Everything has it's time.
Rose introduced the Doctor and companion while The End of the World propelled them on their first time adventure together. Except not really. Yes, they travelled through time five billion years, but Rose spends most of the episode in a state of shock (probably the first realistic reaction by a companion) or locked in a room. So this more of a Doctor with pseudo-companion in the form of Jabe the tree.
Plot Summary
Showing off for Rose, the TARDIS materializes on Platform 1, a space station overlooking Earth on the day it is to be destroyed. Artificial gravity satellites had kept the expansion of the sun in place but funding had run out and the abandoned Earth is to die in a show for the rich and famous.
The Doctor and Rose pose as guests and exchange gifts and pleasantries with the other invitees, most notably Cassandra, the last genetically pure human, although hundreds of surgeries have reduced her to a sheet of skin and extended her life for several thousand years. Among the gifts exchanged are a silver spheres from the Adherents of the Repeat Meme. While the guests are busy, spider droids emerge from the spheres and sneak into the crawlspaces and begin to sabotage the station.
Feeling overwhelmed, Rose leaves the observation deck. She calms herself a bit talking with a maintenance worker, who is killed by the spider droids after she leaves, and then sits alone in a side room. The Doctor finds her but becomes angry when she presses him for specifics about who he is and where he is from. Rose backs down and the Doctor reciprocates by tinkering with her phone to allow her to call her mother. While observing, the station rocks a bit and the Doctor recognizes a problem.
The Steward also recognizes an issue but before he can dispatch a repair team, a spider droid enters his office and brings down the sun shade, roasting him in his office. Back on the observation deck, the Doctor notices sabotage. Jabe, a sentient tree, offers to show him an access shaft near their quarters. Rose, offended by Jabe's assumption of a sexual relationship between her and the Doctor, stays on the observation deck, where she promptly gets into an argument with Cassandra.
The Doctor and Jabe find an access panel that allows the Doctor to scan the station and access the main control box. While talking, Jabe confesses that she scanned the Doctor earlier and learned he is a Time Lord. She offers sympathy for the loss of his world. The Doctor thanks her and upon entering the discharge room they discover and capture one of the spider droids.
Following her argument with Cassandra, Rose stalks off and is knocked out by one of the Adherents. She is dragged to the room earlier and the sun shield begins to lower. She screams and the Doctor, returning to the observation deck hears her. He manages to raise the shield but the rays fused the door shut leaving her trapped in the room. He promises to come back for her.
Returning to the obervation deck the Doctor repairs the droid and sends it back to it's makers. It first goes to the Adherents of the Repeated Meme but they are exposed as robots as well. The droid then goes to Cassandra. She confesses as she stands to make a large amount of money with the deaths of the guests due to business holdings. She detonates the spiders, lowering the station shields and then transports off.
The Doctor and Jabe run back to the discharge room where the computer override station is located. But the way is blocked by rotating fans. With the controls damaged, the only way the fans can be slowed enough is for the control bar to be held down. Jabe grabs the bar even though the temperature is rising. The Doctor then begins to dodge the blades.
As the pressure wave approaches, the shieldless station begins to crack and unfiltered sun rays begin to get through, killing several guests. Meanwhile, the Doctor makes his way to the last blade. Jabe catches fire and the bar rolls back up, increasing the speed of the blade. Concentrating, the Doctor opens himself to time and passes through the gap. He then reactivates the shield just before the pressure wave hits, destroying the Earth.
The Doctor returns to the observation deck, as does Rose as the door was destroyed while the shield was down. He finds the transporter signaling device and recalls Cassandra without her medical support team. The heat increase in the station causes her to begin to dry out. Rose asks him for mercy but the Doctor just stands there. Cassandra dries to the point of contraction and then bursts apart, killing her.
The Doctor and Rose return to the present, where Rose is still feeling a bit shell shocked. The Doctor tells her of his race and that his planet was destroyed in a war that his people lost. He offers to let her go home but she instead suggests they go have some chips and relax.
Analysis
This story was pretty decent, but there was something missing from it for me. I'm not one hundred percent sure what it was but it just felt like something was lacking in terms of drawing me in.
