Remember I told you that two of the initial companions--William Russell’s Ian and Jacqueline Hill’s Barbara--were teachers?Well, the BBC had intended the show to be educational (I think the show was under the purview of the Children’s Department during the entire classic run), and the two adult companions were supposed to represent the subjects Doctor Who was going to explore, science and history.
I bring this up because our second episode actually starts the story of that first serial, and that story is....not much. You see, the Tardis has ended up in what we will learn is prehistoric times. As the crew is trying to figure out where the hell they are, a local theatrical troupe that are supposed to be a cro-magnon tribe are in the midst of a political crisis. The son of the tribe’s old leader, Za, is in conflict with new arrival Kal, and the thing that seems to be what will determine who will get the coveted position is the ability to make fire. While Za is trying to make things ignite, Kal observes the Doctor lighting a pipe with a match--which, to him, makes him believe the old man has fire coming from his fingers. Kal captures the Doctor, Susan and the others go in search of him, the whole crew is captured and sent to the titular cave with the titular skulls and ordered to make fire....except the Doctor lost his matches. There is also some intrigue involving the daughter of an elder and much talk about meat and cold.
I can understand what writer Anthony Coburn was getting at in this story, showing the kids of 1963 what life might have been like at the dawn of time. But the cave dwellers in this episode look like they’re wearing carpet remnants and are speaking like this is some sort of Shakespearean play. The whole back and forth between Za and Kal, with female Hur (she’s digging on Za, but her dad has promised her to the one who makes fire) acting as a sort of spoiler, gets tiresome very quickly. I was almost thankful when the main quartet got tossed into the cave, as it spared me more of these actors’ gesticulating.
I will say that I liked the way Russell and Hill flipped the script on what was set up with the first episode, with Barbara being the one to take point once the two venture out and Ian having trouble coping. Susan shows her capacity to be all aflutter with the panicking for the first time, and Hartnell continues to build an intriguing, mystifying figure, especially in the way he just off-handedly agrees to make enough fire for everyone. If only he hadn’t lost those darn matches....
We’re still in the shakedown cruise of this series, where the people behind the show are trying to figure out what this damn thing is supposed to be. As such, I’ll be a little charitable and overlook the flaws with an eye towards watching everything come together.
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