lmao dammit
If you can remember where it was, let me know where you've heard good things about Image of the Fendahl because it does not have a good reputation iirc (and I didn't like it lol)
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"It feels different this time..." - The new Doctor Who Thread
- Thread starter Kazin
- Start date
lmao dammit
If you can remember where it was, let me know where you've heard good things about Image of the Fendahl because it does not have a good reputation iirc (and I didn't like it lol)
I gave this some thought, and I'm pretty sure what I'm thinking of is The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, which devotes a couple of sentences to a review of each serial after getting through the more factual bits. I always like to read their entry on a story after I've watched it, but I also skipped around a bit when I first got the book and read the reviews for some I haven't seen. Here's their consensus on Image of the Fendahl:
Brief, yes, but that's almost certainly what I was thinking of when I said that. Having not watched Fendahl yet myself I have no idea whether my opinion of it will hew closer to yours or theirs, but I'll be interested to see.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Decided to, you know, what classic Doctor Who in its entirety. Makes sense seeing as how I'm almost caught up in my big Simpsons project.
An Unearthly Child AKA 100,000 BC AKA The Tribe of Gum
In this serial, school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are completely confounded by their student Susan Foreman. More so, Barbara found out her address simply leads back to an old building. The two investigate and meet an impish old man and see an old police box. Sensing the old man is hiding something in the police box, Ian barges into it when he hears Susan's voice. Ian and Barbara are shocked to discover it is bigger on the inside and seems lightyears ahead of Earth technology. The old man, calling himself the Doctor (and not Doctor Foreman) claims he and Susan are exiles from another place and time that the police box, called the TARDIS, can travel in time and space. Ian is mocking and in his anger (and wanting to make sure not one spills the beans on him), the Doctor sends them into the distant past to prove it.
The foursome look around when the Doctor, while smoking his pipe, is kidnapped by a caveman. It turns out his tribe is desperate to make fire and their current leader is in a power struggle with an outsider for leadership. Whoever controls fire will basically clinch it and when the Doctor lit his pipe, he proved he could make fire. The others are captured when they look for the Doctor but manage to escape for a time, though not before saving the life of one of the cavemen. Eventually, they make fire but the tribe's leader insist they stay forever. Eventually, they escape with a ruse and make it back to the TARDIS. The Doctor, not having time to set coordinates, sends them someplace random and they go out to investigate, unaware of suddenly spiking radiation levels.
Sorry for the lack of clarity in my recap but I genuinely got the two leaders Za and Kal mixed up a LOT and in reading the wikipedia page was like "Wait, I though they saved the outsider? What's happening?"
Overall, this is a pretty strong first outing, more than I remember. Oh, it has plenty of faults but the good points shine brighter. It never gets better than that first episode, which despite being talky, really sets the mood and premise up well with a killer cliffhanger. The Doctor is very much a different character here than he will become but at the same time when he first arrives, his playfulness is unmistakably the Doctor. There's really a lot in the Doctor Who premise to be unloaded and later seasons would be able to streamline this well but it's nice to have the time to sit in the mystery of this old man and the TARDIS; far from the often frantic pacing of the more recent episodes. Neither is a bad approach mind but it reminds me of how Simpsons season 2 has a tone the show will never go for again, both for better and yet there's a beauty to that time.
The caveman story is a mixed bag but I actually think it's trying for something heady. Granted, the idea of primitives and savages is a simplistic and somewhat problematic one (not to be confused with the VERY OVERTLY problematic ideas the show will have in it's first four years) but I think it is a story with a point about how far we've come, that we got democracy on our side. While the newer series isn't cynical, I don't think it would be quite that blindly optimistic, considering we've seen democracy abused pretty badly in our time but it's the idea that mercy and sharing makes us strong. I wish it did something more. No one even does a redemptive turn after the heroes save them or even a surprise betrayal. The cavemen think about it for a bit and then move on.
The show wants to get a bit Shakespearian in the cavemen power plays but despite the grandiose dialogue, the story is a little too simple to really work. Again, I like when they gesture to ideas like "he's not more powerful than the whole tribe", a warning Kal (or... Za?) ignores and... it never really comes back? Feels like it should have. The writing keeps sidling up to something headier and I think that's intentional but then it drops it in favour of the villains being more simplistic. You'd think an encounter with the future who are showing signs of empathy they did not care to might inspire them and in a later Doctor Who serial, it would. After all, in later stories, it's rare the Doctor doesn't allow whoever he encounters to change for the better. In a lot of the older ones, particularly the historicals, the characters get themselves into a mess, accidentally create a little history, then flee to the next adventure.
The Doctor as a character is interesting here; he's a lot less on the ball and more inhumane to people who aren't Susan. Frankly, it's part of the reason there are a lot of retcons of the Doctor's past I'm not into that implies he's a much bigger deal; I feel like it is more interesting he's a minor exile who makes this quest and discovers his humanity, which becomes his whole thing going forward. He very much has an arc, even though it is less due to intent and more fine tuning and softening the character as the series goes on. Still, this Doctor has an edge and at this point, it might seem like he'll just leave Ian and Barbara behind should he wish. This version actively chooses wanting to kill Za... or Kal... or whoever, rather than save them, very different from who the character becomes. If anything, it continues the show's modern recurring idea of how much the Doctor needs his companions (interestingly, he uses the word in this episode in a way where you are like "oh, yeah, that's why that became the term.")
The escape is the most embarrassing part of the episode. Susan puts a skull on a torch and chirps "it's like it's alive". No Susan. It's not like that at all. Also, even though fire is unfamiliar to these guys and they seem dense, I don't feel like they would immediately assume four skulls on sticks are full on people who burned themselves to death. It's a wild assumption.
Overall, I feel like this one is not paced as badly as I remember but that might be because for my issues, I don't mind the talky bits. It does have some time killing trek scenes that I remember of the early series but even that isn't so long. It probably could be a bit shorter, maybe a three episode serial but as it is, even after the strong first episode, it isn't bad.
Next time!
An Unearthly Child AKA 100,000 BC AKA The Tribe of Gum
In this serial, school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are completely confounded by their student Susan Foreman. More so, Barbara found out her address simply leads back to an old building. The two investigate and meet an impish old man and see an old police box. Sensing the old man is hiding something in the police box, Ian barges into it when he hears Susan's voice. Ian and Barbara are shocked to discover it is bigger on the inside and seems lightyears ahead of Earth technology. The old man, calling himself the Doctor (and not Doctor Foreman) claims he and Susan are exiles from another place and time that the police box, called the TARDIS, can travel in time and space. Ian is mocking and in his anger (and wanting to make sure not one spills the beans on him), the Doctor sends them into the distant past to prove it.
The foursome look around when the Doctor, while smoking his pipe, is kidnapped by a caveman. It turns out his tribe is desperate to make fire and their current leader is in a power struggle with an outsider for leadership. Whoever controls fire will basically clinch it and when the Doctor lit his pipe, he proved he could make fire. The others are captured when they look for the Doctor but manage to escape for a time, though not before saving the life of one of the cavemen. Eventually, they make fire but the tribe's leader insist they stay forever. Eventually, they escape with a ruse and make it back to the TARDIS. The Doctor, not having time to set coordinates, sends them someplace random and they go out to investigate, unaware of suddenly spiking radiation levels.
Sorry for the lack of clarity in my recap but I genuinely got the two leaders Za and Kal mixed up a LOT and in reading the wikipedia page was like "Wait, I though they saved the outsider? What's happening?"
Overall, this is a pretty strong first outing, more than I remember. Oh, it has plenty of faults but the good points shine brighter. It never gets better than that first episode, which despite being talky, really sets the mood and premise up well with a killer cliffhanger. The Doctor is very much a different character here than he will become but at the same time when he first arrives, his playfulness is unmistakably the Doctor. There's really a lot in the Doctor Who premise to be unloaded and later seasons would be able to streamline this well but it's nice to have the time to sit in the mystery of this old man and the TARDIS; far from the often frantic pacing of the more recent episodes. Neither is a bad approach mind but it reminds me of how Simpsons season 2 has a tone the show will never go for again, both for better and yet there's a beauty to that time.
The caveman story is a mixed bag but I actually think it's trying for something heady. Granted, the idea of primitives and savages is a simplistic and somewhat problematic one (not to be confused with the VERY OVERTLY problematic ideas the show will have in it's first four years) but I think it is a story with a point about how far we've come, that we got democracy on our side. While the newer series isn't cynical, I don't think it would be quite that blindly optimistic, considering we've seen democracy abused pretty badly in our time but it's the idea that mercy and sharing makes us strong. I wish it did something more. No one even does a redemptive turn after the heroes save them or even a surprise betrayal. The cavemen think about it for a bit and then move on.
The show wants to get a bit Shakespearian in the cavemen power plays but despite the grandiose dialogue, the story is a little too simple to really work. Again, I like when they gesture to ideas like "he's not more powerful than the whole tribe", a warning Kal (or... Za?) ignores and... it never really comes back? Feels like it should have. The writing keeps sidling up to something headier and I think that's intentional but then it drops it in favour of the villains being more simplistic. You'd think an encounter with the future who are showing signs of empathy they did not care to might inspire them and in a later Doctor Who serial, it would. After all, in later stories, it's rare the Doctor doesn't allow whoever he encounters to change for the better. In a lot of the older ones, particularly the historicals, the characters get themselves into a mess, accidentally create a little history, then flee to the next adventure.
