There's been a lot of setup regarding Nyssa, but it doesn't sideline the Doctor, and provokes a mature discussion of whether he is responsible - does this setup pay off? Absolutely, this feels a lot like a finale, with the increased stakes and brilliant character work!

When arriving on Traken in the past, he's immediately questioned on how he knows Nyssa, to which he responds he's her guardian. However, he is challenged on how he should be allowed to care for her, because of all the trauma and evil she's faced, and she's just a teenager. However, this story shows that Nyssa is able to care for herself. With all the manipulation of Kwundaar, she's been weakened, but that doesn't stop her from trying to fight him, and she has come a long way, rejecting the ideals of her own people, and opting to travel with the Doctor. I absolutely love that it's suggested that the Doctor and Nyssa have been corrupted by evil after all their travels - which, in part, is true. They're not the same people they were, and that's mainly due to having others try and kill them - mainly Adric, though. Also, the Doctor is the first Keeper of Traken! Of course he is. And something I felt a little uncomfortable with was the constant references to Nyssa being almost naked because the Doctor didn't bring her any clothes?

Kwundaar is an interesting villain. I think it's a great idea that we explore Traken's past and mythology, as the show does so often with Earth, and it's interesting to see that, whilst Traken isolates itself from such evil, it's based off corruption and betrayal. It's so clever the way Kwundaar is portrayed, even that his physical appearance is terrifying, and the way he has enslaved others to do his bidding, foiling the Doctor at every turn. Despite this, I felt the finale dragged on a little too long as they kept trying to fight him, but he defeated them like four or five times and it got a little boring by the end. However, he's an intimidating and powerful foe, and it seems that his story isn't over - what other Primeval beings has he summoned???

Like I said, Traken's past is a great backdrop - it's so lovely that, whilst we've had plenty of stories on Earth because we've had companions from Earth - now we've got a companion from Traken, we study that planet instead. It was a little hard to keep track of who was where at times, but when we did know, the scenery was superb, and the soundscape was brilliant!

This characters are really interesting and so developed, taking an immediate distaste towards the Doctor because of his lifestyle, and struggling to adapt to the crisis because of their pacifist ideals. There's a really strong message hidden within these characters. It's subtle enough to interpret and thankfully not really in your face, but it's not so subtle that it's not being taken advantage of.

This story has one of my favourite scores of all time - it's evocative of The Keeper of Traken, but it has its own ethereal sense surrounding it. The tone is a lot more mature and serious, with the use of an orchestra-styled soundtrack. I can't really choose a favourite track, because they're all roughly the same but you can hear it here.

Favourite Line: "Traken is my past." - More than one meaning, you could say.

These early stories are really so impressive - there's something so different about them, telling a lot darker stories in the 80s format, but not adhering to the tone of that era. They know their audience and treat them maturely. The cast is fantastic, brilliant setting, interesting story (with a bit of an elongated finale) and a stunning score!