This television has always been good at bringing a subtext to the story telling element . The Pertwee era was good at this though was slightly obvious but when you've a production team who are professionals who treated DOCTOR WHO as "a mere job" it's not necessarily a criticism . It's probably summed up by Terry Nation's first story for the show all these decades ago - Daleks are space Nazis in metallic shells . Yeah I'll buy that and if we get an entertaining story to go with it all the better . And stories don't get much better than the 1970 Pertwee tale The Silurians an allegory on what happens when pragmatism and compromise fails with one of the most bitter ends seen in a DOCTOR WHO story

With all due respect to Malcolm Hulke his job was made easier by having the story spun out to seven 25 minute episodes which meant more room for drama , especially characterisation . Writers on NuWho don't have that luxury , everything involves around brevity and fast pace . That said there's a massive lot wrong if we're watching this as a two part story especially where structure is involved . Let me explain:

Part one of this story involved much incident and over ambitious globe trotting . One set-piece stumbled in to another slightly misjudged set-piece . On top of that we had constant exposition delivered in a clumsy manner . This second part is entirely different pace wise and the opposite problem - nothing really happens and we have 45 minutes of talking . And talking . And talking . One problem remains and that is once again plot exposition . You want to know about the Osgood box . Well here's an explanation and if you don't get it or pop out to make a cup of tea there will be another explanation again in a couple of minutes . War and racism are bad things ? We know and if you don't someone will point this out every couple of minutes . Everything is far too on the nose and if you're getting bored by this ( I know I was ) don't worry because someone will re-explain all this by putting on a fake American accent because ... well because . And if you're really bored to the point of terminal collapse (I know I was) then try and count the number of game show references and be thankful for the fact the Hughie Green was never cast as The Doctor

I really am puzzled by the decision to make this story a two parter . The first part was over paced while the second part indicates there's not enough premise to make up a satisfying episode where everything ignores the writing rule of "show don't tell" . There's only a subtext to the narrative because the audience are told there is one . It's not subtext at all just plot devices with names being used as sounding boards . I suppose if there ;s any positives it's down to the fact no matter how much an episode of NuWho disappoints me I will always tune in to it every Saturday come what may and I mean that most sincerely folks