Terminus

Stephen Gallagher wrote Warriors' Gate, perhaps, the highlight of the already outstanding season 18. His second script is not as well remembered and, indeed, I can remember not really enjoying it at the time of transmission. However, I was pleased to find that I enjoyed it much more as an adult- not an ideal thing for a Doctor Who story, admittedly! Gallagher's script again displays a great deal of ambition. The concept of Terminus as a leper colony is dealt with very well, with social ostracism of sufferers and healthcare run as a business actually being explored. The Vanir, who staff Terminus are basically slaves, dependant on a drug not because they are addicted, but because it keeps them alive. The Garm, a mutant canine biped, may be the cure for the Lazar disease, but he is even more of a slave as the Vanir. It is clear that this situation could have been easily avoided, but for the apathy of Terminus Inc. There is also the plotline where it is discovered that Terminus is at the precise centre of the Universe, which turns out to be no coincidence- Terminus is actually a time-travelling ship from the previous universe that caused the Big Bang- and could cause another, destroying our universe as it did its own. On paper, this looks rather like a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy type concept (and, indeed, it results in the rather rubbish cliffhanger of a comically large red switch on the verge of flipping) and seems at first glance to be disassociated from the Lazar plot. However, it is tied in well with the character of Bor, a Vanir who is determined to get to the truth behind the radiation leaks and finds a more profound truth. Gallagher has a real talent for characters living in (for them) mundane situations and he provides some excellent dialogue. The Black Guardian framing does not interfere at all with the plot and even the long sojourn of Tegan and Turlough in the ventilation shaft is well handled.

Terminus was obviously the cheap story of the season, yet it is surprising how good it looks. The limited number of sets do not detract from the visuals and the lighting (apparently seen as inadequate by John Nathan Turner) adds to the grimness of the story. The obvious comparison that must be made is with Alien (Terminus even has its own 'space jockey') and Mary Ridge is very creative in using what she is given, with vertical shots through grilles and good use of modelwork. The costumes for the Vanir are quite effective, although the Garm leaves a bit to be desired.

Most of the performances are first rate, with the Vanir actors being particularly noteworthy. Best of all is Peter Benson as the increasingly deranged, but determined Bor. There is, unfortunately one very weak link- Dominic Guard as Olvir, who is either incompetently bland or horrendously overwrought. The Go-Between notwithstanding, it's clear who got the talent in that family. In fact, the raiders could have been easily written out, although Liza Goddard gives an effective performance. This is also Sarah Sutton's final story. Nyssa tended to be somewhat swamped as a character, which did Sutton no favours. However, she did shine, when she was given a chance to and she gets a fantastic leaving scene that makes perfect sense in character terms. The interplay between Tegan and Turlough is very well written and performed and Peter Davison is awesome. As usual.

Terminus might not be the most enjoyable story, but it contains a great deal of substance and should not be ignored.

NEXT: Enlightenment