A brilliant Time Lady once quipped, “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down”. Such it is with storytelling as well as pharmaceuticals, it seems. At the very moment you realize that you’ve been given a very bitter turn of events to swallow, the fact that the story that surrounds it has been so enjoyable nearly — and we stress nearly — distracts us from the discomfort.

The sweetness fades, however. That sour tinge remains on the tongue for some time. We won’t forget you, Sarah Jane.

With a wistful goodbye to a beloved companion, but a resounding approval for the story itself, we bask in the radiation to reconstitute a crystalline gem of a Fourth Doctor story. The sets, the sound, the lighting, the dialogue, the pacing, all sharp and enjoyable…but oh, that sting.

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