Inferno - Episode 7

The Doctor returns to our world. (And is unconscious for a time, his leg crooked again as he lies flat.) Sir Keith is OK. Stahlman is still going bad. Fortunately, the Doctor is able to stop this Inferno Project from becoming the disaster it was in the parallel world. And we get one of the great Doctor/Brigadier exchanges in this episode. "Pompous...self-opinionated...idiot, I believe you said, Doctor." Great stuff. We also say goodbye to Caroline John as Liz Shaw. While Liz was a good character, well-acted, attractive (especially in her short skirts), and a good match for the more adult style of stories in Season 7, I just don't see her fitting in well with the more family-friendly stories starting next season.

A very enthusiastic thumbs-up for "Inferno". One of the all-time best stories, and one of my all-time favorites. The mood is just relentless, counting down to doomsday with the Inferno drilling. The acting is top-notch, and it doesn't feel padded at all. OK, well, maybe the Doctor running into the infected scientist once again in Episode 7 is a bit of padding, but hey, it doesn't ruin the story. If you're looking for great Doctor Who, you could do a lot worse than "Inferno". Next up, it's the beginning of Season 8, as "Terror of the Autons" brings a new foe for the Doctor...