Loosetooth's Tardis Chronicles: The Forest of Fear

Loosetooth continues to explore the world of Doctor Who one episode at a time, which now leads us to part three of The Doctor's first official adventure An Unearthly Child.
Need to catch up first? Then check out Part One and Part Two

An Unearthly Child part 3: The Forest of Fear

The episode opens to our heroes incarcerated in the Cave of Skulls while the cavemen sleep. The Old Women wakes and sneaks out of the habitat cave, and into the Cave of Skulls promising to set The Doctor and his companions free if they refuse to make fire.

Za and his mate Hur discover The Old Women’s treachery as the time-travellers escape into the forest. After knocking The Old Women out Za and Hur take pursuit. While hiding from their pursuers the foursome witness Za attacked by a nondescript creature.

Barbara, who has been quite fearful to this point, insists they must help the fallen caveman, much to The Doctor’s annoyance. Kal discovers that the strangers are gone, and kills The Old Women. Meanwhile Barbara convinces Hur to let them help Za, saying they will also show them to make fire if Hur shows them the way back to the Tardis.

Kal attempts to rally the other cavemen and poison them towards Za, and when The Doctor and his companions finally make it back to the Tardis with a stretchered Za Kal and the other cavemen are waiting for them.

The Forest of Fear is another important episode in the creation of Doctor Who, not for introducing a classic adversary or contraption such as the Sonic Screwdriver, but as a turning point for the title character himself.

There is a moment while the others are attending to Za where The Doctor picks up Za's stone knife with what seems to be sinister intentions, but when Ian stops him he claims he wanted Za to draw (presumably in the dirt) how to get back to the Tardis. It is later claimed that it was this moment when The Doctor decided he needed human companions, to prevent him from stepping into such villainy.

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Next episode: The Firemaker