| THE BRAIN OF MORBIUS by Robin Bland |
| Story 84 Synopsis: The TARDIS arrives on Karn. Suspecting he has been sent covertly by the Time Lords, the Doctor is angry. He and Sarah arrive at a castle, where they are welcomed by the owner, Mehendri Solon. He treats them well, but has the Doctor drugged. Sarah discovers a jigsaw creature with no head. The Doctor is spirited away by the Sisterhood, who fear the Time Lords have come to steal their precious Elixir. Despite protesting his innocence, they plan to execute him. Solon helps rescue him, but in the melee, Sarah is blinded. Solon tells the Doctor that the Elixir could cure her, but sends Condo with a note so that the Sisterhood will kill the Doctor. Sarah is forced to help Solon complete his operation on Morbius. As her sight returns, she sees the monstrous creature coming after her. The Doctor makes a deal with Maren, leader of the Sisterhood, but finds that Morbius is restored. He demands that Solon stop his work, but Solon locks him in the cellar. Desperate, the Doctor sends cyanide into Solon's laboratory, killing the scientist. Morbius is refreshed, and goes to the cellar. In a last gamble, the Doctor challenges Morbius to a mind duel, but it nearly kills him. The Sisterhood arrive, forcing Morbius off a cliff. Maren uses what little there is of the Elixir to save the Doctor's life, at the cost of her own. |
| Review:- For the first time in ages, the Time Lords make a return to the series - mainly just by reputation, but in a tale that shades in some of their unknown history, and presenting a very macabre story of death, and the lengths some go to, to avoid it. Karn is a barren, blasted planet. Strangely, the Sisterhood live there in happy stasis, as guardians of a miracle elixir, unaware that their greatest nemesis is still alive, and nearby... At its heart, this is a very simple story, padded out by a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. If it wasn't for the subject matter, this could pass in adaptation as a farce in a theatre. Thankfully, the production and most of the acting covers up for this, and the result is quite effective drama. Condo and Solon are an exceptionally odd couple. Condo is obedient because he expects to get his arm back, not realising Solon won't be giving it back, and nor will its new owner. Solon is mad, and it's a wonder that the Doctor doesn't see past this to wonder what a pre-eminent surgeon would be doing on an out-of-the-way planet like Karn. His loyalty is blinding, and his comeuppance suitably grisly. Maren and the Sisterhood are rather worthy-but-dull types. Their hatred of the Time Lords is understandable, and their thin characterisation does enough to fill you in on their motivation. That they eventually side with the Doctor is a mark of his character, and trustworthiness. It's not as if he releases the blockage of the Elixir through anything more than habit. Despite feeling the Time Lords have put him in this situation, he takes it on smoothly. Sarah gets little to do, but what that is amounts to crucial involvement. Her blindness prevents her from realising the fate of Morbius too soon, and her affection for Condo allows him some chance for heroism, without which things might have gone much worse. Her courage in helping rescue the Doctor does her credit, too. Morbius is a maniac. His power games brought him down before, and even though kept alive as a mere talking brain, he never doubts Solon's ability, nor his chances of returning to glory. Which is a shame, because Solon is mad, and Morbius' new body is a mish-mash of ludicrous proportions. Whether he would have convinced anyone in his new body is hard to speculate, so it's fortunate that it becomes a moot point. Even with so little, his villainy is unquestionable. The Doctor holds the various parties together (or apart) with the truth of a farceur. He walks back to the Sisterhood for a cure for Sarah without knowing that Solon is sending him into a trap, but he must realise that the Sisterhood won't be happy to help him - it'll look like he really is trying to steal the Elixir! Certainly he has no qualms about siding with the Sisterhood, persuading Maren of her destiny, or asking help when he is convinced that Morbius lives. His courage in tackling Morbius in a mental battle is amazing, and his ruthlessness in killing Solon shows his willingness to face desperate situations head-on. Possibly the only black spot is wondering why he continues to overlook Solon's madness in favour of his surgical supremacy in Warmonger. But that really is another story... Overall, this is a dark, dramatic story, with a small yet well-formed plot, convincing characters and scares. Easy to recommend. |
| Disclaimer: I've seen the video, and read the book. |