The Highlanders Episode 4

The one where the TARDIS gains a fourth crewmember...

Luckily, action man Ben has slipped free of his bonds and swam away from the Annabelle and back to shore, affording viewers (well, in 1967) the splendid sight of a dripping wet Michael Craze. The surviving telesnap makes him look like he's shivering with ecstasy, which is fine by me. Ben later reveals that he escaped his bonds by using an old Houdini trick, by flexing his muscles when he was tied up, and relaxing them afterwards... "that way, you were half the size you were". Blimey, how muscly is Ben under there?

Once at the quayside, Ben encounters a wounded Redcoat with a silly moustache and a gruff Cockney accent, but it's alright because it's only the Doctor in disguise. Again. There's no sense to him being dressed this way at all, and certainly no need. He claims it's to prevent the other soldiers bothering him, but where exactly did he get the clothes from (presumably he's stolen them from a wounded, or even dead, Redcoat)? Why is he out at night wandering the quayside? Is it just so that he can plunder the dressing-up box again, like a child? Oh dear, I'll be glad when this Doctor settles down and forgets the tiresome disguises.

Once again, writers Elwyn Jones and Gerry Davis put Polly front and centre, replacing Ben as the companion with the greatest responsibility in affecting the rescue attempt on the Annabelle. It is originally to be Ben who rows the boat full of weapons out to the ship to arm the highlanders, but when Polly protests about being left behind with nothing to do, the Doctor swiftly entrusts her and Kirsty with the task. He claims to have another job for Ben to do, but it's not altogether clear what that is, because he's next seen on the deck of the Annabelle being knocked silly by Trask. Still, it's a refreshing change to have the female companion treated with so much respect and regard by the writers.

The Doctor's plan to arm the highlanders is a little out of character, because he surely realises that blood will be spilled during the escape attempt. The fight aboard deck between Trask's men and the Scots certainly sounds quite violent, culminating in Trask escaping by falling into the sea. We don't see or hear from him again, an example of a Doctor Who baddie getting away with it.

Proving slightly more slippery is this story's other bad guy, Solicitor Grey, who is at first used as a hostage by the Doctor and friends in order to get back to the TARDIS safely, but not before he escapes into the night to fetch reinforcements. However, when Grey catches up with our heroes at the cottage where it all began, Polly's "old friend" Lieutenant Algernon ffinch is on hand to arrest the traitor and see he gets his just desserts. There's a lovely connection between Polly and her Algy by now, and Anneke Wills and Michael Elwyn have made an amusing double act throughout the serial.

I'm glad there's a happy ending for Grey's sidekick Perkins, who dumps the solicitor and offers his translation services to Colin McLaren during his trip to France. There's a delightful moment where Perkins spits in Grey's face (although the BBC soundtrack CD claims he snaps his fingers in the solicitor's face; the truth isn't clear). I'd love to follow the adventures of Colin and Kirsty McLaren, Willie Mackay and Cedric Perkins on their journey to France. I'm sure Big Finish will get around to it one day soon...

At the end, Jamie McCrimmon is invited to join the TARDIS crew along with the Doctor, Polly and Ben, simply because he hasn't anywhere else to go. Despite the impact the character will have on the years to come, Jamie has done next to nothing to stand out during the course of this serial as someone who'd make a good companion. For most of the story he barely has any lines, barely has anything to do, and may as well not be there at all. He's an extraneous character, so quite why the production team thought he showed potential enough to become a regular is beyond me. I've no criticism of Frazer Hines's performance, but as characters go, Jamie has been very forgettable. And why does Polly momentarily regret having not said goodbye to Jamie? I mean, she's barely spent more than a few minutes in his company since episode 1!

Still, at least it's not Kirsty who joins the TARDIS, because that would be a pain. I mean, who wants a weepy little girl from centuries past holding the Doctor back all the time? Now that would be a bind...

Overall, The Highlanders hasn't a lot going for it. On the plus side, it's a cracking story for Polly, and Anneke Wills shines brightly throughout, but for the most part, it's a humdrum capture-and-escape routine marred by some very silly behaviour from the increasingly irritating Doctor. As with most Doctor Who historicals, it looks good, but the story itself isn't very engaging, and I'd venture so far as to say that we're not missing very much by not having it in the archives (except, perhaps, wet Ben!).

First broadcast: January 7th, 1967

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: This episode is the liveliest of the four and moves along at quite a rattle, plus there's more action for Polly in the thick of it.
The Bad: Why oh why oh why does the Doctor randomly dress up as a wounded Redcoat? I'm so glad they didn't stick with the idea of the Doctor donning disguises all the time, otherwise the Second Doctor's era would be quite annoying for me!
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (story average: 6.0 out of 10)

NEXT TIME: The Underwater Menace...

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/2013/12/the-highlanders.html

The Highlanders soundtrack is available on BBC CD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Highlanders-Television-Soundtrack/dp/0563477555