"Doctor Who"
Arc of Infinity: Part 2 (1983)

Director:

Ron Jones

Writer:

Johnny Byrne (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (1963)

Original Air Date:

4 January 1983 (Season 20, Episode 2)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Australian | Second Part | Space Hero | Multiple Actors For One Character | Scientist Hero

Cast

Peter Davison	...	The Doctor
Sarah Sutton	...	Nyssa
Janet Fielding	...	Tegan Jovanka
Leonard Sachs	...	Lord President Borusa
Michael Gough	...	Councillor Hedin
Ian Collier	...	The Renegade (voice)
Colin Baker	...	Commander Maxil
Paul Jerrico	...	The Castellan
Neil Daglish	...	Damon
Elspet Gray	...	Chancellor Thalia
Max Harvey	...	Cardinal Zorac
Andrew Boxer	...	Robin Stuart
Alastair Cumming	...	Colin Frazer
Malcolm Harvey	...	Ergon

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Oh God, Tegan's back...

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity: Part Two starts as the Doctor (Peter Davison) is brought before the Timelord high council, there Lord President Borusa (Leonard Sachs) & the high council determine that in order to prevent the unknown creatures bonding with the Doctor he is sentenced to death. Commander Maxil (Colin Baker) takes the main time/space element from the TARDIS so the Doctor cannot escape, the Doctor is then left to wait to be executed. Meanwhile in Amsterdam Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) arrives to visit her cousin Colin (Alastair Cumming) after losing her job but finds out from his friend Robin (Andrew Boxer) that Colin was zapped by a giant alien chicken...

Episode 2 from season 20 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during January 1983, directed by Ron Jones who also directed the disastrous Time-Flight (1982) from the season before Arc of Infinity isn't that great. The script by Johnny Byrne has seen the Doctor brought to Gallifrey & sentenced to death, not that that scenario is a direct rip-off of The Deadly Assassin (1976) from season fourteen, is it? Unfortunately while The Deadly Assassin was an excellent politically motivated thriller type story Arc of Infinity is a poor rehash of well worn ideas & themes with seemingly little aim or purpose. Even the main villain has been brought back from season ten's The Three Doctors (1973). To be frank the only significant plot development that has happened during this episode is that Doctor has been sentenced to death & that's just about it. The only other notable aspect of Arc of Infinity: Part Two is that it reintroduces Tegan whom the Doctor & Nyssa left at Heathrow airport at the end of the previous season during Time-Flight. I know there are people who like her but I think she is easily one of the worst Doctor Who companions, I think Janet fielding is a poor actress & I was disappointed to see her brought back. Sorry to say but I just don't see any redeeming or likable features in her character at all.

There are two distinct stories going on here, the Doctor & Nyssa on Gallifrey while Tegan & Robin hunt for Colion on Earth in Amsterdam. I am sure they will come together but talk about a contrived way to bring the Doctor & Tegan back together again, there's a whole lot of coincidences going on here... Ergon the giant plucked alien chicken still looks awful. The Amasterdam location filming is still quite nice although it's obvious the director wanted to make sure we knew they were in Amsterdam & some of it looks like travelogue footage. All it needed was a Judith Chalmers voice over! The special effects for the laser guns have been OK so far although the current special edition DVD features an alternative CGI effects option which replace some of the old effects with new ones & are obviously far superior. Lord President Borusa was first seen in The Deadly Assassin & last seen during The Invasion of Time (1978) but has now regenerated, other continuity references that classic series fans will enjoy spotting are made to the Doctors failure to return Romana, the Timelords state only that only on one other occasion has a Timelord been executed which is obviously a reference to The Brain of Morbius (1976) from season thirteen & the Doctor also ask's after Leela after he left her there at the end of The Invasion of Time during season fifteen.

Arc of Infinity: Part Two isn't any better than a lacklustre Part One & the reappearance of the awful Tegan makes it a particularly painful episode for me to watch.