In Defence of The Web Planet - Episode 5: Invasion:
- The episode starts with Vicki being clever and saving the Doctor.
- Yay! It’s the episode with Vicki’s pet Zarbi - Zombo.
- The Temple of Light
- Martin Jarvis being all bitchy and hissing at Barbara and Barbara pushing back with her usual no-nonsense tone of voice. Brilliant!
- More poetry from the Menoptra - mainly from Prapillus:
The ancient song-spinners of our race sang of their beauty, but I thought they could never be found again.
Before the Animus came, the flower forest covered the planet in a cocoon of peace. Our ancestors carved temples like this for resting places of our dead, but that was all the work we did. There were no other plans to make. Light was our God and we existed in light, flying above thought. Our banishment has taught us of enemies and weapons, and my captivity has taught me strategy. They tore my wings from me and I felt, as you feel, that all was lost. But if our Gods favour our survival, we must learn their lesson and use our brains and not our wings. This Earth woman we must trust, for she can show us how to exist without wings, to survive and flourish. What should we do?
- Barbara’s military strategy - she really doesn’t let anything phase her.
- Nemini blocking the ‘liquid hate’ with her own head and her soft moan of pain as she dies is one of Doctor Who’s most horrific deaths.
- Love the Doctor and Prapillus arguing over taking Zombo and the Doctor’s ring and Prapillus being diplomatic when Barbara asks if anything is wrong. One of those ‘the Doctor meets an equal’ scenes which I think gets forgotten about.
- A top down shot of the Optera, Vrestin and Ian deciding they need to dig up. A Richard Martin special and very effective.
- One of my all-time favourite cliffhangers - the Doctor and Vicki being covered in web. Vicki’s muffled cry is quite chilling and then when we see her, her face is completely encased - really scary!!
Yep. Loads to love in Part 5. I can’t deny 3 and 4 are a bit of a trudge but this episode is packed with good stuff as we scurry along to the climax.