54. Inferno

Time Ladies and Time Lords,may I present the ultimate Jon Pertwee Doctor Who episode! Inferno is THE 3rd Doctor episode. When I look back at the Pertwee era, Inferno is at the top of the list. It's got power crazed administrators. It's got the Ministry. It's got UNIT encamped at a facility under sideways. It's got the Doctor whisked sideways across time and space with just a TARDIS console. It's got evil alternate versions of our favorite characters. It's got the end of the world!!!

Looking over the arc of the seventh season, all the stories lead up to this season finale. Between the Doctor's relationship with the Brig, with Liz, with the "establishment", with being trapped on Earth, all the plot threads lead into the Inferno. This has some of the greatest character drama in Doctor Who ever.

This also marks the last episode with Liz Shaw as a companion. For four great stories, Caroline John portrayed Liz Shaw as a smart, independent, head strong, compassionate, liberated, force to be reckoned with. Only the Doctor could overshadow such a person but ended up being more of a colleague to Liz. Their partnership was magic on the screen unlike any previous relationship the Doctor had with a "companion". The real shame is that Liz never got a proper good bye and she never got to travel in the TARDIS. While Caroline made a cameo in The Five Doctors as a phantom, she and the Doctor were never properly reunited on television or on audio. While Jo Grant and Sarah Jane met the 11th Doctor, it would have been wonderful if Liz had joined them.

And so with the Doctor saving the world and drawing the season to a close, we kiss Liz Shaw and Caroline John good bye. Rest in peace my dear!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_(Doctor_Who)