Ugh. You know what science fiction trope I really hate? It's the courtroom drama, but with wacky non-human rules that clearly exist for no other reason than to create plot drama. Three quarters of today's viewing was exactly that, with a final bit of lazy wrap-up at the end for the overall story arc. Thankfully, this is such a wretched plot device that I am sure the show will never use it again. Except, perhaps, as a framing construct for an entire freaking season with the sixth Doctor. Thankfully, that experience is a long way away so I can pretend it isn't going to happen.

So how bad were today's episodes? Well, let's talk about that.

Sentence of Death

Ian teleports to the location of the next key and arrives in a museum, where he is promptly knocked out (by a blow to the shoulder, no less) and then framed for murder by a thief who then steals the last key from a glass exhibit case, setting off the alarm. When he wakes up, he is immediately taken into custody and charged with both theft and murder. But in this society - get this - you are presumed guilty until you are proven innocent. How wacky! Good thing the Doctor is there, with absolutely no knowledge or experience of local law, in order to act as Ian's representative. Because if there is one thing any lawyer will tell you, it's that their years and years of training really means nothing against an ignorant but well-intentioned person.

Many Perry Mason-esque twists and turns ensue, no of which are worth describing.

The Keys of Marinus

For some reason, Terry Nation picked the stupid courtroom drama as the one thing in this never ending story to stretch out into a second episode. We are treated to another dozen minutes of completely unsurprising drama in which Ian is sentenced to certain death until, wouldn't you know it, right at the last minute the real culprit is identified and Ian is freed. Hooray?

In the last segment, the group returns back to Arbitus' temple in order to give him the keys and turn the Free Will robbing machine back on. They don't know that the Voord have already killed Arbitus, and nobody has any compunction against handing over the keys and letting Arbitus flip the switch. Of course, once they discover that the Voord now control the machine, then it's all "Oh, we can't let these evil people control such a powerful device!" Remind me again what makes the Voord so evil? That they don't want some supercomputer to steal their agency? How dare they object!

Luckily, Ian has the presence of mind to give the Voord leader a fake key, which causes the whole thing to blow up and permanently destroy the machine. Then the Doctor gives a sanctimonious speech about how machines are fine for some things, but shouldn't be used to supplant Free Will. How noble of him. It didn't seem to be a problem for him until the dudes in black were going to be in control instead of the nice elderly guy in white. Morals!

I am so glad to have this stupid story behind me. Tomorrow, The Aztecs!

STATS:

Doctor(s): First
Companion(s): Ian Chesterton, Susan Foreman, Barbara Wright
Episode(s): Sentence of Death, The Keys of Marinus
Steps Walked: 6,597 today, 93,334 total
Distance Walked: 2.96 miles today, 40.86 miles total
Weight: 300.98 lbs (five day moving average), net change -6.32 lbs