The Doctor as a character is interesting here; he's a lot less on the ball and more inhumane to people who aren't Susan. Frankly, it's part of the reason there are a lot of retcons of the Doctor's past I'm not into that implies he's a much bigger deal; I feel like it is more interesting he's a minor exile who makes this quest and discovers his humanity, which becomes his whole thing going forward. He very much has an arc, even though it is less due to intent and more fine tuning and softening the character as the series goes on. Still, this Doctor has an edge and at this point, it might seem like he'll just leave Ian and Barbara behind should he wish. This version actively chooses wanting to kill Za... or Kal... or whoever, rather than save them, very different from who the character becomes. If anything, it continues the show's modern recurring idea of how much the Doctor needs his companions (interestingly, he uses the word in this episode in a way where you are like "oh, yeah, that's why that became the term.")
The escape is the most embarrassing part of the episode. Susan puts a skull on a torch and chirps "it's like it's alive". No Susan. It's not like that at all. Also, even though fire is unfamiliar to these guys and they seem dense, I don't feel like they would immediately assume four skulls on sticks are full on people who burned themselves to death. It's a wild assumption.
Overall, I feel like this one is not paced as badly as I remember but that might be because for my issues, I don't mind the talky bits. It does have some time killing trek scenes that I remember of the early series but even that isn't so long. It probably could be a bit shorter, maybe a three episode serial but as it is, even after the strong first episode, it isn't bad.
Next time!
Ooh, I'm always up for reading people's watchthrough of the classic series! Looking forward to it, @Johnny Unusual!
I like that the cavemen don't get redemptive turns, here. The past is dangerous; doubly so when the people travelling there don't trust each other and barely understand what's going on. For a serial with, admittedly, very slow boring bits where cavemen talk for what seems like forever, that last dash to the TARDIS is pretty scary. If the cavemen had caught them, you get the feeling they'd get brained then and there.
I agree about the new series implying the Doctor is a bigger deal than he is played and written here is bad. It does damage to the characterization Hartnell brought to the Doctor, and seeing the Doctor mature and become a better person is one of the pleasures of watching Doctor Who's classic run.
I like that the cavemen don't get redemptive turns, here. The past is dangerous; doubly so when the people travelling there don't trust each other and barely understand what's going on. For a serial with, admittedly, very slow boring bits where cavemen talk for what seems like forever, that last dash to the TARDIS is pretty scary. If the cavemen had caught them, you get the feeling they'd get brained then and there.
I agree about the new series implying the Doctor is a bigger deal than he is played and written here is bad. It does damage to the characterization Hartnell brought to the Doctor, and seeing the Doctor mature and become a better person is one of the pleasures of watching Doctor Who's classic run.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Daleks
In this serial, instead of returning home, the Doctor and his companions end up on another world. The planet seems to be completely dead except for a mysterious city. The Doctor wants to investigate and creates a fake crisis to give himself a chance to check out the city. Outside the TARDIS, they find a strange box with liquids placed within, adding to the mystery. Within the city, the crew are captured by strange aliens. The aliens, the Daleks, are forever living in tank-like turrets, having adapted to survive following a war centuries ago that resulted in an ecological apocalypse. The Doctor and his friends realize that the planet is highly radioactive and they are suffering from radiation poisoning. The Doctor wonders if the box accidentally contained a cure for radiation poisoning and as a last ditch effort, they decide to get Susan to acquire them. The Daleks let her, secretly planning to steal the medicine for themselves when she returns. The Daleks warn her about mutations known as the Thals and eventually on the return trip Susan meets one, only to find him to be a human-like and kind. Susan returns and the Daleks hold off on killing our heroes when they realize the Thals, who were their enemies centuries ago are still alive and decide to create a trap to kill them.
Meanwhile the Thals seek peace and hope the Daleks, who were once less war-like than they, are willing to do the same. When the Doctor and company escape, fearing the Daleks intention, they save most of the Thals from an ambush and they escape together. But things aren't so easy; The fluid link to the TARDIS was stolen before they escaped. The Doctor and Ian convince the Thals that they must fight the Daleks, who no longer have any redeeming qualities and threaten their lives. The Thals agree and Ian, Barbara and a group infiltrate the Dalek base. Meanwhile, the Daleks plan to kill their enemies and upon learning they are immune to the radiation and even thrive on it, they decide to irradiate the planet. The Doctor and Susan are captured while doing some sabotage work to help their friends but the Dalek's plan is stopped by Ian, Barbera and the Thals. The final Dalek pleads for the Doctor to restore the city's system that sustains their life but the Doctor admits he doesn't know how, though he wouldn't if he did. The adventure done, the Doctor leaves the Thals with hope that their soil is not beyond saving and the world may one day be restored. The Doctor and his friends take off but something happens in the TARDIS that knocks everyone out...
The Daleks is rightly hailed as a classic and certainly among the best of the first Doctor stories (that I remember). It's interesting to see the humble beginnings of the Daleks; they aren't world conqueror's yet, they are petty, isolationist tyrants, more akin to the Morlocks from The Time Machine. They are also clearly inspired by the Nazis, a fact that, despite the fact that these villains become very marketable, basically becomes more and more clear as the series goes on. But even here, as a one off, they are sort of the perfect Doctor Who villain and sort of like the Tribe of Gum in the last episode, represent an antithesis to the lead characters; brutal, locking themselves away in their own space, afraid of the other. Of course, the Doctor, though not far off, isn't quite fully formed in those elements. Not quite as cold and merciless as in the last serial, he's still a bit more aloof and less invested in solving problems as Ian, Barbara and Susan are. Really, despite his name being on the title, it's very much an ensemble.
The pacing struggles with the trekking scenes, a problem I associate with this era to pad out the story a bit. That mostly happens in episodes 5 and 6. It's also in episode 2 but that does feel more tense and condensed at least. The Daleks are, of course, classic villains. Their iconic design was supposed to veer away from sci-fi's "bug-eyed monsters" (though Doctor Who would go back on this and have it's fair share of those) and the result is really strong, probably the best monsters of the era. Simple and effective; bumper car hate turrets. I will say the death of the last Dalek having his eyestalk go straight up in despair and while it kind of looks funny, I wish they kept that kind of touch. The Thals... are not as interesting. They aren't complete flop characters but just much more generic. It is interesting to see a story where the heroes are trying to tell pacifist to continue a war from long ago but it's also less than two decades after WWII and it's really speaking to that specifically; this is not an enemy you can let go on, so nip them in the bud.
A lot of the cracks are still there and the Thals do looks like Flash Gordon extras but the tone of the Dalek spaces really do feel like a less swashbuckling adventure sci-fi and more genuine menace. The first episode has a great cliffhanger, the rest not as much. I love the visual at the end of episode two but it's less a "here's a reveal" and more "OK, Susan's close to the finish line but it's scary out there." So it kind of works, kind of doesn't for me. The most sensible ending is "Susan confronts a Thal" (since that's what happens the next episode) but I don't know if it would be as atmospheric. Episode 5 has the weakest one; some Thal is killed by a monster. It doesn't threaten our heroes and the threat is kind of gone.
Overall, it really is a classic. Some of the cracks and weaknesses are still showing and it could have been an episode shorter but overall, it's starting to get the formula down and makes for a good watch. One interesting aspect is the Doctor actually seems to give the Daleks the idea to go to other worlds, which is a good bit of accidental worldbuilding and foreboding, though I get the feeling that the Daleks don't even want to leave at this point; they seem so isolationist that their attitude should be "why go anywhere else?"
Next episode:
Edge of Destruction
In this serial, instead of returning home, the Doctor and his companions end up on another world. The planet seems to be completely dead except for a mysterious city. The Doctor wants to investigate and creates a fake crisis to give himself a chance to check out the city. Outside the TARDIS, they find a strange box with liquids placed within, adding to the mystery. Within the city, the crew are captured by strange aliens. The aliens, the Daleks, are forever living in tank-like turrets, having adapted to survive following a war centuries ago that resulted in an ecological apocalypse. The Doctor and his friends realize that the planet is highly radioactive and they are suffering from radiation poisoning. The Doctor wonders if the box accidentally contained a cure for radiation poisoning and as a last ditch effort, they decide to get Susan to acquire them. The Daleks let her, secretly planning to steal the medicine for themselves when she returns. The Daleks warn her about mutations known as the Thals and eventually on the return trip Susan meets one, only to find him to be a human-like and kind. Susan returns and the Daleks hold off on killing our heroes when they realize the Thals, who were their enemies centuries ago are still alive and decide to create a trap to kill them.
Meanwhile the Thals seek peace and hope the Daleks, who were once less war-like than they, are willing to do the same. When the Doctor and company escape, fearing the Daleks intention, they save most of the Thals from an ambush and they escape together. But things aren't so easy; The fluid link to the TARDIS was stolen before they escaped. The Doctor and Ian convince the Thals that they must fight the Daleks, who no longer have any redeeming qualities and threaten their lives. The Thals agree and Ian, Barbara and a group infiltrate the Dalek base. Meanwhile, the Daleks plan to kill their enemies and upon learning they are immune to the radiation and even thrive on it, they decide to irradiate the planet. The Doctor and Susan are captured while doing some sabotage work to help their friends but the Dalek's plan is stopped by Ian, Barbera and the Thals. The final Dalek pleads for the Doctor to restore the city's system that sustains their life but the Doctor admits he doesn't know how, though he wouldn't if he did. The adventure done, the Doctor leaves the Thals with hope that their soil is not beyond saving and the world may one day be restored. The Doctor and his friends take off but something happens in the TARDIS that knocks everyone out...
