiet life.”
Favorite Moment: Gebek being appointed the new Chancellor at the end of the story. “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a miner.”
Lasting Image: The Ice Warriors entrance. We won’t see them again for 39 years!
7/10
Harry -
Best Line: "Don't sound so aggrieved. Anybody'd think you preferred me dead."
Favourite Moment: Alpha Centauri regrets that its appearance disturbs Sarah, but she gently reassures it that she's okay.
Lasting Image: the badger heads.
5/10
Our marathon continues with Story #74 - Planet of the Spiders...
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