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"THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR: A DULL AND MESSY CONCLUSION"

As the grand finale to The Key to Time arc, The Armageddon Factor should have delivered an epic and satisfying conclusion. Instead, it is a sluggish, confused mess that overstays its welcome. Writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin—veterans of the show—deliver their final script, but rather than going out on a high note, they produce one of their weakest efforts.

The story begins with some promise, depicting two planets locked in a devastating nuclear war. The bleak atmosphere and sense of desperation feel more tangible than in many similar Doctor Who stories, even surpassing the usual Dalek-led war plots penned by Terry Nation. Unfortunately, this promising setup is squandered almost immediately, as the narrative quickly becomes muddled, repetitive, and painfully slow.

A STORY THAT LOSES ITS WAY

The biggest flaw of The Armageddon Factor is its incoherent structure. The first two episodes set up the conflict well enough, but once the introduction of the Mentalis computer shifts the story, the pacing grinds to a halt. The Mentalis subplot drags on far too long, offering little in terms of excitement or meaningful plot development.

Then, from Part 5 onward, the focus completely changes, introducing the Shadow and the Black Guardian. Any remaining momentum is buried under endless scenes of running back and forth—lots of running back and forth. The final two episodes lack tension, feel repetitive, and make little effort to maintain engagement. The last-minute introduction of a miniaturisation gimmick is not only nonsensical but feels like a desperate attempt to pad out an already overlong story.

Worst of all is the ending. The final showdown in the Shadow’s lair is embarrassingly cheesy, and the resolution to the Key to Time arc is a frustrating cop-out. After six serials and 26 weeks, the Doctor simply scatters the pieces of the Key back across the universe, rendering the entire quest pointless. While the overarching arc was never particularly strong, this conclusion undermines everything the Doctor and Romana have worked towards, making the entire season feel like a waste of time.

FLAT CHARACTERS AND UNEVEN PERFORMANCES

The uninspired writing is not helped by the lacklustre characters. John Woodvine’s Marshal is an over-the-top, aggressive figure who does little for the first half of the story. His right-hand man, Shapp, starts out as bland but becomes unexpectedly amusing thanks to Davyd Harries’s comedic performance.

Then there's Ian Saynor as Merak, Astra’s lover, who is utterly forgettable. His character exists solely to yell Astra’s name repeatedly and contribute nothing of value. Astra herself—played by future Romana actress Lalla Ward—is underwhelming. Her tragic fate should be powerful, but the surrounding events drain it of any emotional impact.

The acting across the board is disappointingly stiff. Many of the cast deliver their lines at an unnatural pace, making conversations feel stilted and robotic. This, combined with the already lifeless script, makes much of the serial a chore to sit through.

LACKLUSTRE VILLAINS

If the supporting cast is weak, the villains are even worse. William Squire plays the Shadow, a cloaked figure who looks like the offspring of Voldemort and an orc. He spends most of his time standing around, making ominous noises, and ultimately achieves very little. His henchmen, resembling cheap knock-offs of Fantastic Four’s Doctor Doom, are equally ineffective.

And then there’s Drax. Played by Barry Jackson, this Gallifreyan tech expert is bafflingly out of place. Meant to be comic relief, he is instead irritating, useless to the plot, and a poor representation of the Doctor’s race. His inclusion drags the story down even further, making him one of the most unnecessary characters Doctor Who has ever produced.

VISUAL WEAKNESSES AND DIRECTIONAL STRUGGLES

Visually, The Armageddon Factor is far from impressive. The caves in the later episodes look particularly bad, and the spaceship featured early on is unremarkable at best. Michael Hayes, who had directed The Androids of Tara earlier in the season, struggles to maintain coherence amid the chaotic script. With so many narrative threads going nowhere, even a skilled director would have found it difficult to salvage this story.

📝VERDICT: 5/10

A tedious and overlong mess, The Armageddon Factor squanders its promising premise, drags its feet with endless repetition, and delivers one of the weakest conclusions to a Doctor Who story arc. With uninspired characters, lacklustre villains, and a nonsensical ending, this is an unsatisfying finale to The Key to Time season—one that most fans will be in no hurry to revisit.