Part three, it must be noted, is a somewhat awkward blend of horror and "space" (for lack of a better term describing the more futuristic, gleaming white walls approach). While the script still wants to throw in some scares here and there (most memorably with the Ogri killing the two campers, which is a very effective moment), the production itself seems more comfortable dealing with the SF aspects: they certainly seem far more confident and self-assured when screwing around making a hyperspace portal device and discussing Einstein's theory of special relativity than they did talking about Celtic goddesses and Druid sacrifices. Meanwhile, the actual hyperspace ship itself is also a nice model, and it's kind of fun to see a couple old monster costumes in the cells.
106 The cliffhanger is incredibly lame, though: oh no, the Doctor and Romana are trapped on the hyperspace ship.
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Romana and Professor Rumford prepare the repaired hyperspace
projector while K-9 stands guard. (The Stones of Blood Part Four)
©BBC |
Part four is probably the most entertaining episode: it certainly seems to be the one where Tom Baker perks up. Donning a barrister's wig, he seems to be in his element as he defends himself against the Megara, the justice machines that he set free in the last episode who now want to execute him for releasing them without authorization. The Megara, as an effect, are nicely realized, and the concept of a completely unyielding sense of justice is frustrating and scary in its own way, seeing how it taps into that sense we all have of no one listening to the important things we have to say. And there are some comic moments too: "I am Vivien Fay of Rose Cottage, Boscawen," says the silver-skinned woman on the hyperspace ship. "Ask anyone in Boscawen, they will identify me." It takes some trickery to get the Megara to finally scan Miss Fay and verify that she is in fact a criminal who's been posing as a Celtic goddess for the last 4000 years, but they get there in the end -- thanks to the Doctor grabbing Miss Fay's hand at the moment of his execution, thus preventing the Megara from using the full strength of the deadly beam (I think; it's a bit confused what's going on) and then needing to scan her brain to make sure she's all right. Of course, this means that Romana is too late with her own evidence proving Miss Fay isn't human: "Stop! I have new evidence," Romana cries. "Too late. I've just been executed," the Doctor replies.
And so sentence is carried out on Vivian Fay (in reality Cessair of Diplos), as she's turned to stone -- though not before the Doctor grabs the Great Seal of Diplos (aka the third segment) from around her neck. With Cessair taken care of and the Megara sent back to their hyperspace ship before they can successfully execute the Doctor, our heroes are free to continue their quest for the Key to Time.
It's only been a season since the show was content to scare the viewers with tales of horror and death, but
Doctor Who has now become completely uninterested in trying to make terrifying monsters and dark, brooding situations. There's been a growing sense for a little while now that Tom Baker is more interested in romping across the screen and having a good time than he is in scaring the kiddies, and this is the story where it becomes clear that the production team agrees with him. The difference in quality and commitment between the two styles
The Stones of Blood tries to pull off is rather striking. This is thus the crossroads between the Gothic horror of Hinchcliffe's producership and the whimsical SF of Williams's: from here on out, the rest of the 70s are going to see the programme move further and further into the "light entertainment" category of television shows.
106 Entertainingly/bizarrely (delete according to preference), the half-second shot of a dead Wirrn is enough for Wikipedia to count this as a "Wirrn story" in their template at the bottom of this story's entry. No love for the Kraal android, though.