Part 2

I threw one of a very rare childhood tantntrums when this epsidoe was first broadcast. We were due at the school fireworks display and had to miss the end of the episode. There were big, heavy tears.

Anyway, this is a pretty good episode. There's some great detail here- notably how they change Alazarius from the welcoming warm place of the first episode to the weird alien version after Mistfall. the dry ice gives it loads of atmosphere, as do the weird plants and the wet, marshy areas. Good stuff.

K9 does remarkably well on location too. There's a few wobbles, but he copes with the location pretty well really, especially as there are no obvious boards or anything. I love the little theme Paddy Kingsland writes for him. It's very like the theme he'd get for K9 and Co the following year.

I always feel sad when his head gets knocked off though.

There are a couple of nice Tom moments- especially the "how odd! I usually get on terribly well with children" line and of course the "And I'm the Doctor!" line too, but watch out for him giving the Deciders a rather sly, judging, look or disapproval when they're talking about the use of propaganda to stop the citizens straying too far. It sets up his outrage next episode very well.

James Bree is very good this episode too. From the tired and shocked performance he gives when Nefred has first seen the System Files through the insatnt putting on of confidence when login enters to the polished rhetoric of his speech to the Citizens, he's playing this really well, especially compared to the rather one-note performance he gave in The War Games.

It's a shame they never redorded the Marshmen carrying the TARDIS. That could have been a defining image of the season of they had. It may have been a bit more convincing than the running from side to side acting in the control room set!

The music is really good throughout- complementing the action very well.

Si xx