Doctor Who: ‘The Chase: The Death of Time’ REVISITED

Yesterday, we posted a recap of ‘The Executioners,’ the first episode of the classic Doctor Who serial ‘The Chase.’ The next episode in the story is ‘The Death of Time.’ It opens with Barbara and the Doctor hiding from a small search party of Daleks and then encountering whom we later learn to be Aridians. They are land humanoids who appear to be evolved from fish. Vicki and Ian spend some time insulting each other while fleeing from the tentacled creatures. For some reason, Ian throws a rock at one that’s just sitting, minding its own business. It was only waving and didn’t even chase them when they ran off. Rude, Ian. Rude.

After the Daleks detect the presence of humans on the planet, they kill an Aridian who happens to wander by. Cut to a couple of Aridians telling the Doctor and Barbara about the desertification of their planet, as well as their enemy, the Mire Beasts, who live underground. They figure out that Ian and Vicki have probably gone into nearby tunnels. The bad news is that the Aridians are about to attack the Mire Beasts by exploding one of the airlocks.

We then see Ian helping to free Vicki from a Mire Beast’s grasp around her neck. Maybe you should think twice before lobbing rocks at innocent creatures, Ian. The explosives are then detonated and he is knocked unconscious. Karma? Anway, Vicki runs for help.

The Daleks detect the TARDIS buried under the sand from the storm and enslave two Aridians to dig it out. This happens astonishingly quickly considering that they’re only using basic hand tools. Despite the efforts of the slaves, the Daleks kill them, as Daleks do in such situations. They then unsuccessfully attempt to destroy the TARDIS. Vicki witnesses all of this.

Meanwhile, the Aridians give the Doctor and Barbara food and shelter, but the Daleks threaten to attack the Aridians’ already war torn underground city if the two travelers are not handed over to be executed. (Wait, why wasn’t this episode called ‘The Executioners’?) The Aridians reluctantly agree.

Alone, Ian regains consciousness. An Aridian abducts Vicki and brings her to the Doctor and Barbara. Right after an Aridian tells our heroes that it is time for them to be turned over, a Mire Beast breaks through a brick wall… which is then stumbled into by Barbara in her panicked state. The bricks are obviously made of a soft, light material, which is common for shows of the day. The Mire Beast eats an Aridian, despite Barbara’s efforts. Good on you, Barbara, for recognizing that the Aridians are worthy of help, despite the difficult decision that they were forced to make.

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After everyone else escapes, and Vicki, Barbara, and the Doctor find Ian, who tells them his plan to get past the guard Dalek to the TARDIS. There is an amusing little exchange that immediately follows this:

"Ian: Oh, Barbara, could I have your cardigan? [She hesitates.] Quickly, quickly!Barbara: Oh, not again.Ian: It’s for the Dalek, not for me!Barbara: Here.Vicki: I hope it suits it."

Ian reveals that with Barbara’s cardigan and the Doctor’s coat he is going to set a trap for the Dalek to fall into a pit. They lure the Dalek into the trap by taunting it and narrowly escape into the TARDIS before the other Daleks can shoot them.

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Next: 'The Face of Evil' REVISITED

How exciting! Check back with us tomorrow for the third review, ‘Flight Through Eternity.’

[Edit: Part 3]