Which One : Nyssa leaves and Turlough sabotages the Tardis.
Cast : The Doctor : Peter Davison
Tegan : Janet Fielding
Nyssa : Sarah Sutton
Turlough : Mark Strickson
Black Guardian : Valentine Dyall
Kari : Liza Goddard
Olvir : Dominic Guard
Valgard : Andrew Burt
Sigurd : Tim Munro
Eirak : Martin Potter
Bor : Peter Benson
The Garm : R.J. Bell
Tannoy Voice : Martin Muncaster
Inga : Rachel Weaver
Written By : Stephen Gallagher
Produced By : JNT
First UK Broadcast : 15 – 23 February 1983.
Length : 4 x 25 minute episodes.
Plot : Turlough sabotages the Tardis, causing it to jettison rooms and land aboard a space-freighter; which is transporting diseased lepers enroute to Terminus – a huge spacestation hospital. Nyssa is infected by the same disease, only a trip to Terminus can save her.
Whats good : Some good sci-fi concepts. Starts well enough with the Tardis melding with a space-freighter. The Vanir’s look. Nyssa in her nightie.
Whats bad : Not a lot happens – bar talking. It’s pretty boring. Also, the Garm just looks stupid.
Review With Spoilers : Terminus should have been named “Terminal”, as nothing much of any real substance or interest, happens. Its all a bit boring at 4 full episodes. It should have been a 2-parter.
Some early suspense and mystery, about what the space-freighter is – that the Tardis lands on and becomes part-of; gives way to alot of talking on board Terminus, with little action; or intrigue.
Some interest is generated, with the plot-thread of Terminus being at the centre of the Universe and that a fuel dump aeons ago by a mummified spacepilot, caused the big bang; which created this universe. However not enough to kickstart proceedings.
The Vanir, who are the spacestation’s drug medicated mercenary force, definitely look the part; in their ornate gold costumes amd could have stepped off of the set of Lynch’s Dune. Although nothing interesting is made of them; or their hazy motivations.
“You’ll be taken to the Garm. Thereafter, who knows? No one’s ever come back from a meeting with him!” Valgard
The resident monster is the ‘Garm’ – a really lazily conceived monster; which consists of a pair of overalls and a dog mask.
The script made reference to Cerberus, the dog that guards the gates of hell but this does not come across, in execution. They should have written the Garm’s part to be fleeting glimpses only – this would have made it much more effective – a monster.
Apart from seeing Nyssa in her nightwear. The only notable thing to happen, is that Nyssa decides to stay behind and help treat the lepers; leaving the Tardis – for good.
Despite some interesting ideas and concepts, Terminus is the weakest episode in The Black Guardian trilogy and can be easily forgotten about.
