There is an interesting subtext in this story. Rich society vs. oppressed poor. This is refreshing following the gunfighters! Dodo is good here, her curiosity unraveling the rich folk's scheme, enabling us to begin to see why the savages might be in the position they are.

All of the cliffhangers in this are corkers, starting with the idea that a beastly savage is in fact a frail and exhausted old man.

There are relatively adult themes. The distress coming from Nanina during her energy transfer torture is alarming and The Doctor's defense of the helpless "savages" from the upper class is equally arresting. I love a passionate and socially conscious doctor, who believes that 'progress' is not worth human exploitation, standing up for the rights of minorities.

The Doctor is subjected to the same energy transfer treatment as the savage victims, his life force being sucked out of him you can hear the villains describing the procedure as a great success. I don't believe our hero has ever been in so much danger.

A new order is achieved and the old hierarchy is destroyed but as The Doctor refuses to take the mantel as leader people look to Steven to take the new leadership. It is a shame to see this wonderful character (albeit one who is very much in the same template as Ian Chesterton) go - and with three stories left it feels as if this doctor's reign is slowly coming to an end.