Black Orchid

The TARDIS materializes on a railway platform in 1925. Soon after, the Doctor and his companions get whisked away to a country estate, where the Doctor gets to indulge in a spirited game of cricket. After winning the game, the Doctor and his friends get invited to Lord Cranleigh's home for a fancy dress party. But, it's not all cocktails and canapés, there's something sinister lurking inside Lord Cranleigh's home and it just might kill anyone who gets in its way. At just two parts, Black Orchid is a bit of an anomaly. It's a fairly low stakes story. There's no invasion to thwart or armageddon to prevent, it's really just a slightly horror tinged domestic mystery. That said, there's plenty to enjoy in Black Orchid. Nysaa turns out to be an exact duplicate of Lord Cranleigh's fiancée Ann. And, possibly for the first time, Tegan actually enjoys herself. Other than a few barbs directed at the Doctor at the beginning of the story, Tegan is all smiles throughout. The setting and the costumes (both the regular costumes and the fancy dress outfits) are all great. It's far from a perfect story, but it goes down easy. Like a nice cocktail in the bath.

Rating: Thank you, Lady Cranleigh, for a delightfully unexpected afternoon%