s02 e11 The Rescue

In which Susan is replaced by a marginally improved clone of herself, and Barbara murders the hell out of a poor little girl's dog.


Review:

Short and sweet, this somewhat spooky mystery gets some points for being interesting despite its short running time.

Important Firsts:

• First appearance of Vicki (aka Susan 2.0)

Musings:

• At only two segments, this may be the second shortest episode of Doctor Who ever. Only the standalone "Mission to the Unknown" is shorter.  It's about the same length as a new series episode--very slightly shorter.  Less time to tell a good story, but obviously it can be done. 
• I like episodes that begin by showing us some people in distress before the Doctor arrives. It really helps to establish the scene and adds to the impression of a the Doctor as a dude who swoops in to save the day rather than just a dude who runs in to trouble all the time.  Though the latter is also true.
• This episode marks the first new companion.  Role-wise, Vicki fills essentially the same niche as Susan: impetuous teenage damsel in distress. The Doctor even adopts her as a sort of surrogate granddaughter. Clearly they wanted the show's format to stay as similar as possible.
• In retrospect, they could have had Susan just regenerate (assuming she is a Time Lord and not merely Gallifreyen).  However, I am pretty glad they didn't
• Vicki and some random Old Dude are stuck on a planet waiting for a rescue ship.
• Vicki's voice is less annoying than Susan's.  She's also more smiley and easier on the eyes.
• Does anyone else think that Amy Pond is not actually that good looking?
• And what is UP with that shirt thing?
• No really, I'll take Vicki any day.
• OH WAIT SHE'S 16 YOU DIRTY PEDOPHILES!
• Vicki may also be marginally less stupid than Susan.
• Blip blip goes the radar, but it's not the rescue ship.
• I BET IT'S THE TARDIS
• Originally, the producers meant the TARDIS to actually change with every landing.  But because of budget reasons they had it get stuck as a 1963 police box.  Funny to think that the show would NEVER have become as iconic of the Chameleon Circuit actually worked.  Just think about Doctor Who without a blue police box...
• The Doctor sleeps through the landing, which he's never done before.
• "I feel a bit sticky.  I must go and have a wash" says the Doctor upon waking.  He never does have a wash. I like to imagine the Doctor smelling bad through this whole episode.  
• I'm not sure Hartnell has even read his lines this time.  I think he may be improvising.  Badly.
• The TARDIS is in a pretty spooky cave.  The TARDIS top light blinks on and off, providing the only source of illumination.
• The Doctor goes BACK INSIDE for another nap.  I wonder what's up?
• He's probably feeling bad about Susan.
• Ian and Barbara discuss how the Doctor may be going old and senile and feeble. The Doctor's head pops back out of the TARDIS doors, wide-eyed.  "Remember, I can hear everything you're saying." His head pops back in and the door slams.
• Ian and Barbara go exploring, and everything is pretty--HOLY BALLS!
• Ian and Barbara clutch each other.
• But it acts friendly...
• ...Until it shoves Barbara off a cliff.  
• Now dubbed: Freaky Alien. 
• Barbara is pinned to the ground by a MASSIVE log.
• Back in the TARDIS the Doctor jabbers to himself like a senile old man.
• Ian and the Doctor set out to look for Barbara
• Vicki fervently makes a bed when Freaky Alien pops in and admonishes her not to wander from the ship. He claims he is protecting her from the rest of his people.
• Freaky Alien goes in the back to talk to Old Dude.  It is revealed that Vicki has hidden Barbara under the bed.
• Vicki relates the story of how her ship crashed, killing her whole family and leaving only her and Old Dude alive.
• She manages to cry without shrieking.  I never thought I would see the day....
• Maureen O'Brien is a better actress than Carole Ann Ford, not that Ford was given much to work with....
• Ian and the Doctor trek through a cave.  As usual, everything is going fine until IT SUDDENLY DOESN'T.
• Some ridiculous trap involving razor blades pushing Ian slowly toward the monstrosity in the pit.
• He escapes by stepping around them.  Um.
• Vicki goes outside and then appears to be menaced by the same cave creature.
• Barbara freaks out and shoots it to death with a flare gun.
• OH WAIT IT TURNS OUT THE CAVE MONSTER WAS VICKI'S BELOVED PET.
• It's name was "Sandy"
• Sandy wails and cries as he dies a slow, agonizing death.
• A confrontation ensues. 
• The Doctor arrives just in time to comfort Vicki.  Though he does this mostly by dismissing her sadness and saying that she looks "a bit of a mess" Somehow this works.
• Actually, now that I watch it, the Doctor and Vicki are pretty adorable together.
• The Doctor gets upset when Old Man won't open the door.
• SO HE BLUDGEONS THE DOOR DOWN WITH A GIRDER. 
• Inside, he finds a spookyhole
• Down the spookyhole, he confronts Freaky Alien.
• OH SHIT A PLOT TWIST.
• Turns out Freaky Alien was Old Man all along.
• The Doctor had worked it out a while ago.  In fact he comes across as an awesome baddass in this scene...
• ...until he engages in some rather unsuccessful fisticuffs.
• The Doctor tries (and fails) to attack Old Man Freaky Alien with a rock, a stick, a chair, and (I shit you not) a pillow.
• Some extremely random men arrive to save the day.
• um. 
• The Doctor invites Vicki along to be his new granddaughter. It's actually a pretty touching scene.
• Then, he forces her to wear an ugly black wig and performs surgery to give her a second heart.
• Not really.
• Vicki enters the TARDIS...
• "But it's HUGE! And, the outside is just..."
• ...And she trails off. No "bigger on the inside!"