not entirely sure how i feel about this one tbh. i dont like the sensorite design much. i think the idea of the doctor going and fixing a planets problems is compelling. i liked in the aztecs that barbara was using her history knowledge, i would have liked it in this one if ian used his science knowledge more. the engagement between the humans and the sensorites, it seems like this is all taking place prior to the eventual conquest of the sensorite planet by humans, that's the vibe it gives. i think the gone mad humans were interesting but they needed to be more developed, not just brought out in the last episode. we needed a bit more time with them, as apparently they are what the story was inspired by. also the tardis team brings up the caste systems and it seems like they will develop this more but instead it is just dropped, no arguement that they should get rid of the caste system and we spend basically no time with the other castes, we have little understanding how sensorite society functions. this serial i think first marks the begining of doctor who canon, with the team refercing past episodes, the doctor expressing his dislike of weapons and the first(?) reference to Gallifrey, and ideas about susan and the doctor travelling before they met barbara and ian

It’s pretty solid! I dreaded watching it, when I first get around to it and after watching it, admittedly I don’t understand why this story is really looked down so much, sure it might be perhaps one of the weaker ones in this Season for me but honestly, it’s really solid. I think the pacing is alright, I always love a good 6 Parter and while this by no means is a perfect one, it doesn’t really drag like some other stories do. The Cliffhangers we get here are fairly good, with the standout being the first one. The build in suspense in the first Episodes are stellar, seeing the Doctor doing actually Science is great and of course as many pointed out this is pretty much one of Susan’s finest hour we got in the Show. I do think some plot points around the end of the story just kinda come out of nowhere and while not a bad idea, they do kinda lack the fleshing out.

But overall not really bad, not a personal favorite but yet another strong outing for Season 1!

“Isn’t it a better thing to travel hopefully than arrive ?”

C’est captivant au début, mais chaque partie est moins bonne que la précédente, et l’histoire (même avec quelques touches brillantes) est de plus en plus grossière et seulement élevée par les interactions très touchantes de Susan avec son grand-père. 

Pourtant, en soi, c’est un épisode qui a quand même de bons instincts. Susan grandit, et elle n'a jamais été aussi touchante que quand elle affronte la solitude et l’exil.  

Mais c’est seulement (malheureusement) quand elle fait face à des aliens un peu neuneus dans un script dans l’ensemble assez médiocre qu’elle peut ENFIN avoir ce développement. Et non seulement ça prouve à quel point les 60’s sont carrément en retard. 

Mais ça prouve aussi que Susan est à la fois l’une des compagnes les plus importantes et une de celles qui a été la moins bien écrite. 

I liked that Susan got her chance to shine! I also liked the finale, where Ian is glad the spaceship knows where it's going, and the Doctor, immediately on the defensive, goes for a Tumblr-style "okay, you know what? Fuck this. Fuck you. I'm abandoning you at the next planet we come to" approach

I was pleasantly surprised revisiting this story how much I enjoyed it - I remember this being a very slow, drawn out story with not much happening but there's a lot more there. I'm a sucker for stories with political intrigue and while what is here is fairly surface level (the City Administrator is sceptical of the humans and wants them killed, the Elders disagree so he gets himself the position of Second Elder to achieve that goal) but it works. The early episodes have this dark ominous tone that really helps this story and I think helps to subvert expectations - all the aliens met so far have been evil (Daleks, Voord); and so this is subverted quickly when the Sensorites turn out to be friendly; if very different.

The other thing this story does well is that it's the best use of Susan in the whole TV series - if only because it takes advantage of her not being human for the first time. Her telepathy is what establishes a connection with the Sensorites and opens the door between the humans trapped on the ship and the Sensorites; and is crucial at finding the Doctor and Ian (lost in the aqueduct after being captured by the previous set of humans who were trying to poison the Sensorites).

I do think the slow pace broadly does hurt this story - especially between a pair of the top tier historical stories which have slightly quicker pace. Overall though this is worth a watch.

The Sensorites: 8.5/10 - I thought the resolution of the story was a bit too fast paced but I really enjoyed Susan's role in the story. The Sensorites themselves were interesting creatures and you can tell RTD got inspired by them when making the Ood. The Doctor was also great in this episode and its cool seeing the doctors first wardrobe change of the show

📝6/10

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

"The Sensorites: From Suspense to Snooze"

The Sensorites is an odd tale that feels like two separate stories awkwardly stitched together. The first two episodes are a tense, gripping thriller set aboard a confined spaceship—easily one of the most compelling openings of the First Doctor’s era. Episode 1, in particular, stands out as a masterclass in atmosphere, blending sharp direction, sound design, and performances into a near-perfect prototype for the "base-under-siege" stories that would become iconic in later eras.

The story begins with a reflective tone, as the TARDIS crew reminisce about past adventures, including unseen ones that add a dash of intrigue to the Doctor's mysterious past. The Part 1 cliffhanger, with its eerie reveal, is a classic that must have haunted countless children in its time.

