The Savages Episode 4

The one where Steven becomes the new leader of an alien civilisation...

You don't get strong female characters very often in classic Doctor Who. You often get a tokenistic number of female characters, and more so in the Hartnell era than most of his successors' when you break down the statistics - no Troughton, Pertwee or Colin Baker story ever has more than 30% of the credited cast as women, for instance. So it's important to note the stronger female characters when they come along, and none more so than The Savages' Nanina.

Nanina is a character who seems to have been created in reverse. Usually in Doctor Who, the writer introduces a strong female character but then allows them to weaken or fade into the background over the course of the episodes, but Ian Stuart Black does the opposite. Nanina starts off as a stereotypical "maiden in distress", being chased through the scrubland by the guards, and then subjected to the transference procedure in the opening episodes, all with as few lines to say as possible.

But then she gets stronger as a character, and more forthright. It's almost like she comes into her own after recovering from the transference, and the scenes where she berates the bloodthirsty Tor for wanting to murder Exorse, and instead tends to his wounds, are heartfelt. Clare Jenkins (who would later go on to play Tanya Lernov in The Wheel in Space) gives a subtle but lovely performance, as Nanina fights for the heart and soul of her people, making sure they stand for justice, rather than cruelty. Tor has a real bee in his bonnet about killing the wounded Exorse, but Nanina insists on her tribe being better than that, even taking up a spear at one point.

Later, when Exorse escapes, Nanina appeals to his good nature, reminding him that he owes her his life, and although it appears Nanina has developed something of a romantic fascination with Exorse (which is not reciprocated, as far as I can tell), she remains her own woman with her own morality. She does not become a simpering pathetic girl. To be honest, she'd make a much better leader than Chal.

Steven gets to play the hero for much of this episode, engaging in a light gun shoot-out with Jano and the guards, in a last hurrah before the character finally leaves the TARDIS, and the series. Chal chooses Steven as the only man who can be their new leader, bringing the "savages" and the Elders together as one people. Jano agrees, as does the rather too keen Doctor, who makes no delay in supporting the argument for Steven to stay behind. Maybe he's as weary of Steven's incessant negativity and charmless misogyny as I am? Steven's leaving scene is short and sweet (the only companion departure of the Hartnell era where the Doctor and companion are physically together at the end). Steven is unsure if he is the right man for the job, which is a little out of character because before now he's always been so sure of his abilities and opinions. The last shot of him turning back to look at the Doctor and Dodo before disappearing forever is poignant, and I'm glad John Cura captured it as a telesnap.

The fusion of the Doctor's life source with that of Jano is the ultimate downfall of the Elders. Jano inherits the Doctor's conscience as well as his intellect, which makes Jano question the Elders' lifestyle, and ultimately leads him to betray and overthrow it. But surely Jano had a conscience beforehand too, if he was "not the type of man to allow others to take risks"? Jano was not an evil person before the transference, simply misguided, and the introduction of the Doctor's morality to his conscience gave him clearer sight. It's yet another example of how Ian Stuart Black's story crystallises so much of what Doctor Who is all about. He's one of the first writers to understand the Doctor's character clearly, and make it a part of the story's moral make-up.

The "savages" - although quite why they're referred to as such is strange, because they are far from primitive or uncivilised, as their apparently beautiful temple testifies - get the ultimate reward by smashing up the Elders' scientific equipment, destroying the transference machines which have made their lives hell for generations. As the Doctor gleefully remarks: "There's something very satisfying in destroying something that's evil", to which the feisty Dodo replies: "YES!"

The Savages is not a remarkable story, but for me it's one of William Hartnell's best. It has quite a basic template of the Doctor and friends siding with the oppressed to help overcome the oppressors, a tale that would be told time and time again over the next half-century and more. And it's such a pity we cannot see the story, because the evidence points to it looking great, and some fine performances. It's written, directed, designed, lit and scored really well, and this combination of talents serves to make it a rattling good story, which never gets boring and has at its heart the very essence of what Doctor Who is about - justice, fairness and freedom.

The Savages is one of Doctor Who's most tragically overlooked classics.

First broadcast: June 18th 1966

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: The "savages" getting to smash up the machinery that oppressed them for so long is liberating and rewarding for both the characters and the viewers.
The Bad: I've always thought it odd that departing companions don't ask if they can nip back to the TARDIS to collect their belongings before they leave. Steven doesn't even want a change of underwear, and the same happened to most of the Doctor's other companions over the years (except Sarah Jane).
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (story average: 8 out of 10)

NEXT TIME: The War Machines...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Episode 1; Episode 2; Episode 3

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/the-savages.html

The Savages soundtrack is available on BBC CD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Original-Television-Soundtrack/dp/0563535024