The Keeper of Traken

Adric's first impressions of N-Space are going to be good ones, or so the Doctor thinks. Upon returning to the universe we all call home the TARDIS is visited by the gaeing Keeper of Traken; a man who controls al the power of the Traken Union from a comfy armchair. Traken is known universally for its goodwill and harmony, but the Keeper fears that something evil is threatening the status quo. The Doctor and Adric come to Traken to help but are taken to be agents of evil themselves, but the real menace is in the form of Melkeur. Melkeur vistied the planet years previous and became immediately rooted to the spot as a large stone statue, but now it can walk and kill. It also exudes control over Kassia, new wife of the wisest consul of Traken, Tremas, and with her help it intends to seize the power of Traken for itself.

Traken seems like the most boring planet in the universe, really. Adric should feel right at home. Traken is also the home of a young girl named Nyssa, who the Doctor encountered previously in the novel Asylum where she claimed to have already met him and travelled in the TARDIS. Obviously that entire plot for that novel was ret-conned (retroactive continuity, for the novel was written years and years after Keeper was first seen) but it is interesting to see how the Doctor reacts to Nyssa when he first meets her, almost as if he is avoiding saying too much to her. Interesting, that.

Nyssa comes from an interesting family. Her father is a Consul of Traken, and his new wife, Kassia, also holds that rank (there are five consuls in total). But Kassia has a thing for Melkeur as she was asked to look after it since she was a child and bring it flowers and show it kindness while it calcified. And Melkeur has a past with the Doctor, although it doesn't become clear until later on that the statue is actually a TARDIS, and the Master is inside, still dying and emaciated after his attempts to destroy Gallifrey in The Deadly Assassin. Yes, the Master is back, and the series now moves into what is referred to as "The Return of the Master Trilogy", with the Master grabbing Tremas' body and merging with it and running off into the universe, leaving Nyssa alone and orphaned on Traken. The bastard.

Keeper is a visually impressive adventure with some pretty grand sets depicting the capitol of Traken. The sheer size of the main audience chamber is novel, almost enough to forgive the not so lush grounds of the Grove where Melkeur has stood immobile all these years. I have never seen such a weed ridden garden, unless you count some of the ugly neglect of suburban backyards in Newmarket. The BBC has no green thumb.

Do I welcome the return of the Master? Not entirely. I was never a big fan of the Master, but this time it feels like something new; new producer John Nathan-Turner's mandate to update and change everything starting with the old police box itself and moving along to the Doctor's costume, the theme song, the overall look of the show, so maybe there will be a new element to the Master now he's back.

We shall see.

NEXT EPISODE : LOGOPOLIS