Doctor Who (TV Series) The Time Warrior: Part Four (1974) User Reviews

70: The Time Warrior

[Tom-Gentile8 · 8/10 · 24 June 2018]

"Brigadier, a straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting."

Robert Holmes is Doctor Who's most prolific and respected writer, yet in my experience, this story of his is rarely discussed. Why, before having watched these episodes, I didn't even know that Robert Holmes had created the Sontarans. Holmes is obviously very good at character profiling and writing, and I wouldn't be surprised if the executives at the time chose him to introduce Sarah Jane on purpose because of this. The plot and events in the story are quite basic, and would have the possibility of being dull and boring if it weren't for the amount of compelling and lovely secondary characters. It's very rare for a Doctor Who story to have you engaged in every single one of it's plot threads, but every time a scene would cut away I'd be sad that I was leaving those characters, but would immediately get entrenched in the scene that followed. This cycle would constantly repeat itself with the likes of Linx, Irongron and Bloodaxe, Edward, Meg and especially Professor Rubeish. I'm hoping this continues with Holme's work, and I assume it does seeing that people found two of his side characters from The Talons of Weng-Chiang so delightful that they were given an audio spinoff that lasted thirteen series. While its nothing game-changing or emotionally moving, The Time Warrior takes the idea of a 'fun romp' to a new admirable level.

Part One - June 20th Part Two/Three/Four - June 23rd

Time is beginning to run out.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 21 February 2021]

Linx is getting ready to leave now that his ship is ready to take off, it's clear that when he leaves, he's going to cause massive destruction.

I absolutely love Jon Pertwee here, he really is at his best, the character is so full of mystery, he really does pass for an alien being.

The whole contrast of primitives meeting a man from the stars promising weapons from the future is so wonderfully imaginative.

I particularly liked The Doctor's showdown with Linx, it's such a memorable scene.

Production values have been impressive throughout, apart from the technology of Linx, there have been so little that's out of place. It has looked great from the start.

It has definitely benefited from being four parts, as opposed to six, they could have dragged this one out, but at four episodes, it moved at a very good pace.

I have thoroughly enjoyed it for many reasons, most of all, because we now have Sarah Jane. Great, 9/10.

S11: The Time Warrior: Enjoyably punchy serial

[bob the moo · 24 May 2015]

The Doctor is called in by UNIT to help protect a group of scientists, some of whom have already gone missing. Meanwhile, back in England in the Middle Ages, an aspiring bandit called Irongron makes plans with a very strange knight who has fallen from the stars – the latter will give the former advanced weapons, if he can get assistance in repairing the craft he arrived in. With the connection made between these two periods in time, the Doctor sets off to specifically investigate – albeit unknowingly taking a stowaway with him as he travels back in time.

The first serial of the new season sees some changes of varying degree – the first is the cosmetic change to the titles, but the bigger one is that we have what we assume will be the new assistant (well, we know for sure she will be since Sarah Jane is a name that even casual Dr Who viewers will recognize). I am not sure if there was resistance or not to any such changes – for sure if it were today then the internet would be ablaze with "discussions" over such things – back then maybe it got a few letters on Points of View (which was the internet forum as moderated by Anne Robinson); either way, one thing that would have helped the audience is that this serial is actually pretty entertaining. At only 4 episodes there is really no filler or padding, and the whole thing has plenty of color to it in terms of the events and also the characters. There are plot holes and contrivances of course, but you probably do not worry about these or look too closely because it is quite a lively and enjoyable serial.

The plot is quite good as a frame but it is the characters that make it work. The Sontaran Linx is an enjoyable character; I like the similar character in the modern show even though he plays too much for laughs, but here he is a good presence and colorful. Irongron is great fun though, and David Daker goes for it wonderfully, making it fun pretty much most of the time he is on the screen. Pertwee is also on good form, and he has some humor surrounding him (I particularly enjoyed his description as "a longshank rascal with a mighty nose"). Sladen makes a solid start, much less screaming and much less just being in trouble – I like what Manning's Jo eventually became, but Sladen is a tone I prefer; although we will see how she develops since the previous companion in this style (Liz Shaw) really did not last and was clearly not working with what was being written.

A good start to the new season though; lively, entertaining, well paced, and with a good sense of easy adventure that doesn't take itself overly seriously.