There is an old adage, sometimes referred to as the law of the instrument, which basically says if you're only tool is a hammer then every problem looks like a  nail. That pretty well summarizes the real conflict in the two episodes of The Silurians I watched today. Sure, the lizard people are a threat, but the Doctor clearly understands that the real crisis will come if the Brigadier sends squadrons of armed men down into the caverns.

Let's talk about that.

Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episodes 3 & 4

(TARDIS Data Core recap)

The gist of the third episode is that, although Liz was attacked at the end of the last episode, it was only because the wounded Silurian was trying to escape the barn. Liz was merely knocked unconscious and not seriously injured. When the UNIT troops arrive at that same moment, the Silurian sneaks out the back before it is seen. It is later found by the scientist who has been collaborating, and taken back to the scientist's cabin in the countryside. His intention is to hold the wounded Silurian captive until it gives him the scientific secrets he lusts for. Not surprisingly, he winds up dead for his troubles. Up until this point none of the Silurians have been shown clearly, but the secrecy ends at the cliffhanger when the Doctor finds the dead scientist and comes face to face with Homo Reptilicus.

The fourth episode is where things get really interesting, and where we really see for the first time that although the Doctor has a great deal of respect for the Brigadier, he is not afraid to be very vocal in his disagreement if the situation warrants. At the start of the episode the Doctor speaks briefly by the wounded Silurian, before it runs off. In that short exchange the Doctor learns that the Silurians are very intelligent, and not just monstrous beasts. He is convinced that he needs to speak to the Silurian leaders to understand what they want, recognizing that thus far they have only attacked when provoked. Unfortunately, the Brigadier is a military man through and through. The only tool in his box, as it were, is military force. Thus, the Brig is dead set on sending troops into the caverns to confront - and possibly exterminate - the Silurians. The Doctor goes into the cavern first with the best of intentions, but winds up being captured and imprisoned instead. The end of the episode has him writhing in pain under assault by a young Silurian warrior.

I am genuinely surprised with how rapidly I have gone from not really liking the Third Doctor at all to genuinely enjoying him. Four days in, and I am a fan. Jon Pertwee has exactly the right balance between gleeful heroics and steely determination, making him eminently watchable. It's a shame that Liz is a bit underused so far in this story, but that is ever the issue with the Doctor's companions.

One thing I realized today, and had to go double check - this is the very first story I have watched on this project in which the TARDIS has not appeared at all (unless you count Mission to the Unknown as its own story, as opposed to including it as a prologue to The Dalek's Master Plan.) In the first episode the Doctor is at UNIT HQ, but out in the garage working on Bessie. Ever since then he has been on-site at the research station and its surrounding areas, so the TARDIS has remained entirely unseen and unused back in the workshop. It is quite a novelty after 50+ stories and hundreds of episodes to have it not appear at all. 

STATS:

Doctor(s): Third
Companion(s): Liz Shaw, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Episode(s): Doctor Who and the Silurians - Episodes 3 & 4
Steps Walked: 6,789 today, 887,247 total
Distance Walked: 3.48 miles today, 431.22 miles total
Weight: 268.64 lbs (five day moving average), net change -38.66 lbs