Big hairstyles, flirting companions, the Doctor musing "Nyssa’s skirt…" like it’s the type of thing he finds around the TARDIS all the time - what’s not to like about Terminus? When compared to the rest of the Black Guardian Trilogy, Terminus is clearly the weak link in the chain, wedged between two of my favourite episodes. What is harder to determine is where it went wrong.
It’s certainly not in the atmosphere - from the Lazars, the guards, the Garm and everything about Terminus is shoddy, ugly and miserable. It is clearly a place you do not want to spend any time - the nearest it has to medical staff describe themselves as "baggage handlers"
The plot is not intrinsically flawed either. It adds a lot of depth to the DW universe, toying with a whole host of sci-fi concepts. Lazar’s Disease gives the galaxy a social taboo - the type of ordinary problem faced by people when they’re not under threat of invasion - while a slave race kept in servitude by their dependence on a drug is a thoroughly realistic idea. An act of casual littering causing the universe to come into being is also a genius one, and in keeping with the scientific standpoint of the show (in Brain of Morbius, the Doctor finds a rational way of dealing with the Sisterhood’s sacred flame which to them is sustained on faith; more recently, witches, zombies and werewolves have been given scientific origins in Shakespeare Code, Unquiet Dead and Tooth and Claw respectively). I was also satisfied to see the Doctor pained by both the strangulation attempt and thwack to the arm for a considerable time afterwards - it’s easy to forget these things and get straight onto the next scene, but his reaction made those two unconvincing scenes in question feel real.
It doesn’t even go wrong from a character standpoint - Tegan and Turlough spend the whole time flirting with each other in ducts, establishing their relationship for later episodes, while Nyssa is put through an experience sufficiently terrifying to make her want to stay. Individual moments that shine are the Doctor’s polite request that Olvir put the gun away, Turlough’s meditation on cold blooded murder and Nyssa’s departure, which is unfailingly moving. To an extent, this whole cruel episode has been for her benefit - everything about this scene, from her telling Tegan first, to the satisfaction of this planetless drifter finally finding a new home, is pitched perfect. They even reuse the Traken theme tune.
So where did it go wrong? Aside from those fine moments, it’s unengaging for most of the time, and I see no obvious reason why. If you pick on the solid basics as I have above, it seems like a template for a rather impressive and thought provoking episode. To a certain extent, the plot is going through the motions - we have mere moments to save the universe, yawn. Would have been in trouble if the Doctor hadn’t been there! The minor characters are as interesting as ever they are. (Olvir is camply unconvincing, the substitute-lady-companion merely dull. Of the guards, the dying Bor makes the best impression, even if his delivery occasionally reminds one of Monty Python.) But contrived storylines don’t normally irritate me this far, and dull extras are part of the scenery with this show. The bottom line is, something here really isn’t very good; but until I work out what it is, think of it as a missed opportunity. There are a lot of moments and ideas to treasure…absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in this case, treasuring can be best done at a distance.
For fans of Nyssa, this is obviously (and probably also unfortunately) a must see; people following Turlough’s character are also advised to give it a spin, along with any lovers of 80s hairstyles or men in white spandex. It’s also the last episode I would ever show to a fledgling fan, at least if I had to see it with them. Bad acting rarely puts me off entirely, especially from minor characters - it comes with the territory - but the first cliff-hanger, with Olvir’s hilariously poncy "we’re on a leper ship!" makes me cackle with laughter even as I type.
(Incidentally, having four episodes on DVD/video is always a temptation to watch them, in one go. In some cases, its impossible to do anything else. These things were written to be watched days apart, and recently I've started experimenting with watching an episode a day during a week. With some, like Inferno, having to wait 24 hours between episodes gives the cliffhangers their original punch back. But I also recommend it as a method of viewing episodes you find dull - split into 25 minute segments, I found Terminus far more convincing.)
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