LEGION OF IMPOSSIBILITIES

Saturday 21st March 1964 - Doctor Who - Rider from Shang-tu

"IAN: Marco, I wish I could explain to you how important the Tardis is to us.  
POLO: And I wish I could explain to you, Ian, how important it is to me."

After a couple of episodes with a more purposeful plot, we're back to more travelling. Nothing has altered: the Doctor and his companions are still prisoners, Tegana is still plotting to kill everyone and steal the TARDIS, they are still journeying to meet Kublai Khan.

At the start, Ian alerts Marco Polo to the impending bandit attack and fights bravely which restores some trust in the Doctor and his companions. After more travelling - broken by the arrival of a messenger who has ridden on horseback 300 miles in a single day - the episode ends with an attempt to escape in the TARDIS which results in Susan being captured by Tegana.

There are some moments that add a little (unnecessary?) texture to the episode: a touching scene between Susan and Ping-Chu watching goldfish and an oddly humorous scene involving the inn-keeper, Wang-Lu, who has the TARDIS stored in the stables rather than spoil the gardens.

After a couple of episodes where the Doctor has played an energetic leading role, he's back to sleeping again. Barbara barely says or does anything (maybe she's still traumatised by being held by the mongol bandits in the Cave of 500 Eyes?).

I'm not sure what Susan was doing at the end which caused her to be caught by Tegana. The Loose Cannon telesnaps made it hard to understand why she was wandering around. Was she following Tegana? Hiding from him? (I also wonder if it's because I'm watching a series of stills that I'm prevented from enjoying this story more.)

Next episode: Mighty Kublai Khan.