The Rescue is by no means a perfect story, being part of an era better suited to longer stories and having to serve as a companion introduction above everything else means it squanders some of the potential in its mystery and, in my opinion, somewhat rushes Vicki's forgiveness of Barbara. But really these are minor complaints about a story I adore.

At its core the Rescue is a really great introduction to Vicki, you really get a sense of how young she is and the hell she has been through since crash landing on Dido, even before Bennett/Koquillion's true nature is revealed. At the same time she still has this sense of fun that her character will retain as she joins the TARDIS as we learn of Sandy, a large dangerous looking creature who she has been keeping almost as a pet.

I find Sandy's death to be truly heartbreaking, Sandy is potentially the only being left in the universe who truly cares for Vicki when we meet her, and it is in the story's handling of Barbara shooting him that I feel it falls short. While yes, Barbara did believe it was necessary to save Vicki, there's a lack of understanding in how Barbara, Ian, and The Doctor all insist to Vicki that she should instantly forgive Barbara and move on from what happened almost immediately. I find myself struggling to understand why she would choose to leave with these people. While they may have revealed to her what Bennet had done, rescue was only a few hours away and didn't require her to instantly forgive the pain they caused her however unintentionally. While I have gone on about it some, this is overall a minor gripe, and probably just my 21st century morals and concerns clashing with those of the 1960s.

Overall I'd heartily recommend this story if you've not seen it, especially if you are looking to dip your toes into the first Doctor's era for the first time, or even Classic Who. As its only two parts, The Rescue is a lot faster paced than other stories of the era so a good one to try if you are not yet used to the storytelling of the 60s, and of course my beloved Sandy is in it who I am sure everyone will fall in love with.