RIP Sonic Screwdriver. Producer JNT wanted it gone so it wouldn't become a 'magic wand' that got the Doctor out of every situation, forcing him to come up with more creative solutions. It's one of the few major decisions JNT made that I'm on board with, especially since Sonic Ex Machina pops up quite a few times in the revival. Always liked the monster designs in this one with the scarred, differently coloured Terileptils and their gaudy androids that disguise themselves as the Grim Reaper. There's a lot of visual flavour even if the direction is sometimes flat.
@@martinmorles1 Odder still because the solution to "it gets you out of everything" is for the Doctor to say "Even the sonic screwdriver won't get me out of this one" (not necessarily with a knowing look to camera which is how Tom would say that...)
The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa audios really show this off. They're just so competent around each other. You can really tell that the writers are sometimes struggling to fit in those 'companions ask the Doctor what's going on' moments because Nyssa already understands haha
The ending of this story is like the ending of Pryamids of Mars a building going up in flames and the alien burning to death was horrible evil as he was.
When my partner was in hospital before giving birth to our daughter, I was sent home to get some rest before the birth, and I fell asleep watching this story. It’s a real comfort story for me and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Back in 1987, on the second visit to the U.K. with my parents (we are from Ohio, US), and I had seen this story on PBS, I visited Monument. In London, on Pudding Lane is a stone tower, with a narrow circular stair to climb/descend that marks the Great Fire of 1666. There were fewer skyscrapers in London then, there are now (my last visit in 2019). You could see far and away. Much of olde London was burned -the Plague did apparently decrease after the fire. St.Paul's Cathedral, which was still partially wood burn in the the Great Fire. Rebuilt in glorious stone under the design of Christopher Wren, architect, Baroque Era. I stayed at a Youth Hostel, near St. Paul's in 1989, when traveling -attended a Christmas mass there. Location of the Cybermen marching down, my pilgrimage. And, a very good Indian restaurant near, too . "The Visitation" is a great 5th Doctor story, history and aliens.
The Visitation is one of the very best Davison serials and in the top 20 Who stories for me.Arguably the plot is a little linear and pedestrian. However, Nyssa's destruction of the Android, Tegan's outrageous lies and some of the poetic lines as the Tereptils justify their thirst for domination lift it way above the average. I live in London and know the Monument area well. Glad you got so much out of your visits. Suffice to say, we have had several more skyscrapers built since 2019, despite the impact of Covid on the building trade. The Great Fire was very much a cleanser for the plague. Historians of the period often mention a comet in the sky in the winter of 1665 just before the plague took hold, such things (in superstition) often denote great tragedy or events with far-reaching consequences - a similar comet (possibly Halley's) - was observed in earky months of 1066. Not long after the death of Edward the Confessor. Sir Christopher Wren transformed much of the city of London area in the wake of the great fire. The rebuilt St Paul's being the magnificent pinnacle of his architectural contribution. Essentially the years that followed saw the city transformed, as the planners and Wren's fellow architects, shaped a modern renaissance of the city. If this serial was made for nuWho, the Doctor would no doubt meet Wren or Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, whose record of the times informed much of known facts about the Great Fire. Love the serial, however, I think they missed a trick in not having a villager or android dressed as a Plague Doctor. The creepy bird-like mask, scared the pants off my little niece and nephew (now both teenagers) when we visited The Museum of London's section on the Plague and Great Fire.
I know most fans would pick an upcoming serial as the best of the season, but Visitation remains my personal favorite of 5ths' debut (and Kinda grows on me more and more).
My favorites from this season are "Four To Doomsday", then "Earthshock", then "Kinda", but "The Visitation" is, if nothing else, proof that most of the 5th Doctor's era is full of absolute bangers...
"We don't want to be blamed for starting a fire, do we? [...] Had enough of that in 1666" -4th Doctor, _Pyramids of Mars._ 6 seasons later, he actually did start the fire.
There’s a short story set during Part 4, written by Matthew Waterhouse who plays Adric, in which he pilots the TARDIS to the Deep South during the 1860s before finally getting it back to the Manor House to find the others. Fun idea!
