| WARRIORS OF THE DEEP by Johnny Byrne |
| Story 130 Synopsis: The crew of Seabase 4 have a problem. They fear the other world power are going to attack them, and when they briefly find some machine moving through the sea nearby, they get worried. Then the computer decides on a missile simulation, which doesn't help. Seabase Commander Vorshak doesn't realise that he has enemy infiltrators on his team, and his missile operator, Maddox, is unstable. The TARDIS arrives in space, and to avoid obliteration, the Doctor manages to land the ship on the Seabase. They look around, but are found, and in a struggle, the Doctor falls into a radiation tank, apparently drowning. Turlough is caught, but Tegan escapes, where she meets up with the Doctor. Turlough tries to explain how he got onto the Seabase, but is not believed, until the Doctor arrives. On a monitor, a small craft is seen heading for the Seabase, which the Doctor identifies as a Silurian vessel. The Silurians use a Myrka to attack one airlock, and the Sea Devils to attack another. The Myrka wreaks havoc, before the Doctor rigs up an UV device to kill it. The Sea Devils make for the bridge. The Doctor tries to make peace with the Silurians, but they plan to use Seabase's missiles to launch a nuclear war, which will destroy all humans. They will then take over. In desperation, the Doctor uses hexachromite gas to weaken the reptiles creatures, but to no avail. He synchs-up to the computer to abort the missiles, but all on the Seabase are dead, save one crewman, Bulic. The Doctor regrets that there wasn't another way. |
| Review:- This story should have been great. It should have been tremendous, a real treasure. It almost makes it, but not quite. Much of this story is good. The return of the Silurians, and the Sea Devils, is something to applaud. That the former are the brains, and latter the brawn of the outfit, makes them both more impressive. The addition of their formidable living weapon, the Myrka, is a great touch. Unfortunately, they are hindered by two big problems, that rather nullify their appeal. First, the Silurians have now no power over humans via their extra eye. This was a key element in their first appearance, and made them tremendously powerful opponents. Sadly, now they're just any old monster. They need weapons, and warriors to do their killing, which doesn't make them seem particularly clever. The second problem is that they are involved in a story with no real enemy. They outnumber the humans on the base, and so this is scarcely a big showdown between the humans and the Silurians. Presumably the debates they waffled through last time are seen as sufficient. Now, it's just cut-to-the-chase. Really, there is a lot of build-up for a very thin plot. It also doesn't help that, having taken the time to correct the term Silurian, and mock the term Sea Devil, here the creatures themselves use both names. It's no wonder that subsequent storytellers preferred terms like Earth Reptile, or Indigenous Terran. The redesign of the creatures is also a failure, with the Silurians resembling the Zygons, and the Sea Devils mimicking the Ice Warriors. Well, so much for the sensible baddies. Now, to the silly baddies, as Nilson and Solow try to stage a bit of treachery involving Maddox. Dear me. Nilson manages some credibility, but Solow is given no depth, or hard motivation. It's villainy-by-numbers. Maddox has the problem that he appears to be played by Mark Gatiss (but isn't), and gets very little to do, despite being one of the more intriguing characters on the Seabase. As for the rest of the Seabase crew... it starts with Vorshak, who these days is better known for advertising DFS. His initial one-dimensional mistrust is laughable, but once he is clear on who is on his side (by pt 4), he has become a better character. Bulic gets top honours, mainly as Preston and the others are just a washout. As for the regulars... well, Tegan is her typical useless self, although to be fair, she hasn't much to do except hurt her ankle, and give us a nice line at the end of pt 2. Turlough, on the other hand, seems to be in a bit of a gung-ho mood, trigger-happy at most times, and standing up to Vorshak in pt 2. His harsh attitude really sells the first cliffhanger, too. As for the Doctor, well, he seems to be really put through the mill here, but repsonds to give a great effort. His escape from the reactor pool, having to plod through the last 3 episodes in a cream boiler-suit, trying to convince Vorshak, trying to reason with the Silurians, and the final desperate efforts not to kill the Silurians are tremendous. The synch-up shtick works because of the bruise make-up around his eyes when he leaves the machine. Most people pick up on the final line "There should have been another way", but they miss the most crucial element. The backdrop to the story is the Cold War. Transmitted in 1984, and set in 2084, the story concerns two powerblocs at the brink of nuclear war. That the Silurians come in and try to kill both sides, but only leading to the deaths of all on board, presents a pretty clear anti-war message. The Doctor's final line, the final line, indeed, of the story, is intended to resonate out that war is not the answer. Even the peaceable Silurians are driven to pre-emptive strikes. It's just a shame, in retrospect, that this clever message was rather trumped by events in the real world. Overall, I would say this is a good try, but an overall pity. |
| Disclaimer: I've seen the video, and read the book. |