One thing it is not is the acting. All the central characters played their parts well. The Doctor was on point with the prickly PTSD manifesting itself well in the scene with Rose and then later with Jabe. Rose did very well as well as we finally saw a companion legitimately overwhelmed by being in the midst of a group of aliens. Other companions had moments of disbelief but this is the first time one seems genuinely overwhelmed by the situation and Rose does it very well.
Jabe also works well as the step-in companion. She seems genuinely fond of the Doctor and noble in the acceptance of her death to help the Doctor save the rest. I also enjoyed Cassandra. She's a bit of a one-note stereotype, but she plays the part well and there is a subtle level of humor there, to say nothing of a fairly well executed plan. At the same time, it is very easy to stand with the Doctor and just let her die, especially after her mocking of him that she will tie up the courts for years.
Cassandra's death is a marked point in the new series as it defines that the Doctor will be vicious and cruel at times. In the classic series, the Doctor would kill but in most cases it was in self defense or the defense of others. Usually if there is something he could do to bring the villain to justice, he would do. This is an instance where he makes the active decision that the justice system will not be enough. He wants vengeance and the fact that he has to do nothing makes it so much easier. But as I am a fan of the dark and vengeful Doctor (see The Christmas Invasion), I found Cassandra's death and the Doctor's attitude towards her most satisfying.
So why is there this niggling lack of connection for me and this story? I think this story has an element of trying to hard and as a result, falling into cliché. The worst moment was actually the scene with the fans. The fans were meant to be a scary obstacle but with Jabe holding down the lever, they slowed down to the point that the Doctor should have been able to go through them faster than he did. It felt very much like a set up to ensure that he would have to do the last one without her help and use special Time Lord power. It also ensured that he would be raising the shields back up at the very last second. That just smacked of Galaxy Quest level cliché and it was obvious about it.
I think the other thing that bugged me was that the story had very little mystery or subtlety to it. Cassandra's reveal as the mastermind was the only reveal but we saw the spiders from the get go and there was a strong element of waiting until we saw what the ultimate goal of their sabotage was. I think that because the episode was running short, bit of a padding were put in which helped with character development but also slowed down the payoff of the story and I got tired of waiting after a while.
For me, the story was decent but I don't think I can rate it higher than average. Whether it was the waiting for stuff to happen or the obviousness of what was going on, the story just didn't grab me and say that this is one to watch again. I think I could even sense that going in for the rewatch as I remember looking at the Ninth Doctor catalogue in the past and always passing over this one as I never felt overly compelled by it. It's not bad and I wouldn't say no to watching it, but I feel no sense of desire to watch it again in the near future.
Overall personal score: 2.5 out of 5
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
The Highlanders
Doctor: I am Doktor Von Wer.
Soldier: Doctor who?
Doctor: That's what I said.
The Highlanders is a lesson in pursing quality in a reconstruction. I actually tried to watch this story two times before. Both times, I watched a very poor quality recon with cheap animation. I barely made it the end of Episode One the first time. The second time through I rewatched Episode One and then got through Episode Two before putting it aside again. But third time was the charm and I noticed how much better I both understood the story and enjoyed it this time around. Obviously it would have been better if the story existed, but at least I felt I could enjoy the story rather than just watch it out of some completionist obligation.
Plot Summary
The Doctor, Ben and Polly appear just outside the Battle of Culloden where the English have routed the Scots. Ben runs off the explore, not realizing what is going on and the group is captured by two Scots: Jamie and Alexander. They take them to a cabin where their Laird is lying wounded.
The Scots are prepared to kill the Doctor and his companions, thinking them English army followers, but Ben gets the drop on them with a pistol. Polly offers the Doctor's services to help the Laird and leaves with the Laird's daughter, Kirsty, to find water. To show their good intentions, Ben drops the pistol but it goes off, alerting a patrol of English soldiers.
The soldiers surround the house and Alexander runs out to fight them. He is cut down and the soldiers enter to arrest everyone inside. The Doctor pretends to be from Hannover and a German subject but the English round them up to hang them. Polly and Kirsty observe this from a distance and throw rocks at the soldiers to try and pull the soldiers away. Seeing them, and hearing that Bonny Prince Charlie may be disguised as a woman, the lieutenant and two soldiers go after them, leaving the sargent to carry out the hanging.
