| ENLIGHTENMENT by Barbara Clegg |
| Story 127 Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in the deck of a ship. The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough are welcomed aboard, but find it odd. Tegan receives a warning from the White Guardian. The ship's captain, Striker, says they are in a race. The discovery of futuristic wetsuits leads to the discovery that the ship is a spaceship, and the race is through the Solar System. The captains are a race called Eternals, who are immortal, and arrange races like this for a diversion. Striker's main rival is a fierce female captain, Wrack. Turlough is forced to walk the plank, and is saved by Wrack. She works for the Black Guardian, and tries to plant a bomb on Striker's ship. The Doctor throws it overboard in time. Finally, the Doctor and Turlough win the race. They meet the White and Black Guardians, who offer them the prize for winning the race : a crystal known as Enlightenment. The Doctor lets Turlough take it. The Black Guardian reminds Turlough of his mission to kill the Doctor. Turlough throws the crystal at his employer, severing his contract. The crystal was just a token - enlightenment was the real prize. The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough leave in the TARDIS. |
| Review:- The experimental mini-season concerning the Black Guardian's revenge plot against the Doctor comes to a climax here with a race to the death, as Turlough is tested to the limit... The initial mystery about this story is where the ship is sailing. Imaginatively, the climax is saved for the 1st cliffhanger, and that spins the story into stronger territory, and never lets up. The Eternals are a fearsome force for mischief, oblivious to the dangers they cause to the ephemeral races they look down on, and ultimately blind to the virtues of their races. A colder, more clinical race would be hard to imagine. Even the Cybermen have a clue that their lack of emotion can be used. The Eternals are powerful, and sterile in mind. Striker and Marriner are chillingly void people, whilst Wrack is almost theatrical in her zeal for triumph. It is probable that the Black Guardian has helped her reach a character type that enables her to really bring the race to life. Tegan is rather reduced to cipher here, especially in a somewhat sexist dress. Her hypnosis by Wrack is as bad as it gets. Her romance with Marriner is at least annulled in amusing fashion. The Doctor is in good form. He is scornful of Striker, but aware that he is little different, inasmuch as he is a long-lived being who relies on shorter-lived mortals to colour his life. He is desperate to protect his friends, and the ephemeral crew, and also wary of the Guardians. His joy at winning the race is enough - he needs no actual merit prize. In many ways, this story is for Turlough. He started his quest as a very clear enemy, but has grown to appreciate the trust that the Doctor places in him, and the adventures he is taken on. It is heartwarming that when confronted with Wrack, who is an even greedier worker for the Black Guardian, he is repulsed, and assists the Doctor in winning the race, with no expectation of the prize. His final choice is a great moment, justifying the Doctor's faith in people, and opening the way for him to really develop and bring a new style to the Doctor's adventures. I don't usually mentions sets and sounds, but the ship sets are all impressive to look at, and provide a solid backdrop to the overall story. For so many different reasons, this is a very good story, and worth watching. |
| Disclaimer: I have seen this story. |