15x2. The Invisible Enemy
Writers: Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Director: Derrick Goodwin
Script Editor: Robert Holmes
Producer: Graham Williams
Synopsis: The Doctor is
infected by a virus that has the ability to take over someone's mind
and is using infected humans to create a dangerous "swarm." Leela, who
is immune to its effects, helps fight the virus as the Doctor struggles
to resist it and the two of them end up under siege at a space station
near Titan. After defeating the virus, the Doctor and Leela gain a new
companion: an intelligent robotic dog named K-9.
Review: "The Invisible Enemy" is a passably entertaining installment of Doctor Who
(some fans apparently absolutely hate it, but I'm not among their
number); however, it has enough minor flaws and odd storytelling
choices that it doesn't earn a full recommendation from me. For
example, the Doctor has a theory that Leela is immune to the virus
because it's seeking strong intellects and she operates mostly on
instinct -- first of all, my impression has been largely that Leela is
not unintelligent but simply uneducated, and this seems a bit
inconsistent. And second of all, the Doctor later identifies some sort
of "fishhook"-shaped substance or organ as a critical difference
between his brain and Leela's -- is this meant to discredit his earlier
theory, or is the presence of this component the cause of their
differences in intellect and temperament? And while the Fantastic Voyage-style
journey through the Doctor's brain is an interesting storytelling
device (particularly when it leads to some amusing banter between the
Doctor and Leela), the "cloning" technology that enables it is so
ridiculous -- it replicates all past memories and even clothing,
apparently -- as to defy even suspension of disbelief. On the positive
side, the Doctor's struggle to resist the virus gives Tom Baker the
chance to play up the character's alien nature (such as when he
completely "withdraws into himself" rather than risking staying
conscious), something he always does well. And there is something of an
interesting theme here regarding humanity's history of conquest --
Leela refers to her ancestors as "new frontiersmen" from Earth, and the
viral nucleus lodged in the Doctor's brain argues for its own right to
survive. The Doctor would seemingly agree if the swarm's goal wasn't a
conquest of their own, and he tries (though he ultimately fails) to
find a solution other than simply blowing up the Titan base where the
viral incubation procedure has begun. But this also highlights the
extent to which this is something of an inferior "Ark in Space"
retread, and "The Invisible Enemy" doesn't bring anything to this
conflict that we haven't seen on Doctor Who before.
Rating: **1/2 (out of four)