Just before the hanging is to occur, Solicitor Grey arrives with his manservant Perkins. Grey is the Royal overseer of prisons but is also doing a side business in slavery. He takes Jamie and Ben but tells the soldiers they can hang the Doctor and the Laird. The Doctor argues that as a lawyer, Grey should know that his breaking the law by executing him without informing the German ambassador. Recognizing the value of having a Doctor, Grey agrees to take all of them, although he doubts the Laird will survive, and has them shipped to the prison at Inverness.
Polly and Kirsty hide in a cave from the soldiers. Polly wants to go and rescue the others but gets angry when Kirsty refuses to turn over her father's ring for them to get money. Polly storms out in the dark but falls into an animal trap pit. Kirsty finds her but also falls in trying to pull Polly out. Whilst trying to get out the patrol arrives. The lieutenant sends the two regulars back for his horse while he rests and has a bite. The ladies make a noise which lures him over and they pull him into the pit. They tie him up and take his money and food. They also take some of his hair to blackmail him if they need help from someone in the army and they climb out.
At the prison in Inverness, the Doctor sees to the Laird's wounds and discovers Bonny Prince Charlie's standard hidden on the Laird. The Doctor rouses the prisoners by playing a the prince's fanfare which alerts the guards. When the guards approach, the Doctor tells them he's discovered an assassination plot and must see Solicitor Grey. The guard takes him out. Jamie is angry but Ben calms him down telling him it was a ruse by the Doctor to get out so he could help them.
Solicitor Grey discusses the transfer of prisoners to the Caribbean by Captain Trask. Dismissing Trask and Perkins, he agrees to see the Doctor. The Doctor, pulling out the Prince's banner, hints that he knows the location of the Prince and will split the reward with him. When Grey leans in to learn more, the Doctor throws the banner over him and grabs his pistol. He ties Grey up and pushes him into a closet. Perkins comes in and he tricks him into lying down and ignoring the sounds of Grey banging on the door.
Back at the pit, the Sargent finds Lieutenant Ffinch in the pit. Ffinch orders him to pull him out but the Sargent waffles until Ffinch agrees to purchase a round of drinks for the men. With his money stolen, he agrees to pay him when they return to Inverness.
Captain Trask returns to Grey's office and releases him from the closet. Grey berates Perkins and they go looking for the Doctor. Trask then loads the remaining prisoners, including Ben, Jamie and the Laird onto the longboat to carry them to his ship. The Doctor, disguised as an old woman, gives the guard resealing the prison some food and drink. The guard leaves to eat, leaving the exit to the prison unlocked and the Doctor slips outside.
Trask throws the remaining prisoners in the hold. There they meet the original captain, Willie Mackay who initially is prepared to kill Ben as an Englishman. The Laird reassures Mackay that Ben is loyal to them as a former English sailor. Ben also enlightens Mackay that Trask, originally the mate, is not working for the king but has gone pirate and is going to sell them as slaves.
Polly and Kirsty disguise themselves as orange sellers (an allusion to prostitutes) and investigate the prison. They find the prisoners gone but are detained by the Sargent. He takes them to Lieutenant Ffinch who dismisses the sergeant. They leave him after he tells them that Solicitor Grey is in charge of prisoners after they are brought to Inverness. The two ladies meet Perkins and arrange a meeting with Grey. The Doctor, still disguised as an old woman, tries to get the ladies attention but must continue to hide from Perkins.
On the Annabelle, Solicitor Grey comes aboard and tells the Highlanders that they will either sign a contract to work for seven years in Barbados or be hanged. Mackay speaks against it but all but him, Ben, Jamie and the Laird agree to sign. Ben asks to read the contract before he decides and tears it up when Grey offers it to him. Trask knocks him out and Grey heads back to get more contracts.
In the pub, Perkins offers to keep the ladies entertained with a game of cards when the Doctor comes up behind him with a pistol. Grey returns and orders Perkins to come to his office to draw up new contracts. After he leaves, the Doctor, the pistol still hidden, orders Perkins to wait ten minutes before going. He and the ladies then leave and head to a barn where they had been hiding. Informing the ladies of the whereabouts of the prisoners, he forms a plan to use the remaining money to buy weapons scoured off the battlefield from the English soldiers.
Polly and Kirsty have little luck getting weapons but the Doctor returns with a large haul. They prepare them but the Doctor notices that Kirsty is wearing a ring with the Stuart seal. The prince had given it to the Laird for saving his life and the Laird had given it to Kirsty for safekeeping. The Doctor asks for it to help save the Laird's life. Reluctantly, she gives it to the Doctor.
