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Space-flight passenger Maureen Mydason suffers a terrible
licking from an alien hijacker. Meanwhile, the occupants of
the Nick of Time need to escape from a deadly dose
of radiation...
In
this series, writer/director/producer Mark J. Thompson has
displayed, never more so than during this instalment, the
gift of a 1960s' Doctor Who writer: the ability to
work his story around the absence of certain principal cast
members. For example, Sammie Winmill's Cindy, overcome by
radiation sickness, spends the duration of this episode unconscious,
while Jacqueline Pearce's Madame Deephole is talked about
rather than actually heard.
Having
been shot and apparently killed at the beginning of Story
Two, the transsexual Cilla (who was originally played by Norman
Lovett) is here portrayed by not one but two actors. The first
of these is Mark J. Thompson himself, who explains away Cilla's
change of voice as being the result of having damaged his/her
throat during his/her scuffle with the Editor. In due course,
Anna Karen assumes the role of Cilla's fully restored, though
far from ladylike, feminine self.
At
least the evil Editor is still played by the same actor as
last time (Gareth Thomas) although he now reveals his name
to be Aaran Arkenstein. The title Metamorphs proves
pertinent indeed.
What
more can be said of this relentlessly bizarre serial? Well,
another **Blake's 7** veteran, Jan (Cally) Chappell, joins
the cast and appears to relish her role as the frog-like alien
hijacker, Sharliken. Meanwhile, the script continues to deliver
its seemingly endless supply of double entendres. These range
from the aching coccyx of the crass and crude Crispin Caelys
(enthusiastically portrayed by Niall Stuchfield) to the space
dentist Teddy's (Thompson again) gleeful anticipation at the
prospect of getting his chops around some long, thick, sticky
things!
The
Gospel-style song on Track 10 isn't bad either - which is
high praise coming from someone who isn't that keen
on the songs in general.
From
a storytelling point of view, connections are now being established
between the various strands of the complex plot, as it is
revealed that both Galileo Gamak (Thompson yet again) and
Colonel Franklin (Sarah Sutton) have had dealings with Aaran
before. Things certainly do seem to be coming together (oo-er,
missus)!
Richard
McGinlay
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