Terror of the Autons is pretty cool in that it feels much like a re-pilot of the Third Doctor era to me. With a new companion, the incredible introduction of the Master, and a very similar plot to Spearhead from Space, there are a great deal of similarities between these two stories, yet it largely still works for me.

While it is a shame Liz Shaw was just unceremoniously dropped, Jo Grant is pretty great as a replacement. You can tell we very quickly get a sense of purpose from production with her and Roger Delgado joining on. I'm truly impressed by just how much of the character of the Master was realized in this first episode. Sure, the Monk and War Chief were certainly early prototypes of this character, but The Master is unique with a few traits already made apparent here, such as his hypnosis, elaborate scheming with other aliens, and his unique relationship with the Doctor that they would only build on going forward - hell, even the miniaturization comes from here.

I think he is well built up in a cool way in this serial, with the Time Lords actively involved at the start of this story while the Master has a great opening scene that kicks off this whole season (which, in retrospect, is very accurate for what we could expect the tone of Season Eight to take on).

The Autons don't feel like they've changed much but I think they are better used here. Having the Master around gives them a bit more of a voice and sense of character to them. Even if they are always going to look a little dorky, this might be them at their best out of all their televised appearances. They're actually presented as a threat and their effects are used more effectively than in Rose or Spearhead from Space. A great start to a new chapter in Doctor Who history with the introduction of two very substantial characters in the form of Jo and the Master. All told, I quite enjoyed these episodes and would recommend.