Who Review: The Green Death

Strange deaths at a Welsh coal mine catch the interest of U.N.I.T., particularly because the deceased have strange glowing green marks on them, and their deaths are otherwise unexplained. The Doctor is determined to visit Metebelis Three, now he has freedom to travel, and tells the Brigadier he’ll catch up with him later. Much to the Doctor’s disappointment, Jo is reluctant to go with him. It seems the marvels of the blue planet can’t compare to the need for action against Global Chemicals, and their new “Stevens Process” that, according to Nobel Prize Winning researcher, Professor Clifford Jones, can’t avoid producing gallons of waste that will destroy the environment. The Global Chemicals facility is near the mine, so Jo rides with the Brigadier to Wales, where they discover things are not as rosy as they are made to appear. Someone doesn’t want U.N.I.T. investigating the mine, or the deaths. And when they encounter giant deadly maggots, it becomes apparent why…

SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those that haven’t seen this serial. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!

“The Green Death” is one of those landmark Who stories. It’s the last time the “howl-around” title sequence is used. It’s also the last appearance of that “Doctor Who” logo–at least until it was revived for the 1996 movie, and then for the BBC Books and Classic Who DVD range. This story also marks the end of Jo Grant’s time as the Doctor’s companion.

And what a story to go out on! Broadcast over May and June of 1973, it touches on a lot of concerns about the environment and globalization that were beginning to be voiced at the time. Of course, back then, issues with food supply weren’t quite the same as they are today. Sure, they had processed foods, but not nearly on the scale we do today. Add to that fast food, genetically modified foods, and not to mention the amount of preservatives and other chemicals that go into much of our food supply, the idea of natural, healthy, and cheap food is quite appealing. In “The Green Death,” however, the food aspect seems to focus more on using fungus to make protein-rich meat substitutes. And it’s not preaching vegetarianism so much as sustainability–the fungus can feed a lot more people a lot more cheaply than animal meat.

But “The Green Death” is not just a thinly veiled advertisement for a hippie lifestyle. (In fact, Professor Jones and his “Nut Hutch” colleagues are portrayed as intelligent and industrious, not doped-up drop-outs, which is how hippies are normally perceived.)  There’s a good, coherent story; indeed, two related stories: the mining deaths, and the Global Chemical controversy. Global Chemicals is producing a lot of waste which is being pumped into the ground which, in turn, is creating these over-sized maggots that are deadly to those they attack. In charge at Global Chemicals is a computer, BOSS, programmed for efficiency, even at the expense of human life. Professor Jones doesn’t believe destroying lives, which includes destroying the environment, is worth any financial gain.

This story is also a good lesson in how to write a six-part story without padding. Chekhov once famously said, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off.” Where this advice is ignored, you get padded stories with pointless plot lines. Where it’s heeded, you get stories like “The Green Death.” For example:

• On his seemingly frivolous jaunt to Metebelis Three, the Doctor steals a blue crystal. That crystal becomes key to breaking the hypnotic spell BOSS has on people, and eventually causing the computer’s downfall. This is not the last we see of the famous crystal in Doctor Who…
• Professor Jones’s fungus turns out to be the substance needed to destroy the maggots, and cure the green infection.
• Jo’s preference for an apple over “eggs and bacon” validates her interest in Professor Jones’s work. And, eventually, Professor Jones. 🙂

Every part of the story advances the whole story, without any wasted scenes. This is hard to do over six or more episodes, which is why such lengthy stories gradually fell out of favor.

This is a good story for the supporting cast, especially Captain Mike Yates, who goes undercover and uses his smarts to get the information the Doctor needs to help bring down Global Chemicals. (The Doctor’s turns as a milkman and a cleaning lady are also quite entertaining–the first time we’ve seen the Doctor in drag since 1967’s “The Underwater Menace”!)

Some complain that the Welsh are patronized and treated unfairly in this story. And yes, there is a bit of stereotyping, isn’t there? Boy-o! However, I would also point out that the geniuses in the “Nut Hutch,” including Professor Jones, are all Welsh. So there is balance.

Considering 1973 technology and Who budgets, I think the maggots are quite well done. For distance shots, they used real maggots. But for close-ups, especially when we see maggots with teeth, they used models. Again, for the time, I think they’re quite effective.

Jo Grant makes her tearful farewell at the end, as the Doctor shares a glass of wine with everyone celebrating her engagement to Professor Jones. He gives her the Metebelis Three crystal as a wedding gift, and then, while everyone celebrates, he slips away, riding off into the sunset. This is the end of an era. Season 11 will introduce a new companion, and set the stage for the next era in the show’s history.