The Krotons review [Robert Holmes]

Robert Holmes is often considered Doctor Who royalty, by the fans and the crew (including Eric Saward) alike. Spearhead from Space, The Talons of Weng-Chiang, The Caves of Androzani... This man wrote stories consistently ranked in the upper echelons of classic Doctor Who stories. The Krotons was his first script, originally submitted as an independent, non-Doctor Who script. Let's see how it was and if it shows the greatness that was to follow...

When and Where: The Krotons is set on the planet of the Gonds in a binary sun system. For the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe, this is at some point after The Isos Network, itself a few days after The Invasion.

The Doctor's Case:

• A Good Quotation:
• "Yes, well, Zoe is something of a genius. Of course, it can be very irritating at times."
• "Great jumping gobstoppers, what's that?"
• "Now go away and don't fuss me. No, come back. What's this? It's all right, I know."
• "We only know what the Krotons tell us. We don't think. We obey."
• The Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe are a trio that I don't see enough praise for. The characterisation of each of them is just perfect, with each having a distinct relationship with one another. It's more like Ninth, Rose and Jack than Eleventh, Amy and Rory. After the Doctor and Jamie had some time to themselves in The Invasion, the Doctor is paired up with Zoe and they work together marvellously. A pair of geniuses, with the Doctor irritated by Zoe and Zoe believing herself to be the intellectual superior, but they still have an affection for one another that transcends such squabbles. Zoe does something stupid in doing the Krotons' test  and the Doctor shouts at her, continuing to do so as he sits himself down to do the test himself to save her. He's not doing it because it's the right thing to do but to save his friend. Are we sure Second and Jamie are the iconic pair?
• The Krotons work best in the first two episodes as supposedly benevolent and almost paternal figures. They dispense knowledge to the Gonds and embrace the cleverest of them as their companions, taken to their home to live a new life alongside them. The Gonds who do well at their test feel an intense feeling of pride because they feel how pleased with them the Krotons are. It's a shame that they didn't continue in this parental direction that would have been far more interesting than what we got.

The Valeyard's Case:

• A Bad Quotation:
• "Aye, you wouldn't be so tough without these guards round you." / "Get back. I accept your challenge." / "Oh you do, do you? Aye, well, that's just fine with me then." (For a master of dialogue, this is a very unusual exchange.) 
• "I'm forbidden to discuss the secrets!"
• The Krotons look terrible, most noticeably in wide-shots. It's hard to feel threatened by what looks like a robot in a skirt. Holmes's idea of a creature grown from crystal is one that couldn't have been realised in the '60s without a significantly higher budget. The Birmingham accent, though, is very strange to hear come out of an alien. They're a reasonably ominous force in the first two episodes, but as soon as we see them in the flesh, as it were, they lose credibility.
• The guest characters are functional but not developed at all, and in order for the viewer to want the defeat of the Krotons, we have to care about the people whose lives they've affected. And we don't. The revolt isn't interesting and nor is Eelek's quest for power, or whatever his motivation was. It never really felt as though it connected with the Kroton storyline that much.
• If the robes of honour look that cheap, I'd hate to see what the dishonoured Gonds have to wear.

I'll Explain Later:

• How come the Doctor wasn't crushed by that falling ceiling? 
• Has Gond civilisation really able to function without going outside for all these centuries?

This Reminds Me...:

• A people whose information is kept limited and who are trained not to think. This is an idea that we'll see again in The Long Game, except in that story it's the news. In this one, it's education.

The Inquisitor's Judgement: The Krotons isn't a very popular story and when the classics of Robert Holmes are rolled off, it's one of two stories that people ignore, the other being the imperfect The Mysterious Planet. Is it a bad story? No, not at all. The personification of the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe is done extraordinarily well and they're truly a delight to watch in this story. It's tightly-plotted with some pretty good dialogue and an interesting premise, and is greatly helped by the fact that it's only a four-parter so it doesn't drag. The guest cast are forgettable, the Krotons don't look great and their Brummie accent is unusual, but I think it's good, and deserving of a B.

Doctor Who (Season 6)

The Invasion  |  The Krotons  |  The Seeds of Death