Doctor Who-The Power Of Kroll

                           The search for the fifth segment of the Key To Time leads the TARDIS into the swampy marshes of the third moon off Delta Magna. Not long after arrival Romana is kidnapped by a member of a species referred to as the Swampies and a gun runner named Rohm Dutt. The Swampies are planning to use Romana as a sacrifice to appease their deity Kroll. The reason for this,as the Doctor soon discovers, is the fact that a group of human colonists on Delta Magna are using this moon to construct a series of Methane Catalysing Refineries. Since the Swampies were displaced from Delta Magna to this moon in the first place they believe that Kroll will save them from again being dislocated. Adding to this are the fact they Swampies have friends among a renegade group on Delta Magna calling themselves the Suns of Earth and Rohm Dutt is attempting to sell the Swampies defective weapons in a move to hasten the forced relocation.

                      This leads to the discovery that Kroll is,in fact,a gigantic squis-like creature that awakens after centuries of sleep to recharge it's energy and is randomly destroying all that's in it's way. Even though the source of this power is still unknown,the doctors attempts to reason with the Swampies results in himself,Romana and Rohm Dutt being captured (again) as sacrifices to appease what Ranquin,a supposed servant of Kroll,to their now realized false deity. While escaping this sacrifices Rohm Dutt is injested by Kroll,who then proceeds to attack the Methane Refinery. The project leader attempts a murderous rampage in order to secure his mission. Luckily the doctor manages to stop this and,while almost becomming another of Kroll's victims follows up on a hunch that turns out to be correct-that the source of Kroll's power is in fact the fifth segment of the key. Meanwhile Ranquin has been killed by the Kroll creature and the doctor depart the swampy moon with the retrieved key.

                          Incidentally,this is the very first Doctor Who serial I ever saw. It makes a lot more sense now seeing it in it's proper context as part of a series of related serials. Because of the low budget special effects,it may be hard for some to see this as one of the more sociologically interesting Doctor Who serials. Rather than a villain mad for power,we have one who is only out to prove by any means necessary that a species that have been displaced for the pursuit of technological expansion are unworthy of existence. In the words of the doctor,progress is a flexible word that can mean almost anything.The Swampies,lead by the short sighted Ranquin,are incorrectly perceiving the threat around them due to their faith in Kroll. This additionally points to religious extremism's ability to distract people from genuine threats around them. Even though most people would be ignorant to condemn someone else's religious faith,the doctors own experience in such matters makes him eminently qualified to do so.