Doctor Who - The Time Warrior Reviews

Rating		Votes
10	18%	17
9	29%	28
8	33%	32
7	16%	16
6	3%	3
5	1%	1
4	0%	0
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0
Average Rating 8.4
Votes 97

Synopsis

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide

Journalist Sarah Jane Smith is impersonating her aunt, virologist Lavinia Smith, in order to gain access to a research centre where top scientists are being held in protective custody while UNIT investigates the disappearance of a number of their colleagues. The missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship.

The Doctor follows in the TARDIS, and Sarah stows away. In return for shelter, Linx has provided a robber baron called Irongron with anachronistically advanced weapons to use in attacks on neighbouring castles.

The Doctor helps Sir Edward of Wessex to repel one such attack, then he and Sarah conspire to drug the food in Irongron's kitchens so that the weapons can be removed while the men are unconscious. Aided by one of the kidnapped scientists, Rubeish, he then sends the others back to the 20th Century using Linx's primitive time travel equipment.

Linx shoots Irongron down and gets ready to leave in his repaired ship. Hal, one of Sir Edward's archers, fires an arrow into the vulnerable probic vent at the back of his neck, killing him. The Doctor, Sarah and Hal escape just before the ship explodes, destroying the castle.

Has Prerequisite Story

1 out of 28 (3.6%) raters say this story requires a previous story.

Extended Ratings

Plot

8.5

(37)

Acting

8.5

(37)

Effects

8.1

(37)

Replay

8.4

(37)

3rd Doctor

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart

Sarah Jane Smith

Sontarans

Adventure

Historical

Sci-fi

Cast

The Doctor - Jon Pertwee

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney

Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen

Bloodaxe - John J Carney

Edward of Wessex - Alan Rowe

Eleanor - June Brown

Eric - Gordon Pitt

Hal - Jeremy Bulloch

Irongron - David Daker

Linx - Kevin Lindsay

Meg - Sheila Fay

Professor Rubeish - Donald Pelmear

Sentry - Steve Brunswick

Director:

Alan Bromly

Writer:

Robert Holmes

Reviews

My Rating/Review

Latest Community Reviews

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

The Time Warrior

From the Reviewer:

User Rating:

Plot Rating:

Acting Rating:

Replay Rating:

Effects Rating:

Has Prerequisite(s):

Reviewed By: TheBigChurroReview Date: 12/12/16 2:18 am

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

The Time Warrior is a great introduction story for anybody to get into Classic Who, or Who in general; it doesn't require any prior knowledge about the show as everything is explained. Sarah Jane is off to a great start, Lynx is a great addition, Pertwee on fine form as always. The 4 episodes fly by and is a cracker of a watch :)

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

The Time Warrior

From the Reviewer:

User Rating:

Plot Rating:

Acting Rating:

Replay Rating:

Effects Rating:

Has Prerequisite(s):

Unsure

Reviewed By: AlfredReview Date: 10/6/15 8:22 am

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

The advent of Sarah-Jane Smith in this episode is possibly the best ever companion introduction (it is at least on a par with Ian, Susan and Barbara in the very first episode ever of Doctor Who). Her reaction to her first time travel experience is convincingly sustained and is side-splittingly funny.

The humour is a real feature of this episode and sets-off well the more dramatic aspects of the plot. The medieval setting scores highly too.

An episode of firsts, first is the best is definitely the case with the Sontarans and this is their first appearance. Great concept and realisation.

Top shelf 3rd Doctor viewing.

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

The Time Warrior

From the Reviewer:

User Rating:

Plot Rating:

Acting Rating:

Replay Rating:

Effects Rating:

Has Prerequisite(s):

Reviewed By: adamelijahReview Date: 3/30/15 9:31 am

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

The Time Warrior is a landmark story for two reasons. It introduces Sarah Jane Smith and also the Sontarans.

A Sontaran named Linx crashed in medieval England and agrees to help out a local war lord named Irongron and provide him with advanced weapons so he can repair his ship. To do that, Linx builds a time machine to steal scientists from the twentieth century to repair his ship.

The Doctor goes to a scientific meeting at UNIT’s behest to find out what’s happening to the scientist when he meets Sarah Jane Smith. Unbeknownst to him, Sarah Jane stumbles into the TARDIS and comes with him to medieval England.

Overall, this works great as an introductory story for both the Sontarans and Sarah Jane Smith, as well as being just a very fun tale overall.

The reason the Sontarans became so popular is because in their first story, Linx demonstrates how the Sontarans could be both a serious menace and a source of comic relief. The Sontarans over the top love of violence is funny, but the fact remains that Linx is still a dangerous warrior who you have to take seriously as a threat due to his strength and technology.

Sarah Jane Smith showed a break from the previous female companions when (upon first meeting her), the Doctor asks her to make coffee and she refuses. She’s a much bolder and Independent person than prior companions like Jo, Polly and Victoria. She at first things she stumbled into some sort of fair. However, as she becomes aware of her surroundings, she manages to quickly gain influence over a local baron and take very decisive action. This first story showed right from the start what a great companion she could be.

The plot is enjoyable and fun. Irongron makes for a great secondary villain (although he’s much more of a pure comic villain.) The Doctor has some good moments, using his Akido and comedy skills to get past the guards. The location shooting looks nice.

There’s not much against the Time Warrior. There are some weak special effects and some of the performances by a few minor characters are weaker. Overall, this is an incredibly entertaining story.