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"It feels different this time..." - The new Doctor Who Thread
- Thread starter Kazin
- Start date
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
It's pretty dire and it's a shame, I think the idea of a serial being comprise of mini-adventures is a fun one (I'm genuinely surprised the new series hasn't just done an anthology episode of smaller adventures). The IDEA is. But each one is such a disappointing nothing that goes on too long. I feel like Dracula's castle is the closest one to settling on a tone. It's not great but I almost feel like something is there. Meanwhile, the episode prior tried to fit in two stories and both of them went on for ten minutes when they would have been dull at two.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I love that we slowly pan to that and then Ian takes some tome to reiterate it in case you missed it.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Time Meddler
"Doctor, it's more fun my way. I can make things happen ahead of their time."
In this serial, The Doctor discovers a stowaway; Steven from the last serial, who survived and is now given a place on the TARDIS. The Doctor and his friends land in 1066 prior to the battle of Hastings. While in a small village, the Doctor hears something strange from the local monastery and goes alone to investigate. He discovers the chanting from the monastery isn't chanting, it is in fact a record of chanting. Soon he's captured by the Monk who lives there alone, who seems to have access to modern conveniences. Vicki and Steven look for the Doctor and start to discover the Monk isn't what he seems. The Doctor escapes and manages to turn the tables on the Monk and he, Vicki and Steven learn he is a time traveler, a person from the Doctor's planet but in it's future. The Monk reveals he's been planning to meddle with history, by defeating the Vikings in an upcoming battle nearby which will leave Harold capable of winning the Battle of Hastings. The Monk manages to subdue the Doctor by forming an alliance with two Viking scouts and having them tied up. However, earlier in the day the Doctor made the town suspicious of the Monk and now think he's a Viking spy, chasing him away from the monastery and foiling his plot. The Doctor is freed and sabotages the Monk's time machine, leaving him stranded in 1066, promising to return to pick him up one day.
Man, between this and Susan, the First Doctor is the king of empty "I'll be back" promises. This was a great outing and among my favourite of the First Doctor stories. It helps that while the show had one or two good villains, Peter Butterworth as the Monk is pure delight. He's sort of a proto-Master, not just because he's a time traveler because he genuinely seems to take great delight in his schemes. He also never comes across as malevolent or even threatening and yet you buy him as an antagonist because he raises the stakes, is a match for the Doctor and is a different kind of evil. He's not grim or cruel, just really selfish. If anything, he's just slightly too selfish to be basically what the Doctor becomes; more freewheeling and comfortable messing with time and understanding some restrictions but open to the possibility of change.
Here, The Doctor is more hardline in meddling but he's still playful. In fact, the way he and the Monk banter, it's clear they are enjoying the game of trying to outwit each other. This might be my favourite Hartnell performance, a great mix of his impishness, crotchetiness and determination to do the right thing. He's playing all the right note, just like Butterworth, who is playful but not going too over the top as the Master sometimes does. Yeah, he loves what he's doing but he's not unhinged, he's just having a good time.
The show has discussed not changing time before but this feels like the first time the show is really about it. It comes close with The Aztecs but that one feels more about an inevitable tragedy. This is much more about cause and effect and the show is allowing the historical adventure to be not just more science fiction centered but allowing the show to really think about it. I feel like a lot of the earlier serials, like the Keys of Marinus, aren't thinking hard about machines that control people's conscience or a society where it's guilty until proven innocent. It's a setting or an idea but there isn't a lot of depth or exploration. This one really does let the characters consider the mechanics of changing time and it to be fun in the process.
I will say also the episode two is clearly "Hartnell is on vacation this week" and it doesn't miss a beat, really. Yes, it's the weaker chapter but I think the episode serves Vicki and Steven pretty well. They feel less like New Susan and New Ian. Vicki feels more like she's in the Barbara role and Steven... OK, maybe he's a little bit new Ian but I think the episode does well by him and even though there's him being skeptical about the whole scenario. The show manages to really hum along in every chapter, even though it's not real heavy on big threats, just as few really solid well placed twists.
I also find it interesting that the show gives us more entry into the larger Doctor mythos while revealing very little. We know there's another of his people and another TARDIS and that's really all we get. And yet that's fine; the episode isn't drowning in an info dump and it doesn't distract too much from the main thrust, yet it does add a sense of excitement when this bit element hits to deepen the show's greater scope. And this is also the serial where we start seeing historicals merge with other sci-fi ideas. In some ways, I miss the old historicals. If anything I'm a little tired of "all myths are really aliens" and historicals mix em up.
Weirdly, I think the weakest part of the episode is still really good; the other characters. I think the characters have interesting plights, are acted well and have some good dialogue. And they are a good reminder of the human stakes. But... I mean, it goes somewhere, but I never feel like they paid off in any really satisfying way (as fun as the attack on the monastery is). Thematically there's something there, maybe, with the Monk seeing other people as pawns but despite the plan, the game does seem really insular and while we get to know some of the characters, I'm not going to miss the townsfolk and I'm neither cheering nor bummed that the Viking scouts were tricked and captured.
This is a small issue, though and feels like praising with faint damnation. This one really is a blast and I wish the sense of fun, wit and intelligence had been around for the Chase, a story intended to be punchy and fun. Yet this one is somehow cozy and cheaper than usual and yet with the right writers and acting decisions, it's the one that really has me interested in where the first Doctor stories are going to evolve!
The best cliffhanger: "It's a TARDIS"
(the record reveal is also good).
Next Time:
"Doctor, it's more fun my way. I can make things happen ahead of their time."
In this serial, The Doctor discovers a stowaway; Steven from the last serial, who survived and is now given a place on the TARDIS. The Doctor and his friends land in 1066 prior to the battle of Hastings. While in a small village, the Doctor hears something strange from the local monastery and goes alone to investigate. He discovers the chanting from the monastery isn't chanting, it is in fact a record of chanting. Soon he's captured by the Monk who lives there alone, who seems to have access to modern conveniences. Vicki and Steven look for the Doctor and start to discover the Monk isn't what he seems. The Doctor escapes and manages to turn the tables on the Monk and he, Vicki and Steven learn he is a time traveler, a person from the Doctor's planet but in it's future. The Monk reveals he's been planning to meddle with history, by defeating the Vikings in an upcoming battle nearby which will leave Harold capable of winning the Battle of Hastings. The Monk manages to subdue the Doctor by forming an alliance with two Viking scouts and having them tied up. However, earlier in the day the Doctor made the town suspicious of the Monk and now think he's a Viking spy, chasing him away from the monastery and foiling his plot. The Doctor is freed and sabotages the Monk's time machine, leaving him stranded in 1066, promising to return to pick him up one day.
