Marc reprograms the TARDIS and the Doctor and his friends arrive on a rig where dreams can kill…

There’s a definite Nightmare on Elm Street quality to Martyn Waites’ script for this final story in the 5th Doctor set, and George Watkins’ final regular appearance as Marc (there’s scope for other adventures to be slotted in). It’s an arc that I suspect has gone on a little longer than originally planned, thanks to COVID restrictions, but it’s drawn to a satisfactory close here, meaning Marc has encountered two of the key Doctor Who monsters (NB the Slitheen are not one of the two!), and plays a critical role in dealing with them.

Waites picks up on one of the regular descriptions of a Dalek and extrapolates an intriguing concept from it while director Samuel Clemens evokes the necessary eerie atmosphere with haunting performances from the guest cast, as well as Rob Harvey’s sound design and score. The core cast are once more put in difficult situations (Tegan’s complaint at the end neatly echoes her comments in Time-Flight) but issues are resolved without feeling rushed.

Verdict: A tidy tying off of the Marc arc. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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