The Ark in Space [TV/1975.1.25 ~ 2.15]

★★★☆☆

  What I find most interesting about The Ark in Space is just how much of a mission statement it is for the Philip Hinchcliffe era. Sure, this is a rather far cry from the Gothic horror that would come to define said era, but the scare factor and impending claustrophic terror are very present. More importantly, here is when the show breaks away from the leftist view of the Barry Letts era and presents an entirely new Doctor persona: an interventionist who often takes matters into his own hands, and champions against the terrible monsters. The Fourth Doctor's immediate predecessor was fighting tooth and nail for the coexistence of two species in his second serial, and here the Doctor is for anything but. Don't mistake me for criticising the Hinchcliffe era; I love that the Doctor is a protagonist capable of so much change, differing ideals and flexible moral scales. It's simply an interesting observation, one that helped me enjoy this serial more.

  I'll be real honest with you -- I don't think The Ark in Space is anything to be particularly enamoured about, contrary to how its reputation holds it up to be. The sets and performances are top-notch, and the narrative is Alien (1979) before Alien even came about, but nothing here truly encapsulates me like the best of Who does. Perhaps it's the general awkwardness of Tom Baker, who's very much finding his feet as his incarnation at this point in time -- or perhaps it's how the direction couldn't really match the sort of suspense the Robert Holmes script demanded. Whenever anyone points this serial out as a recommendation for beginners of the Tom Baker era (or even the classic series in general), I'm often left wondering why they chose this one instead of any number of other serials more impressive and/or imaginative. 

  As a sophomore serial to a season, though, The Ark in Space is still pretty darn good. It's never boring, it doesn't outstay its welcome, and the Wirrn are terrifying (in all its many states). If there's one thing Rodney Bennett achieves through his direction, it's the sense of clinical detachment and danger inside the Nerva beacon, and the desire to make this as believable and captivating as possible resonates throughout the four parts. You can never fault a serial for trying its best, and The Ark in Space gives its all to be as close to perfection as possible. Sometimes that's enough.