Man, between this and Susan, the First Doctor is the king of empty "I'll be back" promises. This was a great outing and among my favourite of the First Doctor stories. It helps that while the show had one or two good villains, Peter Butterworth as the Monk is pure delight. He's sort of a proto-Master, not just because he's a time traveler because he genuinely seems to take great delight in his schemes. He also never comes across as malevolent or even threatening and yet you buy him as an antagonist because he raises the stakes, is a match for the Doctor and is a different kind of evil. He's not grim or cruel, just really selfish. If anything, he's just slightly too selfish to be basically what the Doctor becomes; more freewheeling and comfortable messing with time and understanding some restrictions but open to the possibility of change.
Here, The Doctor is more hardline in meddling but he's still playful. In fact, the way he and the Monk banter, it's clear they are enjoying the game of trying to outwit each other. This might be my favourite Hartnell performance, a great mix of his impishness, crotchetiness and determination to do the right thing. He's playing all the right note, just like Butterworth, who is playful but not going too over the top as the Master sometimes does. Yeah, he loves what he's doing but he's not unhinged, he's just having a good time.
The show has discussed not changing time before but this feels like the first time the show is really about it. It comes close with The Aztecs but that one feels more about an inevitable tragedy. This is much more about cause and effect and the show is allowing the historical adventure to be not just more science fiction centered but allowing the show to really think about it. I feel like a lot of the earlier serials, like the Keys of Marinus, aren't thinking hard about machines that control people's conscience or a society where it's guilty until proven innocent. It's a setting or an idea but there isn't a lot of depth or exploration. This one really does let the characters consider the mechanics of changing time and it to be fun in the process.
I will say also the episode two is clearly "Hartnell is on vacation this week" and it doesn't miss a beat, really. Yes, it's the weaker chapter but I think the episode serves Vicki and Steven pretty well. They feel less like New Susan and New Ian. Vicki feels more like she's in the Barbara role and Steven... OK, maybe he's a little bit new Ian but I think the episode does well by him and even though there's him being skeptical about the whole scenario. The show manages to really hum along in every chapter, even though it's not real heavy on big threats, just as few really solid well placed twists.
I also find it interesting that the show gives us more entry into the larger Doctor mythos while revealing very little. We know there's another of his people and another TARDIS and that's really all we get. And yet that's fine; the episode isn't drowning in an info dump and it doesn't distract too much from the main thrust, yet it does add a sense of excitement when this bit element hits to deepen the show's greater scope. And this is also the serial where we start seeing historicals merge with other sci-fi ideas. In some ways, I miss the old historicals. If anything I'm a little tired of "all myths are really aliens" and historicals mix em up.
Weirdly, I think the weakest part of the episode is still really good; the other characters. I think the characters have interesting plights, are acted well and have some good dialogue. And they are a good reminder of the human stakes. But... I mean, it goes somewhere, but I never feel like they paid off in any really satisfying way (as fun as the attack on the monastery is). Thematically there's something there, maybe, with the Monk seeing other people as pawns but despite the plan, the game does seem really insular and while we get to know some of the characters, I'm not going to miss the townsfolk and I'm neither cheering nor bummed that the Viking scouts were tricked and captured.
This is a small issue, though and feels like praising with faint damnation. This one really is a blast and I wish the sense of fun, wit and intelligence had been around for the Chase, a story intended to be punchy and fun. Yet this one is somehow cozy and cheaper than usual and yet with the right writers and acting decisions, it's the one that really has me interested in where the first Doctor stories are going to evolve!
The best cliffhanger: "It's a TARDIS"
(the record reveal is also good).
Next Time:
The next season has some crazy highs and some absolutely miserable lows, but is overall fun stuff, if you're alright with watching reconstructions. I'm enjoying your writeups still, even if I'm not adding much. Hopefully you enjoy one coming up (not the next serial) that is my favorite Hartnell...
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Galaxy 4
"Oh, look. It's got a sort of chumbley movement."
In this serial the Doctor and his companions land on a barren planet where they find short robots that Vicki names "The Chumblies". One is deactivated by an alien woman who takes the Doctor, Steven and Vicki prisoner. It turns out they are Dharvins, alien women all cloned from the same person. Their commander, Maaga, claims that they've crashed on the planet with the Rills, who control the Chumblies and who the Dharvins are at war with. Apparently the planet will be destroyed in 14 days. In fact, the Doctor goes to his TARDIS and learns it is only two days. The Doctor distrusts the violent Dharvins and tries to avoid telling them until the truth is forced out at gunpoint. Steven is held hostage and the Doctor and Vicki are sent to try to steal the Rills' ship to escape. The Rills reveal themselves through the Chumblies to actually be merciful, unlike the beautiful but cruel Dharvins. The Doctor and Vicki manage to free Steven with the Chumblies help and the Doctor helps the Rills escape, despite a Dharvin attack. The Doctor and friends escape the planet, leaving the stubborn Dharvins to die at the planet explodes.
This one is kind of a bummer. In some ways, it could have been worse, The all-women villains aspect made me think there'd be more overt misogyny and sexism. And it isn't great but it's barely a factor, outside of some establishing comments. Unfortunately, that's less because it is a forward thinking serial and more because there's just very little going on under the hood. It seems perfectly satisfied for the midpoint twist to be "the ugly aliens are good and the beautiful ones are bad." Especially since the Dharvins are crazy aggressive jerks from the jump,
Doctor Who seems to keep looking for the next Daleks and I feel like the Chumblies aren't necessarily meant to be the next big hit but it does feel like Doctor Who is showing what it thinks of it's audience by pulling out weird Dalek-like aliens/robots. In this case, these are more like Ewoks; cute and marketable little robots, complete with a twee name. Doctor Who would definitely have fun with made up words and phrases in the reboot but this one felt more like an eyeroll. But like most of this serial, it's not that interesting.
In the end, this is the show at it's most skippable. If it was the new series, than this would be the episode late in the season that everyone reacts with an "ugh" to. There's very little there there. I think I've hated episodes more but that's not the issue. I'm just looking at my watch and yawning and waiting for this story to be done. It's kind of a bummer too because it is a script written by a fan and this is not the success story that you'd want with that set up (though at least the writer had a TV career after that).
Best cliffhanger: None are that good. We see the alien, I guess.
Next episode:
"Oh, look. It's got a sort of chumbley movement."
