There wasn't a single blasted thing that I liked about this episode. I'm so sick of these recons.
This was your typical sci-fi adventure story. You have the ideal civilization that seems great on the surface, but isn't, and you have the persecuted people who are not part of that civilization. The civilization has invented a way to drain people's life source and use it for their city. What exactly they need it for is beyond me. Surely you could invent things that isn't dependent on human energy, if you're really that clever. That's why coal and gas exist.
But that's not possible. How exactly does one drain one's life source? And what's the big deal? It's not like it makes them immortal, or something similarly cool.
The Doctor is quite irate when he discovers what the Elders are doing to the Savages, so he confronts them about it. This ol Doctor is becoming quite the altruistic fellow. He wants to help the savages because he sees that they are being persecuted. Twelve episodes ago he probably would not have bothered with this sort of thing. It's a mighty inconvenience having to change a civilization. Barbara tried it and it hadn't worked.
The Doctor gets to be tortured this time, giving Steven a bit of a break. The head Elder Jano wants the Doctor's intelligence so they do the transfer, and take some of the Doctor's energy. But things go awry when Jano receives the Doctor's quirks, mannerisms, compassion and thoughts. How has this not happened before? Two Doctors? That's too much for my brain to handle!
Meanwhile Steven and Dodo are hanging out with the savages, mainly Chal and Tor. They used to be smart lively creatures who had hobbies, but since they've had their life force taken away, they've become catatonic, drooling idiots. Wouldn't you? They seem down and angry about this, too. This draining of their life source also prevents them from shaving, bathing, washing or maintaining any sort of personal hygiene. I've always labored under the impression that you can be an idiot and still be well groomed.
The Doctor and his companions convince a now chastised Jano to stop with the persecuting and the mental lobotomies. They and the savages decide to live together in peace. They destroy the laboratory and the nasty machine. Although between you and me, there's nothing stopping them from building a new one. Don't tell me, seven hundred years later,they will be persecuting something or someone else. That's usually the way it goes.
This had an astonishing ending when Steven leaves the Doctor and Dodo to become the leader of the savages and the Elders. This is a peculiar ending for his character. Why they dumped his character here is beyond me. Gone are the days when they can be returned to their own time period. Ian and Barbara were very lucky. Although, I suppose it's better than getting shot out of an airlock.
Goodbye Steven Taylor! We will miss you!
Dodo is the only one left. I have lost all reason to live.
Next Up: The War Machines
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