The Curse of Peladon

The Doctor appears to have gotten the TARDIS working again, and while on a short jaunt with Jo finds the ship has taken them to the planet of Peladon in the far future. Peladon has applied for admission to the Galactic Federation, and a committee of assessment have gathered there to decide if the planet may indeed join the union; the matter is a polarizing one on Peladon as there is fear that the Federation will rob the planet of its rights. The Doctor and Jo are mistaken for delegates and are swept along with the tide of events; the delegates are being targeted by an unseen enemy which is hailed as a spiritual attack by the ghost of the royal beast, Aggedor. The Doctor is not convinced but in the course of his investigations is charged with sacrilege, and must submit to a trial by combat.

What I like about Curse is that despite the Doctor being grounded in exile on Earth, he is managing to get away a bit even if the last time it was at the convenience of the Time Lords. It's somewhere new, somewhere without UNIT around as the series is in a bit of danger of just being a UNIT series guest starring the Doctor.

The other thing I really like about this one is the inclusion of the Ice Warriors. Yup the big greens are back but this time they are not the baddies - they are decent respectable honourable members of the Federation. A lot has changed on Mars it seems, although the Doctor does not immediately believe it given how things have gone before. The dedication that the Martian Lord Izlyr shows, however, to justice and Federation law is an indicator that the Martians are far more noble than their invading conquering ways might suggest. But they are not the only aliens in this committee - making their debut are the multilimbed Alpha Centauri which looks like an upright centipede with one really big eye, and the mobility challenged Arcturus. The people of Peladon are not only going to be asked to swallow membership in the Federation but also friendship with some pretty extreme looking creatures. Jo hardly reacts to them now - she's come a long way.

The Pels themselves are a bit different. they are humanoid but with distinct grey and red hairstyles. It appears to be a very male-dominated world right down to the Greek-like soldiers who guard the King and his... um... well it looked kinda like he was wearing a short skirt and stockings really. Jo was dressed better in a floor length dress for the first time ever on the show.

Holy man of action, Doctor, one on one cage match against the King's champion! The first Doctor once made reference to indulging in fisticuffs but this Doctor is all about the fighting when pushed. We've seen it a few times with a skillfil "HAI!" and down goes an opponent but so far not a full on fight.

But while the Doctor and Jo are off saving a world from barbarism, the Brigadier is having a crisis himself on Earth. Ever wondered who the Brig would ask for help if the Doctor were gone?

NEXT EPISODE: THE FACE OF THE ENEMY