In this serial the Doctor and his companions land on a barren planet where they find short robots that Vicki names "The Chumblies". One is deactivated by an alien woman who takes the Doctor, Steven and Vicki prisoner. It turns out they are Dharvins, alien women all cloned from the same person. Their commander, Maaga, claims that they've crashed on the planet with the Rills, who control the Chumblies and who the Dharvins are at war with. Apparently the planet will be destroyed in 14 days. In fact, the Doctor goes to his TARDIS and learns it is only two days. The Doctor distrusts the violent Dharvins and tries to avoid telling them until the truth is forced out at gunpoint. Steven is held hostage and the Doctor and Vicki are sent to try to steal the Rills' ship to escape. The Rills reveal themselves through the Chumblies to actually be merciful, unlike the beautiful but cruel Dharvins. The Doctor and Vicki manage to free Steven with the Chumblies help and the Doctor helps the Rills escape, despite a Dharvin attack. The Doctor and friends escape the planet, leaving the stubborn Dharvins to die at the planet explodes.
This one is kind of a bummer. In some ways, it could have been worse, The all-women villains aspect made me think there'd be more overt misogyny and sexism. And it isn't great but it's barely a factor, outside of some establishing comments. Unfortunately, that's less because it is a forward thinking serial and more because there's just very little going on under the hood. It seems perfectly satisfied for the midpoint twist to be "the ugly aliens are good and the beautiful ones are bad." Especially since the Dharvins are crazy aggressive jerks from the jump,
Doctor Who seems to keep looking for the next Daleks and I feel like the Chumblies aren't necessarily meant to be the next big hit but it does feel like Doctor Who is showing what it thinks of it's audience by pulling out weird Dalek-like aliens/robots. In this case, these are more like Ewoks; cute and marketable little robots, complete with a twee name. Doctor Who would definitely have fun with made up words and phrases in the reboot but this one felt more like an eyeroll. But like most of this serial, it's not that interesting.
In the end, this is the show at it's most skippable. If it was the new series, than this would be the episode late in the season that everyone reacts with an "ugh" to. There's very little there there. I think I've hated episodes more but that's not the issue. I'm just looking at my watch and yawning and waiting for this story to be done. It's kind of a bummer too because it is a script written by a fan and this is not the success story that you'd want with that set up (though at least the writer had a TV career after that).
Best cliffhanger: None are that good. We see the alien, I guess.
Next episode:
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Mission to the Unknown
"VICTORY!"
In this stand alone episode, three astronauts are on a jungle planet, One Marc Corey, kills another when he is infected by a plant that will turn him into a killer. Cory reveals to his last surviving ally that he believes the Daleks, who attacked Earth 1000 years prior, may be planning something again and the existence of the plant, originally from planet Skaro, all but proves their is a Dalek base on the planet. Marc and his ally search the planet but find out the Daleks are there. Even worse, they've made allies with several other fiendish powers who are plotting to take over Earth's solar system, starting with wiping out Earth. Marc gets the information and records it as a warning to Earth but his friend is killed by the plant and he's executed by the Daleks.
I watched Mission to the Unknown by way of a faithful recreation that appeared four years ago from the University of Lancester. So I will be basing it on that. The one negative thing I can say about the recreation is the music kind of goes too hard. Early Doctor Who felt a bit chintzy and I think making the music too big robs it of that feel. Otherwise, it is a real comeback.
There are two tones that... don't clash, but make for an interesting watch. It is a bleak episode with all the good guys dying (and compared to the Doctor, Marc Corey is a much more antiheroic figure) and the Daleks evil plot going forward. But there's also a comic booky-ness I love. The appearance of the new alien allies to the Daleks feels like when a manga unveils "here are the wacky villains our heroes will fight in this story arc" except it is also b-movie aliens. I love it.
It's weird because there isn't a tremendous amount of depth to the story when I stand back and look at it but it all works for setting up the next major Dalek arc. I think it does a great job showing that if the competent and less physically vulnerable action hero is so easily wiped out, even more than usual the elderly Doctor and his two regular-type friends are going to be over their heads even more than usual. I think the recreation is an effective feat and I think outside the music did an amazing job feeling very much like an old episode in a way that isn't winking. Knowing there was a very long Dalek arc, I was kind of dreading it but now I'm genuinely interested if the level of quality is equal to the script here.
Best cliffhanger: Marc dies. So long, Earth.
Next episode:
"VICTORY!"
In this stand alone episode, three astronauts are on a jungle planet, One Marc Corey, kills another when he is infected by a plant that will turn him into a killer. Cory reveals to his last surviving ally that he believes the Daleks, who attacked Earth 1000 years prior, may be planning something again and the existence of the plant, originally from planet Skaro, all but proves their is a Dalek base on the planet. Marc and his ally search the planet but find out the Daleks are there. Even worse, they've made allies with several other fiendish powers who are plotting to take over Earth's solar system, starting with wiping out Earth. Marc gets the information and records it as a warning to Earth but his friend is killed by the plant and he's executed by the Daleks.
I watched Mission to the Unknown by way of a faithful recreation that appeared four years ago from the University of Lancester. So I will be basing it on that. The one negative thing I can say about the recreation is the music kind of goes too hard. Early Doctor Who felt a bit chintzy and I think making the music too big robs it of that feel. Otherwise, it is a real comeback.
There are two tones that... don't clash, but make for an interesting watch. It is a bleak episode with all the good guys dying (and compared to the Doctor, Marc Corey is a much more antiheroic figure) and the Daleks evil plot going forward. But there's also a comic booky-ness I love. The appearance of the new alien allies to the Daleks feels like when a manga unveils "here are the wacky villains our heroes will fight in this story arc" except it is also b-movie aliens. I love it.
It's weird because there isn't a tremendous amount of depth to the story when I stand back and look at it but it all works for setting up the next major Dalek arc. I think it does a great job showing that if the competent and less physically vulnerable action hero is so easily wiped out, even more than usual the elderly Doctor and his two regular-type friends are going to be over their heads even more than usual. I think the recreation is an effective feat and I think outside the music did an amazing job feeling very much like an old episode in a way that isn't winking. Knowing there was a very long Dalek arc, I was kind of dreading it but now I'm genuinely interested if the level of quality is equal to the script here.
Best cliffhanger: Marc dies. So long, Earth.
Next episode:
I was wondering which version you were going to watch - unless the original episode shows up somehow, I like the University of Lancaster recreation a lot. I think they did a wonderful job, and it's the perfect episode to recreate since the main character isn't in it at all.
I hope you like the next story. It is my favorite First Doctor serial.
I hope you like the next story. It is my favorite First Doctor serial.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Myth Makers
"Now don't be frightened, child. You shall die when I say so, and not a moment before."
