So we return to Vortis, and this time I want to focus on the design work
of my namesake John Wood, as well as looking at some of the inhabitants
of the planet.
Getting the bad out of the way, I mentioned last time Richard Martin
deciding to show us the other side of the console room. Well, it's much
blander than the side we are used to seeing. (It also makes me wonder
where the fault locator is hiding.) The room with the bendy beds is
bland, too, so the TARDIS interior seems a really dull place, except for
the console itself.
The only good side to this is that it makes the Vortis scenes look even
more impressive. The main 'surface of the planet' set is awesome, giving
us a sense of scale unequalled in the show so far. With modern TVs you
can see the join, but in most shots you have to be looking for it - I
didn't notice it at all in the first two episodes when I was watching
for fun, only when I watched a second time to pick up on points for the
review (and listen to the commentary). The Carsinome set is flat,
because of the problems of packing it away for storage until the
following week's shooting; as a result it doesn't have the organic look
that they wanted. But it still has quite an alien "feel".
The modelwork fits very well. The shot of the TARDIS being moved through
the mist matches perfectly with the main set, and the temple shot last
time - with the statue of Menoptera on top of pyramid - impresses
despite the occasional transparency of the Doctor's Atmospheric Density
Jacket.
Ah yes, the Menoptera. Last episode we were introduced to the Zarbi and
their venom grubs; this time we meet the other faction. The least
obvious thing here from our future perspective is that their role is
ambiguous. Are they heroes or villains? They keep Barbara from the
clutches of the Zarbi, true, but then discuss killing her. And they are
the spearhead of an invasion force from space. Probably villains, then,
but it's not at all clear.
From their first appearance the Menoptera are treated as another very
weird species. In fact, although the other inhabitants of Vortis
distract us from this, their design makes them, physically, one of the
least human sapients that have been shown so far. Only the brains of
Morphoton and (by implication) the Daleks are more alien. Their movement
and speech, devised by Roslyn de Winter (who plays Vrestin), enhances
this. Bizarrely, Richard Martin originally wanted to cast big-eyed
actors, before realising that nobody's eyes were big enough!
I should mention the other aliens' costumes here. All are effective; all
have shortcomings. The Zarbi are my personal favourite, a total success
in my book despite the obvious men's legs. The venom grubs (or 'larvae
guns') are cute; the frill they have around the edge doesn't work as
legs but this isn't a problem.
Finally, in a pretence that this is a review of this particular episode,
I'll mention a few points which were particularly atmospheric. First is
the scene with Vicki alone in the TARDIS. We have the shot of her
through the console, and the shaky view seen on the monitor before the
startling appearance of a Zarbi. We also have Ian stepping into a shell.
The actual motion is necessarily contrived but the idea is affecting,
and following this we see Ian more dispirited than he has ever been,
completely uncertain of how to tackle the situation they find themselves
in. Barbara also has a brief chance to shine, showing how resourceful
she can be in escaping from the Menoptera.
The closing scene is slightly chaotic. The Zarbi entering the ship
works, but it's not obvious that it retreats because of anything the
TARDIS is doing - I just assumed it was scared by the interior
dimensions. As a result the creatures crowding the Doctor and forcing
him under the telepathic helmet is slightly comical; but then we have
Catherine Fleming's wonderfully resonant voice filling his head, and are
left with a distinct feeling that the story is moving...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 20th February 1965
Viewers: 12.5 million
Chart Position: 12
Appreciation Index: 53
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
Escape to Danger.
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