Terror of the Autons
by Robert Holmes
Originally Broadcasted: January 2nd-23rd, 1971
An old rival of the Doctor's, the Master, has arrived on Earth, looking to wreak havoc on the population all to better the Doctor. He calls upon the Nestene for another attempt to invade Earth through something very close to everyone's lives, plastic. Will the Doctor be able to not only stop the Nestenes, but also capture the evil Master?
Terror of the Autons is a very important story in the history of Doctor Who, mainly for the introduction of the Master. Behind the Daleks and the Cybermen, the Master is one of Doctor Who's most popular villains. I've got to say, the Master is my favorite villain in the show, because his menace is much more human, while being still being otherworldly. Right from the very start, Roger Delgado charms and terrifies at the same time. His unique suave attitude serves as an interesting counterpart to a sometimes bumbling Doctor, who doesn't always get everything right. You'd think this would mean the Master would always win his battles, but he is prone to thinking too grand and overlooking the little things. Roger Delgado is the definitive Master, whose performance obviously inspired the almost as great Anthony Ainley when he played the villainous Time Lord 10 years later. In addition to the introduction of the Master, this is also the first story for new regulars Jo Grant and Captain Mike Yates. With that, the beloved UNIT family is complete, giving the show a real ensemble feel for one of the few times in its history. They join Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, John Levene, and even Roger Delgado as the tour de force behind the show in the early 1970s.
Terror of the Autons really gives the terror to the Autons! Writer Robert Holmes obviously wanted to push the fear boundaries even further than he did the year before with
Spearhead from Space. This time, instead of shop window dummies coming to life, the threat is taken into our homes with a evil troll doll and a man eating plastic sofa. Even the police that rescue the Doctor and Jo at the end of Episode Two end up being Autons in disguise. The masked men walking around in yellow suits is equally creepy, adding a lifeless element. In fact, the makers of the show got into a little bit of trouble over the scary moments in the show, and were forced to dial it back a bit. Robert Holmes brilliantly uses the Autons to terrify us, and having the Master on top of that makes
Terror of the Autons my favorite Auton story.
Luke's Rating:
9/10
