Directed by Timothy Combe
Main Cast-
The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
Liz - Caroline John
The Brigadier - Nicholas Courtney
Main Guest Cast-
Dr. Lawrence - Peter Miles
Dr. Quinn - Fulton Mackey
Miss Dawson - Thomasine Heiner
Masters - Geoffrey Palmer
Major Baker - Norman Jones
Synopsis-
The members of UNIT are summoned to an underground nuclear facility that experiencing unexplained drops in power. Personnel problems have also dogged the complex, including the death of one staff member who was exploring part of the cave system where the installation is housed.
Dr. Lawrence, who heads the installation, is unhappy with UNIT's interference. Dr Quinn, the head researcher and his assistant Miss Dawson also appear to be hiding something as well.
The Doctor explores the cave where the staff member was killed and is attacked by a reptilian-like creature. After this attack, The Brigadier and the installation's security chief Major Baker descend into the cave system. While they are down there, Baker is attacked by the same reptilian-like creature.
This reptilian creature is actually a sort-of watchdog for the Silurians, a race of intelligent reptilian men who used to inhabit the Earth. The Silurians are the ones responsible for the power drains at the nuclear station, as they are using the power to revive members of their race from hibernation. Dr. Quinn and Miss Dawson have been helping them, but the Silurians turn on Dr. Quinn when he decides to hold a Silurian hostage.
The Doctor eventually gets the Silurian leader to agree to negotiate with the humans about a peaceful co-existence, but the Silurian leader is killed by his second-in-command who feels the leader is no longer fit for command.
The Silurians, who have captured Major Baker and have been holding him prisoner, send the Major back to the nuclear installation infected with a bacteria that will wipe out humankind. Masters, a government official who's been summonded by Mr. Lawrence because of his objections to UNIT's involvement, contracts the bacteria and after his return to London, spreads the bacteria among the populace.
The Doctor and Liz are able to work out an antidote to the bacteria, which foils the Silurians plan. The Silurians, however, decide to destroy the Van Allen belt, which blocks harmful radiation from the Sun. They force The Doctor to help them, but The Doctor tricks the Silurians by overloading the nuclear reactor. The Silurians return to the caves to re-enter hibernation, while The Doctor restores the reactor.
The Brigadier seals off the cave systems, preventing anyone from reviving the Silurians again, much to the disgust of The Doctor who feels that The Silurians could have been reasoned with.
Review-
The Silurians in the classic series look quite different than the Silurians that we encounter in the New Series. I'm not sure if the differences are explained in the series or not, but then again the Silurians also have cousins known as the Sea Devils so I suppose the Classic series Silurians and the New Series Silurians could simply be cousins like the Silurians and the Sea Devils.
This story finds the show still trying to get its footing in its new format. The Brigadier comes off as cold and calculating, as he deliberately deceives The Doctor about his intentions to seal off the Silurians in their caves at the end of the story. This action makes the Brigadier into a much less sympathetic character, and also gives the story a very tragic ending. What could the human race have learned had the Brigadier allowed the Silurians to survive? Sadly, this story thread is barely visited in Ambassadors of Death, where we could have seen The Doctor and the Brigadier very much at odds with each other over the destruction of the Silurians.
Also compelling is Peter Miles performance as the installation's leader Mr. Lawrence. Mr. Lawrence feels his career and all his accomplishments slipping away, and the descent of his character is fascinating to watch.
The Silurians isn't as good as Spearhead From Space, but it's still quite entertaining in its own right and if you've never seen it before you may never look at the character of the Brigadier in the same way again.
