Planet of the Spiders - Part One
The Doctor and the Brigadier meet with Professor Clegg, a psychic. The Doctor is curious about the professor's mental abilities. The professor moves things with his mind, sees images of the past while holding the sonic screwdriver, and is able to see the contents of an unopened package the Doctor received from Jo Grant.
Mike Yates and Sarah Jane Smith investigate a mediation center. The men who run the center have their suspicions about Mike who has his own suspicions about the center. Sarah and Mike talk to a monk who lives on the premises and meet Tommy, a mentally challenged adult who works at the center.
Professor Clegg dies while he and the Doctor are conducting an experiment. The professor was holding the large blue crystal, that the Doctor received from Jo Grant, when he died.
Sarah and Mike leave the meditation center but then sneak back in to see whatever it is that the men who run the place are hiding in the basement. They get there just in time to witness a meditation ceremony during which a giant spider materializes.
According to my records I have seen this story before, more than 15 years ago. I don't remember much about it. I saw it on PBS, possibly Channel 22.
Kevin Lindsay played the part of Cho-Je, the Tibetan monk. He is not Asian and does not seem to be wearing any prosthetics to make him look Asian but he does speak with an accent which I assume he affects to make him sound Asian.. Lindsay was in two other Doctor Who stories: The Time Warrior and The Sontaran Experiment. This is the only Doctor Who story in which his face can be seen.
This is a good start. I like how they start it with Sarah and the Doctor separated. I'm guessing that the they won't stay apart for much longer. It it's always nice to see the Doctor's companions being given a chance to act independent of him. I also like how the two parts of the episode are layered together. The focus keeps jumping back and forth between the two.
The participants on the commentary track are
- Barry Letts, producer and director
- Elizabeth Sladen, Sarah Jane Smith
- Nicholas Courtney, the Brigadier
- Terrence Dicks, script editor
- Richard Franklin, Mike Yates
12/13/23
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