4Z3 - The Invasion of Time 3

Ah, the Vardans. So much has been written about these feared invaders of Gallifrey, who are revealed at the cliffhanger to Episode Two, and with good cause. Even as a young child watching parts of this story, I was quite put off by these have dissolved sheets of tinfoil. They were sort of mysterious to me, but also looked really, really cheap.

The problem, though, is that, unfortunately, both the visual effects and sound effects teams were on the exact same page when it came time to design the disguised Vardans. Visual effects designed it as shimmering tinfoil that was supposed to be more subtly integrated into the picture - fine. But when the sound effects team saw this tinfoil and decided to make them sound like...sheets of tinfoil being rustled about, it only enhanced the image that much more.

However, when you look at the story as a whole, these tinfoil shrouds are a brilliant bit of foreshadowing for what is to come in the final two parts of this story (oh, and by the way, all my reviews are rife with spoilers, if you haven't yet noticed). Those of you who know this story well enough know that the Sontarans feature in the final two episodes, having used the Vardans as their way into an invasion of Gallifrey. The Sontarans' heads have often been compared to potatoes in the past. And what to you bake potatoes in on the barbecue?

Tinfoil. See? It all makes sense now...