The Daleks is rightly hailed as a classic and certainly among the best of the first Doctor stories (that I remember). It's interesting to see the humble beginnings of the Daleks; they aren't world conqueror's yet, they are petty, isolationist tyrants, more akin to the Morlocks from The Time Machine. They are also clearly inspired by the Nazis, a fact that, despite the fact that these villains become very marketable, basically becomes more and more clear as the series goes on. But even here, as a one off, they are sort of the perfect Doctor Who villain and sort of like the Tribe of Gum in the last episode, represent an antithesis to the lead characters; brutal, locking themselves away in their own space, afraid of the other. Of course, the Doctor, though not far off, isn't quite fully formed in those elements. Not quite as cold and merciless as in the last serial, he's still a bit more aloof and less invested in solving problems as Ian, Barbara and Susan are. Really, despite his name being on the title, it's very much an ensemble.
The pacing struggles with the trekking scenes, a problem I associate with this era to pad out the story a bit. That mostly happens in episodes 5 and 6. It's also in episode 2 but that does feel more tense and condensed at least. The Daleks are, of course, classic villains. Their iconic design was supposed to veer away from sci-fi's "bug-eyed monsters" (though Doctor Who would go back on this and have it's fair share of those) and the result is really strong, probably the best monsters of the era. Simple and effective; bumper car hate turrets. I will say the death of the last Dalek having his eyestalk go straight up in despair and while it kind of looks funny, I wish they kept that kind of touch. The Thals... are not as interesting. They aren't complete flop characters but just much more generic. It is interesting to see a story where the heroes are trying to tell pacifist to continue a war from long ago but it's also less than two decades after WWII and it's really speaking to that specifically; this is not an enemy you can let go on, so nip them in the bud.
A lot of the cracks are still there and the Thals do looks like Flash Gordon extras but the tone of the Dalek spaces really do feel like a less swashbuckling adventure sci-fi and more genuine menace. The first episode has a great cliffhanger, the rest not as much. I love the visual at the end of episode two but it's less a "here's a reveal" and more "OK, Susan's close to the finish line but it's scary out there." So it kind of works, kind of doesn't for me. The most sensible ending is "Susan confronts a Thal" (since that's what happens the next episode) but I don't know if it would be as atmospheric. Episode 5 has the weakest one; some Thal is killed by a monster. It doesn't threaten our heroes and the threat is kind of gone.
Overall, it really is a classic. Some of the cracks and weaknesses are still showing and it could have been an episode shorter but overall, it's starting to get the formula down and makes for a good watch. One interesting aspect is the Doctor actually seems to give the Daleks the idea to go to other worlds, which is a good bit of accidental worldbuilding and foreboding, though I get the feeling that the Daleks don't even want to leave at this point; they seem so isolationist that their attitude should be "why go anywhere else?"
Next episode:
Edge of Destruction
For the 60th anniversary, they released a colourized version of the Daleks where they cut out almost all the padding. It's not perfect, and they made some odd choices with the music, but it's worth a watch if you liked the serial, I think. It's probably out on DVD/bluray by now, I just torrented it. Iirc, they cut it down to just 75 minutes.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Edge of Destruction
"As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves."
In this serial, the Doctor and company find themselves groggily awaking up after being knocked out recovering from a strange temporary amnesia, causing them all of them to act our of sorts. The TARDIS starts to act strangely and tension begins to mount. The Doctor begins accusing Barbara and Ian of mutiny due to him not returning them home. The Doctor says some cruel things to them and threatens to kick them out despite Susan's protests. Barbara starts to pick up on something and the Doctor realizes he's been wrong. In fact, the TARDIS will self-destruct in 10 minutes. Barbara believes the strange phenomena is the TARDIS actually trying to warn everyone of a danger and though the Doctor initially thinks it is hopeless, he soon sees the solution and realizes that a small error is the cause. The doctor saves everyone from the danger of... I think being sent to the Big Bang or something and the Doctor apologizes and makes peace with Barbara, whom he praises for her heroism. The TARDIS crew is now closer than ever and decides to explore the snowy planet they've landed on, only to find a shockingly big footprint.
The Edge of Destruction is a show that really fumbles under the sweaty mechanics of the plot but paves a lot of ground for character building. The relationship between the characters in the first serials is a begrudging one but the have worked together before. This episode is more about confronting their issues and really steering having these characters work off of each other. It's a bottle episode and in many ways, that's what a bottle episode is good for. It's a "filler" arc but I am both aggravated by it and grateful to it.
I kind of don't know what's going on in the main plot. There are pointlessly elaborate and obtuse clues to the problem and even for Doctor Who logic I am seriously not getting the problem. William Hartnell gives it his all and really tries his best to sell it but it feels like a lot of contrived tension and a little too overly explained for a situation that really works best in terms of character. I like the idea of it being the result of a minor glitch that nearly kills everyone (a spring, no less, delightfully low-tech issue) but the fast return button is... a weird idea.
It tends to work better in terms of building these people as not just thrown together but actually starting to care about each other. If anything, the ending makes it, even though it is just setting up the next serial; the characters are now friendly and having fun as they get ready to explore their new space. The Doctor gets his first big namedrop in (Gilbert and Sullivan), and Ian wears a very big coat. It's all fun after the tense sniping at each other in the serial. Before that, the Doctor is the worst he's ever been, really.
The Edge of Destruction is a weird mix of almost disposable and pivotal. The main plot is a mess and the more they try to explain it, the less compelling it is. I like the idea of paranoia taking hold of these characters but after we are fed some wild explanations, it starts to lose speed. It's other big introduction to continuity is that implication the TARDIS might have some form of intelligence and agency, which becomes more true as the series goes on. Like the Doctor, it is a bit of a mystery; how intelligent is it, how much of a role does it play in not going where the Doctor wants. Even early on, the Doctor seems like he has no clue where he's taking this thing, compared to later on when it is basically a superpower and he can go wherever, particularly during an adventure. The Edge of Destruction doesn't all work but it does contain very important building blocks.
Next:
"As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves."
In this serial, the Doctor and company find themselves groggily awaking up after being knocked out recovering from a strange temporary amnesia, causing them all of them to act our of sorts. The TARDIS starts to act strangely and tension begins to mount. The Doctor begins accusing Barbara and Ian of mutiny due to him not returning them home. The Doctor says some cruel things to them and threatens to kick them out despite Susan's protests. Barbara starts to pick up on something and the Doctor realizes he's been wrong. In fact, the TARDIS will self-destruct in 10 minutes. Barbara believes the strange phenomena is the TARDIS actually trying to warn everyone of a danger and though the Doctor initially thinks it is hopeless, he soon sees the solution and realizes that a small error is the cause. The doctor saves everyone from the danger of... I think being sent to the Big Bang or something and the Doctor apologizes and makes peace with Barbara, whom he praises for her heroism. The TARDIS crew is now closer than ever and decides to explore the snowy planet they've landed on, only to find a shockingly big footprint.
The Edge of Destruction is a show that really fumbles under the sweaty mechanics of the plot but paves a lot of ground for character building. The relationship between the characters in the first serials is a begrudging one but the have worked together before. This episode is more about confronting their issues and really steering having these characters work off of each other. It's a bottle episode and in many ways, that's what a bottle episode is good for. It's a "filler" arc but I am both aggravated by it and grateful to it.
I kind of don't know what's going on in the main plot. There are pointlessly elaborate and obtuse clues to the problem and even for Doctor Who logic I am seriously not getting the problem. William Hartnell gives it his all and really tries his best to sell it but it feels like a lot of contrived tension and a little too overly explained for a situation that really works best in terms of character. I like the idea of it being the result of a minor glitch that nearly kills everyone (a spring, no less, delightfully low-tech issue) but the fast return button is... a weird idea.
It tends to work better in terms of building these people as not just thrown together but actually starting to care about each other. If anything, the ending makes it, even though it is just setting up the next serial; the characters are now friendly and having fun as they get ready to explore their new space. The Doctor gets his first big namedrop in (Gilbert and Sullivan), and Ian wears a very big coat. It's all fun after the tense sniping at each other in the serial. Before that, the Doctor is the worst he's ever been, really.
The Edge of Destruction is a weird mix of almost disposable and pivotal. The main plot is a mess and the more they try to explain it, the less compelling it is. I like the idea of paranoia taking hold of these characters but after we are fed some wild explanations, it starts to lose speed. It's other big introduction to continuity is that implication the TARDIS might have some form of intelligence and agency, which becomes more true as the series goes on. Like the Doctor, it is a bit of a mystery; how intelligent is it, how much of a role does it play in not going where the Doctor wants. Even early on, the Doctor seems like he has no clue where he's taking this thing, compared to later on when it is basically a superpower and he can go wherever, particularly during an adventure. The Edge of Destruction doesn't all work but it does contain very important building blocks.
