AA2 - The Savages 2

Writer Ian Stuart Black was apparently one of Patrick McGoohan's cronies back in the day, and, seeing the general themes of his stories, it's easy to see why Black and the creator of The Prisoner got along. I'll cover Black's upcoming stories in greater deal when the time comes, but the similarity between all three of his stories is the presentation of a new and/or better society that is propped up by an alien menace or, in the case of The Savages, the exploitation of a(n apparent) lesser species.

And the society of the Elders is, indeed, impressive, seeing that they have been following the TARDIS's travels for a long time before The Doctor visits their planet. How they do this isn't necessarily clear - does The Doctor have a blog? Podcast? Vidcast? The Doctor appears to be sucked into the flattery directed his way by the Elders and their leader, Jano, but it's great to see that he knows fully well there is something else going on behind the curtain.

There's a scene where The Doctor is trying to care for an ill savage outside the city while a guard tries to take him into custody. It shows how far The Doctor has come in the three years that we have known him. In An Unearthly Child, he was ready and willing to kill Za in order to get Ian, Barbara, and Susan to come back with him to the TARDIS so they could flee their current situation. The exact opposite happens in Episode Two of The Savages. I have never seen Hartnell's Doctor so defiant in his stance in order to try and save the life of another being. It's a quite powerful little moment for Hartnell's Doctor, who I have always liked, but these little character moments are making me appreciate him much more as his eventual demise draws near.