23x3. Terror of the Vervoids
Writers: Pip and Jane Baker
Director: Chris Clough
Producer: John Nathan-Turner
Synopsis: The
Doctor mounts his defense by displaying an adventure from the future,
in which he and new companion Mel Bush arrive on board the space liner
Hyperion, only to become involved in a murder mystery as they discover
that the scientist Doland is scheming to sell a plant-race known as
Vervoids into slavery.
Review: At the level of a whodunit in
space, "Terror of the Vervoids" mostly works, though it does get a bit
overcomplicated in the final episode. The writers assemble a worthwhile
cast of characters and slowly increase the stakes as the body count
rises and the Doctor and Mel discover that some of the passengers are
keeping secrets. The Vervoids don't have much personality, but they are
still portrayed with something of a tragic air, attacking based on
their instinctively hostile view of animal life, and the Doctor clearly
regrets that he wasn't able to find a nonlethal way to stop their
attacks. This is also Mel's first serial, and while her fixation on
physical fitness can feel gimmicky, she's also appealingly proactive,
even entering the fray without the Doctor on occasion. Unfortunately,
it doesn't work as well in the context of the trial setup. For
starters, I have to object to the entire notion of the Doctor using
evidence from the future. Do the Time Lords normally access information
on their own futures using the Matrix, and shouldn't that have some
pretty major effects on their civilization if they do? Wouldn't the
fact that the Doctor *has* a future point towards an acquittal or at
least a more lenient sentence, given that the Valeyard has been
pressing for execution? Will the Doctor remember having seen this when
it actually happens in the future, and wouldn't that potentially alter
the course of events? In general, this seems like a misguided
"wouldn't it be cool if..." idea that should have been nixed before the
script even got off the ground. Second, the Doctor suggests that the
evidence will show that he "improves" and makes a point of the fact
that he was explicitly asked for help by the Hyperion's crew. The
implication here would seem to be (though I suspect it won't be borne
out in future serials) that the Doctor will actually be taking a more
reticent and conservative approach in the future, whereas I'd have
preferred to see him defend a more proactive approach and argue that
the Time Lords' standards are too restrictive. As a "defense" to the
metatextual trial taking place, this is actually a pretty weak and
uninspiring argument.
Rating: **1/2 (out of four)
Back to the main Doctor
Who Reviews page.