Next:
Sad news: Michael Jayston, who played the Valeyard, has passed away at age 88. The Trial of a Time Lord may not be the most beloved DW story, but I liked it, and thought he had tremendous presence in it. Shame.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Marco Polo
In this serial, the TARDIS finds itself stranded on the mountains in need of repair. The Doctor and his friends are rescued by Marco Polo, revealing it is the year 1289. Marco Polo realizes the TARDIS is a wonder and decides to claim it as his own. Polo has been in Cathay too long and feels such a gift to Emperor Kublai Khan will allow him to return home and the Doctor cannot resist his guards. Travelling with them is Ping-Cho, a 16 year old girl arranged to be married to a 75 year old man of great importance and peace emissary named Tegana. Taking the TARDIS to the emperor is a long journey and the TARDIS crew is allowed to follow it, hoping to find a way to reclaim it. It soon becomes apparent Tegana is plotting something but has gained Marco Polo's trust, making it harder to prove that he's constantly trying to sabotage the journey. Many back and forth battle of wits between Tegana and the Doctor and his friends take place but they all eventually make it to Kublai Khan. In the end, the Doctor befriends the Khan, though loses the TARDIS in a game of backgammon. Meanwhile, Polo eventually feels guilty about stealing his new friends' ability to return home and pleads with the khan for forgivenness. The khan is shocked not that Polo defies him but that he made such a selfish decision in the first place. Meanwhile, Ping-Cho's arranged husband is revealed to have died and Ping-Cho is invited to stay in the palace. Finally, Tegana reveals himself to be an assassin for a warlord Kublai Khan once defeated and Polo defeats him and gives the Doctor and friends the chance to escape. This act of selfish rebellion puts Polo in Kublai Khan's good graces and he is forgiven and allowed to return home.
Marco Polo is the first missing serial, which I watched via reconstructions on youtube using the original audio. I have mixed feelings on this one. Obviously it's pretty problematic with yellowface actors (though at least Ping-Cho's actress was Asian) and some characters are painfully broader than others (oof, Kublai Khan). The story itself is less one big story and more a string of adventures and perils in the old serial mold. Some of the solutions are clever (the gang survives dehydration using the condensation from the TARDIS, lighting crackling bamboo on fire to scare away bandits) but there is a lot of nothing in between. It's not painfully paced with lots of walking like in The Daleks but the issue is repetition; Susan or Barbara goes off to check out Tegana and gets caught.
This one is interesting because it is the first historical. Arguably the first one doesn't quite fit into either conventional sci-fi or a historical, making it a neither fish nor fowl situation. This sort of has a lot of what I remember about them; reminders that the time is dangerous, some... pretty unfortunate representation and as with many of them (though not all of them), some broad comedy. I remember a lot of the historicals being overtly silly (the Rome one, the OK Corral one) and allowing the show to have somewhat high stakes while being a bit goofy. This one saves it for the end. I certainly like the concept; the Doctor and Kublai Khan's initial ingratiation to each other is not their shared genius but both being really old dudes with a variety of maladies. It does hurt it a bit that while they try to present the Khan as a wise and just, if somewhat eccentric, ruler, it does fall into some unfortunate stereotypes. Overall, this could have been a bit more painful but having Polo be sort of an antagonist is an interesting touch so it isn't completely without merit. But I think it's another case where the show doesn't really justify the length of the runs (even though there's probably a lot of cool adventures to have in the setting).
Best cliffhanger: a less exciting one but kind of memorable - Tegana mocks the characters from a far after pouring out his water after promising to return with some and abandoning them.
In this serial, the TARDIS finds itself stranded on the mountains in need of repair. The Doctor and his friends are rescued by Marco Polo, revealing it is the year 1289. Marco Polo realizes the TARDIS is a wonder and decides to claim it as his own. Polo has been in Cathay too long and feels such a gift to Emperor Kublai Khan will allow him to return home and the Doctor cannot resist his guards. Travelling with them is Ping-Cho, a 16 year old girl arranged to be married to a 75 year old man of great importance and peace emissary named Tegana. Taking the TARDIS to the emperor is a long journey and the TARDIS crew is allowed to follow it, hoping to find a way to reclaim it. It soon becomes apparent Tegana is plotting something but has gained Marco Polo's trust, making it harder to prove that he's constantly trying to sabotage the journey. Many back and forth battle of wits between Tegana and the Doctor and his friends take place but they all eventually make it to Kublai Khan. In the end, the Doctor befriends the Khan, though loses the TARDIS in a game of backgammon. Meanwhile, Polo eventually feels guilty about stealing his new friends' ability to return home and pleads with the khan for forgivenness. The khan is shocked not that Polo defies him but that he made such a selfish decision in the first place. Meanwhile, Ping-Cho's arranged husband is revealed to have died and Ping-Cho is invited to stay in the palace. Finally, Tegana reveals himself to be an assassin for a warlord Kublai Khan once defeated and Polo defeats him and gives the Doctor and friends the chance to escape. This act of selfish rebellion puts Polo in Kublai Khan's good graces and he is forgiven and allowed to return home.
Marco Polo is the first missing serial, which I watched via reconstructions on youtube using the original audio. I have mixed feelings on this one. Obviously it's pretty problematic with yellowface actors (though at least Ping-Cho's actress was Asian) and some characters are painfully broader than others (oof, Kublai Khan). The story itself is less one big story and more a string of adventures and perils in the old serial mold. Some of the solutions are clever (the gang survives dehydration using the condensation from the TARDIS, lighting crackling bamboo on fire to scare away bandits) but there is a lot of nothing in between. It's not painfully paced with lots of walking like in The Daleks but the issue is repetition; Susan or Barbara goes off to check out Tegana and gets caught.
This one is interesting because it is the first historical. Arguably the first one doesn't quite fit into either conventional sci-fi or a historical, making it a neither fish nor fowl situation. This sort of has a lot of what I remember about them; reminders that the time is dangerous, some... pretty unfortunate representation and as with many of them (though not all of them), some broad comedy. I remember a lot of the historicals being overtly silly (the Rome one, the OK Corral one) and allowing the show to have somewhat high stakes while being a bit goofy. This one saves it for the end. I certainly like the concept; the Doctor and Kublai Khan's initial ingratiation to each other is not their shared genius but both being really old dudes with a variety of maladies. It does hurt it a bit that while they try to present the Khan as a wise and just, if somewhat eccentric, ruler, it does fall into some unfortunate stereotypes. Overall, this could have been a bit more painful but having Polo be sort of an antagonist is an interesting touch so it isn't completely without merit. But I think it's another case where the show doesn't really justify the length of the runs (even though there's probably a lot of cool adventures to have in the setting).
Best cliffhanger: a less exciting one but kind of memorable - Tegana mocks the characters from a far after pouring out his water after promising to return with some and abandoning them.
One of the big problems with being able to evaluate Marco Polo fairly given that it's visuals are entirely missing is the direction (by Waris Hussein, who directed An Unearthly Child, who is an excellent director who even made some scenes in that serial sing despite being a bunch of cavemen on a boring cave set) and the set dressing and costumes, which everyone involved described as lavish and very well done. The photos we do have of the serial do look great, and one wonders how Hussein's direction made everything look and feel. Having only the audio and still photographs sucks. There are so many rumors that copies of Marco Polo are out there intact - I really hope they are found while Hussein is still around, as he's very proud of his work and it'd be nice if he was able to see it again.
More bad news: those cute trailer scenes they film for The Collection releases? They're not making any more of them.
Doctor Who Blu-ray short films to be 'rested', producer confirms
It seems they have a few that are already in the can or currently in production, but after that they're stopping. I think "rested" is probably a euphemism, here.
It's not devastating news, of course, since they're just little extras. But I do so enjoy seeing classic companions back in character, even if I don't really regard these skits as canon. I'll miss them, but I'm thankful for the ones we got.
Doctor Who Blu-ray short films to be 'rested', producer confirms
It seems they have a few that are already in the can or currently in production, but after that they're stopping. I think "rested" is probably a euphemism, here.
It's not devastating news, of course, since they're just little extras. But I do so enjoy seeing classic companions back in character, even if I don't really regard these skits as canon. I'll miss them, but I'm thankful for the ones we got.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Keys of Marinus
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions find themselves on a strange island of glass in the middle of an acid sea. There they meet the lone monk-like figure Arbitan, who reveals the society of the planet they visited, Marinus, is under the influence of the Conscience of Marinus, a supercomputer that can enforces everyone follows the law. But they are being invaded by the Voord, a hostile invading race of criminals who wish to control the planet by controlling the computer. Arbitan refuses to let the Doctor and his friends enter the TARDIS until he helps them so having no choice, they take up the mission to find the keys to the computer. First they arrive in Morphoton where all their whims are catered to. But soon Barbara sees that it is all an illusion and they live in squalor and learns they are being brainwashed by the planet's masters. Barbara manages to free them and they decide to split up on the next three missions along with Altos and Sabetha, a couple originally sent to find the keys by where waylaid by brainwashing.
Next Barbara and Ian arrive in a strange jungle and meet a man guarding the next key is guarded by an old scientist who nearly tricks them with a fake key. The scientist gives them a clue and they manage to find the key but not before the jungle itself tries to kill them. Barbara and Ian then find themselves in a snowy mountain and are nearly killed but are saved by a mountain man. Eventually they meet up with Altos but learn the mountain man is a treacherous brute. Eventually, they find the third key in a block of ice but must contend with their guardians, a quartet of frozen knights. The mindless knights end up killing the mountain man while the gang manages to move onto the final world. There Ian is knocked unconscious and framed for the theft of the final key. Worse, the planet Millenius where they find themselves has kept order with a "guilty until proven innocent" policy and Ian is looking at a death sentence. The Doctor, Susan and Barbara manage to trick one of the real criminals into revealing himself and manages to outwit and catch the other two. Finally, they return to Marinus only to learn that the Voord have secretly taken over the island and are pretending everything is normal to steal their keys. Ian isn't tricked and gives them the fake key from the jungle, activating a failsafe causing the computer to blow up and destroy the Voord invaders. The Doctor suggest Marinus shouldn't be ruled by a computer and leaves Alto and Sabetha, who decide to return of Millenius.
