Day 71: The Final Phase

Halfway through this episode, the Doctor and co. discuss whether they have changed the future at all, and whether the events that they have performed have really made any difference to their plights. It should come across as a depressing scene, with a semblance of hope at the end, as they comment that while they may not be able to change the future, they can possibly have their future changed for them through other forces, such as the revolution that has been started with the help of Vicki. However, there is one small detail that has been wonderfully forgotten and I was shocked that this was not picked up on in the entire story. Barbara has her cardigan on in the 'future' version of her. Midway through episode 2, it is taken off to make a trail, so that they don't end up getting lost in the museum. And in destroying that cardigan, they change the future. One of my personal little joys is the notion that even the tiniest of choices can change the very future of the Earth, because it means that everything and everyone is in their own way, important. In changing what clothes Barbara was wearing, a chain reaction was set off that prevented them from being placed as exhibits forever. But what really thrills me is that this is a tiny story feature, never mentioned, but to the observant viewer, it stands as an easter egg, allowing the plot conclusion to be foreshadowed. One of my favourite things that the internet has brought up is the amount of Easter Eggs placed in films foreshadowing their conclusion, and it;s nice to see Doctor Who doing that in 1965.