The Visitation

A very clever story. The aliens have got to be the strangest I've ever seen, but still a bit creepy in angles. The fifth doctor and the highwayman are certainly the strongest characters in this story and Tegan also is getting good lines.

Things get a little bit more traditional after the events of "Kinda" as 'Visitation' sees the Fifth Doctor and company dropped into Restoration-era England and becoming involved with a genocide plot perpetrated by alien lizard refugees from another world. It's the true definition of a mixed bag story with lots to like and a lot that doesn't work. On the one hand, the setting is very lovingly created and there are plenty of great sets that look fairly realistic. The cast is also good with some stronger performances by Davison and Fielding in particular. Matthew Waterhouse's Adric is still his usual god awful self and Sarah Sutton's Nyssa doesn't do too much to expand her role of the intellectual scientist on the team. But Peter Davison's Doctor is entertaining per the norm and Janet Fielding's Tegan gets a bit more to do beyond complain or be asleep the whole time. You can also see some genuine warmth and connections between each cast member being built on and it's a nice step up from the previous couple of stories. It finally feels like they are becoming a team as a whole and I really like how they all work together (mostly) in solving the situation. There is also a strong performance from Michael Robbins as a traveling ruffian named Richard Mace who is a lot of fun and genuinely likable. His interactions with the Doctor, in particular, are a lot of fun and I like how his resolution at the end gives him a nice little character arc that you don't normally get with lesser cast members like this. There are also one or two memorable moments such as the death of the sonic screwdriver until it's appearance in the McGann TV movie and the ending historical tie-in that's a neat little Easter egg for history buffs. On the other hand, this story can be another dull affair at times. Despite an interesting angle and idea behind how the aliens plan to commit genocide, the main plot beats are exactly what you'd expect especially as the team is split up yet again and the slower pacing means this one can be a bit of a chore to get through in places. The aliens themselves are pretty lackluster especially in worse than usual costumes and it doesn't do much beyond hold your interest with its drama and premise. On the whole, "The Visitation" is the definition of a story that's fine. It's not exactly good but it's certainly not terrible. It's a decent watch and a great example of this team in action in a standard alien plot but it's not exactly going to blow your mind or be an instant favorite of yours anytime soon. 

Another for the JNT reappraisal list, The Visitation does not, ala Kinda, comment on the human condition. It does not delve into the ethical qualms of timetravel. It does not make us reflect upon ourselves via the cipher of our forefathers. What it does do, is entertain.

Treated to a lavishly filmed interpretation of Restoration Britain, there's everything from unemployed interregnum era thespians to the wattle and daub of London. There's a perfect blend of light history and light sci-fi, with a simple crashed spaceship story gradually throw up twists and turns. The Terileptil's story is a subversion of expectation adding a little depth to what could've easily been a monster of the week, and the animatronics are really, really impressive. In particular the body horror of the Terileptil's end is something gruesomely enjoyable.

Some great continuity is handled deftly with Tegan still reeling from events in Kinda and whilst a shame to see Nyssa again so underused, neither she, nor Adric are written poorly.

On the whole, innocuous and well produced Who.

As a story, the Visitation is a true mixed bag. It has a nice setting in 17th Century England, and a fairly good alien villain. The Visitation also has a good guest star. It has also a landmark change which would effect the rest of the classic series. However, the pacing drags the story down.

There's a lot of filler in this story with pointless scenes making this story crawl. Add to that the fact that while this is the fourth story of Season 19, it was actually the second filmed and the cast doesn't quite have the chemistry right even though it does do a better job than many other stories in giving each companion something to do, you have an okay but flawed story that doesn't live up to the best of the series or the best of the Fifth Doctor for that matter. It's surprising to me that every major video streaming service has this available, because it's not all that good.