Day 214: The Dominators Episode 5

The ending to this episode now ranks as one of my favourite episode endings of all time. The series up until this point has had episode endings that generally wrapped everything up, before sending the TARDIS on its way. This wrap-up could last anywhere between two to ten minutes, and whilst it's nice to get closure, there's still some annoyance in how time is being wasted just to say goodbye. This doesn't really occur here, however, instead the Doctor gets back to the TARDIS and informs Jamie and Zoe that all has been solved and the only side affect will be a small volcanic eruption. Jamie then points out that this small volcanic eruption will occur within quite close proximity to the TARDIS, causing the Doctor's face to suddenly drop as he realises what a problem he's just created. It's brilliant because it's short and snappy, but still funny at the same time. It provides closure to the episode by telling us that all will be well, and then leads into the next story with an effective cliffhanger.

The Dominators is not looked upon fondly by many Doctor Who fans, and yet there are still small gems to be found within the story. It's quite funny at points, occasionally intentional such as the indecisiveness of the council, and unintentional when considering the phallic nature of the drilling devices used, or the sheer ridiculousness of the Quarks. It's got its fair share of bad stuff, but occasionally good things can come out of it, and watching it has shown me that perhaps The Dominators isn't as bad as its reputation would suggest.