Robert Holmes certainly doesn't do stories by halves. It's clear that by this point he's come a long, long way from the likes of The Krotons and The Space Pirates. I can see why Terrance Dicks tapped him as his successor to the role of script editor, because all four of the stories that he's done during this era have been among its very best. It's an interesting thing, too, because by all accounts, Holmes didn't really want to set a story in the middle ages. His lack of faith in the pseudo-historical format is pretty obvious from his tenure as script editor, where they became rarer, before all but disappearing entirely during the reign of Graham Williams. So it's surprising that he still gives it his all. It's obvious that he absolutely devoured all of this period dialog, as Irongron's aphorisms are as memorable as they are oblique.
Talking of Irongron, David Daker breathes life into the role in a big, big way. The on-and-off bromance and animosity he has with the Sontaran warrior Linx is to die for. Kevin Lindsay also deserves heaps of praise for giving such life and emotive strength to Linx despite being in heavy makeup and/or a helmet for the entire story. Linx is written in a manner that quickly characterizes his species in a memorable way, telling us all we need to know of the Sontarans in what seems like a very small amount of time. His basic inhumanity is best characterized in the moment when, being told of sexual dimorphism in humans, he complains, "It is an inefficient system, you should change it."
Aside from the splendid guest acting, believe it or not the next thing to jump out to me was the costume design. The Doctor and Sarah Jane both look very smart, he in his green frock coat and she in her sweater vest. The medieval costumes are totally believable, Linx's armor is justifiably memorable, and I enjoyed the touch that some of the brainwashed scientists are milling around in their jammies, recalling the detail from the first episode that some were kidnapped in their sleep. It's some very intelligent work and helps to sell the visual impression of the story.
That medieval castle set is brilliant too, and its grimy atmosphere seems very realistic, while also sending up traditional images of gleaming castles and noble knights. Satire seems to be Holmes's forte, as always. One never really expects Doctor Who to be realistic, but the more gritty portrayal of the past offered by this story stands in contrast to the more stagey Hartnell historicals of yesteryear.
I think I've gone on a bit too long without remarking upon the long-awaited arrival of Sarah Jane Smith, however. Being more familiar with her 21st century appearances, it was a bit of a shock seeing Elisabeth Sladen so young! She's a bit more sparky and independently-minded than Jo, but from the off is still very charming. The serial does her a bit of a disservice by saddling her with some indignant remarks about feminism. It smacks of a male writer clumsily trying to come to terms with the burgeoning women's lib movement of the 70s, not with malice, but perhaps just a bit of ignorance. Still, she does get several brilliant moments, such as her resourcefulness in the face of her predicament, and I was quite amused by her initial reactions to finding herself back in time. Honestly, if I was in the same position, I'd probably conclude I was being harassed by LARPers, too.
Small quibbles aside, this is such a brilliant script, and well-realized on screen, too. It was nice to see the great wizard Quiquaequod return and scare away soldiers with his sorcery, and Pertwee seems to gobble this up. I was a little worried that he'd slow down a bit in his last season, knowing the pressures he must have been under after five years in the role, but there's certainly no sign of it here. This is a fantastic little story, and an encouraging start for this season.
For the first time since 1969, we're getting a music post that isn't in a gap between seasons. Time to go ruminate on my 1973 song pick.
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 10 April 2021.)
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