C081 Planet of Evil

Writer Louis Marks’ script used a familiar DOCTOR WHO trope, alternative energy, to explore interaction between matter and antimatter while paying homage to Doctor Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. Designer Roger Murray Leach created a fantastic, alien jungle in studio to represent the distant planet Zeta Minor.

Professor Sorenson was dedicated to refining the planet’s ore for energy while his Morestran rescuers felt obligated to avenge dead crew members and the lost expedition. Naturally, they suspected the Doctor and Sarah Jane of murder until the monster developed before the story was written changed their minds.

The Doctor realized no antimatter could be taken from the planet and an antimatter sample enabled him to survive a journey into an antimatter universe. There, he negotiated Sorenson and the Morestran’s survival and formalized the story’s simple premise. These scenes were exciting and fascinating, but afterward the story largely downplayed their potentially cataclysmic significance.

After the Doctor explained the the continued existence of both realities was at stake, he; Sarah Jane; and the Morestran crew worked hard to remove all the antimatter from the departing spaceship. Later, the Doctor raced to save the crew from their insane commander as he hunted a monster Sorenson became because his body was saturated with antimatter. The scientist’s survival after returning to the planet in the TARDIS was a change enabling the Doctor to persuade him to look for another source of energy. It also gave the story a more upbeat ending.

Overall, ‘Planet of Evil’ looked great and involved typically interesting ideas. The most fascinating of which might well be the Doctor’s power and, by extension, the might and influence Time Lords could, but seldom, wielded.

I get the impression that at some point in development this story was a true thriller. The pit to hell and the beast within are great concepts. Both they and the corpses are hauntingly beautiful, and would fit perfectly into any fright-fest.

Truthfully I’m torn here. Many elements are extremely interesting. The planet itself is well realized, and the concept of an antimatter guardian between two universes is most intriguing. There’s also wonderful dialog about energy et. al. Yet with all this good stuff, it falls short of great serial. Why?

Well ultimately it feels like no one was having fun on this production. Everyone seems tired. Doc, Sarah and Vashinsky are passable, but everyone else acts like they’re getting over the flu; Doing their best, but secretly just hoping for the end of the day. The sets trend towards bland, pacing plods at times, and there’s no blazing action. Additionally, beastmode Sorensen is as nonsensical as it was in Inferno. Why show devolved makeup man when red outline man is so cool? Retcon that one thing and the series instantly goes up half a point.

All that said, the rewatch factor is surprisingly high. Conceptually it’s so cool that one can comfortably revisit this series quite often. It’s warm and safe, like watching Monty Python even though you know every single word. So until next time, I wave my private crystals at your antimatter. Your mother was a crustacean outline, and your father smelt of anti-man. 2.3

Sorry guys. In all honesty I think when I wrote my review almost a year ago I myself might have been really tired and getting over the flu.

Thinking about it I really do enjoy this episode more than a 2.3. Every time I have watched it I always walk away satisfied.

I do maintain that the ship sets are more bland than they should have been, and some acting seems muted, but that doesn’t justify my low Mark’s of something I’ve always enjoyed.

Perhaps I’ll watch it again sometime and retro rewrite my review. So dont lose faith Jim, you were right, I was wrong.