Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning
Written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Produced by Barry Letts
Directed by Michael Ferguson
For the third story in a row, we once again get an opportunity for the Doctor and the Master to work together, and it's the best example yet. In "Terror of the Autons", they're partnership lasted very little time at all, and consisted of the two of them turning knobs on a prop and spouting technobabble at one another. In "The Mind of Evil", the "partnership" consisted of the Master acting as the Doctor's assistant, which rather undermined the character's menace. But here they get a chance to work together as equals, which really makes the most out of the Master's potential as a character.
The situation seems hopeless,so the Doctor convinces the Master that if he can get the TARDIS working again, they can both escape the doomed Earth together. Obviously, this is a con, but the Doctor's exile makes it seem just believable enough for the Master to fall for it. So the two of them spend this episode working together to repair the TARDIS, all the while eying each other suspiciously for signs of treachery. It's a wonderful dynamic, and Pertwee and Delgado make the most of it. Sadly, this episode is where the pacing really seems to drop off sharply. Basically, the story has completely run out of steam. This episode is largely just a long-winded technobabble solution, and it's only the onscreen chemistry between Pertwee and Delgado that makes it so watchable.
Incidentally, yesterday's episode marked the debut for the newly redesigned TARDIS console and console room, and this epiosde marks the first time we've actually seen Jon Pertwee in the TARDIS. The last time we saw the TARDIS interior at all was at the tail end of Season Six.
As for Jo, while she's likable enough, she really is a big step backwards from recent companions. She hasn't had a whole lot to do so far. She didn't do anything in "The Mind of Evil" except be nice to Barnum, and here she doesn't do anything at all. There's supposed to be some kind of love interest between her and Bill Filer, but it's so underdeveloped that Jo's concern for him comes across as wildly overplayed. And in this episode, she literally gets hysterical while escaping from the Axon ship, requiring the Doctor to slap her hard in the face. Don't get me wrong... I like Jo. She's a very appealing character in many ways. But so far, she's totally useless.
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