Although prior eras had continuity between separate stories on occasion, the Pertwee era seems to have relied on this continuity more than either of the eras before it. Case in point, this serial, which I'm sure that one can't really enjoy without having first seen The Curse of Peladon two seasons previous. The most interesting parts of this story, namely its more critical look at the Galactic Federation, are best viewed in the context of the more optimistic prequel. As a follow-up to Curse, this story is a bit interesting. Divorced from that story, it's a rather boring affair.
Quite honestly, it's a little dull no matter which way you slice it. The twists are simply not as interesting, nor the performances quite as strong, as the other Peladon story. Ortron is essentially a less interesting Hepesh, and Nina Thomas, while still good as Queen Thalira, is no David Troughton. I feel like it's a bit of a waste that Eckersley and Azaxyr are revealed as agents of Galaxy Five (not Galaxy Four?) rather than simply being corrupt but still a part of the Federation. It removes a bit of the nuance that the story was attempting. Still, it is nice that the miners are introduced to tell us a bit more about the diversity of Peladon's people, and its class system, even though those wigs of theirs are terrible.
Notably, this story once again touches on feminism through the lens of Sarah Jane, who rather charmingly tries to encourage Thalira to exert her authority. This plot feels like an afterthought however, as no amount of girlbossing from Thalira ends up saving the day, with perhaps the exception of her biting Eckersley's hand at the end.
Really, most of this story's strengths rely upon the interesting setting that is Peladon, which it inherited from the previous story. It introduces very little of its own that captured my imagination. It's unfortunate that the penultimate story of the Pertwee era should be its most dull, but I could see this one growing on my in the fullness of time.
The end is very nearly here. Planet of the Spiders is next.
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 12 April 2021.)
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