I have to say that after The Krotons, this story is a nice change of pace. Despite being longer, it seemed to go by faster, since quite a bit more actually happens. This six-parter has a fairly interesting side cast and a fun, if slightly unimaginative setting. Once more we find Brian Hayles occupied with concerns about overreliance on technology, although my sources tell me that this story actually experienced extensive rewrites at the hands of Terrance Dicks. I find it difficult telling exactly where Hayles' original work ends and Dicks' begins, but at the very least it doesn't seem like the scripting troubles hurt the story.
I'm a little amused that the Doctor and friends insist on calling them Ice Warriors as a species, since the name was come up with in the last serial on account of those ones being frozen in a glacier. They still can't stand heat, so I guess it's still appropriate regardless, even though we already have a name for aliens from Mars: namely, Martians. This term is basically never used for the Ice Warriors, though, and I find that quite funny.
I also note that this story takes place during Zoe's century, but she doesn't seem to be aware of T-Mat and its importance to Earth. Given that The Wheel in Space mentions some people wanted to end the space program, I think it can be assumed that this would have to take place very late in the 21st century, since she's from 2079.
I found Kelly, Radnor, and Phipps quite likable, and I very much enjoyed Osgood's defiance at the start of the serial, but for my money the pride of place goes to Fewsham. Terry Scully is a very expressive actor, and Fewsham's anguish over his own choices visibly plays out throughout these episodes, even when he isn't speaking. At first one is led to be disgusted by his cowardice, but we see shades of grey emerge over the course of the story, a few small acts of defiance ultimately culminating with his brave sacrifice. It's probably the most convincing story arc I have seen for a one-off side character during this marathon so far, and it was genuinely quite refreshing.
The Doctor's remark about the TARDIS not being suitable for short hops definitely tickled me. It certainly will be, sooner or later, and this definitely would have been a pretty short story if it was! Talking of the Doctor, he's looking a little scruffier than he did in the last story, perhaps finally getting long in the tooth? No matter how close we are to the end, Troughton is still playing the part with chaotic energy. I very much enjoyed seeing him walking around draped in wires in the last episode, although I questioned his willingness to incinerate Ice Warriors one after another. His pitying stare at Slaar, who is hissing furiously about being tricked into guiding the Martian fleet into a fatal orbit around the sun, is also quite brilliant. It's a brutal means of dispatching the threat, but it certainly won't be the last time the Doctor does it.
Some praise is also owed to Michael Ferguson for his direction of this story, as I noticed and approved of a few shots and framing devices used in the filming. For example, there are a number of shots where characters are partially framed through semi-opaque surfaces, an interesting trick that I don't recall seeing employed often prior to this point. The shots of the Ice Warrior outside in the T-Mat compound, backlit by the sun, are also very striking.
All in all, it's a quite solid serial. It may grow on me with time, but for now I can definitely say I enjoyed it. Things are going to stay chilly, because I'll be reading The Wheel of Ice next.
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 16 March 2021.)
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