449 – Doomwatch – Web of Fear

It’s time to say, “not yeti on the underground,” with a touch of disappointment, for while this episode does explore terrors underground, there is nary a yeti in sight. Simon and Eugene discuss the Web of Fear. Episode Synopsis: The Minister of Health and Duncan, Permanent Secretary at a mysteriously connected Ministry that somehow occasionally seems to hold Doomwatch’s fate directly within their purview, are relaxing in a steam bath at a health farm on an island.  A third person in the steam bath falls ill with what looks to be Yellow Fever. The island is quarantined. [expand title=”More…” swaptitle=”Less” tag=”strong”] Quist has been desperately trying to get the Minister of Health to consider one of his proposals and sees the Yellow Fever outbreak as an opportunity to (a) offer Doomwatch’s help and expertise and (b) corner the minister about the policy decision. Quist and Dr. Chantry, with Yellow Fever inoculations in arm, head to the island. At the staging area, on the way to the island, the Doomwatch team meet Dr. George, an expert on infectious tropical diseases and Dr Griffith and his wife.  Griffith is a research scientist who, some years ago presented a groundbreaking paper – or it would have been if Quist (and others) hadn’t ground Griffith’s 15 year research project into so much dust under their heels within hours – and with the paper, the man himself. Griffith must get to the island where he has been doing research.  He fears that his agricultural research will be destroyed when they spray the island to kill all the Yellow Fever carrying mosquitos.  He is denied from the island. So he goes anyway, in secret, in a desperate attempt to gather moth samples before the spraying. More people at the health farm are falling ill, despite the fact that no one is really noticing a mosquito problem around the Farm.  Dr. George says it looks like Yellow Fever, but the cells are slightly different – it might possibly be a new variation of Yellow Fever. Griffith is a man obsessed.  He must complete his research and it must be perfect before he publishes this time; however, the spraying begins before he can collect specimens on the far side of the island.  He sends his wife to the apple orchards near the health farm, while he explores the old tin mine hoping that moth specimens will have found their way in and be shielded from the spraying.  The moths should be easy to find, his process causes them to turn blue. After he leaves, his wife notices that the spiders that ate the moths have also turned blue.  What could that mean? Ridge has been called to the island and spots Mrs Griffith taking moth samples in the orchard.  Quist assigns him to follow her. In the spider-filled mine, Griffith falls ill and cannot make his way out unaided. When Ridge finds her at the mine, she’s worried about her husband who should have returned by now.  He takes her back to the farm where, after comparing notes, they postulate a new hypothesis.  The disease isn’t Yellow Fever, but something similar that started with the harmless virus applied to the moths and triggered a new virus when inside the spiders that preyed upon them.  The spiders, in turn, pass the virus into their webs.  People who came in contact with either spider or web have been exposed to the disease. Ridge must go to rescue Griffith in the mine while avoid contact with all the spider webs, which he eventually does. With the island quarantined and the source of infection identified, the outcome is hopeful that the disease has been contained; however, Griffith has died.  His death will stand as a warning to all those working in the field, which is currently woefully unregulated. [/expand]