Part 3: The Mysterious Planet
As we begin part 3, we find the Doctor, Peri, Sabalom Glitz, Dibber, and Baltazar cornered in the subway. The primitive tribe coming in the door and the L1 robot coming from the immortal’s layer. The primitives shoot the robot with a gun, which disables it, This allows them to escape and go back to the village. The pace of all the action seems correct and the timing as well. I like the placement of the switches from the matrix to the courtroom. The way the footage presents the evidence and the courtroom footage is perfect. (1)
The Inquisitor breaks in and tells the Valeyard she doesn’t like the violence she is seeing. Of course, the Doctor agrees with her, especially since he is on the receiving end. The Valeyard explains he doesn’t like them either with pointed remarks at the Doctor. Of course, the Doctor defends himself as anyone would. The inquisitor put him in his place, but not without the Valeyard making a point of the violence as being necessary. I find the interaction between the Doctor, the Valeyard, and the inquisitor is good. The inquisitor is in control and the Doctor and Valeyard follow her direction.
The switch back to footage from the matrix takes us to the tribe taking the group to stand before Queen Katryca. But this change of scenery is rather fast. The story switches from the Doctor and the party back to the underground guards. While you watch the series, you find there are three parts to the Valeyard’s evidence. Which the Valeyard uses to deceive the Inquisitor and Timelord council?
The two substories seem to be unrelated, but actually, are related in one sense. From what I gather, the tribe is the people culled from Drathro’s work units. Which Merdeen has been sending to the surface instead of killing them.
Well, Grell overhears Merdeen earlier and approaches him and calls his loyalty into question. Drathro tells Merdeen he can’t find Baltazar and leaves Grell to look for him. The one part about Drathro I love is that he acts human at times.
The scenes of the tribe are interesting because these people are very primitive. They worship gods and say that they (the gods) forbid star traveling. Well, Katryca allows Baltazar to live, but sentences everyone else to death. What a story? The three parts keep you guessing, and at times seem separate.
The courtroom scenes show the Valeyard’s arrogance and the Doctor’s anger and humility. The Doctor sees there something wrong, but the inquisitor won’t agree with him. He has problems aligning the scenes on the screen with his memories. The Valeyard address by saying it is amnesia from being taken out of time.
The conceals his intentions well and keeps the Doctor and the inquisitor guessing. The Valeyard presents the evidence in a way which is to confuse the inquisitor and council. So they don’t know his real reasons for being the prosecutor.
What I can say though is, sometimes the action does get hare to follow. The reason is there is so much switching between the tribe and underground. The times the story returns to the courtroom are necessary and help with the viewing.
Part 3 continues a good story with some confusion because of the switching between two substories. In the end, I want to see what is going to happen next as to how the Valeyard will convince the Timelord’s the Doctor has not behaved like a Timelord.
