Directed by Paul Bernard
Main Cast-
The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
Jo - Katy Manning
The Brigadier - Nicholas Courtney
Yates - Richard Franklin
Benton - John Levene
The Master - Roger Delgado
Main Guest Cast-
Dr. Ingram - Wanda Moore
Stuart Hyde - Ian Collier
Krasis - Donald Eccles
King Dalios - George Cormack
Queen Galleia - Ingrid Pitt
Synopsis-
The Master has taken on yet another secret identity, this time as a research professor. Together with his assistants Dr. Ingram and Stuart Hyde, The Master has developed a machine that is going to be used to summon Kronos, an all-powerful being that exists outside of space and time.
Kronos is mentioned in the Atlantis legends, and The Master's experiments end up summoning an Atlantean high priest called Krasis. Together with Krasis' help, The Master is able to summon Kronos.
In order to maintain complete control of Kronos, the Master needs posession of the Kronos crystal, which is located at Atlantis. The Master journeys to Atlantis, followed by The Doctor and Jo. The Doctor tries to convince King Dalios of The Master's evil, but The Master is able to win over Queen Galleia.
The Master summons Kronos one last time, and The Doctor, Jo and The Master are sucked into the world outside of space and time while Atlantis is destroyed. There, they meet Kronos face to face. The Master pleads for mercy, and The Doctor is able to convince Kronos to let The Master go free. The Master escapes via his own Tardis, while The Doctor and Jo return to the present day.
Review-
The Time Monster starts off a bit slow, but it eventually finds it footing. One might wonder about The Doctor visiting Atlantis since he'd already done so in the Second Doctor story The Underwater Menace. This is another one of those times where you just have to assume that there were two different versions of Atlantis or one is going to get a real headache.
The show also borrowed from yet another Greek myth by having the Kronos crystal being guarded by the Minotaur. Having the Minotaur as the guard does allow the show to offer the quite funny (and also probably a bit silly) scene where The Doctor plays Matador to the Minotaur.
All in all, the Time Monster was a very enjoyable way to round out the ninth series/season and a much needed return to form after the rather dreadful previous story, The Mutants.
Up next, my series/season nine wrap-up, to be followed by my review of the series/season ten opener, The Three Doctors.