The Great Fire destroyed the old St Paul's cathedral leading to its rebuilding and re-design by Christopher Wren, the iconic results of which can be seen behind Invading Cybermen in The Invasion, and of course the famous shot of it surviving the Blitz
Ah, another possible (almost) iconic one-off 5th Doctor villain I hope will return someday in the future... I actually forgot about the Terileptils, one of my favourites. Which is strange that I forgot them as I remember vividly watching The Visitation (particularly that eye-popping scene). I think his story may have been the one that actually got me hooked on Doctor Who. There is at least one other possibly (almost) iconic 5th Doctor monster later on that I also would like to see return, which I'd almost forgotten about until recently... but you'll have to wait for their appearance.
The visitation is a very traditional kind of story compared to the ones before it. I like it though and I'm glad youre enjoying the 5th Doctors first year. Its my favourite season in all of classic who.😊
Great story with a lot of lore for a one of alien. Love the designs and the fact Nyssa kills the android. And the finale fight scene is quintessential Who
The great fire of London - a thing English school-children are hopefully still taught, because I left the British education system a LONG time ago - means this ending neatly circles back, topically, to 'Pyramids of Mars'. After Tom Baker's Doctor is accidentally responsible for the burning down of the priory UNIT HQ will later be constructed on, he makes himself scarce before blame can fall on him; commenting '...I had enough of that in 1666...'. This puzzled you at the time, but this story clears it up. It also means that the 4th Doctor is either joking on that occasion or he - or one of his predecessors - is at large in 17th century London at the same moment. Maybe it's 3 uncovering Samuel Pepys' buried stash of wine and cheese....
Pudding Lane is where the famous great fire of London started in 1666.... hence the comment at the end (in real life it was apparently a bakers oven on pudding Lane but that is disputed now)... it destroyed much of london and paved the way for the London we know today to be built (out of stone not wood)
I like that we get some Aliens with a sense of design and Aesthetics (the glam droid ) they maybe hardened crimnals but they got an eye for the bling! As with the Great Fire of Rome , The Doctor becomes , sort of , responsible for another famous Fire, albeit one which in the end wasn't too fatal and maybe even helped ' clean ' the Plague out a bit.
I love the moment 5 nearly has too much of tegans sass and is about to absolutely let her have and then catches himself and restrains himself … barely. Lol.
I love it. A fantastic story. Nyssa is once again so competent and useful. Adric once again isn’t Mace is a very good supporting character. And the Terileptils are a really good opponent who should’ve got some repeat entries in the canon. The plot generally makes sense and the Puddling Lane reference is clever
And good bye sonic screwdriver, a great decision by JNT as it had become too much of a get out of jail card. Something new Who has unfortunately let get out of hand
I always thought the Terileptils should be brought back; interesting design and backstory. I guess there are too many reptilian aliens as is. While it's interesting to see 3 companions again, there are times it also feels awkward. Next is something completely different!
No more sonic screwdriver 😞. At least until Paul McGann shows up. On the plus side, though this Doctor mostly went "hands free", he is wearing a vegetable. 😄
How wooden are the Headman and the villagers who stop the Doctor's execution? Odd because the actor who plays the Headman is excellent in the superlative Ronnie Barker sitcom, Porridge.
I’m not sure how well known The Great Plague and Great Fire of London are outside of the UK, but it’s one of the first things studied in the British history curriculum.
Never did it at school, but it's one of those things you sort of get to know without trying if your British, or used to be at least. Do any sort of tourist history thing jn London and its up there with Jack the Ripper and The Beatles haha
THANKS for this!!!! This episode is evidence that the writer of the 1996 movie *did* watch every episode--he had Eight bang the TARDIS into operation, too!!!! And I'm assuming this is the fire that Fourteen refers to when he and Donna were talking to Sir Issac Newton!
And also the 4th Doctor mentions it to Sarah Jane at the end of Pyramids of Mars. Doesn’t want to get blamed for another fire… “Had enough of that in 1666”
I say Seska the sonic screwdriver been destroyed was terrible, and also these Terleptiles are almost similar in appearance to the Sea Devils and also the android is awesome I do say if you can it is worth seeing and reacting to Blake,s Seven if you have never seen it Seska .
The Visitation was the story that was notable for the destruction of the sonic screwdriver, which was seen by John Nathan-Turner and his production team at that point as a rather too convenient magical device for getting the Doctor out of sticky situations, a predictable deus ex machina that has definitely proved all too convenient in some Modern Doctor Who stories.
Probably a silly question & forgive ne if I'm missing something but in Day of the Doctor, doesnt the Doctor claim the sonic has been making calculations through all his incarnations - how is this possible if it was destroyed in the 5th Doctors era?!
