What's Wrong With... The Mind of Evil

Just when does this story take place? The chronology throws up a number of problems.

The main issue is the statement that the Keller process has been in operation in Swiss prisons, prior to being set up at Stangmoor Prison "nearly a year ago". Is this story taking place 12 - 18 months after the events of Terror of the Autons? In which case, what has the Master been up to for that year in which the machine was at Stangmoor? Has he made no other attempts to get his dematerialisation circuit back? 

Had UNIT not managed to make any inroads into finding him during that time he spent on the continent? He's been based in Switzerland, which just happens to be where UNIT's international HQ is based.

If this does take place immediately after the second Nestene invasion, why did the Master not come gunning for the Doctor sooner? He's been on Earth for at least 12 months, and the Doctor has been with UNIT all that time.

If the plan with the Mind Parasite has been brewing for a while, why draw the Doctor's attention to his activities by allying himself with the Nestenes? Why ally himself with aliens at all if he has his own plan to destroy the Earth?

Whatever the chronology of this story, the Master must have had the Mind Parasite kicking around his TARDIS for a while, as he hasn't been able to leave the planet and collect it from elsewhere.

It feeds on evil, so why has it not gone after the biggest source of evil this side of the galaxy - the Master himself?

Instead, the Master has been feeding it in Switzerland! I dare say there is a lot of financial crime in that country, but it is hardly riddled with gun crime, drugs or gang warfare. Wouldn't a nice war zone have been a better place to take it, or a violent period of Earth's history if he brought it to Earth long before the Doctor disabled his TARDIS?

The machine holding the creature is said to be 65% full, when it has only processed 112 Swiss people, yet the story seems to be saying that it needs all the evil of a third world war to be sated.

The Doctor and Master both struggle to find a solution to the Mind Parasite, despite seeing the effect Barnham has on it. Why not simply transport it to the nearest monastery or convent?

Until they do find a way of dealing with it, why not have Barnham stay with it all the time?

We can accept that the Mind Parasite can attack mentally and make people die of fright, but how can this manifest itself in physical symptoms, like water in the lungs and rat scratches? The Doctor initially fears fire, but does not get burned.

The Doctor's fears change as he's suddenly more scared of some of his old foes. Again, we can accept him dreading Daleks and Cybermen, but Koquillion? That was just a bloke in a costume, who was hardly a great criminal mastermind. War Machines and Zarbi were just foot soldiers for far more powerful enemies.

The Master ties the Doctor up next to the creature, wanting to see the effect it has on him. But he then leaves the room, so can't actually observe at all, and the Doctor could potentially be killed before he comes back - despite the fact that he needs the Doctor to help him control the Parasite.

Why does the American delegate see a Chinese dragon? If it's a personification of Chinese Communism then why not see Chairman Mao?

A very big question - why carry on with the Mind Parasite plan (or initiate it) when you don't have a working TARDIS? Isn't starting a nuclear war on a planet you are trapped on just a little bit silly?

There's a flashing red light outside the apartment being used by the Chinese delegate, making it look as if he is staying above a Soho strip club.

When he hears that Prof. Keller had a Chinese assistant, the Doctor automatically thinks of Chin Lee - as if she were the only Chinese woman in the UK.

The Master has two schemes on the go at the same time, but by using Chin Lee he very kindly links the two things for the Doctor.

Chin Lee burns the stolen papers right outside UNIT's London HQ where anyone could see her. We see the Doctor, the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton all coming and going from the building.

Equally, the Master elects to leave his disguise behind in the workman's tent on UNIT's doorstep, where a suspicious agent or passing policeman might easily find it.

To top it all, the Master then walks out of the tent without his disguise, in full view of UNIT HQ.

Clearly the Master is thinking that the best place to hide from UNIT is right under its nose.

Even the Doctor comments on it in the story - is it really very sensible to move the Thunderbolt missile around the country while a peace conference is in progress?

I'm surprised that the ecologically-minded Producer didn't question that UNIT was going to dump this deadly missile in the sea.

It contains nerve gas, and is nuclear powered, so wouldn't self-destructing it by blowing it up not spread death across a wide area?

The Thunderbolt is stolen by convicts, but is then seen to be guarded by men dressed in army fatigues. (This was a production error, which forced them to add a line for the Master about hiring mercenaries).

If we accept the mercenaries line, why not get them to steal the Thunderbolt in the first place? Why use a bunch of convicts who are hardly trustworthy, and don't necessarily have the skills he requires.

The story seems to assume that all convicts are automatically au fait with machine guns etc. Is Stangmoor Prison famous for only holding international terrorists and armed robbers?

Is having a secret tunnel leading to the outside not a bit of a liability for a maximum security prison?