Oh hello there, Mr. Holmes. Knowing the important role of this writer in the future of Doctor Who makes his somewhat unceremonious arrival on the scene a jarring one. Although there are a couple of sparks of brilliance faintly visible within this rather drab four-parter, they are nevertheless only brief flashes of the potential Robert Holmes has.
To wit, I notice that this is the first time the Doctor explicitly remarks on not liking goodbyes. This is obviously something we've seen displayed implicitly more than once in the program so far, but it's a line that will be repeated many times in years to come. I also very much appreciated Zoe's cheeky remark about the Doctor being "almost" as clever as her! She continues to acquit herself very well this season. There's also a classically Holmesian bit of dark humor when the Doctor remarks that the entry chime of the Krotons' craft "sounds a bit like a dinner gong".
These aside, I had very little to keep my attention during this serial. The Gonds never quite captured my interest, and their world isn't sketched in a very convincing way. I'm afraid to say I've already forgotten the names of the guest cast, and am relying on the list of them on the wiki to tell you that Selris was probably the least boring of a boring lot. This story has unfortunately committed the same cardinal sin as The Dominators did just a few episodes ago: being dull.
I do appreciate that it's cute how the Krotons were designed by a fan through a contest. They're not quite as memorable as a certain other Blue Peter contest winner would be in 2006, but given the context of that one, I'm not sure if that memorability is a good thing! But the Daleks they certainly are not. As far as attempts to emulate the success of the Daleks go, this one seems particularly desperate.
It really is all rollercoasters this season, isn't it? We've had two brilliant serials, among the best the program has ever had, and two fantastic duds. Hopefully things will now start to pick up a little?
Before that, I'm obliged to take my next musical detour, this time for the year 1968.
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 14 March 2021.)
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