Written by Terry Nation | Directed by John Gorrie | Produced by Verity Lambert | Original air date 05/09/64
Ian awakes, rubbing the back of his head in pain. He's startled when a seated person behind him starts questioning him. His name is Tarron, and he wants to know why Ian stole the micro-key. It has to be noted that the reprise from the last episode shows someone with a black glove in a black jacket framing Ian, and the person questioning Ian fits the description. It turns out that all the guards in Miliennius, the city where we later learn the travelers find themselves, all dress this way.
Tarron explains the only way to get into the room is if the guard lets you in, otherwise they'd have failed the "probity check," and not be allowed in. Tarron explains Ian is being charged with murder of the guard he found lying on the ground before he was attacked, and he discovers that here, the accused are guilty until proven innocent, not the other way around, and it's a serious charge, since the penalty for being convicted is death. He's asked if he knows anyone who can defend him, and he says he can think of someone. Tarron asks him, who, and Ian replies, "Who? Heh... he's a Doctor," which is a borderline "Doctor Who" joke, but thankfully isn't, quite. It's close enough to still annoy me, though.
Later, when Susan, Barbara, Altos, and Sabetha are visiting Ian (it's never explained why only Ian showed up at the location of the microkey, or where everyone else was), the Doctor finally shows up after being out of the past few episodes and claims he'll defend Ian in court.
The trial immediately begins, and the Doctor's first tactic is to stall for time. He claims (understandably) that he needs time to not only study the case at hand, but to study the legal system of Milennius, sine they're all travelers and are unfamiliar with their system of laws. The judges (there are three of them, though only one ever speaks, the other two just nod vigorously) agree, and grant him two days. The Doctor assigns Altos and Sabetha to research past murder trials (there apparently aren't many in Milennius), and assigns Susan and Barbara the task of being his detectives. Ian asks what he can do, and the Doctor reassures him, "Trust me." Ian, frustrated but happy for the Doctor's help, sighs and lowers his head in resigned frustration.
As Altos and Sabetha read up on past cases in the Milennius library, the Doctor, Susan, and Barbara investigate the room where the micro-key was kept, and do a re-enactment of how they believe the murder happened (which must have been very strange for viewers in 1964, so soon after John F. Kennedy's death, in which the public had already begun to be inundated with theories about how the assassination actually happened). This scene is pretty entertaining, it has to be said - there hasn't been many scenes like it in Doctor Who thus far, and the Doctor is clearly relishing the puzzle. He concludes the relief guard is the likely murderer and key thief, but he has no proof, yet. We get a very unfortunate Billy Fluff in this scene regarding what the murderer did with the key: "I can't improve in this moment. I can't prove in this very moment that Chesterton didn't hide it in it's present location," which really must have upset Hartnell when he realized that line had to stay in, though I'm sure he assumed it'd only be seen the once in May of 1964, not viewed millions of times by people for the decades to follow.
Barbara and Susan go to interview the relief guard, a man named Ayden. He isn't home, and as they're talking to his wife, Kala, Ayden bursts in, not noticing Barbara or Susan yet. He excitedly tells Kala he's sorry he is getting home late, he was being questioned about the... and then he noticed the strangers in his home. He immediately clams up and acts super suspicious to the point that it's immediately obvious to the viewer that not only is he involved, he probably is the murderer and thief. Susan accuses him of killing Eprin (the name of the dead man in the opening scene), and he's about the backhand her, but his wife restrains him. Barbara and Susan leave, but eavesdrop on the other side of the door to the conversation. Kala tells Ayden he needs to calm down, and he gets upset with her, tells her not to talk to him that way, and slaps her (even if this guy weren't guilty, I want consequences for him now!). It seems some of the guards are in on it, but are they all?
Back in the courtroom, the Doctor makes his play. He claims the real murderer is in the room with them now, and it's not Ian. He calls Sabetha to the stand as his witness. She holds up a micro-key and points Ayden out as the killer. He freaks out and starts to spill the beans, saying "I'll tell you everything! I'm not alone, they made me do it. I'll tell you-" but he is killed in the throng of people surrounding him. When things calm down, the trial resumes, and since Ian still hasn't been proven innocent - Ayden could have been his conspirator - he is judged as guilty. Turns out Sabetha just held up one of the other micro-keys they've collected over the past several episodes, so it was all a trick on the Doctor's part. The Doctor asks for more time but isn't granted any, which I find very strange considering they just witnessed a murder in the court and murder is apparently rare in Milennius as it is. Surely they'd grant the Doctor some more time, and wouldn't they try to figure out who killed Ayden before passing judgment on Ian, since it's all related? They don't even go so far as to say Ian did it, they just move to declare him guilty and that's that. It's very strange.
Outside the court room, Barbara is given a note that someone else will die if they disclose the true location of the key. She then receives a phone all, and it's Susan, telling her that she's been kidnapped and she's the one who will be killed if they reveal where the key is, and we cut to credits.
Like others have noted before me (Sandifer, for one), this is very much like Doctor Who meets Phoenix Wright, and I have to admit I quite enjoy it, just like I like those ridiculous video games. It also strikes me that the Doctor does well in court - I wish we saw him acting as a lawyer more than here and in Trial of a Timelord (which manages to out-ham this one by a fair margin). The Keys of Marinus' guilty pleasure charm rolls on into tomorrow's episode, which I don't think is quite as good as these past few episodes, but is still good enough.
"Doctor Who" puns so far: 2 | Tomorrow: "The Keys of Marinus"
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