Written by - Ian Stuart Black
Directed by - Michael Ferguson
Main Cast:
The Doctor - William Hartnell
Dodo Chaplet - Jackie Lane (departing companion)
Polly - Anneke Wills (new companion)
Ben Jackson - Michael Craze (new companion)
Main Guest Stars:
Professor Brett - John Karvey
Professor Krimpton - John Cater
Sir Charles Summer - William Mervyn
Major Green - Alan Curtis
Synopsis:
A supercomputer named WOTAN has been developed by the British scientist Professor Brett, which is housed in the then new Post Office Tower. The plan is to have WOTAN become the control station for a network of computers around the world. WOTAN, however, has developed its own intelligence and WOTAN intends to take over the world and enslave the human race in the process. Those who resist will be eliminated.
WOTAN plan begins by first hypnotizing Professor Brett and Dodo. Professor Brett rounds up other leading scientists, who are also hypnotized and forced to build the War Machines that will do battle with mankind. Dodo job is to lure The Doctor and force him to submit and serve WOTAN. During this time, both The Doctor and Dodo meet up with the sailor Ben Jackson and Polly, secretary to Professor Brett.
The Doctor, who was suspicious of WOTAN pretty much from the beginning, is able to break WOTAN's hypnotic control of Dodo. Dodo is sent out to the country to relax and recuperate from her ordeal. Ben assists The Doctor, who is able to destroy one of the War Machines and, later, capture another which The Doctor reprograms to attack WOTAN. Ben rescues the hypnotized Polly just prior to the War Machine attacking and destroying WOTAN.
Dodo leaves a message for The Doctor, saying she intends to remain in England. This message is delivered by Ben and Polly. Ben and Polly have in their possession a Tardis key, which presumably was given to them by Dodo. They forget to give this key to the Doctor at first, and return to the Tardis and use the key to gain entrance to the Tardis. The Tardis then dematerializes with Ben and Polly on board.
Review:
The War Machines is quite prescient, foreshadowing such things as the internet (WOTAN heading up a series of interconnected computers). The idea of machines taking over the world and making war on mankind would later be used by filmmakers decades later in both the Terminator and Matrix films.
The War Machines also marks the first Doctor Who story that takes place in contemporary times, in this case the mid 1960's. Prior to this, almost all Doctor Who stories took place on other planets, in the future or were historical stories. This story is many ways foreshadows the UNIT era, as The Doctor gets involved with the military to face various threats.
Sadly, Dodo's exit is rather anti-climatic. Dodo doesn't even appear in episodes 3 and 4, and is only mentioned briefly at the end as to her fate. Dodo was never really developed by the writers of the show, and this send-off certainly didn't do the character any justice. Ben and Polly, as the new companions, come off well. As a active sailor, Ben is well placed to take over the action hero role vacated by the departure of Steven Taylor. Polly is a far different female companion, and it's clear that the show's writers wanted to move away from the sweet, younger granddaughter role that Dodo (and her predecessors Vicki and Susan) represented. Polly is clearly played as someone who is now in her twenties and on her own, and not necessarily in need of a grandfather figure. This will serve the character well in the following fourth series/season.
The War Machines is, quite simply, great Doctor Who and a great way to end what is probably the best series/season of the First Doctor era.
