The Green Death

"I am the only ever computer to be linked to a human brain."

Writer: Robert Sloman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19th May-23rd June 1973

Season: 10.06

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo, Brigadier

Synopsis 

The Doctor and UNIT are called in to investigate a series of mysterious deaths at a disused mine in South Wales, where all the victims were found with their skin glowing green... As the Doctor becomes suspicious of the nearby Global Chemicals factory and its mysterious 'Boss', his assistant, Jo Grant, becomes trapped underground - in an abandoned mine infested with deadly giant maggots!

Verdict 

The Green Death was an excellent Doctor Who serial and one that is remembered for quite a few reasons! It's historically known as 'the one with the giant maggots' and whilst it's not an episode of Friends, it will be more prominently remembered by me as Jo Grant's departing story as companion. After three seasons alongside the Third Doctor and UNIT she finally decided to say her farewell. The story itself was terrific which I think was obviously important and the departure of Jo didn't really get hinted at until the moment she revealed she'd be staying with Cliff and accompanying him on his trip to the Amazon. This story will also be remembered fondly by me as a rare occasion in which a Classic era story was set in Wales. The mine setting of Llanfairfach was fantastic and hearing the accent was wonderful for me as that is something I strangely miss whilst I'm attending university here in England, even if I was in Wales yesterday watching the football. I thought the Welsh representation was good and although I thought one or two stereotypes were thrown in, I was not offended so that was good. It was intriguing to see the Brigadier without the rest of UNIT for the first half of the story but it was clear that when the likes of Benton and Yates arrived, business was picking up. Part one was a bit all over the place with the Doctor jumping off to Metebelis III and he had quite the eventful time there! He did manage to eventually retrieve a blue crystal and we would later learn that would have devastating effects in Planet of the Spiders. Once he was back on Earth, the Doctor quickly made his way to Wales and delved straight into the problems going on at Global Chemicals. The company as a whole was good and I liked how useless the Brigadier was made due to their powerful friends but the truth about who their boss was very interesting. BOSS was a computer with inabilities making it almost a machine with humanity. The problem the Doctor fed it was excellent but its control and plan for Stevens was equally as good. The machine was just downright evil and that's always a good thing in Doctor Who. The giant maggots were brilliant and they've obviously given the story something to be remembered by because it's just so unique! Their mouths were pretty horrifying and Cliff stumbling upon an antidote thanks to Jo's serendipity was great. That would heal Cliff from the infection and the fungus food was also killing off the maggot infestation. The special effects in this story were good and the effort that went into them, considering this story was broadcast forty-three years ago, was fantastic. The farewell between the Doctor and Jo was quite the emotional one and after reading Steven Moffat's column in the latest DWM (blog to come in the next few days), I was mightily intrigued by the Doctor's reaction. Could he really have had feelings for her? It's something I've never really considered but now I think he might have. Overall though, an excellent story and a terrific farewell for Jo!

Rating: 9/10