In this serial, the TARDIS has landed right smack in the middle of a battle between Hector and Achilles during the Trojan War. Using the distraction the TARDIS, Achilles fells Hector. When the Doctor is found by Achilles, he is mistaken for Zeus, which the Doctor uses to his convenience. But few others are convinced, including the boorish Odysseus. Still, the Doctor manages to leverage Achilles faith when Steven is mistaken for a spy. Meanwhile, the TARDIS is stolen by the Trojans, who see it as a great prize. When Vicki pops out, she is taken for a prophet. She tries to explain she's a time traveler and while there is debate, King Priam accepts the premise somewhat. Cassandra the prophet is less convinced and wants her killed. Steven goes to save Vicki but accidentally makes Cassandra think she is a spy and both are imprisoned. While in jail, Troilus, the youngest son of the King, visits with Vicki. The two begin to fall in love and Vicki convinces Troilus to have her released and she in turn releases Steven. Meanwhile, the Doctor is bullied by Odysseus into planning an invasion of Troy. Eventually, the Doctor sticks to what works; the Trojan Horse plot. But Odysseus is adamant the Doctor joins. The Doctor does and the invasion goes off as planned. Odysseus gets his win, not heeding Cassandra's warning of the next 10 years of suffering he will endure. In the chaos, Steven is gravely wounded. Katarina, a handmaiden of Troy who is convinced the Doctor is a god, ends up in the TARDIS too. Meanwhile, Vicki decides to leave the TARDIS crew for good to be with Troilus and the two start a new life.
In all honesty, I was not expecting this to be a goodbye to the Vicki character. I knew a Dalek story was coming and since cast members always seem to leave at the end of those that this is were we would leave Vicki. I certainly wasn't expecting a new companion either, one who I'm totally unfamiliar with. It should be interesting to see what she brings to the cast, considering her whole... deal means that she's not going to be another Vicki or Susan. For better or for worse.
But to the matters at hand; this was a mostly good story that I feel succeeded where I don't think the Romans or much of the Chase worked; as a comedy. The wit here is far more successful and I think the acting actually pays it off. Some of the actors are doing different things; Cassandra and Troilus are playing it like a stagey historical play, Odysseus is playing it a little more natural, albeit with broad confidence and Paris, my favourite makes it feel like he's straight from a British comedy with no care for the setting. That last one is a dissonance that puts me in mind of Monty Python, in a good way. It's not as wacky but I think there's recognition of the absurdity of the setting and how the character behaves. It doesn't break reality but it properly bends it. And even better, I think all the different acting choices actually work for me.
I will also say I was growing a little tired of it in act three; I didn't care too much for the Troilus stuff and while I like that Vicki got to do more than Susan in her run (but not as much as "Best First Doctor Companion" Barbara), I guess her exit didn't do a lot for me because of that. But one thing I did really appreciate is I feel like while a lot of the episode is a sitcom with stakes, the stakes actually matter in the last act. Things get a bit intense. Achilles is straight up killed. Whereas there's almost a lightness to the burning of Rome in the Romans, I feel like this one really feels darker when the violence comes. Of course, I can only go by the recreation. I don't know how good or bad the original was.
Also, this is the recreation I watched.
Amazing.
Overall, I think it's one of the more successful historicals. It's really having some fun with the myths but I love having Paris as sort of this complete doofus. I think even more than the attempt at humour in the Romans it really does set the show up for being more playful with it's representations of historical figures. I don't think I'd put this at the level of The Time Meddler, but I do think it is one of the stronger first Doctor stories. I'm finding the First Doctor stories work when it is more mature but this is a welcome exception. Mostly because it isn't juvenile in a slapdash way like some of the sci-fi tales but more willing to just present history as absurd with flawed people in it. And that some of our heroes like Odysseus may have just been straight up jerks.
Best cliffhanger: This isn't a cliffhanger strong story, really. I guess the last one only because we are heading into what I must assume is a darker and more epic story.
Next:
"Now don't be frightened, child. You shall die when I say so, and not a moment before."
In this serial, the TARDIS has landed right smack in the middle of a battle between Hector and Achilles during the Trojan War. Using the distraction the TARDIS, Achilles fells Hector. When the Doctor is found by Achilles, he is mistaken for Zeus, which the Doctor uses to his convenience. But few others are convinced, including the boorish Odysseus. Still, the Doctor manages to leverage Achilles faith when Steven is mistaken for a spy. Meanwhile, the TARDIS is stolen by the Trojans, who see it as a great prize. When Vicki pops out, she is taken for a prophet. She tries to explain she's a time traveler and while there is debate, King Priam accepts the premise somewhat. Cassandra the prophet is less convinced and wants her killed. Steven goes to save Vicki but accidentally makes Cassandra think she is a spy and both are imprisoned. While in jail, Troilus, the youngest son of the King, visits with Vicki. The two begin to fall in love and Vicki convinces Troilus to have her released and she in turn releases Steven. Meanwhile, the Doctor is bullied by Odysseus into planning an invasion of Troy. Eventually, the Doctor sticks to what works; the Trojan Horse plot. But Odysseus is adamant the Doctor joins. The Doctor does and the invasion goes off as planned. Odysseus gets his win, not heeding Cassandra's warning of the next 10 years of suffering he will endure. In the chaos, Steven is gravely wounded. Katarina, a handmaiden of Troy who is convinced the Doctor is a god, ends up in the TARDIS too. Meanwhile, Vicki decides to leave the TARDIS crew for good to be with Troilus and the two start a new life.
In all honesty, I was not expecting this to be a goodbye to the Vicki character. I knew a Dalek story was coming and since cast members always seem to leave at the end of those that this is were we would leave Vicki. I certainly wasn't expecting a new companion either, one who I'm totally unfamiliar with. It should be interesting to see what she brings to the cast, considering her whole... deal means that she's not going to be another Vicki or Susan. For better or for worse.
But to the matters at hand; this was a mostly good story that I feel succeeded where I don't think the Romans or much of the Chase worked; as a comedy. The wit here is far more successful and I think the acting actually pays it off. Some of the actors are doing different things; Cassandra and Troilus are playing it like a stagey historical play, Odysseus is playing it a little more natural, albeit with broad confidence and Paris, my favourite makes it feel like he's straight from a British comedy with no care for the setting. That last one is a dissonance that puts me in mind of Monty Python, in a good way. It's not as wacky but I think there's recognition of the absurdity of the setting and how the character behaves. It doesn't break reality but it properly bends it. And even better, I think all the different acting choices actually work for me.
I will also say I was growing a little tired of it in act three; I didn't care too much for the Troilus stuff and while I like that Vicki got to do more than Susan in her run (but not as much as "Best First Doctor Companion" Barbara), I guess her exit didn't do a lot for me because of that. But one thing I did really appreciate is I feel like while a lot of the episode is a sitcom with stakes, the stakes actually matter in the last act. Things get a bit intense. Achilles is straight up killed. Whereas there's almost a lightness to the burning of Rome in the Romans, I feel like this one really feels darker when the violence comes. Of course, I can only go by the recreation. I don't know how good or bad the original was.
