Fourth Doctor Revisited: "The Invisible Enemy"

I feel like I'm finally getting into enough of a groove this year (only took me six months) that I've been able to work in time to continue through the Fourth Doctor stories. I recently watched "The Invisible Enemy" and while it's not a hugely highly rated story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus it introduced the tin dog K-9 (in his first incarnation).

That's probably a great place to start: K-9. He was originally created as a companion to Dr. Marius. Since he couldn't bring his real pup into space, he created man's robo best friend. I've written about K-9 previously (see attached Creature Feature), but I just find it amusing and amazing how iconic the tin dog became. While certainly not a traditional companion, K-9 became endearing and loving towards the Fourth Doctor and Leela. I mean, there's a reason another version of K-9 was gifted to Sarah Jane.

Speaking of companions, Leela is no Dodo, but she hasn't been my favorite. That being said, she shines in this story. While her impulsive and possibly savage behavior can sometimes bug me, it became her strength in this story. Because she relied on her intuition and didn't overthink the situation, the Swarm couldn't take hold of her... I wonder what it's like to not overthink life... Maybe I could use some of Leela's antibodies.

The Swarm was an interesting villain. Because of its microscopic size, it can be the titular invisible enemy. Honestly, as creepy as the full-grown virus was, it was much more villainous when it was small. I understand wanting to get bigger (I'm not the tallest guy around) but the power of the Swarm was to infect people. Once it was human-sized, what was the appeal?

To fight against the Swam, the Doctor and Leela cloned and shrunk themselves to figure out the cause and cure. While the concept is very Magic School Bus, it was an interesting idea. Especially with the cloning involved and the accidental creation of the cure, there's a bit of Osmosis Jones going on there too. It's kind of out there but I felt like it was a perfect plot twist... if that term works for a positive twist.

Alright. I need to move along through the Fourth Doctor. TJ and I need more Doctor Who content to discuss. I look forward to meeting the Time Lady Romana again. Just a few stories to go. Did anyone else like "The Invisible Enemy" as much as me or am I the anomaly among Whovian?