Grey returns to the Annabelle with new contracts. The highlanders are prepped to sign the documents, although Grey warns Trask to use a gentle hand as he is fearful of them refusing if pushed too hard. Ben is brought on deck to be used as both an example and to punish him for his earlier deeds. He is tied and dangled from the yard arm and dunked into the sea. But Ben had loosed his ropes and swims free to shore.
Upon reaching shore, Ben meets the Doctor in disguise. He takes Ben back to the barn to dry and have a bowl of soup. The group then plans their strategy and heads back to the Annabelle.
Back on ship, Grey has finished having the highlanders sign the contracts when the Doctor arrives. He offers the signet ring as proof that the prince was captured in disguise and that if he identifies him, he will split the reward money. Cautious, but tempted, Grey agrees and escorts the Doctor into the hold. While he was up there, Kirsty and Polly rowed around and passed arms through the portholes to the prisoners.
In the hold, the Doctor indicates that Jamie is actually the prince but when Grey approaches him, the prisoners leap up and attack. Grey and Perkins surrender immediately and the two guards are quickly overpowered. Trask however holds his own against Mackay, wounding him slightly. Trask, flees to the deck where he sees the remaining men killed or surrendering to the Scots. Knocked off balance by Jamie, Trask faces Mackay pursing him and is knocked overboard.
Retaking command, Mackay sets sail for France where the Scots can wait until the English pacification is over. The Doctor, Ben and Polly take Grey back to the shore as prisoner with Perkins volunteering to stay and serve as clerk to the Laird as he speaks French. Jamie also returns to shore, although on a second boat, meeting the Doctor back on shore.
On shore Grey yells out, attracting the attention of two soldiers. Ben and Jamie overpower them, but Grey escapes in the fracas. Polly then sees Lieutenant Ffinch and prepares to have him escort them back to the moor to find the TARDIS. However, Ffinch's commanding officer appears and to cover themselves, the Doctor gives him the signet ring as proof that he knows the prince's whereabouts. The colonel sends Ffinch with the Doctor and his friends to capture the prince immediately.
Upon reaching the cabin where the Doctor first met Jamie, they are set up by Grey with a small group of soldiers nominally under Ffinch's command. Grey tries to arrest them but the Doctor and Polly expose Grey's scheme of selling slaves. Grey tries to produce the contracts which would have given him an alibi but finds them missing. The Doctor denies all knowledge of them and Ffinch arrests Grey instead. He then leaves with his men, revealing a soft spot for Polly, despite her blackmail of him. She in turn gives him back the token, freeing him of her blackmail.
The group returns to the TARDIS and they invite Jamie with them rather than having him survive in the highlands by himself. Jamie is hesitant at first, but Polly assures him it's ok and he boards. The TARDIS disappears shortly afterward.
Analysis
The Highlanders feels a bit like a missed opportunity. If you go into this story cold, with a title like this, you would think it would focus more on Scotland, especially when opening with the Battle of Culloden. Instead, the battle only serves as a pretext to get us into a swashbuckler story. I have no problem with swashbuckler stories but it still feels a bit like being cheated when you are initially led into a different concept.
Casting that aside and looking at this story with an objective eye, it's not bad. It's a bit slow to start and when I started with an unclear recon, that just made it feel like a chore to get in to. I'd also say that the Second Doctor is still not quite the loveable character from the later stories. He is still quiet and a bit more scheming which also takes a little bit longer to get drawn in.
Neither Ben or Polly start well in this story either. Both are very ignorant of history and completely oblivious to how the Scots perceived the English at this time, or how English soldiers would have behaved to anyone in the company of Scots at this time. So that was a bit frustrating to start.
However, things really picked up in Episode Three. Culloden is discarded and the Doctor moves to reunite with Polly. Now the story is well established against Grey and the pirates and it moves along with a steady clip. In fact, it actually jumps over a few points that could easily have been expanded upon. If the dictate had come down to expand this from four episodes to six, I could easily have seen Polly and Kirsty's exploration of the prison or the Doctor's raid for weapons being expanded. I could even have seen the journey back to the moor with Grey in pursuit being expanded. I wouldn't have minded that actually as some of the duller stuff in Episode One could have been dispensed with.