Also, this is the recreation I watched.
Amazing.
Overall, I think it's one of the more successful historicals. It's really having some fun with the myths but I love having Paris as sort of this complete doofus. I think even more than the attempt at humour in the Romans it really does set the show up for being more playful with it's representations of historical figures. I don't think I'd put this at the level of The Time Meddler, but I do think it is one of the stronger first Doctor stories. I'm finding the First Doctor stories work when it is more mature but this is a welcome exception. Mostly because it isn't juvenile in a slapdash way like some of the sci-fi tales but more willing to just present history as absurd with flawed people in it. And that some of our heroes like Odysseus may have just been straight up jerks.
Best cliffhanger: This isn't a cliffhanger strong story, really. I guess the last one only because we are heading into what I must assume is a darker and more epic story.
Next:
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I'm glad you liked it, particularly because the humor shined through for you (it doesn't always for people)! It is genuinely the funniest classic Who story imo, with the exceptions of City of Death and The Robots of Death, off the top of my head. Anyway I really, really wish we could actually see this one, particularly the first three episodes - they sound like they were really funny, and I think being able to see the acting would add to that. Also, Hartnell doesn't get enough chances to do comedy, so I'd like to see more of him doing it. It's certainly my most wanted First Doctor missing episode return. I adore it.
Looking forward to what you think of the next one. It is a wild ride.
Looking forward to what you think of the next one. It is a wild ride.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Have ya'll ever seen this?
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Daleks' Master Plan
"What a waste..."
In this serial, the Doctor, Steven and Katarina land on the planet Kembel to look for help for Steven's injury, unaware it is the new home base of the Daleks. Even worse, as seen in Mission to the Unknown, the Daleks have allied themselves with the most dangerous forces in the galaxy, including Mavic Chen, the Guardian of Earth's Solar System who is selling Earth out for more power. The plan hinges on The Time Destructor, a weapon that can use time to destroy a planet. The Doctor learns of this when he meets Bret Vyon, a Space Agent for the solar system. The four team up to try to escape the planet and get the necessary information to Earth... as well as the core to the weapon, which the Doctor managed to steal. Soon, the Daleks are in hot pursuit as they use a ship to escape. After a crash landing on the planet Desperus, the crew are threatened by a stowaway and Katarina gives her live to save everyone (though it is unclear whether this was deliberate sacrifice or a tragic accident). The Doctor, Bret and Steven arrive on Earth but not before Chen, who uses his position to have them hunted as enemies of the state. Space Agent Sara Kingdom is the commanding officer and kills Bret (who is also her brother) but due to a wrong place/wrong time issue, all three are sent across the galaxy. Eventually they convince Sara that Chen is evil and the three work together to outwit the Daleks. After forcibly returned to Kembel, they return to the TARDIS to escape through space and time.
After a fanciful visit to modern Liverpool and a silent movie set, the Doctor and friends find themselves confronted by the Monk, who is trying to get revenge on the Doctor based on their last encounter. After outwitting his first trap, the Monk follows them to ancient Egypt, only to be caught in the crossfire of the Dalek/Doctor war. Eventually the Doctor steals the mechanism that allows the Monk to navigate space and time (as opposed to the TARDIS bopping around at random) but also lose the core to Chen. The Doctor, Sara and Steven use it to return to Kembel to infiltrate the Dalek base and defeat the Daleks. Sara and Steven lose sight of the Doctor and meet Chen and the other Dalek collaborators who are now their prisoners. They free them so they can warn the universe but their ship is destroyed before take off. A mad Chen is convinced the Doctor is trying to steal his position among the Daleks and captures Steven and Sara to show his loyalty but is killed by the Daleks. As the Daleks chase Chen, the Doctor reveals his final gambit; to activate the weapon on Kembel. He asks Steven and Sara to go without him but Sara returns fearing the Doctor is in danger. The two begin aging rapidly at the presence of the weapon and Sara dies, crumbling to dust with the Doctor barely surviving. The weapon destroys the planet. The Doctor is satisfied that the Dalek menace is defeated for good. Steven is far more concerned with the deaths of Katarina, Bret and Sara... and the Doctor must concede that point.
The Daleks' Master Plan is the longest Doctor serial unless you consider The Trial of the Time Lord to be one... except I don't because really it's just a season with a really clunky narrative device. But we will get to that in the distant future. But yeah, this is a true epic and surprisingly early in the series. Is it a good epic. Well, I can only be so fair to it because we can't see the video for most of the episodes, which can take away some strength. What I feel is I'm going to refer to this one as the series following some of it's best instincts and it's weaker ones. Not worst but certainly some bad ones. Now this one isn't quite like The Chase or The Keys of Marinus because with the exception of the Feast of Steven (the first Christmas episode which tries to have some fun but just isn't very funny) and to an extent Volcano, it's less like an anthology serial with some unrelated nonsense. Still, it does get into that zone with the Doctor finding himself in different places where crazy things happen. Unfortunately, a lot of those are kind of dull. The planet of invisible monsters, the stowaway, and while the last episode has some great stuff it also has a long walking scene. The long walking scene is the kind of padding I associate with the era. However, it is worth noting that that could just be the particular recreation chosen. The wiki has a much more vivid and gripping description of the scene.
I will say that the story had a habit of losing me, then injecting something I didn't expect. I didn't expect Katarina to die so suddenly. I suspected she wouldn't be around long because I've never even recognized the name but it was a pretty abrupt death and the first companion death... and not even the last in the story because Sara dies in the end (though an ally, Bret never feels like I can give him the companion title). I will say, Katarina had potential but she didn't last long but even though she's only around for 7 episodes, Sara is actually rather memorable. At this stage, the show is not great with non-Barbara female companions and Sara's tenure isn't perfect but they allow her to be tough, smart and capable throughout the story. If anything, I wish the show had more time to dwell on her; he backstory is she had so much faith in the villain she murdered her own brother and we barely get time for her to process that. I don't need her to get on her knees and cry but it's such an interesting starting point for the character and a great place to begin an arc, I wish the end of it tied in more.
I also appreciate while the show has had some death, this serial really ends with taking the time to say "it's hard to say 'yay us' when by the end of our mission we lost all our friends." It points to the fact that while there is a league of supervillains (woefully underutilized) and a plan to destroy the world, this comic booky story gets kind of dark. Katarina may not have even made a noble sacrifice. Maybe she just did the wrong thing. Sara saves the Doctor be she not only dies but in a really horrible way, aging to dust in front of her friends eyes. It's a kind of brutality that I associate more with the fifth and sixth Doctor eras, that I remember as a kid being rather nihilistic.
