10. The Ark in Space
General Plot: The Doctor and Sarah take Harry Sullivan on a quick trip to the moon to prove that the TARDIS is what they say it is. However, thanks to Harry's interference, they end up on a deserted and deactivated space station Nerva, also known as the Ark. They soon discover that they are not alone, and find the evacuated survivors of Earth, kept in a state of suspended animation. They soon wake up, to discover that they have overslept by several thousand years and discover discover that a deadly race of giant insects known as the Wirrn had infiltrated the space station and laid eggs, which had now hatched and infected the leader of the colony of survivors, Noah. As Noah begins to evolve, the Doctor and his friends must prevent the extinction of the remains of the human race.
What Makes It Great: The Fourth Doctor era really begins in this story. Its previous story, Robot, was more of a transitional story, as many of the elements from the Pertwee era remained. Here, the Doctor is joined by a new companion, medic Harry Sullivan, as well as his regular companion, Sarah Jane Smith. They arrive on Space Station Nerva, which becomes a story arc for the rest of the series, and they are quickly under attack from the station's security system. Sarah gets trapped in a room with no door and no oxygen, while the Doctor and Harry are none the wiser, which proves for a gripping scene when Sarah is passing out, with the Doctor unable to hear her. The story really fleshes out the character of Harry in this episode. With the Doctor and Sarah wanting to prove to him that the TARDIS was what they said it was at the end of Robot, he seems totally baffled by it, and insults the Doctor by suggesting that he should sell it. However, as the story goes on, the Doctor comes to rely heavily on Harry, with his inquisitive mind and initiative. Throughout the course of the season, Harry becomes the Doctor's primary companion, with Sarah often being either capture or simply in a different situation, so this story is key in establishing the friendship between The Doctor and Harry. It is such brilliant writing that makes me sad that such male bonding rarely occurs now, with the female assistant taking the lead. In the later parts of the story, the relationship between the Doctor and Sarah is at its most magnificent. When Sarah is stuck in an air vent, the Doctor goads and taunts her, remarking at how useless she is. Sarah is devastated and angry, but it gives her the determination and incentive to get out so she can give the Doctor a piece of her mind. When she gets out, The Doctor grins and tells her how proud he is of her, at which point she realised he was just giving her the necessary encouragement. It's a truly magical scene and both Tom and Elizabeth Sladen shine. An interesting villain also makes this story special. The primary villain is actually dead when the Doctor arrives, as the Queen Wirrn who had initially infiltrated the station had already laid her eggs, cut through the circuitry causing the oversleep and infected the leader of the humans, before dying centuries earlier. But the leader of the human colony, Noah, had been infected and was faced with an internal and biological struggle as to where his allegiances lie. The use of religious mythology with Noah and his ark was also interestingly used in this story.
Memorable Quote:The Doctor : "Homo sapiens. What an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenceless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague. They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. Ready to outsit eternity. They're indomitable."