Doctor Who (TV Series)

The Edge of Destruction (1964)

William Hartnell: Dr. Who

Quotes 

• The Doctor : A rash action is worse than no action at all.

• Ian Chesterton : Are you all right?

  Dr. Who : Oh, yes, these numbers keep blurring before my eyes. That's all.

• Ian Chesterton : Doctor... some very strange things are happening. I feel we're in a very dangerous position. This is no time for personal quarrels.

  Dr. Who : Meaning?

  Ian Chesterton : I think you should go and apologize to Barbara at once.

  Dr. Who : I'm afraid we have no time for codes and manners. And I certainly don't underestimate the dangers, if they exist. But I must have time to think. I must think. Rash action is worse than no action at all, hmm?

  Ian Chesterton : I don't see anything rash in apologizing to Barbara.

  [scoffs] 

  Ian Chesterton : Frankly, Doctor, I find it hard to keep pace with you.

  Dr. Who : You mean, to keep one jump ahead. That you will never be. You need my knowledge and ability to apply it, and then you need my experience to gain the fullest results.

  Ian Chesterton : Results? For good or for evil?

  Dr. Who : One man's law is another man's crime. Sleep on it, Chesterton. Sleep on it.

• Ian Chesterton : Have you any idea where we are, Doctor.

  Dr. Who : Where is not as important as why, young man.

• Ian Chesterton : Well, what's all that about?

  Dr. Who : Oh, don't you know? I thought you might be able to explain it.

  Ian Chesterton : Why me?

  Dr. Who : Trying to confuse me, eh?

  [chuckles] 

  Ian Chesterton : What are you getting at?

  Barbara Wright : Look, why don't we just try and open the doors and see for ourselves what's outside?

  Dr. Who : What is inside, madam, is most important at the moment.

  Barbara Wright : Inside?

  Ian Chesterton : But you've just been telling us that the only people inside are ourselves.

  Dr. Who : Precisely. I know now who's responsible. You are! You've sabotaged my ship!

  Barbara Wright : We didn't even touch your ship.

  Ian Chesterton : What are you talking about?

  Dr. Who : You're the cause of this disaster, and you both knocked, you knocked both Susan and I unconscious.

  Barbara Wright : Oh, don't be ridiculous! We were all knocked out.

  Dr. Who : A charade. You attacked us!

  Ian Chesterton : Absolute nonsense.

  Dr. Who : And when we were lying helpless on the floor, you tampered with my-my controls.

  Ian Chesterton : But you checked everything yourself, and you couldn't find anything wrong with it!

  Dr. Who : No, Sir. We checked everything, you and I.

  Barbara Wright : But why would we? For what reason?

  Dr. Who : Blackmail, that's why. You tried to force me to return you to England.

  Barbara Wright : Oh, don't be so stupid.

  Dr. Who : I know it, I'm sure of it.

• Susan Foreman : Hey, the scanner's working!

  [sound of birds chirping] 

  Barbara Wright : That could be England.

  Susan Foreman : Oh, yes, I remember that.

  Dr. Who : That's very curious. That can't be what's outside the ship. This is a photograph.

• Barbara Wright : How dare you! Do you realise, you stupid old man, that you'd have died in the Cave of Skulls if Ian hadn't made fire for you.

  Dr. Who : Oh, I...

  Barbara Wright : And what about what we went through against the Daleks? Not just for us, but for you and Susan, too, and all because you tricked us into going down to the city.

  Dr. Who : But I...

  Barbara Wright : Accuse us? You ought to go down on your hands and knees and thank us. But gratitude's the last thing you'll ever have, or any sort of common sense either.

  [Barbara and Susan see the face of the clock melting, and both scream. Barbara sees her watch melting, and sobs are she throws it off] 

  Ian Chesterton : You can't blame us for this, Doctor.

• Barbara Wright : I was thinking...

  Ian Chesterton : Yes?

  Dr. Who : Well, yes, yes? Anything may help.

  Barbara Wright : Do you think something could have got into the ship...

  Dr. Who : No, no, no.

  Barbara Wright : ...when the doors were open?

  Dr. Who : No, it's ridiculous.

  Ian Chesterton : What do you mean? An animal or a man or something?

  Barbara Wright : Yes.

  Dr. Who : It's not very logical, is it? Hmm?

  Barbara Wright : Or another intelligence.

  Dr. Who : Well, as I said, it's not very logical.

  Barbara Wright : No, it isn't. But does it have to be? I mean, things aren't always very logical, are they? It's just that one's been through so much, I've...

  Dr. Who : I've been very patient with you, Miss Wright, and really, there's no more time for these absurd theories.

• Barbara Wright : There's another picture.

  [sound of animal squawking] 

  Susan Foreman : Oh, I recognize that. That's where we nearly lost the TARDIS, four or five journeys back.

  Dr. Who : Yes, the planet Quinnis, of the fourth universe.

  Susan Foreman : That's not outside either. That's a photograph.

• Dr. Who : Close the door, Susan!

  Ian Chesterton : I'll do it.

  [loud roaring as the door closes on its own] 

  Ian Chesterton : Well, I didn't touch it!