Jamie doesn't have a lot to do in this story, but then again, neither does Ben. Polly is the companion who stands out but the Doctor also steps up as well. Contrasting with the First Doctor, the Second is still planning but he is also executing many of the same plans rather than letting the companions take the lead. Obviously this is done at Ben's determent but Ben does get a few moments here and there, especially in Episode Three where he stands out.
I have seen a little bit of complaint that this story is a bit corny with the Doctor doing an over-the-top German accent and a very Long John Silver pirate in the form of Trask, but neither of those really bothered me. If anything, Trask's heavy pirate nature helped a bit in the absence of a visual. Nor was I bothered by the German accent of the Doctor's except for the fact that it wasn't that good. The stretch there is that the English actually believed he was German.
So overall, I'd say this story is a tale of two halves. It starts poorly, wandering off what could have been a really good story in pursuit of a middling one. It picks up again with a fun little pirate adventure with the Doctor taking a lead role, excelling in what will become his signature trait of stalling. It dips a little bit at the end but only in that the whole journey back to the TARDIS could have been expanded to give a bit more punch to Grey's exit or Ffinch's interest in Polly towards the end. Balancing it all out, I'd say a middle of the road score is fair for this one. I'd think I'd go so far as to say that I'd give it a better than half rating if it had been an existing story rather than a recon.
Overall personal score: 2.5 out of 5
Soldier: Doctor who?
Doctor: That's what I said.
The Highlanders is a lesson in pursing quality in a reconstruction. I actually tried to watch this story two times before. Both times, I watched a very poor quality recon with cheap animation. I barely made it the end of Episode One the first time. The second time through I rewatched Episode One and then got through Episode Two before putting it aside again. But third time was the charm and I noticed how much better I both understood the story and enjoyed it this time around. Obviously it would have been better if the story existed, but at least I felt I could enjoy the story rather than just watch it out of some completionist obligation.
Plot Summary
The Doctor, Ben and Polly appear just outside the Battle of Culloden where the English have routed the Scots. Ben runs off the explore, not realizing what is going on and the group is captured by two Scots: Jamie and Alexander. They take them to a cabin where their Laird is lying wounded.
The Scots are prepared to kill the Doctor and his companions, thinking them English army followers, but Ben gets the drop on them with a pistol. Polly offers the Doctor's services to help the Laird and leaves with the Laird's daughter, Kirsty, to find water. To show their good intentions, Ben drops the pistol but it goes off, alerting a patrol of English soldiers.
The soldiers surround the house and Alexander runs out to fight them. He is cut down and the soldiers enter to arrest everyone inside. The Doctor pretends to be from Hannover and a German subject but the English round them up to hang them. Polly and Kirsty observe this from a distance and throw rocks at the soldiers to try and pull the soldiers away. Seeing them, and hearing that Bonny Prince Charlie may be disguised as a woman, the lieutenant and two soldiers go after them, leaving the sargent to carry out the hanging.
Just before the hanging is to occur, Solicitor Grey arrives with his manservant Perkins. Grey is the Royal overseer of prisons but is also doing a side business in slavery. He takes Jamie and Ben but tells the soldiers they can hang the Doctor and the Laird. The Doctor argues that as a lawyer, Grey should know that his breaking the law by executing him without informing the German ambassador. Recognizing the value of having a Doctor, Grey agrees to take all of them, although he doubts the Laird will survive, and has them shipped to the prison at Inverness.
Polly and Kirsty hide in a cave from the soldiers. Polly wants to go and rescue the others but gets angry when Kirsty refuses to turn over her father's ring for them to get money. Polly storms out in the dark but falls into an animal trap pit. Kirsty finds her but also falls in trying to pull Polly out. Whilst trying to get out the patrol arrives. The lieutenant sends the two regulars back for his horse while he rests and has a bite. The ladies make a noise which lures him over and they pull him into the pit. They tie him up and take his money and food. They also take some of his hair to blackmail him if they need help from someone in the army and they climb out.
At the prison in Inverness, the Doctor sees to the Laird's wounds and discovers Bonny Prince Charlie's standard hidden on the Laird. The Doctor rouses the prisoners by playing a the prince's fanfare which alerts the guards. When the guards approach, the Doctor tells them he's discovered an assassination plot and must see Solicitor Grey. The guard takes him out. Jamie is angry but Ben calms him down telling him it was a ruse by the Doctor to get out so he could help them.
