I have heard good things about this episode from the fans who have watched it on twitch and this is the winner of poll I posted on twitter where you lovely people chose this episode over the Moonbase which I will review on a later date.
A 6 parter episode which I enjoyed throughout. It felt dark, magical and a bit comical at several points in the episodes.
Barbara has a limited role in the beginning and is absent in Escape to Danger which is Part 3 and comes back and shows back her leadership when she convinces the Menopetra Hrostar, Prapillus, Glynis and Hilio to attack the centre of the web where the Animus is and is the one who defeats the Animus.
Ian doesn’t have a good adventure from losing his pen to falling down a hole. And complains about his school tie being burned in a pool of acid on the surface after nearly putting his foot in the liquid. Ian is nearly killed by the Optera until his new ally Vrestin is able to convince them that she is their God. William Russell is my favourite male companion at this moment and always seems to make me laugh.
First Doctor and Vicki suffer the most after being stuck in the Carsinome in danger from the Animus and her assistants, the Zarbi and the Larvae guns but I think their friendship is better than the Romans as the Doctor looks after Vicki when she free from the gold harness that makes the person wearing it a slave of the Zarbi.
On Vortis, if you wear anything metal which is near the sound or a Zarbi, you turn into a mindless slave and can only follow the person in front of you through hand movements. The Doctor later uses a golden harness on a Zarbi so they can escape, the mindless Zarbi is later used by Barbara and the Menoptera on their assault in Part 6.
The Animus is an invisible enemy till we are able to see it in Part 6 when it looks like a plant. It’s scary with this voice as it does creep you out.
One of the Zarbi runs into a wall in Part 3 which was kept in due to time constraint but still funny.
I love the design of Vortis and the creatures were amazing and it just makes it so magical. The Menoptera looked amazing as resembled butterflies and their counterparts the Optera resembled woodlice. Menoptera struggle to pronounce Ian and Barbara’s names whilst the Optera call the Animus Pwodarauk .
I love this episode as it’s one of my four favourites of the second series and we see loads of talent in this and even Peter Capaldi himself loves bits as he says in this clip.
Score: 10/10