I once saw a list about Doctor Who that recommended 1 iconic Episode/Story from each Season from the Classic Era & this was the Story recommended for Season 19.
R.I.P. to the sonic screwdriver 😢. I have to say i felt bad for the tereleptil I know they were evil and wanted to destroy the human race but I don't think he deserved to be burnt to death I would never wish that on anybody I just thought it was a scene abit too cruel to be honest. I also love the twist at the end of the reveal of Pudding Lane the famous fire.
I have always loved Nyssa's very impressive destruction of the Bejewelled Android and especially her feeling sad for it afterwards. I recall Sarah Sutton once described Tegan and Nyssa going camping, as a way of underlining the differences in their characters: Nyssa would have all the practical accessories and know-how only to discover Tegan had forgotten the tent!! Nyssa is very nifty with the fire extinguisher too, must have been so tempting to use it on the fire in Pudding Lane, then again, the Doctor (rightly) felt the fire should run its course!
The idea of the android being bejewelled was that it was created by beings that combine technology with high art. Unfortunately the limited budget meant that the final project didn't live up to the concept.
'Drop the sonic device!' is almost a direct quote from Dr Who's new production regime. Keen to remove anything that would make the character less resourceful (see also K-9), Producer John Nathan-Turner (kind of the RTD of his day) wanted to make the Doctor a more on-the-spot heroic figure. This comes back to haunt Peter Davison's incarnation in the 2017 charity clip 'Time Crash' (which, I am aware, you've already reacted to) in which David Tennant's 10th Doctor is quick to recall how his old self solved problems 'with a kettle and some string'. A different age...
I'm glad you're liking Tegan so much. She's my favourite companion from this era. :) I really like the roles the companions fall into in this story. Nyssa is like a mini-Doctor, Adric fills the more traditional "emotional" role of worrying about the Doctor and Tegan (when she's not mind-controlled) is the comic relief. They all get some nice character moments at the start of Part 1 too. I feel like Peter Davison's performance when he's talking to the bad guy is something you see emulated with a lot of modern Doctors too.
I wish the tereleptils would come back in NuWho just so they can destroy that bloody annoying sonic screwdriver again it's so overused to the point beyond ridiculous JNT made the right call by getting rid of it the Doctor should be using his wit not his tools.
Pudding Lane is a
Street in London, England that's where the great fire of london started in 1666
I think Jess grasped the point.
rip the Sonic Screwdriver ☹☹☹☹😢😢😢😢
Until new who
@@mark-s nope...Till the 1996 tv movie!
Good!
RIP Sonic Screwdriver. Producer JNT wanted it gone so it wouldn't become a 'magic wand' that got the Doctor out of every situation, forcing him to come up with more creative solutions. It's one of the few major decisions JNT made that I'm on board with, especially since Sonic Ex Machina pops up quite a few times in the revival.
Always liked the monster designs in this one with the scarred, differently coloured Terileptils and their gaudy androids that disguise themselves as the Grim Reaper. There's a lot of visual flavour even if the direction is sometimes flat.
Which is odd as the screwdriver in classic era mostly only opened doors or activated devices so they must have really disliked it
@@martinmorles1 Odder still because the solution to "it gets you out of everything" is for the Doctor to say "Even the sonic screwdriver won't get me out of this one" (not necessarily with a knowing look to camera which is how Tom would say that...)
What situations did it get him out of? Open a few doors?
Delete this this is a spoiler
@@flaggerify Pertwee detonating minefields and scaring off Sea-Devils?
Nyssa is a really competent companion
Definitely. She and Zoe would make a first rate duo!
The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa audios really show this off. They're just so competent around each other. You can really tell that the writers are sometimes struggling to fit in those 'companions ask the Doctor what's going on' moments because Nyssa already understands haha
The ending of this story is like the ending of Pryamids of Mars a building going up in flames and the alien burning to death was horrible evil as he was.