But one of the good things about the serial is it does change gears throughout. And the BEST thing about the serial is the reintroduction of the Monk. What a gift. I love this character and I did not foresee him returning. I feel like the writers knew they had a good thing and it seems a crime they never reintroduced him. Don't spoil me if he has one more serial appearance. I suspect not but it would be great. The character plays off the Doctor so well. Kind of a Dick Dastardly/Harry Mudd-type. He can be a threat but you can't hate him. He's kind of clever but a born loser. Most recurring Doctor villains are genuine threats every time they appear. I mean the Sontarans or Silurians less so but every time you see a Dalek, Cyberman or the Master, the idea is "oh shit, things are getting real" (even if it is more a generic alien invasion plot in practice). It's nice to have a villain who is more like a nuisance that you also like. I feel like if the character is ever reintroduced, he should be reinvented to be more like Doug Judy, the Pontiac Bandit from Brooklyn Nine Nine.
The premise of that character is he's a thief and he is constantly tricking ka9j character Jake Peralta but he will never do him actual harm because he likes him so much in a genuine way (and despite not wanting to, he feels the same). It would be nice for the Doctor to have an antagonist who he... kind of likes. I mean, he has a weird thing with the Master but the Master is always killing people by the score. I just like the idea of an amoral pest but one who brings in the fun whenever her arrives.
The story really builds up Mavic Chen but really he kind of feels like EVERY evil collaborator from the series; overestimating his importance to his partners, not buying that MAYBE the genocidal aliens won't keep their promise, and just being an overall shit. He works but I feel like being such a shit I kind of wish his end was better. I dunno, it just wasn't satisfying enough and I kind of wanted his last moments to be more ironic or poetic if we are going to spend so much of the story with him just being the worst.
Overall, I think the last scene did a lot of work of leaving me with good feelings about the story. Does that mean the totality is great? Nah. But it's not bad. It's a real mixed bag. But it never gets "bad", except the Feast of Steven. It just goes to kind of generic and boring to really interesting and exciting. But really, it just makes me crave more Monk.
Best cliffhanger:
I think the one where Bret is going to abandon the Doctor. The best ones always imply that things are overwhelming, often with a sense of aural chaos (I think something the best New Doctor cliffhangers did, like The Empty Child or Silence in the Library.
Next serial:
"What a waste..."
In this serial, the Doctor, Steven and Katarina land on the planet Kembel to look for help for Steven's injury, unaware it is the new home base of the Daleks. Even worse, as seen in Mission to the Unknown, the Daleks have allied themselves with the most dangerous forces in the galaxy, including Mavic Chen, the Guardian of Earth's Solar System who is selling Earth out for more power. The plan hinges on The Time Destructor, a weapon that can use time to destroy a planet. The Doctor learns of this when he meets Bret Vyon, a Space Agent for the solar system. The four team up to try to escape the planet and get the necessary information to Earth... as well as the core to the weapon, which the Doctor managed to steal. Soon, the Daleks are in hot pursuit as they use a ship to escape. After a crash landing on the planet Desperus, the crew are threatened by a stowaway and Katarina gives her live to save everyone (though it is unclear whether this was deliberate sacrifice or a tragic accident). The Doctor, Bret and Steven arrive on Earth but not before Chen, who uses his position to have them hunted as enemies of the state. Space Agent Sara Kingdom is the commanding officer and kills Bret (who is also her brother) but due to a wrong place/wrong time issue, all three are sent across the galaxy. Eventually they convince Sara that Chen is evil and the three work together to outwit the Daleks. After forcibly returned to Kembel, they return to the TARDIS to escape through space and time.
After a fanciful visit to modern Liverpool and a silent movie set, the Doctor and friends find themselves confronted by the Monk, who is trying to get revenge on the Doctor based on their last encounter. After outwitting his first trap, the Monk follows them to ancient Egypt, only to be caught in the crossfire of the Dalek/Doctor war. Eventually the Doctor steals the mechanism that allows the Monk to navigate space and time (as opposed to the TARDIS bopping around at random) but also lose the core to Chen. The Doctor, Sara and Steven use it to return to Kembel to infiltrate the Dalek base and defeat the Daleks. Sara and Steven lose sight of the Doctor and meet Chen and the other Dalek collaborators who are now their prisoners. They free them so they can warn the universe but their ship is destroyed before take off. A mad Chen is convinced the Doctor is trying to steal his position among the Daleks and captures Steven and Sara to show his loyalty but is killed by the Daleks. As the Daleks chase Chen, the Doctor reveals his final gambit; to activate the weapon on Kembel. He asks Steven and Sara to go without him but Sara returns fearing the Doctor is in danger. The two begin aging rapidly at the presence of the weapon and Sara dies, crumbling to dust with the Doctor barely surviving. The weapon destroys the planet. The Doctor is satisfied that the Dalek menace is defeated for good. Steven is far more concerned with the deaths of Katarina, Bret and Sara... and the Doctor must concede that point.
The Daleks' Master Plan is the longest Doctor serial unless you consider The Trial of the Time Lord to be one... except I don't because really it's just a season with a really clunky narrative device. But we will get to that in the distant future. But yeah, this is a true epic and surprisingly early in the series. Is it a good epic. Well, I can only be so fair to it because we can't see the video for most of the episodes, which can take away some strength. What I feel is I'm going to refer to this one as the series following some of it's best instincts and it's weaker ones. Not worst but certainly some bad ones. Now this one isn't quite like The Chase or The Keys of Marinus because with the exception of the Feast of Steven (the first Christmas episode which tries to have some fun but just isn't very funny) and to an extent Volcano, it's less like an anthology serial with some unrelated nonsense. Still, it does get into that zone with the Doctor finding himself in different places where crazy things happen. Unfortunately, a lot of those are kind of dull. The planet of invisible monsters, the stowaway, and while the last episode has some great stuff it also has a long walking scene. The long walking scene is the kind of padding I associate with the era. However, it is worth noting that that could just be the particular recreation chosen. The wiki has a much more vivid and gripping description of the scene.
I will say that the story had a habit of losing me, then injecting something I didn't expect. I didn't expect Katarina to die so suddenly. I suspected she wouldn't be around long because I've never even recognized the name but it was a pretty abrupt death and the first companion death... and not even the last in the story because Sara dies in the end (though an ally, Bret never feels like I can give him the companion title). I will say, Katarina had potential but she didn't last long but even though she's only around for 7 episodes, Sara is actually rather memorable. At this stage, the show is not great with non-Barbara female companions and Sara's tenure isn't perfect but they allow her to be tough, smart and capable throughout the story. If anything, I wish the show had more time to dwell on her; he backstory is she had so much faith in the villain she murdered her own brother and we barely get time for her to process that. I don't need her to get on her knees and cry but it's such an interesting starting point for the character and a great place to begin an arc, I wish the end of it tied in more.
