M042 - The Dark Flame

There is a variety of good banter between the Doctor's companions in this episode, but sarcastic wit in the face of being tortured by a crazy religious zealot eventually seems a bit silly. The zealot in question is trying to unleash the "black flame" of the title, which is a sort of evil thing from an alternate universe that is all black and... Flamey.

Honestly, the stakes of this episode seem to be too high to be cared about. It's an issue that has affected many Doctor Who stories over the decades; when the entire universe is in danger of blinking out of existence I find the story can become paradoxically less engaging. Its when individuals and single planets are in peril that the danger can be felt in an emotional and not just a numerical way.

One saving grace of this episode is a robot character who gets some of the best lines and is one of the better supporting characters since he serves a plot purpose beyond being a victim or bystander.