When my partner was in hospital before giving birth to our daughter, I was sent home to get some rest before the birth, and I fell asleep watching this story. It’s a real comfort story for me and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Back in 1987, on the second visit to the U.K. with my parents (we are from Ohio, US), and I had seen this story on PBS, I visited Monument. In London, on Pudding Lane is a stone tower, with a narrow circular stair to climb/descend that marks the Great Fire of 1666. There were fewer skyscrapers in London then, there are now (my last visit in 2019). You could see far and away. Much of olde London was burned -the Plague did apparently decrease after the fire. St.Paul's Cathedral, which was still partially wood burn in the the Great Fire. Rebuilt in glorious stone under the design of Christopher Wren, architect, Baroque Era. I stayed at a Youth Hostel, near St. Paul's in 1989, when traveling -attended a Christmas mass there. Location of the Cybermen marching down, my pilgrimage. And, a very good Indian restaurant near, too . "The Visitation" is a great 5th Doctor story, history and aliens.
The Visitation is one of the very best Davison serials and in the top 20 Who stories for me.Arguably the plot is a little linear and pedestrian. However, Nyssa's destruction of the Android, Tegan's outrageous lies and some of the poetic lines as the Tereptils justify their thirst for domination lift it way above the average.
I live in London and know the Monument area well. Glad you got so much out of your visits. Suffice to say, we have had several more skyscrapers built since 2019, despite the impact of Covid on the building trade.
The Great Fire was very much a cleanser for the plague. Historians of the period often mention a comet in the sky in the winter of 1665 just before the plague took hold, such things (in superstition) often denote great tragedy or events with far-reaching consequences - a similar comet (possibly Halley's) - was observed in earky months of 1066. Not long after the death of Edward the Confessor.
Sir Christopher Wren transformed much of the city of London area in the wake of the great fire. The rebuilt St Paul's being the magnificent pinnacle of his architectural contribution. Essentially the years that followed saw the city transformed, as the planners and Wren's fellow architects, shaped a modern renaissance of the city.
If this serial was made for nuWho, the Doctor would no doubt meet Wren or Samuel Pepys, the famous diarist, whose record of the times informed much of known facts about the Great Fire.
Love the serial, however, I think they missed a trick in not having a villager or android dressed as a Plague Doctor. The creepy bird-like mask, scared the pants off my little niece and nephew (now both teenagers) when we visited The Museum of London's section on the Plague and Great Fire.
I know most fans would pick an upcoming serial as the best of the season, but Visitation remains my personal favorite of 5ths' debut (and Kinda grows on me more and more).
Yes, The Visitation is my favourite of this season... closely followed by the one straight after it. :)
My favourite is Kinda, but this is second!
My favorites from this season are "Four To Doomsday", then "Earthshock", then "Kinda", but "The Visitation" is, if nothing else, proof that most of the 5th Doctor's era is full of absolute bangers...
"We don't want to be blamed for starting a fire, do we? [...] Had enough of that in 1666" -4th Doctor, _Pyramids of Mars._ 6 seasons later, he actually did start the fire.
Wibbly wobbly timey whimey.
There’s a short story set during Part 4, written by Matthew Waterhouse who plays Adric, in which he pilots the TARDIS to the Deep South during the 1860s before finally getting it back to the Manor House to find the others. Fun idea!
The Great Fire destroyed the old St Paul's cathedral leading to its rebuilding and re-design by Christopher Wren, the iconic results of which can be seen behind Invading Cybermen in The Invasion, and of course the famous shot of it surviving the Blitz
Ah, another possible (almost) iconic one-off 5th Doctor villain I hope will return someday in the future... I actually forgot about the Terileptils, one of my favourites. Which is strange that I forgot them as I remember vividly watching The Visitation (particularly that eye-popping scene). I think his story may have been the one that actually got me hooked on Doctor Who. There is at least one other possibly (almost) iconic 5th Doctor monster later on that I also would like to see return, which I'd almost forgotten about until recently... but you'll have to wait for their appearance.
The visitation is a very traditional kind of story compared to the ones before it. I like it though and I'm glad youre enjoying the 5th Doctors first year. Its my favourite season in all of classic who.😊
Great story with a lot of lore for a one of alien. Love the designs and the fact Nyssa kills the android. And the finale fight scene is quintessential Who
This is a really good story, but two of my favorites are coming up next. I can't wait to see your reactions to them.
Tegan (unaware of the sonic's demise) "Can't you use your screwdriver?" Too soon, Tegan, too soon!
Oh the Snark in this one! 🤣
Goodbye dear sonic.
