CCC7 - The Ambassadors of Death 7

I'm really not one to get lost in the whole UNIT dating controversy, but if I was, and I was trying to somehow fit the events and pre-history of The Ambassadors of Death into established Doctor Who history, I would have my hands full. Whenever this takes place (I'm saying 1970. Boring, I know. But then, of course, I'm staying out of this...) is a world of hair dryer stun guns, numerous manned Mars missions, planet surveying missions, and all, most amazingly, in a world that considers SOS ancient history. This isn't even advanced for 1970. At this rate, some of this is advanced for 2070. And we're supposed to be controlling weather from the Moon by then.

Such things are minor to one's enjoyment of the show, thankfully, and this was and is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories ever. The thing I love the most about this episode is that neither Reegan or Carrington are killed, nor do they see the supposed errors of their ways and change for the better. Reegan has only looked after one person thus far (hint: Reegan), and even when he knows the jig is up and UNIT moves in to take control of his hideout, he offers UNIT advice on how to break into Space Control in exchange for a more lenient punishment.

Carrington carries on until the bitter end knowing and believing that he was right to do what he did. His final scene before being taken away is marvelous, with The Doctor realizing full well that Carrington was mad and wrong to have did what he did, but allows everyone to keep their dignity.

The Ambassadors of Death is so often overlooked in the circles of Who fandom, and undeservedly so. It stands up today as a top notch thriller with just the right amount of action thrown into the mix.