Review of all 4 episodes:
A proposed title for this story was The Day God Went Mad and that is a good title for any story as well as a pretty appropriate name for this adventure. It involves The Doctor arriving on a planet which he has visited before, but does not remember at first, and slowly realising he has somehow come to be thought of as a God by the people there following his actions on his previous visit. That premise is an extremely thoughtful idea in itself, contemplating the aftermath and consequences of The Doctor's interventions on other worlds. There is a lot more to this story too, including the character Leela who becomes The Doctor's new companion. Following Sarah Jane is the toughest act to follow of all but Leela is a brilliant and different type of companion, being a tough and fiery young woman from a tribal civilisation with violent tendencies.
The first two episodes are absolutely fascinating, engaging and brilliantly written setting up a story which is really intriguing. The final two episodes are not quite at that great level but remain really good with some good thrills, nice scenes and plenty of interest. Although I felt the outcomes were not quite as fully intellectually satisfying as the wonderful build up caused me to expect it was still an enjoyable and involving conclusion. These episodes also serve as an effective introduction for Leela with some lovely scenes for her and Louise Jameson putting in a super first performance. Tom Baker is amazing throughout the story yet again as well, lighting up the screen at every moment.
The concepts in the story are strong and there are some chilling moments such as the tremendous cliffhanger at the end of part 1 and the almost equally gripping end to part 3.
This great adventure is wrongly overlooked due to being in such a great season where it is overshadowed by 4 all time top classics surrounding it. In most seasons this would be a highlight.
My ratings: Parts 1 & 2 - 10/10, Parts 3 & 4 - 9/10. Overall - 9.5/10