The great fire of London - a thing English school-children are hopefully still taught, because I left the British education system a LONG time ago - means this ending neatly circles back, topically, to 'Pyramids of Mars'. After Tom Baker's Doctor is accidentally responsible for the burning down of the priory UNIT HQ will later be constructed on, he makes himself scarce before blame can fall on him; commenting '...I had enough of that in 1666...'. This puzzled you at the time, but this story clears it up. It also means that the 4th Doctor is either joking on that occasion or he - or one of his predecessors - is at large in 17th century London at the same moment. Maybe it's 3 uncovering Samuel Pepys' buried stash of wine and cheese....
Pudding Lane is where the famous great fire of London started in 1666.... hence the comment at the end (in real life it was apparently a bakers oven on pudding Lane but that is disputed now)... it destroyed much of london and paved the way for the London we know today to be built (out of stone not wood)
I like that we get some Aliens with a sense of design and Aesthetics (the glam droid ) they maybe hardened crimnals but they got an eye for the bling!
As with the Great Fire of Rome , The Doctor becomes , sort of , responsible for another famous Fire, albeit one which in the end wasn't too fatal and maybe even helped ' clean ' the Plague out a bit.
Both are myths. Many died and that part of the city was not very plague-ridden.
I just love 5th Doctor and Tegan bickering in this episode, constantly roasting each other!! 😂😂
Mirroring the actors in real life - they still do it!
I love the moment 5 nearly has too much of tegans sass and is about to absolutely let her have and then catches himself and restrains himself … barely. Lol.
I love it. A fantastic story. Nyssa is once again so competent and useful. Adric once again isn’t
Mace is a very good supporting character. And the Terileptils are a really good opponent who should’ve got some repeat entries in the canon.
The plot generally makes sense and the Puddling Lane reference is clever
And good bye sonic screwdriver, a great decision by JNT as it had become too much of a get out of jail card. Something new Who has unfortunately let get out of hand
I always thought the Terileptils should be brought back; interesting design and backstory. I guess there are too many reptilian aliens as is. While it's interesting to see 3 companions again, there are times it also feels awkward. Next is something completely different!
RIP the Sonic Screwdriver. Never to be seen in the classic series again.
Unless you count the tv movie. Both the 7th and 8th Doctor's used it in that.
Hiya. Congrats on 103k now. I wonder what percentage of the people who watch your reactions AREN'T subscribed? Stay safe. All the best to you.
Now you know why the Tenth Doctor said the Fifth liked to go hands free. The loss of the sonic.
No more sonic screwdriver 😞. At least until Paul McGann shows up. On the plus side, though this Doctor mostly went "hands free", he is wearing a vegetable. 😄
How wooden are the Headman and the villagers who stop the Doctor's execution?
Odd because the actor who plays the Headman is excellent in the superlative Ronnie Barker sitcom, Porridge.
“To live a primitive life without grace or beauty…” That’s quite poetic and an interesting motive for a DW villain.
The reason the fire was supposed to run its course is because it was the Start of the Great Fire of London which started in a bakery on Pudding Lane..
Cheerio, sonic! Hello Great Fire of London 🙌
I’m not sure how well known The Great Plague and Great Fire of London are outside of the UK, but it’s one of the first things studied in the British history curriculum.
I didn't know it in 1982 when I was 10 years old watching this but then again it was not really known in Ireland.
Never did it at school, but it's one of those things you sort of get to know without trying if your British, or used to be at least. Do any sort of tourist history thing jn London and its up there with Jack the Ripper and The Beatles haha
@@AndyRossism The Beatles, that great London band... from Liverpool.
THANKS for this!!!! This episode is evidence that the writer of the 1996 movie *did* watch every episode--he had Eight bang the TARDIS into operation, too!!!!
And I'm assuming this is the fire that Fourteen refers to when he and Donna were talking to Sir Issac Newton!
And also the 4th Doctor mentions it to Sarah Jane at the end of Pyramids of Mars. Doesn’t want to get blamed for another fire… “Had enough of that in 1666”
I say Seska the sonic screwdriver been destroyed was terrible, and also these Terleptiles are almost similar in appearance to the Sea Devils and also the android is awesome I do say if you can it is worth seeing and reacting to Blake,s Seven if you have never seen it Seska .
Well long live the sonic screwdriver in new who nyssa is my favourite 5th doctor companion only a 7 for this story
Glad you are enjoying the Davison era, love the majority of his era. Lots of fun sadness and adventures.
RIP sonic screwdriver
If you think you love the Doctor and Teagan, you should see Peter Davison and Janet Fielding interact at conventions. They are hilarious and spikey.
You want Adric to have a triumphant moment......i don't think that is far away.
