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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, March 13, 1971

Production Code

GGG

Written by

Bob Baker, Dave Martin

Directed by

Michael Ferguson

Runtime

100 minutes

Time Travel

Present

Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!)

Exile on Earth, Working for UNIT

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Axos, Earth, England, UNIT HQ

Synopsis

A group of gold-skinned aliens land on Earth and offer wondrous technology in exchange for fuel. The Third Doctor, however, isn't fooled, uncovering the Axons' true nature and once again facing his arch enemy, the Master...

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4 Episodes

Episode One

First aired

Saturday, March 13, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Michael Ferguson

UK Viewers

7.3 million

Synopsis

When a mysterious object lands near the Nuton power complex, UNIT investigate and encounter the Axons, a group of aliens who offer the mineral axonite, which can duplicate matter, as a gift.


Episode Two

First aired

Saturday, March 20, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Michael Ferguson

UK Viewers

8 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Winser begin to analyse axonite while Chinn plots to secure its use exclusively for Britain.


Episode Three

First aired

Saturday, March 27, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Michael Ferguson

UK Viewers

6.4 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS.


Episode Four

First aired

Saturday, April 3, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Bob Baker Dave Martin

Directed by

Michael Ferguson

UK Viewers

7.8 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo escape from Axos but then the Doctor offers the Master a deal; if he helps him repair the TARDIS, they can flee Earth together.



Characters

How to watch The Claws of Axos:

Reviews

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8 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

I thought this was a pretty average story overall, but I thought the interactions between the Doctor and The Master in the last two parts were great, both in that we got to see hints of their past friendship, and in the way it shows Three's more manipulative side for the first time in a really engaging way.


WhoTheoryYT

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This review contains spoilers!

I thought we were not gonna see the Master for a bit after ‘Mind of Evil’, but here he is again! And he was the star of the show. For someone that acts sooo dignified, he can get into just as much trouble as the Doctor. You’re saying he escaped Earth last episode and was almost immediately captured by the Axons? Loser. Anyway, he’s back, this time in a I help you you help me deal with these Axons: he leads them to Earth and gives them knowledge on time travel, they free him, give him back his TARDIS, and kill the whole planet + the Doctor, as a treat. Typical Master plan. How did the Doctor put it in ‘Terror of the Autons’? Vicious, complicated and inefficient. 

The Master does it all in this one. He’s captured, he’s hypnotizing people, he’s killing people with the ray gun, he’s wearing a mask, he’s breaking into the TARDIS, he’s fixing the TARDIS, he’s criticizing the Doctor for being messy, he’s making deals, he’s working for UNIT for like 10 minutes, he’s running away with the Doctor, he’s running away without the Doctor. Great great great stuff. Now, I’ve been a good girl and kept quiet so far, but I shall not be silent any longer. The levels of Thoschei in this whole season are astronomical. Amazing to see that this ‘ooh they’re exes and the breakup was bad’ energy has been with them from the very beginning. Pertwee and Delgado are great together. They both approach their roles with a certain aura of dignity (read: both the Master and the Doctor snobs), and when they turn that towards each other it’s always very funny to see. That bit where they’re trying to fly the TARDIS but the Doctor forgets to put that little piece back, suddenly remembers, tries to put it back quietly, the Master realises, somehow rolls his eyes without rolling his eyes (Delgado is great at this particular look), and they both just silently agree to ignore what just happened… That’s cinema, my friends.

Other little comments: my girl Jo didn’t get to do much this time apart from yelling at a government official, but neither did anyone else apart from the Master, so I’ll let it slide. The Axon threat was pretty good! Seemed like their plan had good chances of actually succeeding. The Doctor was this close to saying ‘timey-whimey’ 40 years too soon in his attempt to explain the time loop to the UNIT gang; not that Three ever would, he’s too chic for that kind of language. They went all out with the sets and costumes on this one, it all looked pretty cool.

And finally, SHE’S BACK ONLINE BABEYYY, WELCOME BACK, WORKING TARDIS!!! And thanks to the Master, who’d have thunk? One thing: did the TARDIS herself show him that he needed that light-accelerator switch thingummy to fix the Dematerialization Circuit? From what I understood, the screen on the round things just turned on out of nowhere, zoomed on that bit of the machine, and the Master went “Oh, of course”. Huh. Anyway. I really liked Three’s exile stories. He was constantly trying to fix the TARDIS, visibly upset at being stuck in one place, and I think it worked very well for the character. Gave him something to rebel against, and a very clear goal to work towards. Things are not 100% fixed, though. The TARDIS is rigged to return him to Earth like a “galactic yoyo”, but at least we can move about a bit. At the right time too. I do love the UNIT stories, but it was getting a bit repetitive.


mndy

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This review contains spoilers!

BRIGADIER: And you came back of your own accord?
DOCTOR: Well, I...
JO: Doctor?
DOCTOR: No. No, I’m afraid not. No, obviously the Time Lords have programmed the TARDIS always to return to Earth. It seems that I’m some kind of a galactic yo-yo!

Aww, he doesn't admit that he cares about them. Also I really loved the dynamic between The Doctor and The Master in episode 4. Some really cute Thoschei moments here.

Those Axon flesh monsters would have given me nightmares if I had seen this as a child. Overall I think this was a good story.


eldritchlamb

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It’s alright I guess just don’t get why the doctors so f**king rude to Jo even if it is an act


Rock_Angel

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A solid, well-paced serial that was mighty enjoyable, with an engaging new one-off character (with a classically classic Who terrible American accent!) The relationship between the Doctor and the Master was interesting, and the end of episode three had a wonderful scene that I've only seen before now in Tumblr GIFs talking about the thoschei relationship - oh, what fun! This serial lived up to it's reputation, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.


ThetaSigmaEarChef

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Quotes

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AXON MAN [on monitor]: All things must die, Doctor. Mankind, this planet, Axos merely hastens the process.

DOCTOR: Oh? How?

AXON MAN [on monitor]: Axonite is simply bait for human greed. Because of this greed, Axonite will soon spread across the entire planet and then the nutrition cycle will begin.

DOCTOR: Indeed, and what then?

AXON MAN [on monitor]: Slowly we will consume every particle of energy, every last cell of living matter. Earth will be sucked dry!

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Transcript Needs checking

Episode One

[UNIT radar tracking]

(An elegant golden spaceship is picked up on a tracking dish.)

RADAR 1: Twenty five mps. One million miles. Mass, variable.
RADAR 2: Well, if that's its course, we've discovered a comet. Run another course check.
RADAR 1: It's altered its course!
RADAR 2: It can't have.
RADAR 1: Oh, yes it can, mate. You can say goodbye to your comet, 'because whatever that thing is, it's on collision course and heading straight for Earth.

(We get a close up at the approaching ship, with it's organic-looking hull, leech-mouth-like bow, and tail-shaped stern. Inside, large lifeforms with lots of root-like appendages flail around.)


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