I love Robert Holmes, I love the Autons, I love The Master, I like Jo Grant, and I quite like this story, though it really could have been a lot better. "Terror of the Autons" is a very good story but not a flawless one, this is a story which suffers from a rushed ending, silly plot devices, and even some inexcusable Scooby Doo-like moments in which masks are pulled off to reveal the *yawn* unexpected.
The best part of this story, which is surprisingly light on any of the Auton-induced terror which its title promises (nothing here even comes close to the Autons attacking London in "Spearhead from Space", other than maybe that doll *shudder*), is undoubtedly the first appearance of The Master. Now, The Master may have been remembered by much of the mainstream as a pantomime villain (and apparently Russel T. Davies, who wrote John Simm as an annoyingly flamboyant and silly villain), but that is due to future interpretations of the character. Roger Delgado is nothing short of BRILLIANT as The Master. Cold, menacing, charming, deceptive, and intelligent, this is a proper VILLAIN. Delgado's death was a major loss for Doctor Who.
The Autons and Nestenes are fairly disappointing in this story as they are not really the villains. It would be their last appearance in Doctor Who right until the first story of the revived series "Rose". "Terror of the Autons" is well-written overall although not among Holmes' absolute best. The direction by the uncredited Barry Letts is okay. Katy Manning gets a good start in this story playing Jo Grant, an underrated companion in my opinion.
Episode Ratings:
Episode 1: 8/10 Episode 2: 9/10 Episode 3: 8/10 Episode 4: 7/10
Overall: Average rating amounts to 8/10 and I will stick with that rating for this story across its four episodes
