Last time I did a review of the entire The Ark, and this week I was hoping to do the entire Pertwee story, The Mutants in one go, but time got away from me, not to mention that Weather and Safety Leave scare I still am not ready to talk about. So this time, I’m just doing part 1, with other parts to follow.
We start out with what looks like a fox chase. Yet, we see a terrified, middle-aged gentleman and no fox. He’s human—or at least mostly human, apart from the chitinous, jet-black spine along his back.
The bombastic Marshal and his two less-than-willing lackies, Stubs and Cotton are on a Mutt Hunt. They are giving chase and when the Marshal finds the poor, beleaguered, heavy-backed soul, we find him already dead. Clearly, the Marshal takes no prisoners. One is, naturally reminded of a 1930s Lynch Mob, all the more poignant as Cotton, played by Rick James, is clearly an Antiguan with African roots.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Jo Grant is rather peckish. Of course, the Third Doctor is, as usual, totally oblivious to his companions needs, instead tinkering with some device that will give Bessie faster breaking. Suddenly, the Time Lords give the Doctor a rejected, black football, as Time Lords are want to do, and send him to Solos.
The Doctor and Jo land on Skybase 1 with their charcoal football and puts around a bit, examining a clearly bland and empty storage room. Come on, Doctor, where’s your get up and go? Has it got up and went?
Finally, we meet Ky, a charismatic freedom fighter. Now we get to see the racism at play, Ky has to take the Solonian transport (fountain for coloreds) and one for Overlords (whites). The Overlords are clearly the Human colonists. It looks like the British empire is subjugating native peoples even in the thirtieth century. Ky doesn’t get along with the Uncle Tom, like Varan, working for the Overlords.
As the Solonians leave, one Uncle Tom remains behind. At first, all seems normal until the human examines the Uncle Tom, and notices the same chitinous shell around his hand and calls him a Mutt. The Uncle Tom goes crazy and attacks a human guard, killing him, then flees.
Finally, the Doctor gets out his trusty Sonic Screwdriver and leaves the storage closet.
Meanwhile, the Marshal is asking Varan for a patsy. Varan offers his most loyal subject as tribute, his very own son. This even startles the Marshal since he knows just what’s going to happen to his patsy.
Stubbs and Cotton are playing Chess with Windchimes. When the first door fault goes off, they say bugger it, who cares about his nibs.
The Doctor and Jo are attacked by the Uncle Mutt, and break into yet another storage room, setting off a second alarm.
When the second one goes, Stubbs and Cotton realize they’d better get a move on. They find the Doctor and Jo and Stubbs shoots the Uncle Mutt, killing him. Then, for once, some characters in Doctor Who do the logical thing: they arrest Jo and The Doctor.
The Administrator is looking to retire. Earth has no more interest in Solos and all he wants is to leave the planet to its own devices. He’s bored, but decides to meet with the Doctor anyway. The Doctor gives him the charcoal football, and then the Marshal takes it. It opens for no-one. The Marshal tries to blast it opened, and, failing, rolls his eyes, and then leaves with the Administrator. Stubbs is left to guard them.
In the Marshal’s office, the Administrator is trying to give the speech of his life, announcing that Earth is giving Solos its freedom. Too bad he’s such a blowhard. He has to get through every word of his speech before he can make the announcement. Ky is right impatient and starts heckling. In the chaos, the Marshal smiles, waiting for Varan’s son to pull the trigger and assassinate his boss—that’s one way to get ahead.
The Doctor does some Venusian Aikido and he and Jo escape without the Socic. You’d think they’d have locked them in, but I guess after one logical move, they were done.
Varan’s son shoots the Administrator and pandemonium ensues. Of course, as the Martin Luther King, Jr. of Solonians, Ky high tails it out of there, just as the Doctor and Jo arrive on the scene. In the corridor, Ky runs into the Doctor and… the charcoal football finally opens.
Jo and the Doctor chase after Ky, and Ky takes Jo hostage, down to the surface of Solos and its semi-toxic atmosphere.
Next up, The Mutants, Part 2…
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