I also appreciate while the show has had some death, this serial really ends with taking the time to say "it's hard to say 'yay us' when by the end of our mission we lost all our friends." It points to the fact that while there is a league of supervillains (woefully underutilized) and a plan to destroy the world, this comic booky story gets kind of dark. Katarina may not have even made a noble sacrifice. Maybe she just did the wrong thing. Sara saves the Doctor be she not only dies but in a really horrible way, aging to dust in front of her friends eyes. It's a kind of brutality that I associate more with the fifth and sixth Doctor eras, that I remember as a kid being rather nihilistic.
But one of the good things about the serial is it does change gears throughout. And the BEST thing about the serial is the reintroduction of the Monk. What a gift. I love this character and I did not foresee him returning. I feel like the writers knew they had a good thing and it seems a crime they never reintroduced him. Don't spoil me if he has one more serial appearance. I suspect not but it would be great. The character plays off the Doctor so well. Kind of a Dick Dastardly/Harry Mudd-type. He can be a threat but you can't hate him. He's kind of clever but a born loser. Most recurring Doctor villains are genuine threats every time they appear. I mean the Sontarans or Silurians less so but every time you see a Dalek, Cyberman or the Master, the idea is "oh shit, things are getting real" (even if it is more a generic alien invasion plot in practice). It's nice to have a villain who is more like a nuisance that you also like. I feel like if the character is ever reintroduced, he should be reinvented to be more like Doug Judy, the Pontiac Bandit from Brooklyn Nine Nine.
The premise of that character is he's a thief and he is constantly tricking ka9j character Jake Peralta but he will never do him actual harm because he likes him so much in a genuine way (and despite not wanting to, he feels the same). It would be nice for the Doctor to have an antagonist who he... kind of likes. I mean, he has a weird thing with the Master but the Master is always killing people by the score. I just like the idea of an amoral pest but one who brings in the fun whenever her arrives.
The story really builds up Mavic Chen but really he kind of feels like EVERY evil collaborator from the series; overestimating his importance to his partners, not buying that MAYBE the genocidal aliens won't keep their promise, and just being an overall shit. He works but I feel like being such a shit I kind of wish his end was better. I dunno, it just wasn't satisfying enough and I kind of wanted his last moments to be more ironic or poetic if we are going to spend so much of the story with him just being the worst.
Overall, I think the last scene did a lot of work of leaving me with good feelings about the story. Does that mean the totality is great? Nah. But it's not bad. It's a real mixed bag. But it never gets "bad", except the Feast of Steven. It just goes to kind of generic and boring to really interesting and exciting. But really, it just makes me crave more Monk.
Best cliffhanger:
I think the one where Bret is going to abandon the Doctor. The best ones always imply that things are overwhelming, often with a sense of aural chaos (I think something the best New Doctor cliffhangers did, like The Empty Child or Silence in the Library.
Next serial:
The Daleks Master Plan is simultaneously one of the most insane stories the show has ever done, and also some of the most boring stuff it has ever done right in the middle. It's like a Terry Nation's greatest hits parade - he does pretty much everything again later on (Daleks, obviously, but also invisible monsters, etc). He did not do hamsters that scientists mistake for taking over the universe again, though, sadly (god, what a bonkers serial Daleks Master Plan is lol).
Regarding Sara Kingdom - if you want some good backstory/closure for her, I recommend this Big Finish Companion Chronicle. As is often the case with fun spinoff material, it's written by Simon Guerrier, who for my money seems to be the person who did best by the First Doctor era in the 90s and 00s (I'm sure I've recommended it a dozen times in this thread, but his book "The Time Travelers" starring the First Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian is top notch).
Regarding Sara Kingdom - if you want some good backstory/closure for her, I recommend this Big Finish Companion Chronicle. As is often the case with fun spinoff material, it's written by Simon Guerrier, who for my money seems to be the person who did best by the First Doctor era in the 90s and 00s (I'm sure I've recommended it a dozen times in this thread, but his book "The Time Travelers" starring the First Doctor, Susan, Barbara, and Ian is top notch).
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve
"And now they're all gone. All gone..."
In this serial, the Doctor and Steven wind up in 16th century France. The Doctor decides to use the opportunity to visit an obscure but important apothecary of the period, leaving Steven to wait. In this time, the Protestant Huguenots and Catholics are in a cold war that threatens to run very hot. Steven ends up befriending Huguenots Nicholas and Gaston, when the Doctor doesn't return. The two end up meeting Anne, a young serving girl who overheard city guards discussing a Catholic uprising over the Huguenots. Steven decides to help her and the two end up dodging guards. When Steven spies the Catholic Abbot of Amboise, he turns out to look exactly like the Doctor, leading Steven to believe it is a disguise. He tries to interact with him but the Abbot never gives any hints that he is the Doctor. What neither Steven nor Anne no is the plot against the Huguenots is being hatched by the Queen Mother of France. As court intrigue continues, a failed assassination of Gaspard de Coligny, in fact a very important Admiral in France and a Huguenot whom Nicholas and Gaston serve, is pinned on the Abbot, who is murdered. Steven, believing the Doctor is dead, plans his next move when the Doctor himself arrives. Realizing too late that they've arrived shortly before a deadly riot, the Doctor advises Anne to hide with a relative while the Doctor and Steven escape to the TARDIS. When Steven learns they just escaped the atrocity of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve, Steven is furious he left Anne to die there and believes his "don't interfere" rule is inhumane. He tells the Doctor wherever he ends up, he will not return to the TARDIS. He arrives in modern era London and though the Doctor believes he did the right thing, he feels his decisions have left him utterly alone. Suddenly, a young woman arrives in the TARDIS, thinking it's a police box. Then Steven arrives to warn the Doctor the police are coming to use his police box. The Doctor whisks everyone away including the young woman Dodo, who may in fact be Anne's ancestor.
You'd think in light of the bleak ending to The Daleks' Master Plan, the show would go for a lighter touch but in fact this historical goes darker still. Like The Reign of Terror, it is more about intrigue than the show usually is and is about a period of history I'm completely unfamiliar with. Interestingly, they make Steven just as ignorant, making me think they were intentionally choosing a historical even not as immediately identifiable, which I do think helps with the suspense. I also imagine this probably wasn't a particularly popular story at the time. It has very little of the Doctor and even as a Steven adventure, he's gone for huge sections. It feels more like a framing device for a period drama. A decent costume drama with some good suspense and acting.
