The Curse of Peladon [3.9]

Attempting a test-flight on the TARDIS, the Doctor accidentally whisks Jo off to the planet Peladon, and a civilisation at the heart of galactic turmoil. The young King wants to bring the old military culture into union with the Galactic Federation, but his Chancellor has been murdered by reactionary forces, and the King suspects that someone is trying to lead them towards a war. 

As the diplomatic delegates of the Galactic Federation arrive, the conspiracy deepens, and when the Doctor is mistaken for the delegate from Earth, everything starts to unravel.

The Majesty

The idea of a medieval monarchy in a sci-fi setting makes for quite a unique atmosphere for this story. It also allows for a properly engaging political struggle with themes of national sovereignty versus international cooperation. In the context of the 1970s, the Federation is a clear metaphor for the EU, and Hepesh stands for the old English patriot who cannot stand Johnny Foreigner, and wants Britain to rule the waves once more. While he is the villain of the story, Hepesh is also given a clear perspective by which he can be right in his own eyes. This allows him to get some great lines, such as "To them we are merely savages to be tamed. I'd rather be a cave-dweller and free." And after watching quite a bit of Star Wars and The Clone Wars, Hepesh seems like less of a misguided figure that previously. This is enhanced by the Federation being presented as cowardly and incompetent, but also as smugly superior. Alpha Centauri says "We come to raise them from their primitive barbarism." By avoiding a pure good-v-evil story, "Curse of Peladon" becomes something far more engaging. It all comes down to who owns the narrative. As the Doctor tells the King, "You are an enlightened ruler, but who do the people believe - you or [the god] Aggedor?"

The red herring of the Ice Warriors is also handled very well, along with the Doctor's racial prejudice. From the moment he sees them, the Doctor is convinced that they are villainous and are seeking to disrupt proceedings. "Believe me they're a savage and warlike race." But they have abandoned their warlike past, and we - the audience - know from the beginning that the real culprit is Hepesh. 

The Misery

While David Troughton gives an impassioned performance as the King, he's no oil-painting. And in a military culture, he doesn't look to be a particularly strong or muscular individual. He also falls for the 'Princess Josephine' persona very quickly. So he's not the most convincing character in the show. When so much of the Peladonian civilisation is centred round him and his throne room, it makes for only the most rudimentary attempts at worldbuilding.

Magical Moments

• The badger-haircuts of the Peladonian guards manage to achieve a sort of iconic silliness.
• "We accept the hands of true friendship" says Hepesh, holding out his hand to a space octopus with nothing but tentacles.  
• Arcturus demonstrates his "ability to defend himself" by firing his laser gun at a priceless decorative vase. Not the best way for a diplomat to ingratiate himself with his local hosts.
• The Doctor and Jo are lost in a dungeon maze. They come to a branching corridor. The Doctor starts a random rhyme to choose a path. "Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo." There is a blood-curdling roar from "Mo". "Meenie?" suggests Jo, and they dash off. 
• Jo impersonates a princess to avoid getting killed: "Doctor, I do not deal through intermediaries. Kindly present us to our royal host." Very suave - I like it. She also gets a little needle in on the Doctor. "My pilot was exceedingly incompetent."
• Alpha Centauri is a hermaphrodite heptapod. Very progressive!
• Jo accuses the Doctor of enjoying himself too much: "You love all that Chairman-Delegate stuff". It's a very nice little scene between the two of them, simply having fun together on one of their adventures.
• Izlir, the Ice Warrior captain, does the exact opposite of what the Doctor expects, by saving his life.
• I love Jon Pertwee singing a Venusian lullaby to hypnotise Aggedor. "Aroon aroon arooooon"

In Summary

This is a story with a cool setting, a bunch of fun aliens and a complex plot. Jo gets a love interest, and the Doctor is shown to be getting it wrong. So there's a lot to appreciate here. Somehow, I've always written off the Peladon stories as dull adventures in tunnels. Perhaps I should revise my thinking. This is actually pretty engaging.