It took me a while to get through this story, and it's a bit of a wacky one. I mean, drug smuggling isn't very family-friendly... and the way its handled is very bizarre indeed...

I don't think this story would work with any other Doctor - He jumps headfirst into a heated debate after an accident in space, and it turns out to be a huge conspiracy involving Carnival of Monsters-esque shenanigans and drugs! I really like Romana II, but so far, she hasn't had very good material, has she? Aside from City of Death, she's really just your average screaming companion who is very clever but is always overshadowed by the Doctor. I still really dislike this new K-9. It just sounds wrong. It's great that he's very involved with this story, but it should be John Leeson!

The inclusion of the Mandrels feels unnecessary. Like, I get they were the source of the drugs, but if you came up with another way to source it, they would not change the plot at all. They seem to only be there as a monster of the week for the kids to get excited at - which, unfortunately, seems to be a recurring problem throughout the show, especially the new series (#BringBackPureHistoricals). They do look a bit silly, but I don't mind really. It' such a shame that Dymond and Tryst turned about to be the smugglers, the latter especially, because it was great to see him bond with the Doctor, and he was an interesting character. However, it made for a great plot twist, and it turns out that their main asset is their downfall - What a clever conclusion!

I actually think that the sets are really good - They don't look shoddy or silly, they feel like an actual spaceship. The effects are good for the late 70s, especially that time warp thing at the end of Part 3. Eden looks a bit cheap, but we don't see too much of it - They did a fantastic job building up this spaceship and makes it feel realistic, something they don't do too often in this era of the show.

The side characters are developed well and have interesting backstories and their links to the plot are fairly well written. The twist that Stott was alive the whole time was decent, but felt a bit weird.

This is a really imaginative story, and really underrated. It tells a unique tale, but fits it into the Doctor Who formula really well. I don't know how to say it, but I just find it so bizarre how this kind of strange story works in this show. Clever, full of fun moments and interesting plot twists!