The Melkur Master has taken The Source, the power's all his to control and enforce, The Doctor ensnared, the Trakens run scared, only Acrid and Nyssa can alter the course.
4 Reviews
The Melkur Master...
Xstal19 July 2022
The Keeper of Traken Review (full story)
Harlekwin_UK9 May 2023
The Doctor and his companion Adric arrive at Traken to find ominous warnings and pleas for for help. Oh, and of course significant distrust.
The Keeper of Traken controls a powerful energy called the Source. He is about to complete his tenure and pass the post on to another but asks the Doctor to help as he is uneasy.
The evil creature, long petrified, called Melkur, appears to be awakening. But perhaps an even more evil enemy awaits them...
This story is famous for re-introducing the Master and providing the mechanism by which he exceeds his allotted regenerations. The story is quite strong and also introduces the future companion Nyssa. Perhaps the palace feels a little claustrophobic, small but that is often the case with Doctor Who sets and part of the charm.
Things to look out for: Anthony Ainley at the very end - wonderful, mind control, more than one TARDIS, evil statue,
The Keeper of Traken controls a powerful energy called the Source. He is about to complete his tenure and pass the post on to another but asks the Doctor to help as he is uneasy.
The evil creature, long petrified, called Melkur, appears to be awakening. But perhaps an even more evil enemy awaits them...
This story is famous for re-introducing the Master and providing the mechanism by which he exceeds his allotted regenerations. The story is quite strong and also introduces the future companion Nyssa. Perhaps the palace feels a little claustrophobic, small but that is often the case with Doctor Who sets and part of the charm.
Things to look out for: Anthony Ainley at the very end - wonderful, mind control, more than one TARDIS, evil statue,
A wow episode. The Master reborn.
Sleepin_Dragon22 January 2019
The events on Traken are shocking enough, but it's the but at the very end thay deliver one of the show's biggest ever shocks.
The scenes between The Doctor and Master are terrific, I'd argue the best performance from Tom in his last, and mixed season. Beevers superb as the Master, his oration was so utterly perfect for the Master.
Overall it was a terrific story, it was stylish, intelligent, well acted, well scripted, but it's the event that follow the conclusion, where poor Tremas's last act is to touch a clock, which results in the birth of Anthony Ainley's Master, a role he'd reliah, right up until the classic serial's end in Survival.
It's always refreshing when a story ends on a high, it's not always the case, but in this instance, Part 4 is the best.
The scenes between The Doctor and Master are terrific, I'd argue the best performance from Tom in his last, and mixed season. Beevers superb as the Master, his oration was so utterly perfect for the Master.
Overall it was a terrific story, it was stylish, intelligent, well acted, well scripted, but it's the event that follow the conclusion, where poor Tremas's last act is to touch a clock, which results in the birth of Anthony Ainley's Master, a role he'd reliah, right up until the classic serial's end in Survival.
It's always refreshing when a story ends on a high, it's not always the case, but in this instance, Part 4 is the best.
S18: The Keeper of Traken: Enjoyably written, with consequence and intrigue (TOTAL SPOILERS)
bob the moo22 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The Doctor returns to normal space, and the TARDIS takes him and Adric near to the peaceful planet of Traken. They are contacted by the Keeper, who warns them of a change in the planet and asks them for help.
At first glance this serial seems a bit too stagey in terms of its material, and it seems to be setting up the usual "man in suit" villain. It took most of the first episode but once I got into it, The Keeper of Traken delivers a much more engaging experience even if it mostly doesn't have the thrills or pace of other serials. For the most part we have mystery and power plays between characters, as the Melkur manipulates and controls its way through the court. It is pretty well written and the performances are good (even if they are a bit too "theatre" for the proximity of television. The thing that I took to the most was the sense of tragedy and consequence; the serial seemed to have weight to it, thanks mostly to several key moments or threads. The manipulation and ultimate death of Kassia was one, and benefited from a strong turn from Ruskin. The return of The Master was another, and of course the loss of noble Tremas at the end was a downbeat ending to a show that doesn't do them often.
There are no locations, only sets, and the production standards are what they are - very much of the period. However it is the solid story that makes it work really well. Interesting, with good performances and characters, and quite a few nice twists and developments to add substance to the story playing out.
At first glance this serial seems a bit too stagey in terms of its material, and it seems to be setting up the usual "man in suit" villain. It took most of the first episode but once I got into it, The Keeper of Traken delivers a much more engaging experience even if it mostly doesn't have the thrills or pace of other serials. For the most part we have mystery and power plays between characters, as the Melkur manipulates and controls its way through the court. It is pretty well written and the performances are good (even if they are a bit too "theatre" for the proximity of television. The thing that I took to the most was the sense of tragedy and consequence; the serial seemed to have weight to it, thanks mostly to several key moments or threads. The manipulation and ultimate death of Kassia was one, and benefited from a strong turn from Ruskin. The return of The Master was another, and of course the loss of noble Tremas at the end was a downbeat ending to a show that doesn't do them often.
There are no locations, only sets, and the production standards are what they are - very much of the period. However it is the solid story that makes it work really well. Interesting, with good performances and characters, and quite a few nice twists and developments to add substance to the story playing out.
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