The Visitation

In an attempt to get Tegan back to her own time, the TARDIS accidentally ends up in 17th century England. Due to a plague ravaging the area, the locals are particularly inhospitable to the Doctor and his companions. With the help of an actor turned highwayman, the Doctor and his friends are able to take refuge in a nearby barn. It's there that the Doctor discovers a piece of jewelry made from polygrite, a material not native to Earth. When the investigation moves to the manor house, our intrepid time travelers come face to face with an android dressed as the Grim Reaper. And that's when things really start to go sideways. I had a particularly good time with The Visitation. It's a bit of a throwback to the pseudohistorical stories of the show's past. The Fifth Doctor really seems to be coming into his own here and we're starting to see his personality get fleshed out. The Terileptils, the big bad of the story, look great (for the most part, their coloring doesn't quite work under natural light) and their plans are both diabolical and coherent. Also, I really liked Richard Mace, the highwayman, who has plenty of good lines and good moments. Finally, it's worth noting here that the Doctor's sonic screwdriver got destroyed in this serial and was not seen again until the Doctor Who TV Movie in 1996.

 

Rating: I feel as though you've just killed an old friend%