The third chapter of this episode was recovered, so we only had to suffer through three recons of the four chapters.
Once again we are faced with pictures taken from the filming, with dialogue that has very little to do with the pictures. Occasionally they had very brief moments, such as opening and shutting doors, of actual movement. As always this only makes the episode creepier. Again the problem with these recons is that the pictures never fit the dialogue. We're better off with a radio show than the recons.
The Chumblies were supposed to be the next big thing but that fell flat. They were rather cute, like little wedding cakes. Aw....look at the little cakes! Tricky Vicki is the one who names them Chumblies, so everyone in the show calls them that. Kind of peculiar.
The robots turn out to be the 'nice guys', while the Drahvins are cruel and heartless. The Drahvins and Chumblies have crash landed on the inhospitable planet, and as the planet will be destroyed soon they are trying to escape. The Drahvins are trying to steal the Chumblies' ship because their own is inoperable. So there is a massive amount of bullying, conniving, and killing on the side of the Drahvins. Shall I mention they are all women, with marks around their eyes? Xena warrior princesses gone awry. The leader of the Drahvins is named Maaga. She is really mean. I'm glad she isn't my sister.
The Drahvins hold Steven prisoner to get the Doctor to work for them. Steven gets to have these strange scenes when he tries to flirt with them so he can escape. Ian would never stoop that low. He would just defeat them with his mighty thumb.
The reptilian Rills are masters of the Chumblies, because the Rills are so dashed ugly and cannot move on their own. The leader of the Rills has a voice not unlike Orson Welles. He is so ugly, you want to die. He gets the Ugliest Alien of the Year award, or does the Slyther? I think it's about tied. The Doctor, feeling very altruistic, helps recharge the Rill's space ship using the TARDIS so they can escape. The Drahvins try to kill the Rills and the Doctor, to prevent their escape, but they fail. Turns out their fourteen dawn days are only two days before the planet is destroyed. That's what happens when you don't have clocks.
Sounds like a really bad Star Trek episode, eh?
The story ends with the Rills escaping, and the Drahvins are left there to die. This ending was particularly ugly and violent. It seems very violent just to kill them off like that. But this is what makes Doctor Who so very child friendly, does it not? Heavy sarcasm. There is also that scene in which Maaga shoots one of her kind. Wow.
I don't want to be mean, but one of the Chumblies was operated by someone named Pepi Poupee. Try saying that twenty times really fast.
Next up: Mission to the unknown. Oh snap, another recon.
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