Who Review: Vengeance on Varos

The TARDIS is having engine trouble deep in space, and is in need of Zeiton-7 ore to realign the power systems and get them going again. However, Zeiton-7 is rare, and the only place the Doctor knows they can get it is on Varos. Thankfully, there is just enough residual power for the TARDIS to take them there. Meanwhile on Varos, the governor is in tough negotiations with Sil, the representative of the Galatron Mining Corporation, trying to get a fair price for their ore. Conditions on Varos are tough, with the people living off of rationed food. Their entertainment consists of mandatory voting, and live feeds of torture and execution on their video screens. A good price for Zeiton-7 could alleviate their suffering, but if Sil holds out, the governor will have to raise taxes to keep the planet financially viable. And Sil, who has operatives in the Varos government, is unwilling to set aside his greed. After a failed vote, the governor appeases the people with a public execution. However, the TARDIS arrives, and the Doctor interrupts the evening’s entertainment. Held hostage on Varos, the Doctor and Peri need to help release the people from the grip of Sil, so they can get some Zeiton-7 and leave. But on a planet designed to hold convicted criminals, that will be easier said than done…

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!

After a lackluster start, and a spotty sophomore, the Sixth Doctor really comes into his own, I think, in the first story that seems very suited to his persona. It’s dark, edgy, and satirical, with some wit and a good plot. It’s a simple story. The Doctor needs Zeiton-7 for the TARDIS, and the only planet that has some is Varos. This gives the Doctor a valid reason for being there. However, the political situation on Varos is far from ideal. We have a governor caught between the will of the people, pressure from the Galatron Mining Corporation, and what he believes is in the people’s best interest. He wants Varos to prosper, but under the economic pressure to sell Zeiton-7 to Galatron, he can’t afford to negotiate a fair price. And the Galatron representative, Sil, is only too willing to get whatever he can for as little as he can with no regard for anyone else’s interests. And the people are suffering. Reduced to essentially a slave labor force, with rationed food, and few, if any luxuries. Their only entertainment is their video feeds through which they are shown public executions, and participate in mandatory voting. To get his Zeiton-7, the Doctor will have to convince the governor to give or sell to him, which, given his position with Galatron, is unlikely. If the Doctor can break the hold SIl has on Varos, not only could he free the planet from oppression, but he might be able to get some Zeiton and leave.

I like a straight-forward plot, with a clear problem to solve, obstacles along the way, and resolution, especially in sci-fi. As Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) once noted, many of the Doctor’s problems, and the problems faced by the places he visited, could have been solved if the Doctor had just got back in the TARDIS and left without getting involved. Good Doctor Who stories, with few exceptions, will give a compelling reason for the Doctor to stay and get involved, and no hope of his escape until there is a resolution to the situation. That’s just one reason why “Varos” is a great Doctor Who serial. There are many more.

Colin Baker is clearly enjoying this story, and it showcases well this Doctor’s personality. There’s ego, and bravado, but there’s also compassion, and heroism. Despite her initial misgivings, Peri is genuinely upset at the prospect of his demise at the end of the first episode. And for his part, the Doctor is anxious to prevent Peri from being turned into a bird.

And then there’s Sil. What a wonderful creation he is! Deliciously evil, malicious, and self-serving. This is what happens when you have the perfect marrying of a great character with masterful acting. Nabil Shaban’s portrayal is superb, faultless, in fact. A lesser actor might have hammed the part up, and given us a theatrical baddie. Nabil’s performance teeters between manic and restrained, lustful greed and vicious outrage. He makes Sil easily one of Doctor Who’s greatest bad guys, and worthy of a come-back in the New Series. If they do bring him back, I hope they can get Nabil to play him–I don’t know that anyone else could!

Sil also helps contribute to the story’s overall dark tone. This is a society where the people vote on whether their governor should be tortured, or whether a rebel (played by Jason Connery, Sean Connery’s son) should be executed. It’s a government that conducts genetic experiments on its disruptive citizens, and use psychological manipulation to discipline people into submission. Strong stuff for family entertainment. The most controversial scene, however, is when one of the Doctor’s guards falls into an acid bath, and in the ensuing struggle, the other guard ends up falling in too. Rather than express shock or horror, the Doctor quips in James Bond fashion, “You’ll forgive me if I don’t join you,” and walks away. That was a bit too callous for some, and maybe a little less like previous Doctors. I understand the criticism, and it was, perhaps, a bit much, but this is a new Doctor, and we know there are some ugly sides to his personality.

Finally, I can’t review “Varos” without mention of the social commentary, intended or not, on television, and people’s fixation on violence and what would become “reality TV.” As we see at the beginning of the story, the video screen plays a central part in the lives of these people. Although the story was first broadcast in 1985, it seems to anticipate the 21st century with its sensational, real-life drama, and YouTube feeds of just about anything you want to see. At the end, when all is well and the video screens go offline, one of the characters says, “What are we going to do?” To which his companion replies, “I don’t know.” If YouTube went dark for a day, I’m sure there are many who would echo that same sentiment.

“Vengeance on Varos” is Must-See Who, for the story, the acting, the sets, the costumes, and even the effects for the most part. The Sixth Doctor ended up with so few stories, it’s a good thing this was one of his. I’m a fan of Classic Who, but I know it doesn’t always live up to its potential, often because the stories are written beyond the physical constraints of a BBC budget. “Varos” shows what can be done with limited funds, and a story and cast that excels. This is what Classic Doctor Who looks like at its best.