The character work in this wrap-up of the first Who Bottle Show is so wonderful. Admittedly, it can be seen as the first step in smoothing out the rougher, darker edges of the Hartnell Doctor I’ve been enjoying so much. But there’s still lots to love.As the Doctor gets more and more paranoid--going so far as to announce he’s going to kick Ian and Barbara off the ship--Barbara begins to figure out that all these weird happenings are falling into some sort of pattern. Good time for her to figure it out, as the central rotor is rising, which means the energy that powers the Tardis is threatening to escape and incinerate them all. The Doctor looks at all the clues and speculates that somehow the Tardis is heading back--back towards the Big Bang. The crew has to band together quickly to figure out what went wrong with the Fast Return Switch to avoid a grisly fate.
Like last episode, this half hour belongs to Barbara--to the point where I would say it’s her story. And the fact that the respect the Doctor has for her, something that was teased in the previous serials, goes to the forefront. There is a wonderful scene with the Doctor apologizing to Barbara and making peace with her that is one of the best moments in the series so far. The only problem I have with this character arc is how it seems like everyone’s relationship with each other seems improved after the problem is solved, with the Doctor and Ian palling around together in a way that doesn’t jibe with their interactions in the last two stories.
The other amazing moment is a soliloquy Hartnell delivers when he pieces together what exactly the Tardis is trying to tell them. Delivered in what is basically a spotlight, it shows us the Doctor’s enthusiasm and excitement when it comes to scientific discovery that’s been hinted at in ‘The Daleks’ but given full flower here. The sheer joy in Hartnell’s voice and face as he described the beginning of a new solar system is so powerful, it stops the show. If Hartnell was beginning to suffer from dementia at this time (Ford recalls that he confused her and her character throughout her time on the show, sometimes lecturing her as if she was his granddaughter), he certainly doesn’t show it and makes us understand why he was cast in this role.
There is, of course, the teaser leading into the next serial, ‘Marco Polo,’ which sadly is lost to time...but there is more than enough in these two episodes that make watching what is usually considered not a big deal to be a big deal.
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