Doctor Who "Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episode 6" (1970)

This episode focuses of the Doctor and UNIT's desperate attempts to contain the plague which the Young Silurian has unleashed upon the humans through Major Baker. When the plague itself is a subplot created for the sole purpose of filling the seven episode time frame and can be considered extraneous, it is a natural evolution of the story of the Silurian and human struggle for the planet and is marked by highly effective location footage in London. The Doctor and the Brigadier have locked down the hospital where Baker was taken and the power station and begin to inoculate the staff with antibiotics in hopes of staving off a spread of the plague. However Masters has left the station before the quarantine can take effect and heads back to his Ministry in London. Even with the location footage a great deal of the episode is spent with the Brigadier and Liz on the phones providing updates on the success of containment as well as the Silurians who have begun an attack on the UNIT troops in the caves and the Doctor working diligently in the lab to discover a cure. While these scenes are set apart from the main action which is only described by the characters, the actors bring an urgent and anguish feel to their performances that captivates the audience and allows them to forget that most of the action is being described to them and not actually seen.

As stated before the location footage of the progressive number of commuters at the train station who succumb to the fatal effects of the bacteria and grotesque make-up combine to give a microcosm of what could happen to the world if the Doctor is not able to derive the cure in time. He is ably assisted by Liz until the Brigadier drafts her to man the phones. While viewing this as work not befitting a scientist of her caliber, the Doctor reminds her that the plague will continue to cause more and more deaths unless everyone buckles down and does the necessary work. This is a great companion piece to the scene in episode 1 where Liz is able to convince the Doctor to follow the Brigadier's summons by engaging his curiosity. It shows how well the characters know one another that they can easily convince them of reversing their prejudices. Pertwee himself is able to convey a dense of despondency in his fear that the cure may not be found, or even if found, not in enough time to stave off global disaster. His claim that he is starting to lose hope for the first time in his life to Liz further illustrates the bond these two characters have as the Doctor is usually more reserved with regards to his personal feelings and maintains a brave front for the sake of those around him.

The Doctor and the Brigadier are somewhat at odds due to the Doctor's actions in the last episode however they are able to put their differences aside and work together towards a common goal. The fact that the Brigadier allows the Doctor to hustle him out of the lab while he is working and not even protest shows the great respect he has for the Doctor's intellect and his belief that if anyone could save them, it can only be the Doctor. He cannot fathom the fact that the Doctor still believes peace is possible with the Silurians after their infection of the population but he wisely chooses to sideline the argument and allow the Doctor to focus on the task at hand. Obviously we have not seen the end of this argument as the Doctor still believes that reasoning with the Silurians is possible while the Brigadier is only concerned with the continuing and escalating threat they have posed to the human race.

Favorite moment: The final scene of Dr. Lawrence as he succumbs to the bacterial infection after his refusal of treatment is heartbreaking and unsettling. His reserved demeanor has slowly melted over the course of the last few episodes as he has grown more and more frustrated with UNIT and his own inability to save his reputation. He loses total control in his final confrontation with the Brigadier and his savage attack on Lethbridge-Stewart is his last conscious act before dying as a result of the infection. Peter Miles was a true delight in this serial and his portrayal of what could have been a one-dimensional character has a tragic end that reverberates with the audience due largely to the depth he was able to bring to the role.