Edge of Destruction

The Daleks was incredible. It was also very long at seven parts and was quite a challenge to review. I (being an American) was reared on Tom Baker broadcasts on PBS, so a Doctor Who story has always been four parts. I'd heard that earlier stories didn't fit that mold and with The Daleks, I discovered what I heard was true. However no one told me that there could be far less then four episodes to a story and so I was surprised on receiving the DVD that only two episodes were listed. I immediately dashed over to the gallifreyone.com episode guide. No mistake. Two part episode. So on that note, I started fresh.

The opening theme song is still chilling and engrossing no matter how many times I see it. I especially love how other worldly it sounds. The 80s remix and the modern incarnation are identifiable with human instruments but the original is different. It belongs to the cosmos. That tangent aside, the story begins with, well, it sounds like the TARDIS crashing into another TARDIS. The subtle and disturbing score comes in as various creative shots of our heroes unconscious (Ian has conveniently fallen into the only chair) as the opening titles roll. Barbera is the first to wake and she was in the other room when whatever happened happened. Susan soon wakes and both characters show signs of concussion or memory loss of some kind. The Doctor has cut open his head so they bandage it accordingly. Ian wakes up and he too shows signs of memory loss. I am remembering all the bad TV shows I've seen where every character loses their memory and I'm getting a little worried. Things seem to be moving very slowly. In a bit of a contradiction to later episodes, Ian checks the Doctor's pulse and indicates that it is "normal." Whether or not this is a blatant contradiction with future episodes where the Doctor is said to have two hearts depends on whether Ian knew that the Doctor had two hearts before checking his pulse. It also possible that Ian is too "dizzy" to check accurately. The amusing food machine registers empty when it isn't and the TARDIS doors open by themselves. All that is visible outside is a bright white light. Susan is suddenly very panicked and insists on "trying the controls." Barbera looks on as Susan does a horrible electric shock mime. The audience's view of the character's quiet attitudes and the long pauses between dialogue is summed up by Ian's next line. "What's going on here?" The Doctor wakes up and they put on a striped bandage on. Susan's explanation of those stripes is very futuristic although it doesn't make the thing look any less out of place. We see the uncomfortable looking TARDIS sleeping quarters for the first time and Ian discovers that the food machine is malfunctioning. As he returns to give snoozing Susan some water he is greeted by the same standing erect holding a pair of scissors. In the most twisted and psychotic moment ever witnessed by this Who fan, she proceeds to threaten Ian with the scissors before violently stabbing her own bed to pieces, before falling unconscious. This is accompanied by bizarre and psychotic piano music. The Doctor has awakened and they discuss their next moves. Susan is in a dark night gown and is playing with those scissors again. To complicate things, the fault locator is not working as well. Susan theorizes that a creature is lurking inside the ship, hiding inside one of them. On less original shows, this would be the case, however the respective writer, David Whitaker, is far more creative. The Doctor activates the scanner which shows English country side and Susan observes that touching the console is safe suddenly. The next picture that appears on screen is what they call the planet Quinnis in the fourth universe where the Doctor and Susan had nearly lost the ship "four or five journeys ago." There have never been any other references to those events or that planet and I'm glad of it too. Who producers allow that to remain in the imagination. An image of space is shown before it becomes washed out in a flash. The Doctor accuses the school teachers of sabotage and a very dull squabble follows. All the clocks in the ship become mutilated and Barbera has a nervous break down. The Doctor's startling response is serving tea, which he naturally laces with a sleeping potion. After they are unconscious, he begins fiddling with the switches at the nerve center, when someone of camera grabs him by the throat. Suddenly- a fade out.

Part two (The Brink of Disaster) reveals that it was Ian grabbing the Doctor. The science educator acts and looks insane right before screaming and collapsing. Barbera comes out and argues with the Doctor who is being very obstinate. In an attempt to be dramatic, the crew place Susan on the Doctor's side for a few moments but not long after Ian wakes, she crosses the front lines again rendering the attempt futile. The Doctor fully intends to fling the pair outside even though his reason for doing so doesn't make any sense. Their is a fog horn of a danger signal (cloister bell?) and the entire fault locator wall lights up indicating that everything is at fault. The Doctor is very aware of the danger all at once and then under his breath mentions that he has misjudged the two adults right before he reanalyzes the situation using new information. Some terrible force is holding the ship at bay and they will be destroyed soon. Barbera figures that time is running out and they all find that the gigantic source of power (the Heart of the TARDIS) is trying to escape through the central column. The ship is trying to warn them with all the malfunctions it has inflicted and the "terrible force" is actually the TARDIS defense system. The TARDIS can withstand the magnetic forces of up to a solar system. The doors open displaying the bright light outside. Finally they conclude that the ship has traveled back to the beginning of time and that the defense system is keeping them all from being completely destroyed. Then there is a truly awe inspiring soliloquy from William Hartnell about the creation of the universe when it is learned that the Doctor used a "fast return switch" in an attempt to return to Earth in the 20th century. A spring (a spring!) was broken and the replacement of that spring allows everything to return to glorious monotony. The Doctor and Barbera reconcile in a touching scene leading to the unity of the entire group for the first time.

Edge of Destruction is the perfect transition from the Daleks to Marco Polo. The first part is confusing and weird but the second is a great leap for all the characters and the salvation for part one. Honestly it would have been better if it had replaced the whole caveman story that opened the program but the first part deals it a heavy blow.

Three of out of five TARDIS.