The joyousness continues, as we learn that Scaroth communicates with his other splintered selves across time and has been forcing the human race to progress in order to arrive at a level of technology for his most future self to be able to go back in time and stop his spaceship from exploding in the first place -- only that explosion is what began life on Earth in the first place, as the Doctor seems to realize in his conversation with Captain Tancredi.
There continues to be a great deal of wit on display, such as the Doctor agreeing to tell Scaroth what he knows not because of the threat of thumbscrews but because he can't stand being touched by cold hands, but what separates this from other stories is that the wit goes hand in hand with the threat; the Doctor can make jokes and verbally spar with Scaroth, but he knows what will happen if Scaroth is successful in his goal, and this motivation gives the story an undercurrent of serious intent. It
matters whether the Doctor succeeds, because the entire human race is at stake.
The scenes with Romana and Duggan are also entertaining in their own way, as Duggan continues to act as the slightly blundering muscle, smashing windows and accidentally setting off alarms around the spot where the Mona Lisa used to be. Duggan works well as Romana's foil, as she slings withering dialogue at him. "You know what I don't understand?" Duggan says to Romana. "I expect so," she says loftily.
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| Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth. (City of Death Part Four) ©BBC |
Part four is to date the
Doctor Who episode with the highest ever ratings, as 16.1 million people tuned in. This is partly because ITV, the other British broadcaster, was on strike at the time, but if there was an episode for people to see, this is a good choice. There are a number of moments in this episode that seem highly influential; the scene between the Doctor and the Countess ("I recognize the handwriting," the Doctor says. "Shakespeare's," the Countess replies. "No, mine," the Doctor corrects her; "he'd sprained his wrist writing sonnets") seems to have been a significant influence on Steven Moffat's approach towards
Doctor Who. And there's the oft-lauded scene with John Cleese and Eleanor Bron as the art gallery visitors, admiring the TARDIS on display in the modern art museum. It's a perfect scene in a story full of fabulous moments. There are serious moments as well: the shots of Scaroth with his true face revealed, but still in a white suit, are potentially ludicrous looking but actually very effective. And Duggan, who's been criticized by the Doctor and Romana for most of the story for his brute force methods, saves the human race thanks to a well-placed punch to Scaroth's head on prehistoric Earth. It's a satisfying solution.
Seriously,
City of Death is one of the best things ever. The whole thing fits together beautifully, and there's a sense of a cast and crew having fun with a superb script. There's often an awkward tension between drama and levity in this era of the show, but
City of Death is the story that strikes the perfect balance between the two. It's got a cracking plot and tons of quotable lines, and a self-assured production with a cast that knows how to walk the line that the script by David Agnew (aka Douglas Adams and Graham Williams) is asking them to walk. What more could you possibly ask for?