The Keys of Marinus is the return of Dalek creator Terry Nation and introduces a new formula; a larger plot for the serial broken up into a series of mini-adventures. This is a rather good idea, allowing one story arc to remain fresher through the run. After all, Marco Polo and even the Daleks did run a bit long at six and seven episodes each (not respectively). Having smaller adventures that can be wrapped up in about half and our allows for variety. And that's the best thing I can say about this story; it does feel even at it's slowest that it's moving at a more decent pace than the rest of the series to this point and it's not a chore to watch. But often it is also pretty hokey and while there are lots of classic sci-fi ideas, a lot of them ring pretty shallow.
The framing device has a really promising start: an ocean of acid, a beach of glass. That's cool stuff. And the Voord have kind of a cool look except for the weird road sign on their heads.
But the Voord as characters are just stock villains that don't have the same sort of weirdness and aggressiveness that made the Daleks so memorable. They just want to rule the world and that's about it. It's a pretty limp ending, especially since the heroes essentially destroyed an oppressive computer people wanted to keep law and order and the Doctor just gives a "something about free will" speech to people who are fucking right off the planet anyway before the forever purge starts or whatever. Look, that computer sucked but there is going to be fallout the show doesn't even want to think about.
If you squint hard, maybe you can see a theme emerging about law and society but based on the ending and the last arc, it's not thought about that much. The first story is probably my favourite because there is a sense of dread when Barbara thinks she's the last person left. The solution comes too easily (the bad guys bring her to their control room and she just starts breaking shit because their only guard is a delusional schoolteacher) but overall it's a find little bit.
The "Screaming Jungle" and "The Snows of Death" segments are a bit less interesting. I think the former is implying the "killer jungle" is basically the jungle just growing at super speed, which is a freaky idea but Barbara and Ian don't come off that smart in either. But at least they get more to do than Susan, the teenage super-genius who has spent most of the series just screaming and being captured. She got to be brave in the Daleks for a hot minute and that's it. It's very much like Sue Storm in the original Fantastic Four run; there should be a lot going on but the writers treat her as kind of useless.
The last story has the most potential, being the series first real mystery AND legal thriller. There are promising moments and after two episodes away, William Hartnell has got his groove back and brings a mischievous vibe in his role as defending lawyer and detective. So it's a shame he doesn't really get to be particularly clever in either case. It feels like the Doctor should turn the terrible nature of the Draconian laws against the villains or expose the ridiculousness of it to society by taking it to a logical end point the no one foresaw or exploiting the law in a way that no one expects. Instead, it's all fairly standard. Heck, Altos and Sabetha are going back there for fun to a place where even being in the vicinity of a crime means you die.
Over all, it's a serial that has more bad than good but it has the advantage of wrapping a lot up in a half-hour and trying on many different hats. Overall, there are bright points but as a whole, it could use more cohesion, if not in narrative than at least in theme. It brings up ideas like ridiculous laws or computers taking over our morality and says little with them. The Doctor gives a little speech at the end but it doesn't seem reflective of the serial or even most of the Marinus section. I think this is a case where the quick turnaround on the show meant there wasn't time to make a really crackerjack mystery and are just doing their best with what they have on hand.
Best cliffhanger; few are really strong but I guess Ian being framed for a crime. Not so much because of how thrilling it is (it's not) but because it is indictive that the next story will be much different than the other two.
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions find themselves on a strange island of glass in the middle of an acid sea. There they meet the lone monk-like figure Arbitan, who reveals the society of the planet they visited, Marinus, is under the influence of the Conscience of Marinus, a supercomputer that can enforces everyone follows the law. But they are being invaded by the Voord, a hostile invading race of criminals who wish to control the planet by controlling the computer. Arbitan refuses to let the Doctor and his friends enter the TARDIS until he helps them so having no choice, they take up the mission to find the keys to the computer. First they arrive in Morphoton where all their whims are catered to. But soon Barbara sees that it is all an illusion and they live in squalor and learns they are being brainwashed by the planet's masters. Barbara manages to free them and they decide to split up on the next three missions along with Altos and Sabetha, a couple originally sent to find the keys by where waylaid by brainwashing.
Next Barbara and Ian arrive in a strange jungle and meet a man guarding the next key is guarded by an old scientist who nearly tricks them with a fake key. The scientist gives them a clue and they manage to find the key but not before the jungle itself tries to kill them. Barbara and Ian then find themselves in a snowy mountain and are nearly killed but are saved by a mountain man. Eventually they meet up with Altos but learn the mountain man is a treacherous brute. Eventually, they find the third key in a block of ice but must contend with their guardians, a quartet of frozen knights. The mindless knights end up killing the mountain man while the gang manages to move onto the final world. There Ian is knocked unconscious and framed for the theft of the final key. Worse, the planet Millenius where they find themselves has kept order with a "guilty until proven innocent" policy and Ian is looking at a death sentence. The Doctor, Susan and Barbara manage to trick one of the real criminals into revealing himself and manages to outwit and catch the other two. Finally, they return to Marinus only to learn that the Voord have secretly taken over the island and are pretending everything is normal to steal their keys. Ian isn't tricked and gives them the fake key from the jungle, activating a failsafe causing the computer to blow up and destroy the Voord invaders. The Doctor suggest Marinus shouldn't be ruled by a computer and leaves Alto and Sabetha, who decide to return of Millenius.
The Keys of Marinus is the return of Dalek creator Terry Nation and introduces a new formula; a larger plot for the serial broken up into a series of mini-adventures. This is a rather good idea, allowing one story arc to remain fresher through the run. After all, Marco Polo and even the Daleks did run a bit long at six and seven episodes each (not respectively). Having smaller adventures that can be wrapped up in about half and our allows for variety. And that's the best thing I can say about this story; it does feel even at it's slowest that it's moving at a more decent pace than the rest of the series to this point and it's not a chore to watch. But often it is also pretty hokey and while there are lots of classic sci-fi ideas, a lot of them ring pretty shallow.
The framing device has a really promising start: an ocean of acid, a beach of glass. That's cool stuff. And the Voord have kind of a cool look except for the weird road sign on their heads.
But the Voord as characters are just stock villains that don't have the same sort of weirdness and aggressiveness that made the Daleks so memorable. They just want to rule the world and that's about it. It's a pretty limp ending, especially since the heroes essentially destroyed an oppressive computer people wanted to keep law and order and the Doctor just gives a "something about free will" speech to people who are fucking right off the planet anyway before the forever purge starts or whatever. Look, that computer sucked but there is going to be fallout the show doesn't even want to think about.
If you squint hard, maybe you can see a theme emerging about law and society but based on the ending and the last arc, it's not thought about that much. The first story is probably my favourite because there is a sense of dread when Barbara thinks she's the last person left. The solution comes too easily (the bad guys bring her to their control room and she just starts breaking shit because their only guard is a delusional schoolteacher) but overall it's a find little bit.
The "Screaming Jungle" and "The Snows of Death" segments are a bit less interesting. I think the former is implying the "killer jungle" is basically the jungle just growing at super speed, which is a freaky idea but Barbara and Ian don't come off that smart in either. But at least they get more to do than Susan, the teenage super-genius who has spent most of the series just screaming and being captured. She got to be brave in the Daleks for a hot minute and that's it. It's very much like Sue Storm in the original Fantastic Four run; there should be a lot going on but the writers treat her as kind of useless.
The last story has the most potential, being the series first real mystery AND legal thriller. There are promising moments and after two episodes away, William Hartnell has got his groove back and brings a mischievous vibe in his role as defending lawyer and detective. So it's a shame he doesn't really get to be particularly clever in either case. It feels like the Doctor should turn the terrible nature of the Draconian laws against the villains or expose the ridiculousness of it to society by taking it to a logical end point the no one foresaw or exploiting the law in a way that no one expects. Instead, it's all fairly standard. Heck, Altos and Sabetha are going back there for fun to a place where even being in the vicinity of a crime means you die.
Over all, it's a serial that has more bad than good but it has the advantage of wrapping a lot up in a half-hour and trying on many different hats. Overall, there are bright points but as a whole, it could use more cohesion, if not in narrative than at least in theme. It brings up ideas like ridiculous laws or computers taking over our morality and says little with them. The Doctor gives a little speech at the end but it doesn't seem reflective of the serial or even most of the Marinus section. I think this is a case where the quick turnaround on the show meant there wasn't time to make a really crackerjack mystery and are just doing their best with what they have on hand.
Best cliffhanger; few are really strong but I guess Ian being framed for a crime. Not so much because of how thrilling it is (it's not) but because it is indictive that the next story will be much different than the other two.
Getting out of the Big Finish audio collecting game.
Happy to accept offers here if anyone wants these to avoid eBay fees, lmk.
Happy to accept offers here if anyone wants these to avoid eBay fees, lmk.
