"Do nothing, if it's the right sort of nothing."
My first immediate thought upon starting Warriors' Gate was that it was directed with some youthful energy. I'm not sure exactly how old Paul Joyce was in 1981, but it definitely feels like a completely new directorial style for the show. It feeds a lot of life into scenes which might otherwise be compositionally lacking because of the majority of this story taking place in a white void. In spite of the lack of background variation, there are a number of striking images, including the Gate sitting in the middle of the void, or the survey crew scoping out the TARDIS.
As for the content of the story, I think I just about managed to understand it. Warriors' Gate certainly doesn't make it easy; it is a beguiling beast with a lot of suggestion and metaphor involved. That said, I found the story of the Tharils, their former warmongering ways, and now their enslavement to be quite affecting. The more philosophical undertones of how Biroc uses his knowledge of the web of time to free his people, and doing something versus doing nothing, went over my head a bit; I confess that I resorted to reading a few articles analyzing the story to the point where I felt comfortable going "Ohhh, so that's how it is..."
Still, I don't think complexity is a mark against the story; it just means that it's a serial that will reward repeat viewings, which I'm always happy to have an excuse for. This was my experience with Ghost Light too, so I expect this one to evolve into a favorite over time. (Oops, spoilers.)
The slaver crew are pretty well-illustrated characters. Rorvik's cruelty and single-mindedness are good villain traits; I gasped a bit at the scene toward the end where he stomps on the Doctor's hand. Aldo and Royce are a very good example of the "tall guy/small guy" comic duo, their nine-to-five bad guy gig obviously being a bit of a joke to them. Their little chinwag about their "all-in contract" got a dark chuckle out of me.
Probably the most emotional part of this story for me is Romana's farewell, however. I've liked Romana a lot, and especially Lalla Ward's take on the character for these last couple of seasons. Her dynamic with the Doctor has been excellent, as has her development from sidekick to a leading character in her own right; here in particular I think of the scene where she steps out of the TARDIS in this story to confront the slavers outside. She leads that conversation effortlessly in the same sort of way the Doctor would. It makes her departure at this point feel more poignant, because she really has grown all she can while still being under the Doctor's wing. It's time for her to spread her own wings and fly.
(Also, Adric was in this one.)
All in all, a stunning story, and a true piece of art. I'm pleased that this little trilogy has ended on such a high. The Keeper of Traken is next.
"I'll miss you. You were the noblest Romana of them all."
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 24 October 2021.)
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