The best of the season and yet not very good. It starts strong, with characters and humor a step above anything we've seen this season, but episodes 2 and 3 just feel off.

It goes for a humor it can't quite achieve. The bit with the guard could have landed so much better if it bore any resemblance to a real, informed conversation. Yes, it's funny for the guard to know philosophy, but the joke fails because he actually doesn't. I don't have a degree in philosophy but even I know enough to know the conversation is complete gibberish, which really diminishes the joke because you're left wondering: Does the Doctor literally not know what an existentialist is?

It goes for emotional beats it can't quite achieve. I want to care about the human drama. The first episode was so promising. But then it just gets stupid. It's difficult to explain — maybe it's poor acting, maybe it's poor direction — but every story this season felt off. Like you're constantly thinking: Oh my god, these people are just saying their lines. Obviously actors are always saying their lines in every TV show but you usually can't feel it. You can feel it here.

Why does Mel leave? Why does the Doctor react that way? Why does he invite Ace to travel with him? These things just happen with no emotional reasoning behind them. I started watching Remembrance of the Daleks before coming here to write this and it's already clear the next season will be much, much better. I'm excited to perhaps start enjoying the Seventh Doctor's era.

Mel's exit bothers me immensely and I think that she really should have been kept on for another season (I highly disagree with Bonnie Langford on the thought that there was nothing left to do with Mel; there was so much more that could have been done with her). I underestimated just how fun she and Ace are together and I am now in agony over what will never be on TV. At least there's the extended universe.

There is some wacky stupid bullshit in this serial but that's just par for the course for Classic Who and I find it delightful. Seven is a bit like a cartoon character at times and it makes his very serious moments hit so much harder.

• I never knew what to think about this story beforehand, but having finally watched it, what a blast I had
• 7, Mel, Ace, and Glitz would have made an iconic quartet, what I could do for a season of them 4
• Kane is almost a great villain, I think there needed to be more of a psychically to his character
• I love the production design of this story, so pretty
• As much as you instantly love Ace, I wasn't ready to let go of Mel. Mel and Ace bounce off each other so well

Pretty entertaining episode. I thought the villain was interesting, sets were decent, good pacing. The cliffhanger on part one was just as glorious as I heard it was, nothing says campy classic who more than that lol. Also like the ending and campanion handoff. Mel's decision seemed rather abrupt though, would have been better with more build up.

A decent ending to a mediocre season 24

A fairly middling episode; some interesting aspects, but ultimately let down by poor design choices and a meandering script (e.g., Belazs and Kracauer are killed off only to be replaced with a different pair of soldiers, and that little girl is just wandering around for no meaningful reason). Still, we at least got Ace out of the bargain, complete with her can of deodorant that registers on the Richter scale!