August 1: The Seeds of Doom Part Three & Four

Parts one and two of this story could have been their own story; other than a brief sequence showing that the Doctor and Sarah survived (in which it's very clear that a sandy quarry covered with polystyrene doesn't make a good substitute for snow-covered plains), the action is entirely based in England.  Of course, everything that happens in England is a direct result of the events in Antarctica, so it's not like they're unconnected stories or anything.

Part three is obviously transitional -- the second pod hasn't hatched yet and the Doctor and Sarah don't even know where it's been taken.  It's only by luck (incompetence?  It's Chase's chauffeur that botches the murder attempt) that they learn that Chase has the pod, thanks to a roundabout manner via a painting in the boot of a car painted by Amelia Ducat, who's played by the marvelous Sylvia Coleridge.  She's a wonder every time she's on the screen, puttering away and being delightful all the time -- even when she's acting as an undercover agent for the World Ecology Bureau in part four.

The other notable thing about this episode is how violent it is, as the Doctor goes around thumping and tackling people.  Admittedly, a lot of it isn't really any different from Jon Pertwee shouting "hai!" and throwing people over his shoulder, but there are a couple unsettling moments -- such as when the Doctor grabs Scorby's head and twists it, almost as if he's going to break his neck.  That one looked like a moment too far (one can only imagine what would happen if children tried to imitate it).

There are other entertaining moments, though, such as when Chase gives the Doctor and Sarah a guided tour of his mansion, which culminates in a large conservatory, where Chase plays hideous electronic music for his plants.  "You know, Doctor, I could play all day in my green cathedral," Chase says campily.  But soon the show is over, and there are some standard escapes and recaptures -- one of which involves Sarah being readied to be the victim of the soon-to-germinate Krynoid pod...

Sarah discovers the infected Keeler. (The Seeds of Doom
Part Four) ©BBC

Part four opens with a great moment, as the Doctor (who's been watching from the skylight above) jumps through the glass, knocks out Scorby and takes his gun, and then holds Chase at gunpoint.  "What do you do for an encore, Doctor?" Chase asks drily.  "I win," the Doctor replies, pulling Sarah away.  It's admittedly a rather atypical scene for Doctor Who's leading man, but they pull it off.  And good thing, too, as immediately after this the pod germinates and infects Keeler.  Chase is fascinated by this and has Keeler taken to a nearby cottage rather than to a doctor -- Chase wants to see what happens.

Most of this episode consists of more running about.  The Doctor manages to get captured and is tied up in the basement, ready to be thrown into a really nasty-looking composter, but Sarah is still free at least.  But this episode also has the ticking time bomb of Keeler's transformation, as we see him become more and more covered with plant material as the Krynoid takes over his body.  There's a tense moment where Sarah comes across him and he pleads to be set free, promising that he won't hurt her -- but it looks fairly obvious that he's lying as the Krynoid instincts take hold.

Then at the end of the episode, while Sarah is freeing the Doctor from the composter (and just in the nick of time, too), Keeler breaks free from his bonds and begins to roam the grounds (and it's probably worth noting that the human-looking Krynoid costume is an old Axon costume painted green -- you can sometimes see a bit of red peeking through).  What's more, by the time the Doctor and Sarah find him, he's lost all trace of humanity, and the Krynoid is now a large, deadly plant intent on devouring our heroes...