Solicitor Grey discusses the transfer of prisoners to the Caribbean by Captain Trask. Dismissing Trask and Perkins, he agrees to see the Doctor. The Doctor, pulling out the Prince's banner, hints that he knows the location of the Prince and will split the reward with him. When Grey leans in to learn more, the Doctor throws the banner over him and grabs his pistol. He ties Grey up and pushes him into a closet. Perkins comes in and he tricks him into lying down and ignoring the sounds of Grey banging on the door.
Back at the pit, the Sargent finds Lieutenant Ffinch in the pit. Ffinch orders him to pull him out but the Sargent waffles until Ffinch agrees to purchase a round of drinks for the men. With his money stolen, he agrees to pay him when they return to Inverness.
Captain Trask returns to Grey's office and releases him from the closet. Grey berates Perkins and they go looking for the Doctor. Trask then loads the remaining prisoners, including Ben, Jamie and the Laird onto the longboat to carry them to his ship. The Doctor, disguised as an old woman, gives the guard resealing the prison some food and drink. The guard leaves to eat, leaving the exit to the prison unlocked and the Doctor slips outside.
Trask throws the remaining prisoners in the hold. There they meet the original captain, Willie Mackay who initially is prepared to kill Ben as an Englishman. The Laird reassures Mackay that Ben is loyal to them as a former English sailor. Ben also enlightens Mackay that Trask, originally the mate, is not working for the king but has gone pirate and is going to sell them as slaves.
Polly and Kirsty disguise themselves as orange sellers (an allusion to prostitutes) and investigate the prison. They find the prisoners gone but are detained by the Sargent. He takes them to Lieutenant Ffinch who dismisses the sergeant. They leave him after he tells them that Solicitor Grey is in charge of prisoners after they are brought to Inverness. The two ladies meet Perkins and arrange a meeting with Grey. The Doctor, still disguised as an old woman, tries to get the ladies attention but must continue to hide from Perkins.
On the Annabelle, Solicitor Grey comes aboard and tells the Highlanders that they will either sign a contract to work for seven years in Barbados or be hanged. Mackay speaks against it but all but him, Ben, Jamie and the Laird agree to sign. Ben asks to read the contract before he decides and tears it up when Grey offers it to him. Trask knocks him out and Grey heads back to get more contracts.
In the pub, Perkins offers to keep the ladies entertained with a game of cards when the Doctor comes up behind him with a pistol. Grey returns and orders Perkins to come to his office to draw up new contracts. After he leaves, the Doctor, the pistol still hidden, orders Perkins to wait ten minutes before going. He and the ladies then leave and head to a barn where they had been hiding. Informing the ladies of the whereabouts of the prisoners, he forms a plan to use the remaining money to buy weapons scoured off the battlefield from the English soldiers.
Polly and Kirsty have little luck getting weapons but the Doctor returns with a large haul. They prepare them but the Doctor notices that Kirsty is wearing a ring with the Stuart seal. The prince had given it to the Laird for saving his life and the Laird had given it to Kirsty for safekeeping. The Doctor asks for it to help save the Laird's life. Reluctantly, she gives it to the Doctor.
Grey returns to the Annabelle with new contracts. The highlanders are prepped to sign the documents, although Grey warns Trask to use a gentle hand as he is fearful of them refusing if pushed too hard. Ben is brought on deck to be used as both an example and to punish him for his earlier deeds. He is tied and dangled from the yard arm and dunked into the sea. But Ben had loosed his ropes and swims free to shore.
Upon reaching shore, Ben meets the Doctor in disguise. He takes Ben back to the barn to dry and have a bowl of soup. The group then plans their strategy and heads back to the Annabelle.
Back on ship, Grey has finished having the highlanders sign the contracts when the Doctor arrives. He offers the signet ring as proof that the prince was captured in disguise and that if he identifies him, he will split the reward money. Cautious, but tempted, Grey agrees and escorts the Doctor into the hold. While he was up there, Kirsty and Polly rowed around and passed arms through the portholes to the prisoners.
