A Journey Of A Thousand Eons...: 52. The Powerful Enemy (The Rescue, Episode One)

In this episode, a lot of time is spent establishing Vicki.  Vicki is played by Maureen O’Brien, a tall girl with blonde bangs, sharp features and...rather leggy, something emphasized by the outfit she’s wearing in this serial.  Vicki and Bennett are the only survivors of an expedition to the planet Dido*; according to Vicki, the others were slaughtered by the natives of the planet during a banquet they went to (she couldn’t go because she was sick).  The only reason she and her fellow expedition member have survived is because one of the natives, the reptilian Quollilion, is keeping them safe--although he’s also very demanding and brutal to the point that Vicki is scared of him.  As we first find her, she is waiting for a rescue ship to come and rescue her and the injured Bennett.

Into this set-up comes the Tardis, complete with Doc-Napping Doctor.  The Doctor is behaving oddly ever since he abandoned Susan on post-Dalek Invasion Earth, and actually stays behind to continue his Doc-Napping, entrusting Ian and Barbara to explore the landscape.  Our favorite teachers encounter Quollilian, who triggers a rockslide to separate Ian from Barbara....who it seems he macks on a bit before trying to kill her.  While Vicki sneaks Barbara into her ship and gives her the expository dump for the episode, Ian and The Doctor attempt to find a way out of the cave the Tardis is now trapped in and, due to a booby trap, may be fed to a pit-dwelling Monsta!  And then there’s the niggling feeling in the back of the Doctor’s head that the native race isn’t supposed to be as hostile as it’s being.

This is not my first exposure to Vicki (‘The Web f’in Planet’ can bite me), but in trying to approach her as if I’m seeing her for the first time, I have some hope that writer David Whitiker (who was leaving as script editor) is trying to make sure what happened to Susan doesn’t happen to her.  Vicki is shown as proactive throughout this half hour, and even though she cowers before Quollillion, she doesn’t whine or cry.  There’s a mild steeliness that, if properly nurtured, may prove to be promising for her.   Yes, she’s afraid of this alien presence, but she won’t let that fear stop her from saving and giving shelter to Barbara, and devising a plan with her new friend.

Look, I admit I would have rather had more time with just Ian and Barbara, but this is still meant to be a children’s program, and apparently it was felt a young POV character was vital.  I understand why they rushed in to replace Susan; I just wish they hadn’t.

I suppose I should mention the gloriously goofy Monsta-ness of this episode.  Both Quollillian and the quadraped creature at the bottom of the pit during the cliffhanger wear these paper mache masks with eyes that look like someone pulled out a cinnamon bun out from the center and what appear to be...flower stems?...festooned all over their cheeks.  They’re too damn adorable in a grade school play way to be scary and I cannot escape their artificial nature.

So this half hour leaves me with mixed feelings...but since ‘The Rescue’ is only two episodes, I have high hopes it will turn out okay.  At the worst, it’ll be brief.

*--Yes, I kept hearing strains of ‘Thank You’ and ‘White Flag’ throughout this half hour.