These two episodes therefore see an increasing sense of tension and desperation as a plan is made not to save this Earth but the one the Doctor is from. Remember, they're not as advanced with the drilling there, so the Doctor might be able to stop them from penetrating the Earth's crust. But in order to do so they have to rewire the nuclear reactor and dodge the Primords that are roaming the complex. And while these two episodes also have quite a few scenes of people arguing with each other, this time it feels like there's a point behind it, and even when the point isn't obvious it still drives home the futility of it all. Or as Greg Sutton puts it: "It's marvellous, isn't it? The world's going up in flame and they're still playing at toy soldiers!"
So the world's being destroyed (illustrated by lots of tremors and a pleasing red haze for the scenes outside) and the Primords are closing in -- so the main characters can't even stop to catch their breath without the threat of being rubbed in mutagenic slime and regressing into a savage ape-like creature (as we see happen to Benton at the end of episode 5). But the most interesting thing is to watch how each character deals with the impending doomsday. Sutton becomes a lot more dominant, probably because he knows he's got nothing to lose and therefore no reason to toe the party line. Section Leader Shaw is practical yet increasingly insubordinate -- she's willing to help the Doctor but she has little patience remaining for her superior, the Brigade Leader. Nicholas Courtney, however, is the standout performer of the group, as his Brigade Leader becomes increasingly cowardly and scared and therefore belligerent and bullying as a result, as if desperate to hold on to some shred of power, even if it's ultimately meaningless.
Elizabeth Shaw, Petra Williams, and Greg Sutton watch the world end. (Inferno Episode 6) ©BBC |
So there's still one more episode of Inferno to go. How are they going to top these two?