I can't blame you! It isn't the smartest money I've spent (lol please someone still buy it), considering I've had most of this collection for about ten years now and certainly haven't listened to all of it, even half of it. I do estimate I've heard like 25%ish of it, though.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Aztecs
But you can't rewrite history! Not one line!
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions materialize in 1500s Mexico where Barbara is mistaken for a reincarnated high priestess.. Barbara goes along with the ruse to ensure her and her friends safety (who are her celestial servants), especially since the TARDIS ends up locked away in an ancient tomb. Barbara loves Aztec culture, though acknowledges it's complex moral nature, particularly in the form of sacrifice. On the eve of a sacrifice, she tries to prevent one, gaining the ire of the High Priest of Sacrifice Tlotoxl. More trusting of Barbara is Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge. Meanwhile, Ian ends up making an enemy of the warrior Ixta, whom he humiliates with a ruse to prove the validity of his method of combat. Barbara and Autloc grow closer and Autloc comes around to the belief the sacrifices must end. Tlotoxl and Ixta conspire against Barbara and her friends, determined to expose her as a fraud while Barbara is determined to rewrite the history of the Aztec people for the better. Eventually, Autloc comes to learn of Barbara's ruse and decides to leave the city, no long feeling he can morally take part in what they do. Ixta and Ian do combat which Ian wins, resulting in Ixta's death. The Doctor uses his wits and manages to reopen the tomb but unable to save history, now with Tlotoxl in complete power. Barbara regrets not being able to change history and betraying Autloc but the Doctor comforts her in the knowledge she changed Autloc for the better.
I think the Aztecs so far is my favourite First Doctor story. It's a lot leaner, for one but even beyond that, it feels like the most mature story. Not just because it has darker themes but because of the moral nuance and complexity. It's not trying to lead us from one cheap set piece to another or the next peril, it's building up tension between two strong willed characters who believe what they are doing but are willing to go very far to achieve them; Barbara and Tlotoxl. The structure feels more akin to a tragedy than an adventure, as the two parties try to conspire to get their way. Barbara believes in the good of the Aztecs but Ian sees it as a lot messier; that the good and evil are a bit intertwined and that the people who live there don't differentiate the parts as it is all just their world.
This is also one of the advantages of this era being so different than later ones; I don't think a story like this can happen in the mold the show would become in a decade. It becomes a little harder now to imagine the Doctor allowing an injustice to happen just because history says it does, even if he doesn't like it. That's not to say the character isn't thinking in morally complex terms anymore but in his way he'd be more willing to consider leaving the place he arrived in better than when he left it. This is an era where the Doctor is adamant that history can't be changed (interestingly the scene where he says history can't be changed is not super-clear if it is the realm of the moral, practical or both) and later one things get a lot more flexible for him (I love in the Unquiet Dead many decades later that implies an adventure that could have ended with history being rewritten so aliens inhabit our dead and we live with it).
Barbara here is the revelatory character though. I've found Barbara and Susan frustrating, two women of knowledge who don't get a lot to do. Even when Barbara had a big victory in The Keys of Marinus, it was hampered by lazy underwhelming writing. Here, the performance and character are a lot stronger. Not only is she in a position of power, matching wits with a clever foe, I think her overall story is strong. She has tragic flaws as she wants to change history for the better but she ends up doing it by being deceitful and in the end finds she can't force people to change and was really only able to change Autloc through friendship. I think it's played really skillfully while most of the writing in this series so far either kind of handwaves or pushes aside all but the most basic morality (seriously, I'm still a little salty about the last arc really not dealing with the computer that controls conscience.)
It's obvious that this is an episode that in terms of representation would look very different today. Not only in terms of casting but also Barbara's plan has a taste of "white saviour". But for the 1960s? This does feel like a much more nuanced portrayal. Even moreso knowing that we've had and will have some less than tasteful portrayals of other cultures in this series. I don't want to distract from it's failing but I do want say the show is really striving for a complex portrayal and though it is more focused on the sacrifices and dark side, I think it wants to explore the idea that we might live with both and not consider it.
Susan gets the short straw on this one, not a lot to do but The Doctor and Ian also get more fun stuff. Ian's rivalry with Ixta helps ratchet up the tension and gives Tlotoxl a pawn/ally and the Doctor gets to be more useful that I feel he's been in a while (again, this happens a bit in The Keys of Marinus but it is hurt by the poor storytelling) and allows the character to be wise, clever and even have his first sweet little romance of the series with Cameca. And the actors, Hartnell in particular, play it very well. This really is an actors episode and everyone involved feels like they are going for a Shakespearian tone (something the Shakespeare episode ironically does not have). I'm curious to see if we get any first Doctor episodes that match it in terms of leanness and complexity.
Best Cliffhanger: Barbara asked to save Ian. Mostly it's more about a satisfying resolution where she straight up holds a knife to Tlotoxl's neck. Hardcore Barbara.
Next serial.
But you can't rewrite history! Not one line!
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions materialize in 1500s Mexico where Barbara is mistaken for a reincarnated high priestess.. Barbara goes along with the ruse to ensure her and her friends safety (who are her celestial servants), especially since the TARDIS ends up locked away in an ancient tomb. Barbara loves Aztec culture, though acknowledges it's complex moral nature, particularly in the form of sacrifice. On the eve of a sacrifice, she tries to prevent one, gaining the ire of the High Priest of Sacrifice Tlotoxl. More trusting of Barbara is Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge. Meanwhile, Ian ends up making an enemy of the warrior Ixta, whom he humiliates with a ruse to prove the validity of his method of combat. Barbara and Autloc grow closer and Autloc comes around to the belief the sacrifices must end. Tlotoxl and Ixta conspire against Barbara and her friends, determined to expose her as a fraud while Barbara is determined to rewrite the history of the Aztec people for the better. Eventually, Autloc comes to learn of Barbara's ruse and decides to leave the city, no long feeling he can morally take part in what they do. Ixta and Ian do combat which Ian wins, resulting in Ixta's death. The Doctor uses his wits and manages to reopen the tomb but unable to save history, now with Tlotoxl in complete power. Barbara regrets not being able to change history and betraying Autloc but the Doctor comforts her in the knowledge she changed Autloc for the better.
I think the Aztecs so far is my favourite First Doctor story. It's a lot leaner, for one but even beyond that, it feels like the most mature story. Not just because it has darker themes but because of the moral nuance and complexity. It's not trying to lead us from one cheap set piece to another or the next peril, it's building up tension between two strong willed characters who believe what they are doing but are willing to go very far to achieve them; Barbara and Tlotoxl. The structure feels more akin to a tragedy than an adventure, as the two parties try to conspire to get their way. Barbara believes in the good of the Aztecs but Ian sees it as a lot messier; that the good and evil are a bit intertwined and that the people who live there don't differentiate the parts as it is all just their world.
This is also one of the advantages of this era being so different than later ones; I don't think a story like this can happen in the mold the show would become in a decade. It becomes a little harder now to imagine the Doctor allowing an injustice to happen just because history says it does, even if he doesn't like it. That's not to say the character isn't thinking in morally complex terms anymore but in his way he'd be more willing to consider leaving the place he arrived in better than when he left it. This is an era where the Doctor is adamant that history can't be changed (interestingly the scene where he says history can't be changed is not super-clear if it is the realm of the moral, practical or both) and later one things get a lot more flexible for him (I love in the Unquiet Dead many decades later that implies an adventure that could have ended with history being rewritten so aliens inhabit our dead and we live with it).
Barbara here is the revelatory character though. I've found Barbara and Susan frustrating, two women of knowledge who don't get a lot to do. Even when Barbara had a big victory in The Keys of Marinus, it was hampered by lazy underwhelming writing. Here, the performance and character are a lot stronger. Not only is she in a position of power, matching wits with a clever foe, I think her overall story is strong. She has tragic flaws as she wants to change history for the better but she ends up doing it by being deceitful and in the end finds she can't force people to change and was really only able to change Autloc through friendship. I think it's played really skillfully while most of the writing in this series so far either kind of handwaves or pushes aside all but the most basic morality (seriously, I'm still a little salty about the last arc really not dealing with the computer that controls conscience.)
It's obvious that this is an episode that in terms of representation would look very different today. Not only in terms of casting but also Barbara's plan has a taste of "white saviour". But for the 1960s? This does feel like a much more nuanced portrayal. Even moreso knowing that we've had and will have some less than tasteful portrayals of other cultures in this series. I don't want to distract from it's failing but I do want say the show is really striving for a complex portrayal and though it is more focused on the sacrifices and dark side, I think it wants to explore the idea that we might live with both and not consider it.
Susan gets the short straw on this one, not a lot to do but The Doctor and Ian also get more fun stuff. Ian's rivalry with Ixta helps ratchet up the tension and gives Tlotoxl a pawn/ally and the Doctor gets to be more useful that I feel he's been in a while (again, this happens a bit in The Keys of Marinus but it is hurt by the poor storytelling) and allows the character to be wise, clever and even have his first sweet little romance of the series with Cameca. And the actors, Hartnell in particular, play it very well. This really is an actors episode and everyone involved feels like they are going for a Shakespearian tone (something the Shakespeare episode ironically does not have). I'm curious to see if we get any first Doctor episodes that match it in terms of leanness and complexity.
Best Cliffhanger: Barbara asked to save Ian. Mostly it's more about a satisfying resolution where she straight up holds a knife to Tlotoxl's neck. Hardcore Barbara.
