Galaxy 4 and Mission to the Unknown

STEVEN: I can't operate it. I couldn't if I tried. Only the Doctor could do that. It's his ship. Why don't you try making an offer to him? Or is it that you think he might be just a little bit too clever for you? I'm the gullible one, is that it? I'm not much help, am I?

DOCTOR: Are you trying to get us killed?

VICKI: Didn't you see? They only pick up sounds in front of them. If we keep immediately behind them, they won't know we're there.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes, you may appear to be right, but it's dangerous, and it's very risky!
VICKI: That was no risk. I noted, observed, collated, concluded, and then I threw the rock.

DOCTOR: What's this? What's this fellow doing?
RILL: Going to repair the damage you have done.
DOCTOR: Ah, yes. Quite so.

RILL: Though we are beings of separate planets, you from the solar system and we from another space, our ways of thought, at times, do not seem all that different.

("We from another space"? What?)

• The most exciting thing about Galaxy 4 is that one of the people playing the Chumblies is called Pepi Poup. And another is called Angelo Muscat. The second most exciting thing is Vicki cutting Steven's hair. 
• I'm not sure why it's called Galaxy 4. That's where the Drahvins are from, but not where it's set. The episode titles are a bit poor, too. "Air Lock" is possibly the worst in Doctor Who's history. 
  
• I actually quite like the Rills, but they don't actually do anything. I like slower paced stories, but this really is absurd. Nothing happens. Long scenes of people saying things but not really doing anything. 
• I would say Maaga's long close-up monologue about having the imagination to think of the Rills dying when the planet explodes is quite interestering and well done, but it probably just seems that way in comparison to the rest of the story.

Verdict

If it wasn't for the three regulars and Stephanie Bidmead, this would truly be awful. Yes, the Chumblies are quite cute, and the sound effects are good, but that's hardly enough to get you through 100 minutes. I usually argue that longer running times are necessarily, but this has pretty much the thinnest plot of any Doctor Who story. Everyone is so listless. Maaga keeps talking about

capturing the Rill ship, but at no point in the entire story does she even try. The final episode involves the Doctor plugging the TARDIS into the Rill ship to give them power while the Drahvins shrug and say, "ah well, what can you do?" That final episode is the worst individual episode so far by a long way, and perfectly rounds up by far the worst story so far. Being able to see Air Lock is about the only way I managed to get through the torture. Horrible season opener.

CORY: There's something very big going on here, and if the Daleks are involved you can bet your life our whole galaxy is in danger.

DALEK: Some beings have landed from the planet Earth, hostile beings from the centre of the solar system. But do not worry.

MALPHA: This is indeed an historic moment in the history of the universe. We six from the outer galaxies, joining with the power from the solar system, the Daleks! The seven of us represent the greatest war force ever assembled. Conquest is assured! Mars! Venus! Jupiter! The moon colonies!
DALEK: They will all fall before our might. But the first of them will be Earth!

(Riiiiiiiight)

• Mission to the Unknown is notable for a number of reasons, but most importantly for being Verity Lambert's final credited story as producer. She was fantastic. 
• Kembel sounds excellent. All the background noises make it sound completely alive and evil. Helped by the Varga plants, which are a very scary and effective idea that sadly aren't ever seen again. 
• It's good to see even Special Space Security agents far in the future will still be using fairly basic tape recorders to record distress messages. 
• Why do the Daleks broadcast their secret meetings to the whole of Kembel when they know there are Earth agents on the planet? How dim can you be? 

Verdict
 
Mission to the Unknown is a bit of an oddity, but it's a strong and tense 25 minutes which perfectly sets up the Daleks' Master Plan. Already you know it's going to be very different to the Chase from the grim and gritty way the three human characters are mercilessly butchered by the Daleks. No letting silly Alabamans laugh at them here!