Day 480 to 483 - The Ribos Operation

So finally I have come full circle and its time to say something about this story which will bring my blog right up to date. There has been many a day when I've nearly given up on the blog because its been a massive undertaking (about 70,000 words so far which is like the size of some novels!) but I'm glad I've stuck with it.

The Doctor is called upon by The White Guardian in a scene which is reminiscent of the Time Lord being called upon by God! The White Guardian explains to the Doctor that occasionally the universe gets in such a state that it is necessary to stop everything for a few seconds in order to allow things to settle. In order to to this the Doctor needs to find the six segments to The Key To Time. This led into a whole series of adventures as the Doctor and his new companion Romana, a fellow Time Lord, went about locating the segments.

This first story has to be the strongest if the season in my opinion. I love several moments in it. The Doctor asks the White Guardian what will happen to him if he refuses to help find the segments to which the Guardian replies "nothing will happen...(relief sets in on the Doctor's face)....ever" In other word the Doctor will have no more adventures and will be eternally trapped in a kind of limbo, but the way the threat is delivered is just amazing.

There is a seemingly minor character in this story known as Binro the heritic. He was a well known scientist on his planet until he spoke out with his belief that stars were other suns and the his planet orbited the sun and not the other way round. As such he has been living as an outcast for years, mocked and ill treated by all around him. When he learns from one of the secret alien visitors to the planet that he was right his joy is infectious and its a really sweet scene and he is told that years in the future people will be saying "Binro was right"

Another scene I loved was when the Doctor had upset the Graff and so the Graff slapped him with his glove. Tom Baker performs this great delayed reaction as he clutches his cheek, shocked to have been slapped. Then he grabs the Graff's glove and slaps him back giving him a look that clearly says "we'll fuck you!" Makes me laugh every time!