Doctor Who “The Seeds Of Doom Part 1”

You know, I write these way in advance, and this one seems a little familiar.  See, I just wrote up the Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and that dealt with invasive species.  So does this one from the looks of things.  Of course, this one also reminds me of a movie we covered in the Cultwatch! feature, but that story is a lot more nasty than anything involving a Tribble.

Deep in the cold reaches of the Antarctic, some scientists find a seed pod in the ice.  They decide to take it home and examine it.  And thus, our troubles begin.

Yes, there’s a need for help, so one of those British governmental muckety-mucks asks for…the Doctor!

Well, he asked UNIT and got the Doctor.  The Doctor seems a little…eccentric.  Maybe it was the yo-yo tricks.  However, the Doctor is the best UNIT could send.  I mean, we in the audience know that’s true, but the minister doesn’t.  Anyway, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are off to the scientific outpost.

But then someone else tells a rich guy who loves plants.  I mean, this guy really loves plants.  He wants something done about the abomination that is the Japanese art of bonsai.

I’m gonna hate this guy, aren’t I?

Yeah, well, let’s move.  The rich guy is sending people to “rescue” the seed pod as well.

But there has to be more of a problem in the base.  The seed pod did open up and infect one of the scientists, turning him into a plant monster.  The Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive in the middle of a storm, and the guy’s just getting worse.  In fact, the Doctor goes out and finds a second seed pod.  Because these things travel in pairs.

Yes, the Doctor knows what these things are.  They’re Krynoids.  They’re like bacteria, only they’re also plants.  These things infest planets and kill off all the animal life.  The only thing the Doctor can think of for now is to amputate the arm of the infected scientist.  That will hopefully slow down the infection.

Two problems there.  First, the rich guy’s henchmen show up, posing as help.

And second, the one guy in the base who can maybe amputate that arm is killed by his Krynoid-infected buddy.