36. The Sensorites, Part VI: A Desperate Venture

Considering that the whole story is spent with the City Administrator-turned-Second Elder as the scheming villain, it was odd that his comeuppance happened so anticlimactically and off-screen. It seems like there should have at least been a final confrontation, possibly with the treasonous Sensorite getting killed while attempting a final act of defiance. But the production team must have been under orders to wrap up this story so the travelers could get to the French Revolution. (The Doctor’s blowup at Ian at the very end also seemed contrived and rushed.)

However, on the whole, this story wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Sure, there was unnecessary dialogue and some obvious plot devices. But there was also some intrigue and interesting alien elements – despite the shoddy costumes – and I wasn’t expecting the sewer-dwelling human crew at the end. (Although I wonder what they ate to stay alive.) It probably helps watching no more than one episode per day; it would likely turn into a slog otherwise. And again, it helps to have low expectations.