248 The War Games: Episode Five

EPISODE: The War Games: Episode Five
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 248
STORY NUMBER: 050
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 17 May 1969
WRITER: Malcolm Hulke & Terrance Dicks
DIRECTOR: David Maloney
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Derrick Sherwin
RATINGS: 5.1 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who: The War Games

"This is the War Chief to Security section. All guards to landing bay. The following procedure will be carried out ...."

The Scientist interrupts Carstairs: he pulls the trigger on his gun but finds it empty. Zoe is taken away. In the barn the resistance demand to know where the tunnel is the soldiers are coming out. Jamie explains the soldiers were brought in a machine but isn't believed. One of the resistance tried to shoot Von Weich but is stopped by Harper. Von Weich reaches for the communicator but Jamie stops him showing it to the resistance. The Security Chief interrogates Zoe, not believing she's from the 21st century. She is shown pictures of resistance leaders but doesn't recognise them. The Doctor interrupts the scientist's work on Carstairs, freeing him. They overpower the Scientist and escape. The Security chief tells the War chief that he deduces that Zoe is part of an independent resistance group originating from the 1917 zone. The War Chief is told of the emergency signal Von Weich started to send from the American Civil War Zone. Carstairs and the Doctor free Zoe. They make their way to the landing bay. A capsule materialises in the barn and guards emerge killing Harper but are quickly overcome. The Security Chief is wondering how the War Chief recognised the intruders. The security chief discovers that Zoe has escaped. Jennifer leaves with the resistance to tend to their wounded but Jamie & the leader enter the capsule and are on board when it dematerialises. The Security Chief finds the overpowered scientist. The Security Chief suggests that since Zoe claimed to travel in time perhaps the War Chief is a traitor to them as well as his own people. Hiding in the landing bay, the Doctor, Zoe & Carstairs hear an alarm sound: guards fill the room as a capsule materialises and Jamie & the resistance are shot down.

Lots of information for us in this episode. The War Chief isn't from the same race as the rest of the aliens but he's brought them technology that has made all this possible and is a traitor to his own people. He knows who the Doctor is so we can assume they are renegades from the same race. The War Chief is in charge of the operation but over him is the as yet unseen War Lord who nobody seems particularly keen to get involved in proceedings.

Most of this comes courtesy of an argument with the previously unseen Security Chief. The two characters don't seem to get on!

SECURITY CHIEF: This emergency call could be resistance activity. There is a large group operating in the American Civil War Zone.
WAR CHIEF: There seem to be large groups operating in most Zones, and now they're even infiltrating here.
SECURITY CHIEF: Only two of them and one of those has already been caught.
WAR CHIEF: Had I not pointed them out, you wouldn't have even known they were here.
SECURITY CHIEF: Yes, that has been puzzling me. Just how did you recognise them?
WAR CHIEF: You dare cross-question me?! The security of this entire venture is being threatened by your incompetence. You will find this intruder!
SECURITY CHIEF: The whole base is being searched. It is only a matter of time. If the mental processing were fully effective
WAR CHIEF: There would be no need for security. When I came to your people I was promised efficiency and cooperation. Without the knowledge I have, this complete venture would be impossible.
SECURITY CHIEF: We have given you every facility. If you have complaints I suggest you take them to the War Lord.
WAR CHIEF: I intend to do so. And now I suggest you finish the interrogation of that girl before she escapes as well.

At the first opportunity the Security Chief conspires against the War Chief by restricting information he should know:

SCIENTIST: That young officer got away.
SECURITY CHIEF: How?
SCIENTIST: Oh, the one in the lecture who asked all the questions, he tricked me. I must report this to the War Chief.
SECURITY CHIEF: No! You two, wait outside.
SCIENTIST: But he must be informed.
SECURITY CHIEF: These people are no ordinary resistance group. The girl said they have the secret of space time travel.
SCIENTIST: That's impossible.
SECURITY CHIEF: She was under the truth machine.
SCIENTIST: But the War Chief. He's the only one who understands space time travel.
SECURITY CHIEF: And his people.
SCIENTIST: What are you suggesting?
SECURITY CHIEF: He is not one of our race. Who knows where his true loyalties lie?
SCIENTIST: But he came to us of his own accord.
SECURITY CHIEF: He is a traitor to his own people. How can we be sure he is not a traitor to us?

