“As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves.” – The Doctor

As the third serial of Doctor Who comes to an end, the show finally reaches something of an equilibrium. No longer are Ian and Barbara prisoners, but rather full-fledged “companions” in the modern sense of the word. If the show had not been picked up for a full season, it would have ended here: as a fun little science fiction adventure told in thirteen parts. But, as we know, what they really did with these early episodes was launch a sensation.

As the strange happenings continue on the TARDIS, our companions argue with each other until the true danger is discovered. With their collective lives in the balance, only then do they come together to save themselves. It’s a deep dive into the nature of our key relationships, both with the Doctor and with each other. The tension is high, but the ultimate resolution is surprisingly low tech. We are also left with a key but enduring mystery: is the TARDIS alive? More thoughts on this after our recap.

Continue reading Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction, Part Two: The Brink of Disaster →

“You can’t blame us for this, Doctor.” – Ian

After fighting off cavemen and nightmare pepper-pots, Doctor Who‘s third serial features our companions facing their most insidious enemy yet: themselves. As the back two episodes of a 13-episode initial series order, The Edge of Destruction could serve either as an ending or a transition point. By the end of the serial, the companions would come to trust each other, we’d learn a few more tantalizing clues about the Doctor and Susan’s journey, and we would be left aching for more. But, I am getting ahead of myself. This first episode offers us no obvious villains or planets to explore: just four travelers who have to figure out how to work together to solve a problem that none of them understand. It’s fantastic.

There is tons to say here, but as usual, we’ll start with a recap after the break.

Continue reading Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction, Part One →