While the first half is absolutely phenomenal, and on its own is enough for me to call this story a personal favourite, it really does falter by quite a lot in the second half when the Orwellian aspects largely disappear and it basically just becomes a story about the Doctor and co. fighting a race of giant crabs. I've seen this story in varying formats at least four times now, and I can still remember basically nothing about the latter two episodes except for the scene with Jamie and the dancers. Also, the defeat of the Macra is disappointingly abrupt and anti-climatic.

That no Macra appear at all. This is because there is no such thing as Macra. For that matter this episode is not real because their is no such thing as Macra!!!

Maybe a little tad overrated, this one for me. Still super of course, but I don't think it's the best of the season. There are some good characters, and I actually think the Macra come across as surprisingly scary, considering that in order to die an actor had to essentially fold themselves into it. But this may be the best, or maybe only, example of there being too many characters. There's nothing here achieved with a Tardis quartet that couldn't have been achieved with three. Jamie in particular is the weak link. Without a Victoria to protect or a Zoe to be confused by he often looks forlorn.

I also think the music and the chant that appear at the start and the end are exceptionally irritating. And while I'm not the sort of person who thinks TV always has to be on the right side of progressive in order to enjoy it, I don't think there's even a single mention of the fact (aside from the fact itself, obvs) that the Macra are in fact the native species. If memory serves, Troughton is perfectly happy to kill them off despite the humans onstensibly being the "invaders". If I'm being snarky, we'd never hear the end of it if this was a Whittaker episode. It would still be used now to discuss how morally repugnant she was.

The only other complaint for me (Ian Stuart Black is an underrated Doctor Who writer for me—The War Machines might not be much, but this and The Savages are both top drawer) is the title. It's a shame that in this unparalleled run of Who episodes, we're stuck with such lousy titles as "The Underwater Menace" and "The Macra Terror".

@Anastasia Cousins You hate this serial. Don't you?

@BenGMan730 how can I hate something which does not Exist! There is no Such thing as MACRA!!!!

(I actually love this serial I just like he joke as well)

The only thing that I ever think of when I hear Macra (I’ve never seen any of Classic Who) is that one channel member of Adam Martyn’s named Macra from back when I used to watch Adam’s videos as I no longer watch them.