Four to Doomsday Part Two

The one where the Doctor and Tegan enjoy a cultural exchange...

Janet Fielding is so good in this episode. The way she has Tegan react to situations makes me laugh, but it's also because it's a truthful depiction of how a highly-strung Australian air hostess who's been whisked away to the other side of space and time against her will would react! Tegan speaks her mind, with no airs and graces, she just says what she thinks without filter or forethought. I appreciate that, and I think it's long overdue in a companion. We've not had this sort of blunt honesty since Leela left the TARDIS.

As soon as it's confirmed that the Sapphire and Steel versions of Enlightenment and Persuasion are extrapolated from her sketches, she wants out. "I want to go," she demands of the Doctor. It's just too weird for her, and who can blame her? She never asked for all this. Fans sometimes criticise Tegan for moaning too much, never stopping to enjoy the wonders of the universe around her, but look at it from her point of view: she never chose this life, and right from the get-go she's made it clear all she wants to do is go back home. Intergalactic mathematicians, block transfer constructs and shape-shifting space frogs are not her kind of normal. 

When she's told not to be frightened, she snaps back: "I'm not frightened!", when she clearly is rattled, just won't admit it. And when Persuasion says their last visit to Earth was met with hostility, she pipes up: "That doesn't surprise me," only to be cut off by a more diplomatic Doctor. Yes, Tegan is mouthy and stroppy, but it's a characterisation I understand and can believe in.

The Doctor clearly doesn't trust these miraculous ministers. He seems to take an automatic dislike to them, expressing some cynicism and suspicion as they explain that there are three billion Urbankans on this one ship, escaping from a dead world. Their aim is to resettle on Earth, somewhere they've been visiting for thousands of years, each time abducting a cultural sample. To all intents and purposes, their intention is to colonise Earth. The Doctor recognises this possibility and is instantly wary of it.

Bigon takes our heroes to some living quarters. "Here you will be comfortable," he says, leading them into a coldly metallic chamber with not a scatter cushion or soft furnishing in sight. It is here that we get a lovely four-way conversation between the regulars which is actually quite a rarity for this era. Again, writer Terence Dudley has thought about how these four characters would interact, and doesn't just give them lines to say which he needs somebody - anybody - to say.

The four talk the situation through, rather like a family, and different perspectives come from different people. Adric and Tegan find it hard to believe there are "three billion and three frogs" on board this one ship, whereas the more scientifically-minded Doctor and Nyssa consider how it might be possible. Unfortunately, this gives Nyssa the opportunity to boast about her knowledge (as if she needs to be given an opportunity), telling Tegan: "I understand bio-engineering, but I'm also an expert in cybernetics." Well good for you, Nyssa! You're still a bore though.

The way these four chat away is quite old school Who, very Hartnell-esque. I can clearly imagine the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki having the same conversation, although the dynamics might be slightly different. When the Doctor asks Tegan how her ancient history is, she replies: "Like I feel: awful!" Tegan's so funny!

Before the Doctor manages to disable the all-seeing monopticon, they are being listened to by Monarch and his ministers, and we learn a bit about the Urbankan way of life from the way they interact too. They refer to freedom as "mental anarchy", and it seems mention of the "flesh-time" is blasphemy to Monarch. The flesh-time is when people have souls, suggesting that flesh-time is an outdated idea for these Urbankans, and so therefore so is a soul. Intriguing...

The TARDIS team begins to explore the ship (Tony Burrough's design is wonderful - just look at those lovely wide but dimly lit corridors, with ceilings!), but get split up. Adric and Nyssa (the "children") get to explore together, while the Doctor and Tegan happen upon an unexpected cultural exchange programme, whereby each ethnic representative presents a 'recreational' for the amusement of the others. Princess Villagra and her Mayan girl group perform a beautifully choreographed dance which probably has much more meaning than anybody realises, as ceremonial dance was a very important aspect of pre-Columbian civilisation. They danced to create a sacred space, and to close the gap between this world and the otherworld - all very interesting in the context of where Villagra finds herself (remember Kurkutji's belief they're on their way to Heaven?).

We're also treated to Lin Futu's Chinese dragon dance (something which started out as a ceremony for worshipping ancestors and praying for rain, but which later became associated with Chinese New Year), and Kurkutji's Aboriginal dance (often performed as a form of storytelling to bring the 'dreamtime' to life). It's wonderful to have all this ethnic cultural representation in Doctor Who (especially in 1982), and it's all beautifully performed and staged, but there's no escaping the fact that it's a bit of a drag. This is Doctor Who, not the Royal Variety Performance.

Having said that, the sword fight between the Ancient Greek hoplites is very well staged, and looks convincing, despite the obviously plastic shields they're using (and one of them was even wearing trainers when the Doctor first arrived!). The brief moment where one soldier is run through with a sword, and we see his shocked face, is nicely done. But tellingly, no blood...

Meanwhile, Adric and Nyssa are on a tour of the ship's various rooms. It feels like a very dull version of The Crystal Maze as the two teenagers explore the flora chamber, the library (no books) and the mobiliary (as in movable furniture or property). The killed hoplite walks into the mobiliary, lies down under a machine and is miraculously made intact again. He is not a real human being at all; he is Monarch's "movable property". Chilling...

Adric and Nyssa's exploration of these rooms is a bit plodding, but yet again Burrough excels himself on the set designs. Each chamber is magnificent in scale and detail, there's so much to look at that the viewer takes it all in just as avidly as Adric and Nyssa do. Typically, Nyssa spots a chance to show off ("Look! An electron microscope!") and also jumps at the chance to teach Adric what photosynthesis is, and what an induction furnace looks like. This exploration of the ship feels like it's one of those film inserts for Blue Peter.

Along the way they do establish the intriguing fact that the Athenians at least don't need oxygen, and are icy cold to the touch. And every operative has a small sparkly disc on the back of their hand. Let's face it, it's pretty obvious by now that these Earthlings aren't flesh and blood at all, they're androids of some kind.

And then there's Bigon. He seems to have a bit more about him than the other ethnic reps, and also seems keen on sharing information with the Doctor that Monarch has expressly forbidden him to do. They agree to meet in secret, spurred on to leave by the cold-blooded murder of the hoplite. Tegan's horrified reaction to seeing a man seemingly killed in the name of entertainment is well observed.

Blabbermouth Bigon blows the lid on the Urbankans' greatest secret when he reveals that "the only organic life aboard is in the flora chamber". Referring to himself, he adds: "This compound is not me." He then peels back the skin on his chest to reveal a mass of circuitry and wires, and then lifts his face off to show that he is a mere android inside, and not human at all (as suspected!). But the greatest shock is yet to come. Holding aloft a small circuit from his chest, he announces: "This is me."

Now that is chilling. It's an appropriately Delphic cliffhanger, enigmatic in its consequence, but I find it utterly terrifying. There's also something unsettling in the way Philip Locke delivers the line so mellifluously, so calmly. Bigon is a computer circuit, a robot. He is beyond his flesh-time...

First broadcast: January 19th, 1982

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: That's a corking cliffhanger. "This is me."
The Bad: Although it looks gorgeous, the ethnic dancing and the exploration of the ship is a little humdrum.
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: Part Three...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Part One; Part Three; Part Four

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.

Four to Doomsday is available on BBC DVD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Four-Doomsday-DVD/dp/B001ARYYUE/