Warriors of the Deep
Story 130, Episodes 603-606, Season 21 Episodes 1-4
Doctor: The Fifth Doctor
Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough
In a surprisingly dramatic and action-filled story, the Silurians launch another attempt to destroy humanity in a 21st century paranoia filled world.
The Review
From the start, you can tell that Season 21 is going to have an explosive beginning with tensions running high in an underwater sea base in the year 2084. There are some of the crew operating on their own agenda, and paranoia only increases when the TARDIS team is found. The energy never lets up in Warriors of the Deep, we see the Silurians reviving the Sea Devils before any of the characters know about it, and then the Silurians lead their attack on the base. They bring with them a giant shambling Mykra, and honestly, I didn’t find the prop used for it all that bad. I can’t really compare to the effects you’d see on other shows in 1984, and I may be giving the classic series far too much credit. The two spies for the ‘rival power bloc’ in the base turn out just to be a B-plot, but it carries enough menace and keeps us aware that there are two large factions of humanity fighting it out again. All the actors playing the Sea Base crew are diligently focused on their task.
The main cast do their jobs, Davison is engaging and active as the Fifth Doctor with Tegan being her usual brave self and wearing a bright patterned dress. Turlough’s oddball nature continues, he bravely saves the Doctor and Tegan’s life but when he thinks it’s a lost cause almost doesn’t go with to try and follow them. It is quite funny to have a companion who is kind of a slimy POS a lot of the time, and I enjoy Turlough’s slinking around at the edge of plots. The resolution is effective, but remains one of the grimmest in show history. The Doctor barely prevents the missiles from firing, but when it’s all over everybody except the TARDIS crew has died: humans and Silurians alike. All the Doctor can do in despair is proclaim ‘there should have been another way’. The Silurians are so effective because of the moral dilemma they provide, and the despair that’s always there when they’re beaten.
Bringing the Silurians and Sea Devils together, this well-plotted action-packed story was a great way to start a new year of the show.
9/10 There should have been another way indeed.
Reviewing Doctor Who from Start to Finish 