Next serial.
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Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Sensorites
It all started out as a mild curiosity in the junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure.
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions land in a spaceship with a crew that claims they are under psychic control by aliens known as the Sensorites. They are trapped but the Sensorites have made no move to harm them. Soon, the Doctor realizes the Sensorites have stolen the lock to their TARDIS and breaking in would be impossible. The Doctor manages to suss out the Sensorites weaknesses; their fear of the dark due to poor eye sight. He uses as leverage to talk to the Sensorites and also reveals he's learned that the captivity is due to one crew make realizing the planet, the Sense Sphere, is sitting on a molybdenum deposit they fear the humans will exploit. It seems it has happened once before with humans and the Sensorites feared it would happen again.
Soon, the Sensorites and the Doctor begin to come to an understanding and the Doctor begins helping them, with a new problem; a mysterious non-contagious illness sweeping the city. The City Administrator believes that the humans are not to be trusted and begins plotting against them, eventually impersonating a high ranking elder to do so. Eventually, the Administrator's plot is discovered as is the level of his corruption (kidnapping, intimidation, murder conspiracy) and the Sensorites learn that trust must be earned rather than assumed, even from their own people. Meanwhile, the Doctor learns there isn't a disease but a systematic poisoning of the water supply. It turns out the culprits are human trapped on the planet from a previous mission, deluded into thinking they are at war with the Sensorites. The humans are captured but granted clemancy, the Administrator is banished and the humans who were initially imprisoned by the Sensorites are allowed to return home.
The Sensorites is definitely a big step down after how strong The Aztecs was. The writing and pacing are a lot weaker and the whole story is blander and more juvenile. That doesn't mean there aren't good points. The initial two chapters are actually pretty strong. There's a sense of eeriness when the Sensorites finally arrive on the scene. There's a sense they aren't evil even before they show their hand and yet there's something unnerving about them, especially knowing that even if they don't hate us, they won't hesitate to control us. The problem is, after the reveal that (most) of the Sensorites are the good guys, it's actually a pretty tensionless affair. Ian gets poisoned and one Sensorite uses his authority and the trust he's built up as an advantage against our heroes but there's never really a strong sense our protagonists are in any real jeopardy after episode 2.
I think it tries to toy with some interesting ideas but I never felt it was entirely consistent. It plays to some hoary old sci-fi tropes where the aliens are advanced by cartoonishly naive. I think it could almost work if there was a sense that the Sensorites BELIEVED they were incapable of keeping secrets but.. they aren't? The Sensorites start with this impressive powers and yet they are actually not that important to the plot. There's an interesting message about assuming trust from "your own kind" and prejudice but the dual villains of the deranged humans and the rogue Sensorite coup is completely without nuance or interest. Even the Administrator, the main villain, is just... dealt with off screen. The last scene he is in has him trying to convince an Elder not to help the Doctor and then the next time he's already been banished from the city. No reveal scene or final gambit. Now to be fair the victory in his last scene is less about catching a bad guy and more a character learning to trust... but again, it's just kind of a dull episode after a crackerjack opener.
Best Cliffhanger: The first episode ending with a spooky Sensorite showing up at the window.
Next episode:
It all started out as a mild curiosity in the junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure.
In this serial, the Doctor and his companions land in a spaceship with a crew that claims they are under psychic control by aliens known as the Sensorites. They are trapped but the Sensorites have made no move to harm them. Soon, the Doctor realizes the Sensorites have stolen the lock to their TARDIS and breaking in would be impossible. The Doctor manages to suss out the Sensorites weaknesses; their fear of the dark due to poor eye sight. He uses as leverage to talk to the Sensorites and also reveals he's learned that the captivity is due to one crew make realizing the planet, the Sense Sphere, is sitting on a molybdenum deposit they fear the humans will exploit. It seems it has happened once before with humans and the Sensorites feared it would happen again.
Soon, the Sensorites and the Doctor begin to come to an understanding and the Doctor begins helping them, with a new problem; a mysterious non-contagious illness sweeping the city. The City Administrator believes that the humans are not to be trusted and begins plotting against them, eventually impersonating a high ranking elder to do so. Eventually, the Administrator's plot is discovered as is the level of his corruption (kidnapping, intimidation, murder conspiracy) and the Sensorites learn that trust must be earned rather than assumed, even from their own people. Meanwhile, the Doctor learns there isn't a disease but a systematic poisoning of the water supply. It turns out the culprits are human trapped on the planet from a previous mission, deluded into thinking they are at war with the Sensorites. The humans are captured but granted clemancy, the Administrator is banished and the humans who were initially imprisoned by the Sensorites are allowed to return home.
The Sensorites is definitely a big step down after how strong The Aztecs was. The writing and pacing are a lot weaker and the whole story is blander and more juvenile. That doesn't mean there aren't good points. The initial two chapters are actually pretty strong. There's a sense of eeriness when the Sensorites finally arrive on the scene. There's a sense they aren't evil even before they show their hand and yet there's something unnerving about them, especially knowing that even if they don't hate us, they won't hesitate to control us. The problem is, after the reveal that (most) of the Sensorites are the good guys, it's actually a pretty tensionless affair. Ian gets poisoned and one Sensorite uses his authority and the trust he's built up as an advantage against our heroes but there's never really a strong sense our protagonists are in any real jeopardy after episode 2.
I think it tries to toy with some interesting ideas but I never felt it was entirely consistent. It plays to some hoary old sci-fi tropes where the aliens are advanced by cartoonishly naive. I think it could almost work if there was a sense that the Sensorites BELIEVED they were incapable of keeping secrets but.. they aren't? The Sensorites start with this impressive powers and yet they are actually not that important to the plot. There's an interesting message about assuming trust from "your own kind" and prejudice but the dual villains of the deranged humans and the rogue Sensorite coup is completely without nuance or interest. Even the Administrator, the main villain, is just... dealt with off screen. The last scene he is in has him trying to convince an Elder not to help the Doctor and then the next time he's already been banished from the city. No reveal scene or final gambit. Now to be fair the victory in his last scene is less about catching a bad guy and more a character learning to trust... but again, it's just kind of a dull episode after a crackerjack opener.
Best Cliffhanger: The first episode ending with a spooky Sensorite showing up at the window.
Next episode:
I rewatched the Seventh Doctor Tales of the TARDIS episode because of Josh Snares' video about that series, and I realized it ties into The Giggle's bi-regeneration. "Time streams are funny things," the 7th Doctor says. "In some, I regenerate, and others, I don't. It's all a matter of perspective." Whatever one thinks of that story beat... Kudos to RTD for hinting at it weeks before it actually happened. Now give us more Ace and the 7th Doctor, please!
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Reign of Terror
"Our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it."
In this serial, the Doctor decides to finally drop Ian and Barbara back home but ends up in France during the Reign of Terror. Ian, Barbara and Susan are mistaken for spies and sent to prison in Paris while the Doctor is left for dead. In the prison, Ian's cellmate, a British spy, dies with a final message and a shrewd government official Lemaitre takes notice. Ian's name is crossed off the execution list and later manages to escape. Meanwhile, Susan and Barbara are freed from execution by counter-revolutionaries. The Doctor manages to survive and ends up in Paris, disguising himself as a high ranking official from another province. There he meets Robespierre and catches his interest and Lemaitre detains the Doctor so Robespierre can see him in the morning.
Barbara and Susan are recaptured while trying to get care for Barbara. The Doctor manages to get Barbara on the pretext that she will lead them to the counter-revolutionaries but Susan still needs to be freed. Meanwhile Ian becomes an ally of the counter-revolutionaries. Eventually, Lemaitre proves the Doctor is a phony... only to have a reveal of his own; he's another British spy and Ian's cellmate's message was meant for him. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Lemaitre (in fact, named James Stirling) all work together to their own ends to free Susan. Barbara and Ian learn there is a conspiracy against Robespierre by Paul Barras and a young Napoleon Bonaparte and soon after the coup against Robespierre allows the Doctor to free Susan in the confusion. The Doctor and friends bid adieu to their allies.
This is a decent one. This is the second serial with missing parts but the recreation is really strong. I feel like my ignorance of the era of the French Revolution does me a disservice on judging how they treat it historically, but as an adventure, it's well written. In fact, I feel in general, the sci-fi episodes have much clumsier writing than the historicals. Granted, the historicals are more problematic but at the same time I feel like the writers strain for more understanding while a lot of the sci-fi adventures come in with a big premise but it kind of gets... dumb-ish by the end. That's not to say The Reign of Terror is perfect. Like a lot of stories, the final three could have been shorter but it never actively bores me, it just gets a little repetitive with characters getting captured and re-captured and variations on the same conversations with the guard.
Overall, though, the historicals seem more about characters politically maneuvering. If the Aztecs was aiming for Shakespeare drama, this feels more like the surprise reveals of a Dickens story with twists and turns. Though not as bleak as the Aztecs, it's a more dark low-key DW story about living in history and seeing the people as vulnerable and trying to find the complexities (maybe the revolutionaries are good people being swayed to do bad things by people in power). It's not perfect but for most of it, it is interesting.
