The Keys of Marinus [TV/1964.4.11 ~ 5.16]

★★★☆☆

  Regardless of what I think about the serial in general, I do think it's commendable that Verity Lambert, Terry Nation and the Doctor Who crew decided to take such a daunting task. Imagine trying to create five distinct locations with their own costume and set styles on the amount of budget the show was given back in 1964... sounds like pre-production hell to me. Luckily, all the disparate elements with their varying degrees of charm and overall successful portrayals are somehow brought together with some degree of confidence. I daresay this serial is more fun than some people let on.

  You can level a lot of criticisms at The Keys of Marinus, but at least no one can blame it for not being ambitious. This is the first of many 'adventure-per-segment' stories that would become something of a staple of Doctor Who, and the various locations on display are generally well-designed and brought to life with some style. Highlights are definitely the city of Morphotron in episode 2 (the beautifully done dream/reality shift, as the sets are elegant while the Doctor, Ian and Susan take center stage while Barbara's point of view presents a much more run-down and decadent world) and, to a lesser but still strong extent, the hub island of Episodes 1 and 6. There's just something about the mixed use of miniature and lifesize sets that pleases me. William Hartnell is having a ball at this stage, and Jacqueline Hill and William Russell seem to become more and more confident as their characters by the serial. The one big problem I have with The Keys of Marinus is, surprisingly enough, not the Voords; sure, they're a pretty unimpressive bunch, but there's nothing about them that particularly displeases me. Susan, on the other hand, is at her worst during the first four episodes — constanly cowering, screaming and whimpering, there's no chance to even feel sorry for her when every single screentime of hers is devoted to being a bundle of cries and whispers. Carole Ann Ford really had a rough job making the Doctor's granddaughter feel like a real character, and to her credit... let's just say Susan could've been a lot more unlikable without Ford's input.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  The Keys of Marinus is, in my humble opinion, definitely not the dumpster fire that some deem it to be. It's flawed, yes, but then again many of Season 1's serials have gaping flaws. I choose not to focus on where this adventure fails, but on where it succeeds — and in creating these worlds that feel much larger than their sets allow them to physically be, and in trying out various genres (horror, mystery, courtroom drama), Marinus makes a pretty darn entertaining effort.