Unfortunately, parts of it did feel slow and I feel like being able to see the real actors portray their characters would have helped a lot. That and I kept feeling myself get quite lost on the events, though I think the serial is trying to get us to understand the grand strokes. Apparently it is really well-regarded among fans but while I didn't bounce off of it, I think finding myself a little confused by the events hurt my enjoyment a bit. It really is more of a quality period drama that just happens to have some time travelers in it rather than a "Doctor Who" story.
But God, the last half of the last episode is kind of perfect. I feel like it really addresses stuff that's been bubbling under the surface of the series, the idea that the Doctor harbours this responsibility that flies in the face of the humanity of his friends. In later stories, the Doctor's approach to the fragility of causality is more flexible. In the Unquiet Dead, the Doctor suggests he could just let an alternative timeline happen where the dead are possessed by benevolent aliens. So the show has it both ways by creating the concept of "fixed points" meaning for plot purposes, some periods shouldn't be fucked with and some periods are completely squishy. But here, the Doctor has a burden. And Steven is right. And the Doctor is right. And I love that.
This could have been really powerful if the story ended like that and the Doctor goes to on alone (and meets new friends in the next story). And while what happens after doesn't really take away from that (it's more functional than anything), I just love Hartnell's performance and the script (which was... probably written by Donald Tosh but maybe John Lucarotti) is written so sadly. This really feels like the first time when the show really looks back and we see how many people the Doctor has lost (thankfully to mostly happy endings until The Master Plan) and how as much as he cared for him, they didn't understand. And maybe he should go home (the fact that later it's established that he's on the run somehow makes it even sadder). The whole thing is great stuff.
Best Cliffhanger: The Doctor may or may not be dead and a whole city of people are after Steven.
Next:
"And now they're all gone. All gone..."
In this serial, the Doctor and Steven wind up in 16th century France. The Doctor decides to use the opportunity to visit an obscure but important apothecary of the period, leaving Steven to wait. In this time, the Protestant Huguenots and Catholics are in a cold war that threatens to run very hot. Steven ends up befriending Huguenots Nicholas and Gaston, when the Doctor doesn't return. The two end up meeting Anne, a young serving girl who overheard city guards discussing a Catholic uprising over the Huguenots. Steven decides to help her and the two end up dodging guards. When Steven spies the Catholic Abbot of Amboise, he turns out to look exactly like the Doctor, leading Steven to believe it is a disguise. He tries to interact with him but the Abbot never gives any hints that he is the Doctor. What neither Steven nor Anne no is the plot against the Huguenots is being hatched by the Queen Mother of France. As court intrigue continues, a failed assassination of Gaspard de Coligny, in fact a very important Admiral in France and a Huguenot whom Nicholas and Gaston serve, is pinned on the Abbot, who is murdered. Steven, believing the Doctor is dead, plans his next move when the Doctor himself arrives. Realizing too late that they've arrived shortly before a deadly riot, the Doctor advises Anne to hide with a relative while the Doctor and Steven escape to the TARDIS. When Steven learns they just escaped the atrocity of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve, Steven is furious he left Anne to die there and believes his "don't interfere" rule is inhumane. He tells the Doctor wherever he ends up, he will not return to the TARDIS. He arrives in modern era London and though the Doctor believes he did the right thing, he feels his decisions have left him utterly alone. Suddenly, a young woman arrives in the TARDIS, thinking it's a police box. Then Steven arrives to warn the Doctor the police are coming to use his police box. The Doctor whisks everyone away including the young woman Dodo, who may in fact be Anne's ancestor.
You'd think in light of the bleak ending to The Daleks' Master Plan, the show would go for a lighter touch but in fact this historical goes darker still. Like The Reign of Terror, it is more about intrigue than the show usually is and is about a period of history I'm completely unfamiliar with. Interestingly, they make Steven just as ignorant, making me think they were intentionally choosing a historical even not as immediately identifiable, which I do think helps with the suspense. I also imagine this probably wasn't a particularly popular story at the time. It has very little of the Doctor and even as a Steven adventure, he's gone for huge sections. It feels more like a framing device for a period drama. A decent costume drama with some good suspense and acting.
Unfortunately, parts of it did feel slow and I feel like being able to see the real actors portray their characters would have helped a lot. That and I kept feeling myself get quite lost on the events, though I think the serial is trying to get us to understand the grand strokes. Apparently it is really well-regarded among fans but while I didn't bounce off of it, I think finding myself a little confused by the events hurt my enjoyment a bit. It really is more of a quality period drama that just happens to have some time travelers in it rather than a "Doctor Who" story.
But God, the last half of the last episode is kind of perfect. I feel like it really addresses stuff that's been bubbling under the surface of the series, the idea that the Doctor harbours this responsibility that flies in the face of the humanity of his friends. In later stories, the Doctor's approach to the fragility of causality is more flexible. In the Unquiet Dead, the Doctor suggests he could just let an alternative timeline happen where the dead are possessed by benevolent aliens. So the show has it both ways by creating the concept of "fixed points" meaning for plot purposes, some periods shouldn't be fucked with and some periods are completely squishy. But here, the Doctor has a burden. And Steven is right. And the Doctor is right. And I love that.
This could have been really powerful if the story ended like that and the Doctor goes to on alone (and meets new friends in the next story). And while what happens after doesn't really take away from that (it's more functional than anything), I just love Hartnell's performance and the script (which was... probably written by Donald Tosh but maybe John Lucarotti) is written so sadly. This really feels like the first time when the show really looks back and we see how many people the Doctor has lost (thankfully to mostly happy endings until The Master Plan) and how as much as he cared for him, they didn't understand. And maybe he should go home (the fact that later it's established that he's on the run somehow makes it even sadder). The whole thing is great stuff.
Best Cliffhanger: The Doctor may or may not be dead and a whole city of people are after Steven.
Next:
It kinda feels like a season finale, doesn't it? Then Dodo bumbles into the TARDIS and Steven comes back to warn the Doctor police are coming (so what, Steven? You think the Doctor can't handle a cop?) and decides to keep travelling with him after their big blowup fight. There are highlights to come (The Gunfighters and The Tenth Planet, mainly), but the best Hartnell stories are now, sadly, in the rearview mirror for you, imo. The Massacre kinda caps off the quality of the era, for me. I wish we could see it, as always.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
It's funny despite tying Dodo into the Massacre story how it feels so throwaway. Dodo doesn't care that she's wondered into a police box that defies physics and also she has no attachments so this is cool. Why do I feel like this is setting up to be the most also-ran companion?
Dodo is so weird. I don't hate her as much as fandom seems to, but she is extremely underwritten, to the point where she stands out in the classic series, which is really saying something. She shines in The Gunfighters and is pretty meh otherwise. Doesn't help that most of her stories are missing, and many are outright bad.