I will say, the show is also doing a better job giving the Doctor more to do. There's more humour as the Doctor bamboozles people and plays with them and he gets to really use his guile this time. This is probably the most the Doctor gets to do in the series and the most he's been the protagonist of the series. Granted, it's still an ensemble but he's certainly doing more here than Susan and Barbara, who are sadly a bit underwritten outside of Barbara waxing philosophical about history. It actually reminds me I could go for more historicals. Despite the missteps in the Chibnal seasons, he did seem to want to try for them in his first season with a bit of extra alien stuff to the side and I respect him for going there. It's a great way to add even more variety for a franchise that really benefits from it.
Next Time:
"Our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it."
In this serial, the Doctor decides to finally drop Ian and Barbara back home but ends up in France during the Reign of Terror. Ian, Barbara and Susan are mistaken for spies and sent to prison in Paris while the Doctor is left for dead. In the prison, Ian's cellmate, a British spy, dies with a final message and a shrewd government official Lemaitre takes notice. Ian's name is crossed off the execution list and later manages to escape. Meanwhile, Susan and Barbara are freed from execution by counter-revolutionaries. The Doctor manages to survive and ends up in Paris, disguising himself as a high ranking official from another province. There he meets Robespierre and catches his interest and Lemaitre detains the Doctor so Robespierre can see him in the morning.
Barbara and Susan are recaptured while trying to get care for Barbara. The Doctor manages to get Barbara on the pretext that she will lead them to the counter-revolutionaries but Susan still needs to be freed. Meanwhile Ian becomes an ally of the counter-revolutionaries. Eventually, Lemaitre proves the Doctor is a phony... only to have a reveal of his own; he's another British spy and Ian's cellmate's message was meant for him. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Lemaitre (in fact, named James Stirling) all work together to their own ends to free Susan. Barbara and Ian learn there is a conspiracy against Robespierre by Paul Barras and a young Napoleon Bonaparte and soon after the coup against Robespierre allows the Doctor to free Susan in the confusion. The Doctor and friends bid adieu to their allies.
This is a decent one. This is the second serial with missing parts but the recreation is really strong. I feel like my ignorance of the era of the French Revolution does me a disservice on judging how they treat it historically, but as an adventure, it's well written. In fact, I feel in general, the sci-fi episodes have much clumsier writing than the historicals. Granted, the historicals are more problematic but at the same time I feel like the writers strain for more understanding while a lot of the sci-fi adventures come in with a big premise but it kind of gets... dumb-ish by the end. That's not to say The Reign of Terror is perfect. Like a lot of stories, the final three could have been shorter but it never actively bores me, it just gets a little repetitive with characters getting captured and re-captured and variations on the same conversations with the guard.
Overall, though, the historicals seem more about characters politically maneuvering. If the Aztecs was aiming for Shakespeare drama, this feels more like the surprise reveals of a Dickens story with twists and turns. Though not as bleak as the Aztecs, it's a more dark low-key DW story about living in history and seeing the people as vulnerable and trying to find the complexities (maybe the revolutionaries are good people being swayed to do bad things by people in power). It's not perfect but for most of it, it is interesting.
I will say, the show is also doing a better job giving the Doctor more to do. There's more humour as the Doctor bamboozles people and plays with them and he gets to really use his guile this time. This is probably the most the Doctor gets to do in the series and the most he's been the protagonist of the series. Granted, it's still an ensemble but he's certainly doing more here than Susan and Barbara, who are sadly a bit underwritten outside of Barbara waxing philosophical about history. It actually reminds me I could go for more historicals. Despite the missteps in the Chibnal seasons, he did seem to want to try for them in his first season with a bit of extra alien stuff to the side and I respect him for going there. It's a great way to add even more variety for a franchise that really benefits from it.
Next Time:
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Planet of Giants
In this serial, the Doctor is determined to get Ian and Barbara back to the 20th century but things go awry on the Tardis. The materialize in what they first assume is an alien world of giant dead insects. In fact, The Doctor and his companions have been shrunk to the size of insects due to an issue with the TARDIS. They realize they are in a yard but what they are unaware of is the dead insects are the work of a new experimental pesticide, DN6. When a government scientist warns the industrialist funding the material, Forrester, that the pesticide is too potent, Forrester tries to talk him out of exposing the dangers. When he refuses, then Forrester shoots him. The scientist working on it, Smithers, doesn't approval but is so convinced his creation will prevent world hunger by saving crops from pest that he keeps his trap shut.
The gang finds the body of Forrester's victim and soon after Ian and Barbara are separated from the Doctor but each party comes to learn that there is a deadly pesticide being created and it must be stopped. Even worse, Barbara has been tainted with it and is very sick. When the crew gets together, they try to pool their efforts to move a phone and call the police but they think it is a bust since they are not sure they are heard (in fact, it draws attention to what is happening in Smithers' lab) Instead, they decide to start a fire with a gas burner in order to attract the attention of the authorities. Meanwhile, Smithers learns how deadly DN6 is and Forrester threatens him but the first causes a can of pesticide to explode near Forrester, knocking him out in time for the police to arrive and Smithers to turn against Forrester. Meanwhile, the Doctor and company gets back to the TARDIS and save Barbara by reducing the poison to it's relative size, leaving it far less deadly.
Planet of Giants is an episode that is regarded as a bit of a dull also-ran but I appreciate this one is trying to do something different. The first chapter does a strong job showing how shrinking the characters turns the world as alien to them. The Silent Spring-inspired threat also points to how terrifying the poison is. But it's a shame it goes into a bit more generic catch a criminal threat. And if they were going to do that, it's a shame there wasn't a bit more cat and mouse. Forrester and Smithers don't even have to perceive a threat, they can just think they are being annoyed by bugs but find themselves constantly being pestered until driven to the brink. As it is, Forrester and Smithers are pretty forgettable.
It's not a bad serial but it just never really feels as strong as the first chapter that really drives home they aren't just small, it makes the mission more difficult. As it goes, it's more echoing the idea of "can you believe this". The solutions to their problems aren't contrived but they aren't that interesting or fun either. The show has been worse at this point, particularly some of the Keys of Marinus stories, but as it goes on, it feels like a strong start and a limp finish and that's a shame because I do feel like this episode otherwise mixes up the formula and is trying to do something different than "let's go back in time" or "let's go to another planet" and a different tone than fighting aliens, resolving their issues or trying to skirt around historical figures. In fact, the villains are unaware of the lead's existence and that part are OK. I just wish the plainclothes villains, also a rarity for the show, had a little more going on under the hood.
Next time:
In this serial, the Doctor is determined to get Ian and Barbara back to the 20th century but things go awry on the Tardis. The materialize in what they first assume is an alien world of giant dead insects. In fact, The Doctor and his companions have been shrunk to the size of insects due to an issue with the TARDIS. They realize they are in a yard but what they are unaware of is the dead insects are the work of a new experimental pesticide, DN6. When a government scientist warns the industrialist funding the material, Forrester, that the pesticide is too potent, Forrester tries to talk him out of exposing the dangers. When he refuses, then Forrester shoots him. The scientist working on it, Smithers, doesn't approval but is so convinced his creation will prevent world hunger by saving crops from pest that he keeps his trap shut.
The gang finds the body of Forrester's victim and soon after Ian and Barbara are separated from the Doctor but each party comes to learn that there is a deadly pesticide being created and it must be stopped. Even worse, Barbara has been tainted with it and is very sick. When the crew gets together, they try to pool their efforts to move a phone and call the police but they think it is a bust since they are not sure they are heard (in fact, it draws attention to what is happening in Smithers' lab) Instead, they decide to start a fire with a gas burner in order to attract the attention of the authorities. Meanwhile, Smithers learns how deadly DN6 is and Forrester threatens him but the first causes a can of pesticide to explode near Forrester, knocking him out in time for the police to arrive and Smithers to turn against Forrester. Meanwhile, the Doctor and company gets back to the TARDIS and save Barbara by reducing the poison to it's relative size, leaving it far less deadly.
Planet of Giants is an episode that is regarded as a bit of a dull also-ran but I appreciate this one is trying to do something different. The first chapter does a strong job showing how shrinking the characters turns the world as alien to them. The Silent Spring-inspired threat also points to how terrifying the poison is. But it's a shame it goes into a bit more generic catch a criminal threat. And if they were going to do that, it's a shame there wasn't a bit more cat and mouse. Forrester and Smithers don't even have to perceive a threat, they can just think they are being annoyed by bugs but find themselves constantly being pestered until driven to the brink. As it is, Forrester and Smithers are pretty forgettable.
It's not a bad serial but it just never really feels as strong as the first chapter that really drives home they aren't just small, it makes the mission more difficult. As it goes, it's more echoing the idea of "can you believe this". The solutions to their problems aren't contrived but they aren't that interesting or fun either. The show has been worse at this point, particularly some of the Keys of Marinus stories, but as it goes on, it feels like a strong start and a limp finish and that's a shame because I do feel like this episode otherwise mixes up the formula and is trying to do something different than "let's go back in time" or "let's go to another planet" and a different tone than fighting aliens, resolving their issues or trying to skirt around historical figures. In fact, the villains are unaware of the lead's existence and that part are OK. I just wish the plainclothes villains, also a rarity for the show, had a little more going on under the hood.
Next time:
Hey, Did You Know?: Planet of Giants was originally planned to be the very first DW story, but due to the technical complexity of its effects it was swapped with An Unearthly Child's caveman story. Neither serial is particularly gripping (Part 1 of AUC notwithstanding), but I have to wonder how different the series might have turned out if its very first story saw the TARDIS doing something especially strange like shrinking the crew.