The Doctor and Leela discover the evil at the heart of Chaldera…

The second half of John Dorney’s dark story for Tom Baker and Louise Jameson doesn’t disappoint, maintaining the horror-laden and grim tone as revelation piles onto revelation about what’s going on on Chaldera. We’re very much in the Philip Hinchcliffe mode of the show – the visuals for this would probably not get past the rules for what’s shown at teatime (although having said that, there’s a Seeds of Doom vibe to some of it) and your imagination is left to wander into Videodrome levels of violence for certain scenes. Jamie Robertson’s sound design and music help to really ramp up the levels.

Dorney juggles the various plotlines, and just as you think he’s dropped one of the balls, we get an epilogue that sets up a future story – whether it’s one of the upcoming set, or just something that’s going to be held in reserve for a future encounter I don’t know (and frankly, I’d like to see a different incarnation deal with this particular entity).

Verdict: A dark tale to wrap up this first half of the new season. 9/10

Paul Simpson