N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
For the second story in succession, the Doctor changes clothes at an inappropriate time.
In Planet of the Daleks, when faced with an unprecedented oxygen crisis in the TARDIS, he felt it was time for a change of velvet suit. Here, when well-disguised as Global Chemicals’ cleaning lady, the Doctor decides to change into his normal clothes (which he shouldn’t have had with him anyway given he’d arrived dressed as a milkman) for his first encounter with B.O.S.S. Well, as we know, Time Lords do always ‘dress for the occasion’.
“But, Doctor, it’s exactly your cup of tea. This fellow’s bright green apparently. And dead.”
The Brigadier, The Green Death: Episode One
Apart from untimely wardrobe changes, occasional wobbles in the effects department and admittedly outrageous Welsh stereotypes are probably the only other causes for complaint with The Green Death. Otherwise, it’s a fabulous end to the tenth season and Jo Grant’s time with the Doctor.
Initially, it’s hard not to think of Professor Jones as Hugh Grant’s flatmate Spike from Notting Hill, but if eco-warrior Jo seems to have appeared from nowhere in this story, it’s also not hard to see why she falls for him: for one, he’s almost as patronising as the Doctor. Either that or she twigs that he is onto something with this Quorn fungal protein foodstuff and will probably be a millionaire in a few years. (I do Jo a massive disservice of course.)
Elsewhere we get smoothie Adam Chance from Crossroads, the Brigadier goes all Del-boy in his sheepskin jacket and the Doctor displays his gift for disguise, not once but twice – it’s surprising that it’s taken this long for the production team to allow Jon Pertwee show off his comic talents like this (with the obvious exception of his Auton-induced gurning of course).
“We’ll see no more of those creepy-crawlies, you mark my words.”
The Brigadier, The Green Death: Episode Four
All flippancy aside, The Green Death remains one of the very best Third Doctor tales, combining a powerful story about environmental damage and pollution (with sentiments consistent with those portrayed back in Inferno), some memorably vicious giant maggots and a genuinely creepy and menacing pair of villains in Stevens and his super-computer B.O.S.S..
Jerome Willis’s final redemptive scene as Stevens is particularly worthy of praise and his ice-cold manner when faced with the Brigadier is also mightily impressive.
STEVENS
Yes, I think perhaps I am.
There are many other lovely lines of dialogue: from Professor Jones’s consoling words to Jo about the ‘unique’-ness of Bert and the Brigadier’s ‘Well, I never thought I’d fire in anger at a dratted caterpillar’ to Nancy’s “I’m not just a mum here, you know”, the script sparkles.
“Save me a piece of wedding cake.”
The Doctor, The Green Death: Episode Six
Although, it is perhaps left to what isn’t said at the farewell party that provides The Green Death with its most powerful moments. The Doctor clearly loves Jo a great deal and she him. Pertwee has arguably never been better than in the final few minutes here. (And it also goes to show that the Tenth Doctor doesn’t have the monopoly on love and loss.) It’s fair to say I thought the ending was rather wonderful.
So yes, dodgy fly effects and Welsh stereotypes notwithstanding, this was marvellous!
"Why would the Doctor want to go to Metebelis 3 when it's such a terrible place?"
"Before I knew the villain was B.O.S.S., a computer, I thought it might be the Master or the Great Intelligence."
"Like Inferno, digging/mining + touching green stuff = something bad happens.
Son of UT Rating: 9/10
