📝6/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“The Chase: Laughs and Farewells in a Chaotic Romp"

Terry Nation’s The Chase takes the Doctor and his companions on a zany six-episode adventure across time and space, culminating in the heartfelt departure of Ian and Barbara. A wildly uneven affair, it blends slapstick humor, scattered sci-fi ideas, and touching character moments in a way that’s both maddening and oddly endearing.

Not only does the opening episode of Nation's anthology epic include some rare scenes of life inside the TARDIS, but it also includes an extended sequence with the Time-Space Visualiser (never to be seen again, sadly, although it does pop up again in other media), allowing the TARDIS crew to watch such historical events as The Beatles playing "Ticket to Ride" on Top of the Pops (the only surviving clip of that gig, ironically), and Ian jamming delightfully to the tune; Shakespeare talking with Queen Victoria (both to be seen again!) or the Gettysburg address—scenes that are completely irrelevant to the rest of the plot but somehow very fascinating nonetheless.

Terry Nation’s Greatest Hits—Recycled

Nation’s penchant for self-plagiarism is on full display here. The structure of constantly changing settings is borrowed from The Keys of Marinus (1964), while the cliffhanger reveals and jungle settings echo his work for The Daleks and The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Even the Mechanoids feel like a less effective rehash of the Daleks, their awkward design and grating voices failing to replicate the menace of their predecessors. To top it off, the cringe-inducing episode titles (The Death of Time, anyone?) don’t help matters.

Parody or Adventure?

From the outset, The Chase doesn’t take itself seriously, leaning heavily into self-parody. Nation likely aimed for a lighthearted romp, but the bizarre mix of nonsensical plotlines, tongue-in-cheek performances, and a jazzy circus-like score makes this feel more like a spoof than a canonical Doctor Who adventure.

The Doctor taking offence to Barbara apparently calling his singing awful, answering Morton Dill with "No, it ain’t!” or running scared from a Frankenstein's monster robot; Morton Dill's doofus dialogue (“You have different years here?”); the stuttering Dalek—whether by design or accidentally, Terry Nation provides a script filled with dialogue that frequently makes me giggle—and that’s a rare feat for a Doctor Who story, even today.

A Hodgepodge of Settings

Anthology stories like this often suffer from an identity crisis. The multitude of locations—from deserts to the Mary Celeste to the House of Horrors—makes the narrative feel disjointed. None of these places leave a lasting impression, save for Mechanus, which at least boasts some solid sci-fi design. The pacing stumbles as the story lurches between dull, laughable, and overstuffed segments.

Low Stakes, High Silliness

Despite the Daleks’ pursuit, the tension is almost nonexistent. These once-terrifying foes are reduced to bumbling comic relief, complete with stuttering lines and inexplicable behaviors, like one screaming as it falls into the sea. The story’s ridiculousness does, however, lend it a certain charm, making it an easy, breezy six-parter to sit through.

Standout Moments of Character

What The Chase lacks in plotting, it makes up for in its treatment of the main cast. William Hartnell’s Doctor is sharp, witty, and full of warmth, his chemistry with Ian, Barbara, and Vicki shining through. Ian and Barbara’s camaraderie is at its peak, with their banter and resourcefulness adding levity to the chaos. Their emotional farewell in the closing minutes is a masterclass in understated drama, cementing one of the series’ most heartfelt exits.

Vicki continues to grow into her role, though her characterization wavers between intelligent and Susan-esque, as if Nation hadn’t realized Carole Ann Ford had left the show.

Morton Dill is so bad he's good. The unnecessary supporting role in Part 3 landed Peter Purves the new companion role three episodes later, and that terrible accent and goofy persona are something to remember, for better and for worse. He’s one of the few supporting characters who’ve survived an encounter with the Daleks.

The introduction of Steven, played with gusto by Purves, injects fresh energy, even if his addition feels tacked on.

There's something clever about the impostor Doctor. He is antagonistic and selfish, much like the Doctor was when we first met him in An Unearthly Child (1963), a clever callback to how much the character has developed in just two seasons. How no one noticed the obvious difference between him and the real Doctor is a real mystery, though.

Production Hits and Misses

The production values are a mixed bag. Mechanus stands out for its ambitious set design, but Richard Martin’s direction undercuts its potential. The House of Horrors sequence is laughably bad, riddled with production errors like the infamous out-of-place Dalek. The imposter Doctor concept is clever in theory but poorly executed, with clunky editing and sound design undermining its impact.

The Chase is a strange beast—part anthology, part spoof, part farewell. While it’s riddled with lazy writing, production gaffes, and tonal inconsistencies, it’s saved by its cast’s charisma and the touching departure of Ian and Barbara. Not a classic by any means, but its chaotic charm and heartwarming moments make it a memorable installment.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• This is the first time we encounter a doppelgänger of the Doctor, something that will reoccur multiple times going forward (in stories such as The Massacre, The Enemy of the World, Meglos, The Arc of Infinity, A Nightmare in Silver, and so on).
• Ian’s cardigan moment (“Oh no, not again!”) is a delightful callback to earlier stories.

The Chase: 9.5/10 - I have said this about a large amount of stories but this one was just so much fun. The Daleks were extremely entertaining in this story and the main cast really got to shine. Vicki was amazing in this story and her infiltration of the Dardis was really cool. The different settings really made it feel like a grand adventure across time and these locations themselves all felt very lived in. I thought episodes 2 and 5 were a bit slow at points but the other 4 episodes were all quality. The Mechanoids were an interesting new species and the battle between them and the Daleks was also interesting. I thought Steven was off to a rocky start in this story but he still seems very interesting and I’m excited to get to know him more. Ian and Barbara’s departure was honestly so great. They have both been absolutely amazing companions and seeing them so happy to return to their old lives was very wholesome. 

