LEGION OF IMPOSSIBILITIES

Saturday 14th March 1964 - The Wall of Lies

 

"Put that key in the lock, Polo, and you will destroy the ship... You need more than a key to enter my ship. You need knowledge. Knowledge you will never possess."

This is better. The tensions between Tegana, Marco Polo and the Doctor and his companions comes to a head. The pace is stepped up and the episode is better for it. Barbara is rescued. Suspicions abound. The Doctor repairs the TARDIS and prepares to leave. Tegana plans a murderous attack, intending to put a stake through the Doctor's heart. A plan to present Tegana unfavourably backfires and the Doctor and his companions lose what little freedom they have. Ian escapes only to find that Tegana's intended attack has already begun.

It seems to me that the Doctor is playing a much more prominent role in the show now. Ian is, of course, still the one who seems to problem-solve - but it's the Doctor that dominates the scenes he's in. Notice that Doctor doesn't have to go away and have a rest. He even physically stands up to Polo. The Doctor Who Production Diary: The Hartnell Years records Hartnell as being incapacitated with influenza at the start of Marco Polo and having a reduced, "token" role in the early episodes (early February 1964 recordings). Hartnell appears fully recovered by this episode.

Tegana also stands out for his moustatche-twitching villainy. By the end of this episode not only has he convinced Marco Polo to mistrust the Doctor and his companions but also plan an attack which seems to be underway by the time the credits roll.

We are, however, half-way through this adventure and I'm hoping that the attack on the guard represents a change to the repetitive episodes we've seen on this adventure.

Next episode: Rider from Shang Tu