The Ark in Space is a good story. Not a masterpiece, but it does what it sets out to do.
We now have a new tone. Since Spearhead we've had the cosy UNIT family setting on Earth. Not now. It felt a bit different. I couldn’t imagine Jon Pertwee appearing in that story.
Episode 1 is a masterpiece in itself. I really buy this TARDIS team, which is a good thing, because they are the only people in it. Kinda reminds me of a William Hartnell era episode, like The Daleks, only darker.
This is where the Tom Baker era establishes itself most dramatically under Phillip Hinchcliffe's guidance. The series takes a turn toward horror: good! Horror is about the only thing that could credibly follow the UNIT setting.
Even with the restrictions of the day, the sets for the space station are some of the best in the series history and they did a lot with it with a variety of slow scenes to build the tension. Noah and the further transformed Noah actually is a pretty good effort from an acting perspective. I mean there's no escaping the fact that its bubble wrap but the actors performance sells it to me.
Its not a favourite of mine by any means but its a good start to the era. The best: Genesis, Revenge (I look very forward to defending this one), Zygons, Pyramids, Talons etc is yet to come.
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