However, the narrative stumbles once we leave the spaceship in Part 3 and venture into the dull and overly talkative world of the Sense Sphere. The intriguing menace of the Sensorites dissipates as they transform from creepy telepathic aliens into bureaucratic squabblers. The plot becomes bogged down by padding, contrived twists, and an uninspired medical mystery. By the time we reach the rushed and unremarkable climax in Part 6, it feels like Peter R. Newman ran out of steam.

The latter episodes rely heavily on the scheming of the pantomime-like City Administrator, whose raspy voice and cartoonish villainy fail to provide real tension. His grand plan is not only absurdly simple but also undermined by noticeable differences between the Sensorites (like their voices and body shapes), despite the story insisting they are identical.

On a brighter note, this serial gives Susan some much-needed character development. Her growing independence strains her relationship with the Doctor, creating emotional depth for both characters. Carole Ann Ford delivers a nuanced performance that hints at Susan’s untapped potential—sadly, this was not explored further before her departure.

William Hartnell, meanwhile, is at his absolute best, especially in the first two episodes. The Doctor is witty, determined, and commanding, embracing his role as an investigator with gusto. These episodes also feature a delightful "Doctor doing science" montage, a rare treat.

The guest cast shines early on, particularly Stephen Dartnell as the troubled John. Unfortunately, the narrative sidelines them once the action shifts to the Sense Sphere. The Sensorites themselves start as an intriguing concept: a peaceful, telepathic race with a creepy aesthetic. However, their appeal dwindles as the script reduces them to ineffective plot devices. Even their telepathy—initially a key feature—feels underutilized, as they converse with everyone just like any other alien species.

Visually, the spaceship set and Sensorite masks are suitably eerie, but the Sense Sphere is disappointingly bland. Frequent line flubs from the Sensorite actors (and even Hartnell) add unintentional humor to the mix.

Ultimately, The Sensorites is a tale of two halves: a fantastic opening followed by a repetitive, padded descent into mediocrity. While it has its highlights, it never quite lives up to its early promise.

No! Sensitises you started so well why you gotta turn boring!!!!

The Sensorites is alright enough in terms of a production thing, and easy enough to hand wave away as just a quirk of the series in it's earliest days. Still, it is just so boring. I really barely got through this one and compared to the better stories of this earlier era - like the Pilot, The Daleks, and The Aztecs, it just feels like a much weaker take on Doctor Who. The Sensorites feels like one of a handful of episodes from the First Doctor's era that show what could have been - a weaker version of the show that certainly wouldn't have the same lasting legacy than the full-blown franchise the show ultimately became.

I actually really enjoyed myself with this one. The Sensorites are unique amongst the “monsters” we’ve seen, since they’re not really monsters at all! Their society is well thought out and there’s good and bad people amongst them, and the same goes for the humans. It strikes a really nice balance that I’ve always wanted modern who to have more often! Science fiction is in its very essence left-leaning, but at the same time it often presents whole groups or races as ‘the evil ones’. It is odd that this is something the modern series can struggle with, when it’s done so well here (although I’m not entirely convinced the concept will stick around).

This story is, however, the most interesting in its first 2 episodes, and dwindles a bit in its last 2. The addition of the extra human plot drags quite a bit and feels unnecessary, even if it is a nice contrast against the good and bad Sensorites. Still, when it is focused, it is very high quality. Props especially go to the portrayal of John, a role of so little note that he does not even have his own page on the Tardis Wiki. He is the one most effected by the mental attacks, and shows a combination of fear and craziness that establishes the threat of the Sensorites before they’ve ever been on screen. His job makes their powers and threat much clearer early on, even if they don’t intend to use it all that much.

As for the regular cast, Barbara gets shoved to the sideline a bit this episode. I assume Jacqueline Hill was on vacation. It is fine however, since she just had the last story, where the focus was completely on her. The rest of the cast shines as brightly as usual for me. Ian has to show more restraint than usual, which proves troublesome in the first few episodes, since this is a foe they actually shouldn’t attack. It makes sense after the last few adventures to take an offensive stance at the unknown, but it is dealt with in a nice way. Susan shows off some standoffishness, which I don’t really find either appealing or distracting for her character. It doesn’t really add much in the grand scheme of things, but it does fit her character. It is fine. Meanwhile the doctor seems to show a bit more stubbornness and grumpiness than he had in the last few stories, which is less appealing, since he had started to soften a bit more than this, but it isn’t too distracting.

The Gallifreyan mind powers also come into play for the first time, with both the doctor and Susan showing them off a bit. They’re neat I suppose. Not that interesting in the grand scheme of things.

Overall this is one of the better episodes. It is not the best story ever, but it has an interesting opponent which leads to nice interactions and an understandable conflict. It’s a good time.