| THE RIBOS OPERATION by Robert Holmes |
| Story 98 Synopsis: The Doctor is summoned to a mysterious place, where the White Guardian charges him with a task, to find and assemble the 6 pieces of The Key To Time. He is given a tracer and an assistant, Romanadvoratrelundar. They travel to Ribos, where the first segment is located. Meanwhile, Unstoffe hides a lump of Jethryk in a museum, and his cohort, Garron, welcomes the Graff Vynda K, from Levithia. The Graff is led to believe that Ribos is rich in jethryk (which is very valuable). But he begins to suspect a trap. The Doctor and Romana cross the path of Unstoffe, unable to find the segment. They are made prisoners by the Graff, who also frowns on Garron. Unstoffe remains at liberty. He makes an ally in Binro, a Heretic to disbelieves in the tales of the Riban gods. They seek shelter in the Catacombs, but the Graff pursues. The Doctor disguises himself as one of the Graff's soldiers, and is able to retrieve the Jethryk, and leave the now-insane Graff with a bomb. The Doctor and Romana leave with the segment, and Garron & Unstoffe marvel at escaping with their lives, and a few opeks. |
| Review:- One of the biggest experiments ever undertaken on Doctor Who (the linked season of the quest for the Key To Time) begins with a simple tale of empire building and skulduggery. The Ribos locals are unprepared for the deals being done, with the fate of an empire at stake... There are 4 main parties involved, and their action and interaction helps drive forward a simple enough plot. The natives of Ribos come off the worst, manipulated and mistreated by all the others. Their culture is ridiculed, and the Shrieves are pushed around, despite their being the upholders of the law. Binro at least finds justice before his death, and the Seeker is proved correct, but ignored. As for the Shrivenzales, they fulfill the function of being a monster, but seldom convince as threatening. And the Graff is far scarier than they are! Garron and Unstoffe fare better. As two con-men, their role should work smoothly, but they are stretched by the rigidity of the Ribans, the lethal Levithians, and the capricious Doctor. Their scheme is rather clever, and ought to work a treat - but crime seldom pays. Whether they eventually claim any opeks or not is unclear. It's nice that Unstoffe makes Binro's day so casually, and is kept alive in repayment. The Graff Vynda K might have the most unfunctional name ever seen. His vicious attitude, and fallen noble routine mark him out as an unlikeable villain. His dreams of power and his tales of war also paint him as a credible, if cruel, man. The rest of his Levithian force may be considered lucky to die, and the people who deposed him were surely right to do so, and fortunate that he never returned to punish them. His trusted Sholakh's death tips him over the edge, and it is a rare sight for the Doctor to feel forced to kill. As for the Doctor and Romana... she is naive and constantly puzzled by him, and he is frequently exasperated by her. They don't really gel as a team, but get the job done all the same. He is onto the jethryk scam very quickly, and even faster onto realising that the jethryk is the segment. Though initially reluctant, he is soon straight into his quest, and manages to settle the interlopers from bothering Ribos too much. He is right to use Garron as an ally, and it is worth repeating that he allows the Graff to die because there is no other solution. Overall, a clever little story that merits attention. |
| Disclaimer: I've read the book, and seen the video. |