Terror of the Autons

Dear Gary—

Well, there’s no getting around it; the third Doctor is just plain ill tempered. Guess I’ll have to accept that and move on.  I should learn a lesson from the Brigadier, who so patiently puts up with the Doctor’s snits; who sees through him and yet respects and likes him all the same.

Terror of the Autons introduces a new companion for the Doctor in Jo Grant. Liz Shaw is afforded one brief line by way of dismissal—she has returned to Cambridge. Enter Josephine Grant, or Jo, who specializes in cryptology, safe breaking, explosives, and escapology. Hardly the PhD quality of Liz Shaw, but as the Brigadier so pointedly says, “What you need, Doctor, as Miss Shaw herself so often remarked, is someone to pass you your test tubes and tell you how brilliant you are.”

And we get a new arch enemy for the Doctor—the Master. Apparently this is an old foe of the Doctor’s, but this is his first appearance in Doctor Who. Upon learning of his arrival on Earth, the Doctor says of him, “That jackanapes; all he ever does is cause trouble.”

This description could be used for the Doctor himself, and the Time Lord who is delivering the news of the Master’s presence says of the Doctor, “You are incorrigibly meddlesome, Doctor, but we always felt that your hearts are in the right places.” In other words, a jackanapes who only ever causes trouble. And the Doctor even says of himself later, “What’s wrong with being childish; I like being childish.”

No, jackanapes hardly describes the Master and is more apt of the Doctor.

But then there are additional descriptions of the Master that could equally apply to the Doctor: “Vanity is his weakness.” He’ll never give up; “he’s too conceited.”

Two Time Lords, both vain, both conceited, both jackanapes. But it is a fine line the two are walking, and the Doctor has fallen on the one side and the Master on the other. And so the Doctor can say in a moment of reflection, “You’re quite right, Jo, I’ll apologize . . . if I have the time;” whereas the Master would never even consider the possibility of contrition.

The Master is utterly evil, and yet it is somewhat amusing that he can always be bested, despite having a “degree in cosmic science of higher class” than the Doctor’s.

I’m glad the Master has arisen at this particular moment, Gary. He serves to remind me who the Doctor truly is. He isn’t a force for pure good. Grant him his vanity, his conceit, his childishness.  Doctors one and two had these same characteristics to varying degrees. The third Doctor displays them to a greater degree, but so far he has not crossed the line into the Master’s realm.

And he displays one characteristic which the Master does not. To use the Master’s own words, “Curiosity is his weakness.” And yet, disagreeing with the Master, I would say that curiosity is the Doctor’s strength; it is his saving grace. His curiosity has always led him to knowledge, to understanding.

The Master, on the other hand, is an “unimaginative plodder.”

His unimaginative plodding leads the Master to the Nestenes. There was one surviving Nestene energy unit left over from the third Doctor’s first story, Spearhead From Space. The Doctor acknowledges that he should have destroyed it, “but somehow it would have felt like murder.” This leaves it vulnerable to the Master who steals it and uses it for his own malevolent ends.

And I’m sorry Gary, but I’m glad that this is only a four part story, because despite the new companion in Jo and the new enemy in the Master I find Terror of the Autons to fall rather flat. I think the conceit of the Doctor confined to Earth and consultant to UNIT is wearing a bit thin after only five stories; thus leading to yet another plastics factory and yet another Nestene threat.

Although, parenthetically, Gary, I have to say that I wouldn’t mind a replica of the killer doll in the story. It was really rather creepy, and yet not quite Chucky creepy; it had a certain charm and cuddlesome creepiness to it.  The big-head disguises of the Autons, too, are rather striking and would make good Halloween decorations apropos of the season.

Back to the Nestenes and the Master, though. I’m really rather confused as to the motivations of either in this story. Both are obviously using the other for their own ends, which I guess is to kill off Mankind and take over the Earth. But then Doctor Who usually is short on answers, and as long as the story, action, and characters are compelling enough it usually doesn’t matter.

I’m not sure what it is about this story that falls short. The Doctor and the Master are formidable foes, Jo provides some amusing moments with the Doctor in her naïve and oh so earnest way, the Brigadier and company are always solid, and the killer doll and disguised Autons passing out killer daffodils are intriguing.

Terror of the Autons, however, is rather light on supporting characters and plot details. These seem to be thrown in just to give the Doctor and the Master something to work with. And I think, Gary, that what really bothers me is that the Master doesn’t quite come off as the evil mastermind that is intended.

Yes he is evil. His ability to completely control the human mind and his use of the Tissue Compression Eliminator (not yet named in this story but gruesomely deadly all the same) to kill by shrinking are frighteningly wicked. His callous disregard for human life is chilling. And yet he tends to come off as a bumbling fool, easily frustrated and thwarted.

And why exactly does he need the Nestenes? Why does he send the killer doll after Farrel rather than shrinking him? Why doesn’t he use his mind control more effectively and extensively? And if he thinks he can control the Nestene, how is he so easily convinced otherwise? He has plotted and schemed all along to bring the Nestene to Earth, but all it takes is for the Doctor to say sorry old chap but the Nestene will turn on you and he does the proverbial slap on the forehead and says by golly you’re right and suddenly the Doctor and the Master are working hand in hand to drive the Nestene back into space.

“I have so few worthy opponents,” the Master says, “when they’re gone I always miss them.” But we know that the Master will be back and he and the Doctor will be at it again. The Doctor has stolen the Dematerialization Circuit from the Master’s TARDIS (a Mark II whereas the Doctor’s is a Mark I and therefore the circuit won’t work for him—interestingly, the Meddling Monk had a Mark IV TARDIS) and he is therefore trapped on Earth the same as the Doctor.

The Doctor knows the stranded Master will rear his ugly head once again, and I find it rather irresponsible of him, knowing the murderous nature of the Master, to cavalierly say, “I’m rather looking forward to it.”

“What’s wrong with being childish; I like being childish.” Yes Doctor, but don’t use the Earth as your deadly playground.

Sorry, Gary. I’m sending this off, hoping more than ever to get some echo of a reply. I truly would like to get your perspective on this third Doctor.