The Space Museum

Dear Gary—

“Doctor, we’ve got our clothes on!”

“Well, I should hope so, dear boy, I should hope so.”

What a relief The Space Museum is after our last two stories, Gary. Doctor Who has again found its humor, its warmth, its creativity. And it’s so simple, as the Doctor says. “It’s time and relativity my dear boy.” Time and relativity, “that’s where the answer lies.”

“All this fussation about a change of clothes.” Yes, a fussation such as this puts us right back on course for an entertaining ride with our travelers. Although Ian would be a lot happier if the Doctor would explain it to him, as per Doctor Who usual explanations take a back seat to action.

When the Doctor ultimately does provide a semblance of explanation (“time, like space, although a dimension in itself, also has dimensions of its own”) we’re still left scratching our heads along with Ian. And so too the Doctor: “You know, I don’t mind admitting, I’ve always found it extremely difficult to solve the fourth dimension.” What I really find amusing is that the culprit eventually turns out to be yet another stuck switch in the TARDIS.

But who cares? The mystery of the wardrobe change, the broken glass that mends itself, the sand that leaves no footprints, the planet’s inhabitants who can’t see or hear our adventurers, and finally the group coming face to face with themselves on display in glass cases draws us in, and then the attempts to alter the looming future sweeps us along, and who cares about nailing down the truths behind dimensions within dimensions?

Each of our adventurers has his or her own idea about how to change their display case fate, and each is set upon their own course to that end. And despite the Doctor saying, “I think you’re all going to be delighted. I’m going to come up with the answer,” it is Vicki who actually has the most influence on their destiny by aiding the revolution. In fact, she instigates it. The native Xerons are full of grand plans but never seem to follow through. It takes Vicki to simply say do it.  In this particular story, at least, Vicki is one step up on Susan.

I love how Barbara and Ian bicker in this story, too. Ian especially spends much of the story irritated, and I notice that this seems to be a character trait of his. Barbara calls him on this, and at first he denies it, but he quickly admits that yes, he is irritated. This time it is the Doctor’s disappearance that is annoying him (usually he is irritated when ‘the girls’ wander off).

His separation from the group puts the Doctor in the most danger of ending up as an exhibit in The Space Museum, and in fact the process is started on him. But this is where we learn more of the resilience of his alien body. While the process would be sure to kill most, as the governor states, the Doctor is thawed out with only a touch of rheumatism to show for it.  In fact, he claims that his brain was active the entire time he was under, and not only active, but “working at the speed of a mechanical computer.” He goes on, “I was asking myself questions, and the answers were arriving with remarkable alacrity.”

The Doctor’s mental powers are further illustrated by his ability to use mind control on the truth machine that the governor hooks him up to. The Space Museum clearly sets the Doctor apart as an alien being with extraordinary capacities of both body and mind; and I love, Gary, how the show parcels these tidbits out to us. We never had a true definition of the Doctor from the beginning, but we accepted him, just as we accept each tiny revelation along the way. He truly is a puzzle that we put together as we travel with him on his incredible journeys.

This story also marks the beginning of the Doctor’s passion for space museums, although from my recollection, it is not until modern era Doctor Who that this passion is ever again mentioned.  That is something, Gary, that I will have to look out for as I watch my way through. It is on our present planet of Xeros, though, that the Doctor first encounters a space museum; as he says, “I always thought I’d find one someday.”

Just a few last parting thoughts. The food machine is still with us on the TARDIS in this story, however I notice that the water no longer comes out in plastic pouches as it once did—it now conveniently comes out in a glass. Maybe it has different settings to choose how one wants one’s water delivered.

And finally, we have another name dropping by the Doctor. This time it is James Watt. “The least important things sometimes, my dear boy, lead to the greatest discoveries.” Like steam from a kettle.  This observation is prompted by another exasperated outburst by Ian who can’t understand why the Doctor is bothering about a missing button when they have bigger concerns. Ah that Ian; I just love him.

Those bigger concerns are of course resolved as we knew they would. Our travelers do not end their days as museum displays on a forgotten planet but go on to further adventures. The Doctor does pick up yet another souvenir, a Time-Space Visualiser, which is the source of more entertaining displeasure on the part of Ian and entices us with visions of Daleks to end our story on a tantalizing note.

And so, Gary, I send this out, perhaps to catch those Time-Space Visualiser wavelengths and to someday reach you and echo back.