The Keeper of Traken [TV/1981.1.31 ~ 2.21]

★★★☆☆

  I can imagine not everyone will agree to the flow of The Keeper of Traken. It's not the most energetic serial out there, certainly, and episode 2 is particularly slow, even when compared to some of the serials of the 1960s. Note, then, that when I say slow, I don't mean it in a bad way. Fast could just as well be meant in a negative way, after all.

  No, in fact, I think this pace is well-suited for such a script as this. It's intended to take a more well-rounded view of the planet of Traken and its culture, and it builds up the exact nature of the big bad's plan and his goal. It helps to stay focused on what this serial is presenting in its, say, first two episodes, because it genuinely feels like you're gaining an understanding of the world as a whole and seeing how subtly and destructively evil is influencing this place. No, this is definitely not something that would've flown under Eric Saward's script management; it's slow, reflective and methodical, almost like a rather detailed documentary film. Hey, I enjoy that approach, just as I enjoy many, many aspects of Season 18. Tom Baker is visibly reaching the end of the journey as his beloved character, and he's even more like a spectre of death than ever -- and I love that. Also, I always found it funny that he was terrible to Matthew Waterhouse back in the day, because you'd never guess that from their onscreen dynamic. The Doctor and Adric seem utterly comfortable together by now, being the surrogate father-son duo that I hugely appreciate. Waterhouse is the most comfortable he's been by date, confidently carrying his and Sarah Sutton's side of the show while Baker is off talking to the big bad. Speaking of, Sutton would go on to do great things, but it's true that she's little more than an incidental side character here. Then again, with standout characters like Kassia and Tremas, it's hard to impress with a comparatively underwritten character like Nyssa.

  I enjoy The Keeper of Traken very much. It continues the S18 theme of entropy, decomposition and death (the passing of a cultural figurehead/protector, the Keeper of Traken), and the surprise reveal of the Master is very good. I would say justice for Geoffrey Beevers's Master, but he's already gotten enough accolades of late as Big Finish's first Master, so I'll just say that his voice has barely changed throughout the decades -- which is remarkable.