Terror Firma

Main Range #72

Released: 18 August 2005

Listened: 8/28/21

The first story back in the “regular” universe has a distinctly different tone, and lots of continuity. Literally right after the end of the previous story, the TARDIS crew runs right into the Daleks and Davros. The pacing is rapid-fire, with the three being split up almost immediately. Davros managed an absurdly convoluted plan, taking over the Earth and transforming most of its population into Daleks. He’s also going insane, with both his own personality and that of the Dalek Emperor inside his brain, which is why he wants the Doctor’s help. At some point prior to meeting Charley, the Doctor was traveling with Samson and Gemma (mentioned in “The Silver Turk”, but Davros removed the Doctor’s memory of them, reprogrammed them, and sent them back to Earth, so he could have his revenge on the Doctor. He’s apparently been watching the Doctor ever since, somehow. What happened to Samson and Gemma, and the consequences of being the Doctor’s companions, is pretty horrible and somewhat new-series in execution, but since the Doctor doesn’t really remember it, it doesn’t hit quite the way it should. Once more we see that Charley’s devotion to the Doctor outweighs her good sense, and we get hints again of C’rizz being a killer. His tendency to be influenced by those around him is mentioned again, which makes it a bad idea to leave him alone with a bunch of Daleks. There’s some definite odd turns in here, and I’m not sure the ending is really justified, but there is a ton of continuity and timey-wimey. It’s not entirely clear when this story takes place, leaving a completely devastated Earth somewhere in history, maybe close to the present? The fact that’s never explained bugs me.