1.3: The Edge of Destruction

In which a spring breaks, so everyone tries to kill each other. (This isn’t me being snarky, it's a literal description of what happens.)

Broadcast: February 1964

Watched: May 2019

1. The Edge of Destruction

Lot of “great” “acting” in this one.

Interesting that the accident seems to wipe out recent memories. Susan forgets her teachers; Ian and Barbara lose a lot of their intimacy. If they did this today this would have flashbacks and tell us something about the characters - the different varieties of madness would say something about who everyone was - but in 1964 everyone just goes a bit mental.

It also feels like we should learn more about the TARDIS than we do. We don’t really learn anything from being trapped in side it all episode.

On the upside, Pyscho Susan is much more fun than Regular Susan. Ha! As I was typing that she stabbed a sofa. The music really is influenced by Psycho, isn’t it?

The stagey and unreal direction actually works for this story though, rather than acting as a limitation on it. There’s something weirdly Pinter-esque about it. (Note from the present: I assume by this I meant “lots of meaningful pauses”.) Also “That’s just a photograph!” feels like a meta comment on the show’s technical limitations.

The bit where everyone is suddenly terrified of clocks is hilarious. “You can’t blame us for this Doctor!” For what he can’t blame them is not entirely clear. Oh! The clocks have stopped. Probably should have made that a bit clearer.

I enjoyed this one but it really is nonsense isn’t it? Makes not a lick of sense.

2. The Brink of Disaster

Barbara’s failure to even attempt to make excuses for the fact Ian just tried to kill the Doctor is a bit odd. 

“But grandfather, you’ve no means of telling what’s out there!” God, the TARDIS is shit.

Were fault locators an actual thing in 1964 or just a Doctor Who thing? They do keep coming up.

Oh, Ian is trying to kill Barbara. This is what you get for defending your violent boyfriend.

“Yes of course - we have time taken away from us and now it’s being given back to us - because it’s running out!” What on earth are you talking about Barbara.

“My machine can’t think!” Surely the Doctor should know the TARDIS better than that? Also the fact that the column keeps the power in the console ("What would have happened if the column had come out completely?" "Well, the power would be free to escape") is very silly indeed.

This episode sets the pattern for episode 13s down the ages: you want it to come together with a satisfying click, but it’s actually just a load of random nonsense. Although the fact it’’s literally a broken spring that turns everyone into psychos is a nice touch.

“I think your old grandfather is going a tiny little bit around the bend!” [laughter] They… all literally just tried to murder each other?