So close to Earthshock!!!!
The Visitation was the story that was notable for the destruction of the sonic screwdriver, which was seen by John Nathan-Turner and his production team at that point as a rather too convenient magical device for getting the Doctor out of sticky situations, a predictable deus ex machina that has definitely proved all too convenient in some Modern Doctor Who stories.
I find it hilarious that they thought that when it was practically a lock pick and Russell made it into a “whatever you want it to do device”.
Similar to K-9.
Ironic considering what it has become… “Wingardium Leviosa” …😂🤪
Probably a silly question & forgive ne if I'm missing something but in Day of the Doctor, doesnt the Doctor claim the sonic has been making calculations through all his incarnations - how is this possible if it was destroyed in the 5th Doctors era?!
@@Paul_1971 I think it was just from the War Doctor to the 11th Doctor.
I once saw a list about Doctor Who that recommended 1 iconic Episode/Story from each Season from the Classic Era & this was the Story recommended for Season 19.
R.I.P. to the sonic screwdriver 😢.
I have to say i felt bad for the tereleptil I know they were evil and wanted to destroy the human race but I don't think he deserved to be burnt to death I would never wish that on anybody I just thought it was a scene abit too cruel to be honest.
I also love the twist at the end of the reveal of Pudding Lane the famous fire.
I have always loved Nyssa's very impressive destruction of the Bejewelled Android and especially her feeling sad for it afterwards.
I recall Sarah Sutton once described Tegan and Nyssa going camping, as a way of underlining the differences in their characters: Nyssa would have all the practical accessories and know-how only to discover Tegan had forgotten the tent!!
Nyssa is very nifty with the fire extinguisher too, must have been so tempting to use it on the fire in Pudding Lane, then again, the Doctor (rightly) felt the fire should run its course!
A hugely underrated story and probably my favourite of the Davison era (...and so, so much better than anything in the current RTD season).
Oh please😂
@@stevemorganexperience7833 It makes sense for a start, unlike almost everything in Empire of Death.
S19 is infinitely better than all of what was delivered by RTD the last year.
"I never miss." Five's philosophy on guns was SLIGHTLY different than the New Who Doctors 🤣
Eleven in The Time of Angels cliffhanger would agree with him there!
This is a pretty fun story and quite notable not only for the Doctor starting the Great Fire of London but for the send off to the sonic screwdriver
The one where The Dr caused the Great Fire of London.
Its a good job Ruby Sunday wasn't left in somewhere called 'Pudding Lane'. 😉
The idea of the android being bejewelled was that it was created by beings that combine technology with high art. Unfortunately the limited budget meant that the final project didn't live up to the concept.
I absolutely adore Tegan and the Doctor's relationship - Almost a prototype version of the Doctor and Donna's in S4 of the revival.
are you gonna be continuing with the mcu movies? :)
Oh if you only knew the struggle behind the scenes lol
I love at the end it all ties to the great fire of London, which was referenced in one of Peter Calpadi’s episodes.
'Drop the sonic device!' is almost a direct quote from Dr Who's new production regime. Keen to remove anything that would make the character less resourceful (see also K-9), Producer John Nathan-Turner (kind of the RTD of his day) wanted to make the Doctor a more on-the-spot heroic figure. This comes back to haunt Peter Davison's incarnation in the 2017 charity clip 'Time Crash' (which, I am aware, you've already reacted to) in which David Tennant's 10th Doctor is quick to recall how his old self solved problems 'with a kettle and some string'. A different age...
"There's always time for redecorating."
Words to live by.
Robot cosplays as Death. A character sees it.
Spoilers for the finale of Season 14
Just wanted to remind everyone that Sutekh is sitting on the Tardis here.
I'm glad you're liking Tegan so much. She's my favourite companion from this era. :)
I really like the roles the companions fall into in this story. Nyssa is like a mini-Doctor, Adric fills the more traditional "emotional" role of worrying about the Doctor and Tegan (when she's not mind-controlled) is the comic relief. They all get some nice character moments at the start of Part 1 too. I feel like Peter Davison's performance when he's talking to the bad guy is something you see emulated with a lot of modern Doctors too.
Thankfully the sonic gets junked. Happy day.
I wish the tereleptils would come back in NuWho just so they can destroy that bloody annoying sonic screwdriver again it's so overused to the point beyond ridiculous JNT made the right call by getting rid of it the Doctor should be using his wit not his tools.