It's hard to get my head around this one, there are good and bad bits.

It's nice to feel there is a linear storyline at work here and that each journey leads off from the previous one. It's just a shame that we spend such little time in each location. It follows a very repetitive pattern: the TARDIS lands, the Daleks land soon after, the TARDIS lands somewhere else, etc. It's almost as if Terry Nation is trying to suggest that it is enough to land on a pirate ship without writing anything more than that. The number of locations does not make up for the lack of ideas.

The writing of the Aridians, Mara and Mechanoids are fantastic. I wish these aspects of the story had more air time. It feels like everything has been thrown at this story and whilst 2 out of 3 things worked, 1 in 3 really don't. In contrast, the Daleks are made too comical in parts - all that effort in making them scary in their first two stories is completely wasted, it becomes a farce. Though the Dalek rising out of the sand has to be one of the best shots in the show. The soundtrack is odd from episode two onwards, something terrible can be happening but this jingly jangly happy piano sound in the background.

Steven is as amazing as he is deranged in this story. I can't wait to see more of him. It is very brave to leave him on the planet. "I need my mascot!"

There is an amazing send off for Ian and Barbara, I'm sincerely going to miss them. There is an odd photo sequence in London, but this is more than made up for by the exploding time machine, the bus ride confusion and the doctor's sad farewell. Who said that classic who couldn't do companion send-offs well?

The Chase is a lot of goofy fun and nothing but a bit of classic Doctor Who. Definitely the kind of story one needs to enjoy with a bit of context for its time, but on the whole I had a lot of fun with this. The Daleks even manage a bit of menace in spite of the silliness with their ability to just keep chasing down the Doctor. Ian and Barbara's departure leaves a lot to be desired just because it is edited so oddly, but still, it was a memorable moment and now has a bittersweet tone to it with so many of these actors lost to time.  I was entertained, and in a lot of ways that's more than enough for a pretty solid Classic Doctor Who adventure.

A massive story that combines the most successful elements of the show into one big saga. If Doctor Who had stopped after 2 seasons, this would’ve been the finale.

The Daleks are back! Again! But this time, they have mastered time travel. The party might be a little ahead, but their lead is slipping….

First of all, I mentioned in my review of “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” that I wish there were more personal stakes between the Doctor and the Daleks. This story decides to go that route. The Daleks have a clear goal: Revenge. Revenge on the doctor for stopping 3 of their previous plans (How that works timeline-wise, I leave up to you).

Before the titular chase, we have an adventure like any other. The party has some great moments in the tardis with each other. And I just love these party relations. Vicki has fully earned her spot by now too. Everyone reacts to each other in fun way, but there can still be some tension. It’s like a family in a sense.

After some random squabbling in the tardis, we land on a sand planet. It’s fun! Not outstanding, but the party is having a blast, so we join them! Some standard Doctor Who fare happens. 2 party members get lost and hurt and all that stuff. The usual. But this changes once the Daleks come into view. The party has to leave! And quick!

It's a great subversion. All is well in the world. Another adventure with Doctor Who, but then that message is heard, and a Dalek rises from the sand. Very exciting stuff. Especially that dalek appearing in the desert. It’s a great visual.

The next episodes spends some time with the locals. Nothing too noteworthy. Their concept is interesting, but no time for all that! We bring the party back together in the tardis, and we RUN! We Flee through time and space from the most famous enemy. Peak Doctor Who. We go to New York, the Mary Celeste, a horror house and a fungus planet. And it’s a blast! All of Doctor Who is happening in quick succession and this is the most alive the TV show has ever felt. Showing us all the show has done, while at the same time showing us it has loads more potential.

And it is just some great visual variety. We meet an Alabama guy on a roof, We throw a Dalek off a boat, Dracula is there and a monster dunks a dalek on the ground. It’s dynamic, surprising and just plain fun.

The Daleks even decide to make a robot clone of the Doctor, which leads to some fun shenanigans. The way they discover who the real doctor is, is really fun too. The robot suddenly calls Vicki “Susan”, and everybody knows what’s up. And it makes sense! How would the Daleks know she left? Great callback that makes sense in context.

Sadly we are running out of steam a bit though. Even with the fun Doctor duplicate, the last location is a bit of a dud. It’s a fungus planet and we spend a lot of time in a cave. Not the most exciting. The show has just hyped us all the way to Mars, so having to slow down is a bit sad and could be a bit smoother. Suddenly going back to being captured and locked up feels like a downgrade.

It's not all bad though! We meet Steven! A guy who has been left alone in a cage for 2 years. They present him really well. Barbara says his name and he almost begs to hear it again. Lovely stuff. Makes him immediately endearing.

Sadly, the appearance of Steven also marks the end of an era for the show. Ian and Barbara will be leaving. They’ve been with us for over 50 adventures, and it will be a shame to see them go. While I will miss them, I do think they could’ve been handled a little better this story. Nothing hints at this being their final story, and the goodbyes feel a bit too short. We get a slideshow of them being back, but I’d rather have a more clear throughline in the story. Some hints along the way. Oh well, it was nice for what it was and we do get some emotional moments with the Doctor. Those do feel earned.

And that’s “The Chase”. It’s breakfast, lunch and dinner in one. Everything happens. It’s up to you to keep up. And it’s a joy. While I have my qualms with it, like the last location and the final moments of Ian and Barbara, I still had an amazing time. While not perfect, it’s one of the most Doctor Who episodes ever. That’s worth seeing.