The War Chief returns the favour by taking charge of something that should be the Security Chief's responsibility!

TECHNICIAN: Transportation returning from the American Civil War Zone, sir.
WAR CHIEF: Good.
TECHNICIAN: But they're not following the routine, sir. They haven't called in.
WAR CHIEF: Have you tried to make contact?
TECHNICIAN: Yes, sir.
WAR CHIEF: All right, inform the Security Chief. No! No, I'll handle this myself.

Jamie drops a useful piece of information to those of us watching at home in Black & White: the travel capsules are green! We can see what other elements of the production look like in colour in the photo gallery on disc 3 of the The War Games DVD. There's a few superb colour photos there particularly of the alien base.

The Scientist's room is particularly striking in yellow! It's just a shame no picture exists on Security Section as the wall designs there are somewhat psychedelic!

On début in this episode is James Bree as the Security Chief who'll be back as Nefred in Full Circle and the Keeper of the Matrix in the final 2 episodes of The Trial of a Timelord. He'd been in The Prisoner episode Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling where he plays Villiers and goes onto appear in I, Claudius as Montanus in Poison Is Queen, The Sweeney as Saxby in Money, Money, Money and The Professionals as Grant in Man Without a Pas. On the big screen he appears in George Lazenby's only James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service as Gebrüder Gumbold.

Graham Weston plays Russell, the resistance leader from the Boer War: he's back as De Haan in Planet of Evil, also directed by David Maloney's! You can see him in The Professionals episode When the Heat Cools Off where he plays Syd Parker.

Spencer, the soldier who wants to kill Von Weich, is played by Michael Lynch who'll be back as a Thal politician in the 1975 story Genesis of the Daleks, also directed by David Maloney. He plays the Arcade Manager in the final Out of the Unknown episode The Shattered Eye which, like many episodes of that series, is sadly missing from the archives.

Charles Pemberton was a Cyberman in The Tomb of the Cybermen and is an Alien Technician here. Once again, because Edward Brayshaw, Rentaghost's Mister Meeker, is in this story as The War Chief, we are forced to point out that Pembertion has an episode of that on his CV appearing in the third episode of series 2 as a Police Constable. He was in the Porridge film as Miller and later works with Patrick Troughton again in The Box of Delights where he plays the Chief Constable

Down the batting order IMDB lists William Strange as an Alien Guard: he's in Doomwatch Survival Code as an RAF Man while Cy Wallis, a Resistance Man, is in Blakes 7 as a Prisoner in Cygnus Alpha.

Unfortunately this episode is the last we see of Ambulance Driver Lady Jennifer Buckingham played by Jane Sherwin! Personally I thought she worked better in the earlier episodes, especially when paired with Lt Carstairs whom she seemed to share a mutual attraction too. Indeed the last things she says to Jamie is to pass a greeting onto Carstairs if Jamie fins him:

JAMIE: Do you not see, though? This thing could take us all back to the place where it's controlled from!
RUSSELL: How do you know?
JAMIE: Oh, where do you think those two came from?
RUSSELL: Well, is it true? Answer me.
VON WEICH: Do you think I'd help you?
RUSSELL: You'll do as you're told. Take those two away.
JAMIE: Now look, you want to find out what's going on, don't you? Och, I can't wait for you to make up your mind!
BUCKINGHAM: Oh, wait for me.
JAMIE: Ah, now, Lady Jennifer, I don't think you should come.
BUCKINGHAM: Because I'm a woman?
JAMIE: No, er, well, in a way, yes.
BUCKINGHAM: That settles it then. I'm certainly coming. You can't go alone.
RUSSELL: No, you're right, miss, he can't. I'm going with him. But you're staying here.
BUCKINGHAM: Oh now, look here!
RUSSELL: You're a nurse, you said?
BUCKINGHAM: Yes, but what's that got to do with it?
RUSSELL: I've got hundreds of injured men back at my headquarters. They need the help of someone like you.
BUCKINGHAM: Yes, I suppose you're right. Tell Lieutenant Carstairs that. Well, tell him I'll see him when you all get back.
JAMIE: Right.
BUCKINGHAM: Good luck.
JAMIE: Oh, thank you.
RUSSELL: Take her back to our headquarters. Thank you, Miss.

It would have been nice to see her make appearances later in the story reuniting her with Carstairs. As it turns out he hasn't forgotten her either....