Galaxy 4 is underrated, but for a very good reason. The recons suck. They're bad quality(both pictures and audio), there aren't enough scrolls down telling what's happening and it's just a bore.
However, the existing Episode 3 was actually quite decent and it had the best Vicki moment yet.
The TARDIS lands on a planet in the fourth galaxy(so the universe is line-shaped?) where two ships have crash-landed and their occupants wage conflict.
The recons make it look very by-the-numbers. The "Chumblies" are pretty much the latest Mechanoids(only with more repetitive noises) and the whole idea of two advanced races fighting each other has already been done in almost every scientific story so far(stretching back to The Daleks)
On the other hand, the existing episode makes it look new and fresh, with the Doctor being on the side of the mechanical nuisances for once and also the planet-collapsing threat looming over them. Not to mention Maaga's almost Shakespearean performance that completely disappeared in the recons. It's very hard to follow this story in the recons, but I became quite engrossed with it in Episode 3.
I didn't like the scene where the Drahvins threatened to kill Steven though. All he had to do was open the door and run away from the sloooow lone Chumbley.
Besides, there's several Hartnell fluffs here too like responding to Vicki's "release the bars" with "No, it's keeping the atmosphere in!"
But the script isn't faultless either. For starters, I find the idea that any race would describe their atmosphere as "gas" peculiar. Secondly, why does the Doctor think that the Chumblies can detect them via their heat when it's just been established that they rely much on sound?
I mentioned earlier about Vicki's awesome moment. At one point, she grabs a threatening Drahvin's gun and looks totally badass with it. It's the little things that count. That scene alone was enough to raise her standing above Steven's. Shame I couldn't find a photo of it for you on Google.
Just two minor niggles: The Drahvin spaceship door(they inexplicably have one that makes sound and one that doesn't) sounds exactly like the SIDRAT door from The War Games. And the Rills' command center has a Dalek heartbeat. Perhaps there's more behind this story than we thought...
The real Chumblies move much more wonkily than the CGI ones from the recons.
The Rills' command center has a lot of rubble in it for some reason. Makes the whole thing look cheap.
Overall, it has potential and if the whole thing existed I'd be far more positive about it, but as it is now, it's the weakest Hartnell story yet. At least The Rescue had comedy elements in it.
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