The Rescue (Doctor Who) - Broadcast and Reception

Broadcast and Reception

Paul Cornell, Martin Day, and Keith Topping wrote of the serial in The Discontinuity Guide (1995), "As a vehicle to introduce a companion, The Rescue just about works, but it's too inconsequential to sustain any real interest." In The Television Companion (1998), David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker described the story as "one of the best examples of character-driven drama from this period of the series' history". While they noted there were some unexplained parts of the plot, they felt that it was generally believable and said that "Vicki actually steals the show here". In 2008, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times described The Rescue as a "neglected gem" with a strong debut for Vicki and many production improvements. Despite this, he wondered "how convincing Bennett's masquerade as Koquillion was in 1965" as in the present day it seems "a tad obvious". DVD Talk's Stuart Galbraith felt that the story was "quite strong" with a "smart, if somewhat predictable climax and resolution" that worked due to the dialogue. Den of Geek felt that the story was only let down by its "weak and convenient resolution" and provided good material for the main cast. Dreamwatch gave The Rescue a score of 7 out of 10, calling it a "solid enough adventure" with a slight plot but brisk pacing that allowed Ian and Barbara to be more of heroes.