The Time Meddler

The TARDIS is a bit of an empty nest with Barbara and Ian gone, but before the Doctor and Vicki can adjust to it just being them, they discover that Steven Taylor managed to escape the collapse of the Mechanoid City and find his way into the TARDIS. Pleased at having a new member of the crew, the Doctor announces that the ship has come to Earth. Steven is skeptical about the claims that the TARDIS is a time machine, and he seems to be onto something when he and Vicki encounter a peasant in what should be the year 1066 with a modern wristwatch. The Doctor senses there is something afoot at the local monastery where a single Monk has taken up residence, and when he investigates he discovers one of his own people deliberately working to change the Earth's past.

With the regular cast reduced in numbers it is an interesting time to delve into a bit of the Doctor's origins, even if they are just in his association with the Monk. Yes, the Monk. There's a lot of "the" going about with the Doctor's people, although how his granddaughter was not "the Susan" is a mystery. The Monk is certainly different from the Doctor; he has no regard for the established history of the world and has made grand plans to change it by changing the outcome of the Battle of Hastings where King Harold died. But as reckless as he seems the Monk is not put across as evil, and does show compassion for the people of Earth around his monastery. And he's playful and jokes with the Doctor about what he is doing, and wants the Doctor to see that this change would be for the better. The Doctor might agree on some level that the different outcome would benefit the people of Earth, but he sticks to the same guns he had when Barbara wanted to change the ways of the Aztecs: no rewriting history, not one line. The Monk is aware of the rules that have been lain down by their people but he simply does not care; he has his own TARDIS (a superior model to the Doctor's) and will go where he likes and do what he likes. Through their interaction though it is obvious that not only are they the same race but they do in fact know each other from their time on their home planet. If the Monk knew Susan we do not know; he does not ask after her and at no time is the name of their species mentioned. It is worth noting that this is the first time we ever see the Doctor meet with a true equal given their shared ancestry.

Steven as a crew member is a change from Ian for sure; whereas Ian was more apt to try and out-logic the Doctor in an argument, Steven is brash and young and hot headed; as a fighter pilot in the wars he has enthusiasm and a degree of training, but not a lot of discipline. He takes a protector role for Vicki right away, not realizing what she has been through already in her travels in the TARDIS. Vicki resents him just showing up and trying to tell her what to do; after all she's now the senior member of the crew and he's the new boy who needs looking after. Whereas the family dynamic of the crew had Ian and Barbara as sort of parent figures, Steven and Vicki are very much the youngsters akin to a brother and sister act now along for the ride with the Doctor. There's a shift in the series with this change of crew; one can almost feel the writing changing up slightly to a more complicated way of telling the story, and some improved production values in the studio. The TARDIS set is still the TARDIS set, but the scenes set atop the cliffs overlooking the sea are made that much more convincing through the use of a projected rolling sky behind the actors, the forest sets are put together with a great deal of care and the threat of a Viking invasion is realized through the inclusion of some stock footage (even if the Vikings we eventually see look nothing like the ones we see rowing the boat).

So with a new companion on board the series closes its' second season, and would return weeks later with new adventures on screen. Meanwhile though, there is more to be enjoyed in the supplemental adventures, first going back to the Virgin Missing Adventures range...

NEXT EPISODE: THE EMPIRE OF GLASS