Warriors’ Gate

Warriors’ Gate has to be the centrepiece of the Doctor Who Renaissance that was season 18. It is a visually stunning and thought provoking story that can be discussed endlessly, but is not alienating for children- it certainly mesmerised the four year old me when it was broadcast. The premise is a simple one- the TARDIS is at the gateway between E-Space and N-Space, a featureless white void, in which they are trapped with a slave ship. However, Stephen Gallagher manages to tap all the potential of this premise- the slaves are Tharils, time sensitives who can phase in and out of space/time and navigate through hyperspace. The Tharils are ruthlessly exploited now, but they were one the oppressive masters of an empire of their own. The nature of the Tharils brings to mind some of the rudiments of quantum theory, and the influence of and references to the I Ching complement this wonderfully. The Doctor is saved by doing ‘the right kind of nothing’- in the gateway, it seems, making a choice reduces the space and one is trapped there the more one acts. Rorvik and his crew are doomed as they continue to act, even beyond the point when it would be rational to stop. However, this story is not just a musing on cosmology- it is full of fantastic dialogue and memorable characters with a plot that is dispensed with not a hint of padding.

To complement this is one of the most astounding televisual presentations of twentieth century television. Director Paul Joyce is influenced by Cocteau (the sets of La Belle et la Bête, visual imagery from the Orphic Trilogy) Welles (the long tracking shots that open the story) and creates a truly unforgettable experience. The story is full of memorable images- the spinning coin, Biroc’s entry into the TARDIS, the Gateway and what lies beyond, the axe-wielding Gundan robots. The lighting is skilfully atmospheric , with excellent set design and costumes. Joyce also marshals the cast into a truly fantastic set of performances. Not one actor is anything less than first rate, but special mention has to be made of Clifford Rose as Rorvik. Gallagher’s script makes everyone believable and Rose is excellent as a sadistic slave trader whose crew, nevertheless, have genuine respect for him.

This is Lalla Ward’s last outing as Romana and she is astonishing in it and earns her right to be E-Space’s equivalent of the Doctor. Tom Baker is genuinely galvanized by the very strong material he has to work with and even Adric does not offend in his (very limited) role here. This is also the last appearance of K9. Although the character has been somewhat marginalised in this season, he is great in this, spouting probabilities like prophecies. John Leeson always made K9 charming and it is sad to see him go.

This is a truly unmissable story that will stay with the viewer long after it has ended.

NEXT: The Keeper of Traken