Doctor Who Reactions: “The Savages”

Episode One: (This is the serial with which they stopped giving individual episode titles.)

As the TARDIS materializes, the Doctor seems particularly smug that he knows they’ve arrived in some future time. As he leaves to investigate the surroundings, he’s observed by the titular “savages” but actually encounters the “Elders,” representatives of an advanced civilization. Interestingly, they seem to know him as “The Traveler from Beyond Time,” have followed his exploits, and expected his arrival.

Meanwhile, Steven and Dodo have gone off on their own and have encountered the savages. They eventually make their way to the city, however, where the Doctor has become suspicious of the Elders. They have perfected some sort of energy transfer device which steals the energy from one of the indigenous higher life forms on the planet. In case you can’t figure out where this is going, the action follows some captured savages as they are led to the energy-draining device.

Cliffhanger: I don’t know, (the episode wasn’t over by the time I got to work), but I suspect it was that Steven and Dodo discover the source of the Elders’ power. Unlike on TV, the audio episodes are not a set length, depending on how much non-verbal action there is and how quickly it can be summarized by linking narration. Because I’m able to finish most episodes during my morning commute, I suspect this episode was a bit more verbose than most others.

Episodes Three and Four: I don’t know! When I tried to remove it from the case this morning, the CD snapped in half! I do still have the receipt, but it’s going to take some time to get a replacement via the mail. I do know that, although the transfer of energy didn’t work with the Doctor, some of his conscience was transferred to Jano, thus enabling the Doctor to overthrow the suppressive society. Once that had happened, though, the two races needed a mediator, and Steven volunteered to stay behind to act in that capacity. Exit Steven.

NEXT: The TARDIS materializes in London, 1966, Dodo’s time period. She soon meets Polly and accompanies her to The Inferno, a dance club, where they meet a sailor named Ben. After thwarting the supercomputer WOTAN and its “War Machines,” the Doctor awaits Dodo at the TARDIS. Instead, Ben and Polly arrive to deliver the message that Dodo has decided to stay in London with friends. The Doctor is saddened by this news and steps inside the TARDIS. Remembering that the other reason they are there is to return Dodo’s spare TARDIS key to the Doctor, Polly and Ben use it to enter just before it dematerializes.

Thus ends the tenure of Stephen & Dodo, and thus begins that of Polly and Ben.

That is the end of The Lost TV Episodes: Volume 2: 1965-1966 CD set. Thanks to those of you who followed along. I’ll be back for Volume 3 as soon as it’s released.

Replies

The Baron June 13, 2011 at 9:30am

Interesting. This is one of those stories that I don't know much about.
Jeff of Earth-J June 13, 2011 at 10:39am

The Doctor carries some sort of a vibrator (I forget exactly what they named it) which he uses to take sensor readings. I left the CD in my car but [reminder to self] I'll check it either later today or tomorrow.
The Baron June 13, 2011 at 10:50am

The Doctor carries some sort of a vibrator...

Now there's an "Untold Story"!
Jeff of Earth-J June 13, 2011 at 1:29pm

I always wondered how he attracted so many comely young women as companions. (One of them must have must have made off with it.) He refers to it as an “RV” or “reacting vibrator” and says, “I am able to do my calculations from this.”

The Elders make him an honorary Elder to which he replies, “I don’t remember being homored before like this anywhere I’ve been.”

I wasn’t too far off on the cliffhanger. Dodo opens a door and a savage staggers toward her. I haven’t listened beyond that, but my guess it that he will collapse at her feet at the beginning of episode two.
The Baron June 13, 2011 at 1:44pm

Nyssa, probably. It's always the quiet ones...
Jeff of Earth-J June 14, 2011 at 7:59am

Episode Two:

I was right about both my guesses: the savage did stagger past Dodo (into the outer jungle) and collapse, and Dodo did discover the secret of the life force-draining machinery (although she doesn’t quite understand the implications of what she has seen). It’s a moot point, though, because the Doctor is already growing suspicious of the Elders. The Doctor is honored by being made a High Elder, but he feels he cannot accept without learning more about their society, lest his acceptance be taken as tacit approval. Later, when Dodo, Steven and the Doctor are all together again, the doctor keeps them quiet until they are all inside the TARDIS and can’t be overheard.

Later they separate. Dodo becomes involved with the savages outside the city, Steven is befriended by a group of young city-dwellers who are unaware of the true purpose of the energy-siphoning machines, and the Doctor confronts the Elders. The guards use light guns which can fire either a destruction blast or hypnotic beam, which they use to mesmerize the savages to lead them docilely to the machines. Despite protest by the head scientist about using the machines on intelligent life forms, the Elder Jano orders that the Doctor undergo the procedure.

Cliffhanger: The Doctor’s life force is being drained by the machines!
Jeff of Earth-J June 15, 2011 at 7:22am

Episodes Three and Four: I don’t know! When I tried to remove it from the case this morning, the CD snapped in half! I do still have the receipt, but it’s going to take some time to get a replacement via the mail. I do know that, although the transfer of energy didn’t work with the Doctor, some of his conscience was transferred to Jano, thus enabling the Doctor to overthrow the suppressive society. Once that had happened, though, the two races needed a mediator, and Steven volunteered to stay behind to act in that capacity. Exit Steven.

NEXT: The TARDIS materializes in London, 1966, Dodo’s time period. She soon meets Polly and accompanies her to The Inferno, a dance club, where they meet a sailor named Ben. After thwarting the supercomputer WOTAN and its “War Machines,” the Doctor awaits Dodo at the TARDIS. Instead, Ben and Polly arrive to deliver the message that Dodo has decided to stay in London with friends. The Doctor is saddened by this news and steps inside the TARDIS. Remembering that the other reason they are there is to return Dodo’s spare TARDIS key to the Doctor, Polly and Ben use it to enter just before it dematerializes.

Thus ends the tenure of Stephen & Dodo, and thus begins that of Polly and Ben.

That is the end of The Lost TV Episodes: Volume 2: 1965-1966 CD set. Thanks to those of you who followed along. I’ll be back for Volume 3 as soon as it’s released.
Jeff of Earth-J June 27, 2011 at 8:32am

I hadn’t planned to return to this thread after receiving my replacement discs, but in part three, Jano not only absorbs the Doctor’s conscience, but his mannerisms as well. For the second half of the episode, the guy who plays Jano delivers a not unconvincing William Hartnell impersonation!
Jeff of Earth-J June 28, 2011 at 8:53am

In part four, Steven doesn’t volunteer to stay behind to act as mediator between the Elders and the Savages; the Doctor nominates him and he agrees. Later, Steven confesses uncertainty but the Doctor assures him that he has confidence in him. Dodo cries openly at the thought of never seeing Steven again. Next, in “The War Machines,” Dodo at first hits it off with soon-to-be companions Polly and Ben, then simply disappears. She later sends a message to the Doctor, but her departure was unsatisfactorily handled.

Two weeks from today: “The Gunfighters” on DVD.

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