Says Polo about a dreadful night without water in the desert. Everyone is very much up against it at the start of this episode until condensation starts to form in the TARDIS. When I first read the synopsis of this story (in the Radio Times 1973 Doctor Who 10th Anniversary Special - link to be posted later - and which quickly became a bible to me) I assumed that the water formed on the outside of the TARDIS, I hadn't realised that the Doctor and Susan had slept on the inside of the cold, deactivated ship. I assume that they used back projection as it can't have been feasible to build the TARDIS control room set for such a short scene.
"Our fate rests with Tegana."
Indeed it does, and what a manipulative piece of work he's turning out to be. Although I am distracted by the fact that Derrin Nesbitt was rather attractive all those years ago!
"Pray attend me while I tell my tale."
This could be John Lucarotti again, but it's actually Ping-Cho as she tells the story of Ala'ad-Din. This scene makes sense of so many of the on-set photographs that exist of this third episode. In true story-telling tradition, everyone, including protagonist Tregana, gather to hear Ping-Cho tell her story of Aladdin. An interesting, mid-episode educational pause which, followed by Ian's explanation to Susan (having a young alien to aid plot exposition is a marvellous device) is not only beautifully acted, but genuinely interesting, and delightfully enhanced by the oriental music beneath it. I love the way Susan sits so naturally in front of the Doctor, her Grandfather's arms around her.
"A caravan that flies."
Keep your eye on the prize everybody.
And then, delightfully, the scene that has become such an iconic image in the history of Doctor Who, so much so that it was mimicked for the publicity for the eighth Doctor; that of the first Doctor, burning lantern in hand, slipping back to his ship to repair it in the night.
And then we have poor Barbara in jeopardy again, with a knife to her throat as Susan and Ping-cho and the Doctor search for her. I happen to have a rather nice picture of this so here it is:
I thought that drawing the eerie figures of the hashashins around seams of quartz in the walls so that their eyes appeared to be glowing was really clever. And then two of them start moving!
Next episode: The Wall of Lies
Article: William Hartnell