In the hold, the Doctor indicates that Jamie is actually the prince but when Grey approaches him, the prisoners leap up and attack. Grey and Perkins surrender immediately and the two guards are quickly overpowered. Trask however holds his own against Mackay, wounding him slightly. Trask, flees to the deck where he sees the remaining men killed or surrendering to the Scots. Knocked off balance by Jamie, Trask faces Mackay pursing him and is knocked overboard.
Retaking command, Mackay sets sail for France where the Scots can wait until the English pacification is over. The Doctor, Ben and Polly take Grey back to the shore as prisoner with Perkins volunteering to stay and serve as clerk to the Laird as he speaks French. Jamie also returns to shore, although on a second boat, meeting the Doctor back on shore.
On shore Grey yells out, attracting the attention of two soldiers. Ben and Jamie overpower them, but Grey escapes in the fracas. Polly then sees Lieutenant Ffinch and prepares to have him escort them back to the moor to find the TARDIS. However, Ffinch's commanding officer appears and to cover themselves, the Doctor gives him the signet ring as proof that he knows the prince's whereabouts. The colonel sends Ffinch with the Doctor and his friends to capture the prince immediately.
Upon reaching the cabin where the Doctor first met Jamie, they are set up by Grey with a small group of soldiers nominally under Ffinch's command. Grey tries to arrest them but the Doctor and Polly expose Grey's scheme of selling slaves. Grey tries to produce the contracts which would have given him an alibi but finds them missing. The Doctor denies all knowledge of them and Ffinch arrests Grey instead. He then leaves with his men, revealing a soft spot for Polly, despite her blackmail of him. She in turn gives him back the token, freeing him of her blackmail.
The group returns to the TARDIS and they invite Jamie with them rather than having him survive in the highlands by himself. Jamie is hesitant at first, but Polly assures him it's ok and he boards. The TARDIS disappears shortly afterward.
Analysis
The Highlanders feels a bit like a missed opportunity. If you go into this story cold, with a title like this, you would think it would focus more on Scotland, especially when opening with the Battle of Culloden. Instead, the battle only serves as a pretext to get us into a swashbuckler story. I have no problem with swashbuckler stories but it still feels a bit like being cheated when you are initially led into a different concept.
Casting that aside and looking at this story with an objective eye, it's not bad. It's a bit slow to start and when I started with an unclear recon, that just made it feel like a chore to get in to. I'd also say that the Second Doctor is still not quite the loveable character from the later stories. He is still quiet and a bit more scheming which also takes a little bit longer to get drawn in.
Neither Ben or Polly start well in this story either. Both are very ignorant of history and completely oblivious to how the Scots perceived the English at this time, or how English soldiers would have behaved to anyone in the company of Scots at this time. So that was a bit frustrating to start.
However, things really picked up in Episode Three. Culloden is discarded and the Doctor moves to reunite with Polly. Now the story is well established against Grey and the pirates and it moves along with a steady clip. In fact, it actually jumps over a few points that could easily have been expanded upon. If the dictate had come down to expand this from four episodes to six, I could easily have seen Polly and Kirsty's exploration of the prison or the Doctor's raid for weapons being expanded. I could even have seen the journey back to the moor with Grey in pursuit being expanded. I wouldn't have minded that actually as some of the duller stuff in Episode One could have been dispensed with.
Jamie doesn't have a lot to do in this story, but then again, neither does Ben. Polly is the companion who stands out but the Doctor also steps up as well. Contrasting with the First Doctor, the Second is still planning but he is also executing many of the same plans rather than letting the companions take the lead. Obviously this is done at Ben's determent but Ben does get a few moments here and there, especially in Episode Three where he stands out.
I have seen a little bit of complaint that this story is a bit corny with the Doctor doing an over-the-top German accent and a very Long John Silver pirate in the form of Trask, but neither of those really bothered me. If anything, Trask's heavy pirate nature helped a bit in the absence of a visual. Nor was I bothered by the German accent of the Doctor's except for the fact that it wasn't that good. The stretch there is that the English actually believed he was German.
So overall, I'd say this story is a tale of two halves. It starts poorly, wandering off what could have been a really good story in pursuit of a middling one. It picks up again with a fun little pirate adventure with the Doctor taking a lead role, excelling in what will become his signature trait of stalling. It dips a little bit at the end but only in that the whole journey back to the TARDIS could have been expanded to give a bit more punch to Grey's exit or Ffinch's interest in Polly towards the end. Balancing it all out, I'd say a middle of the road score is fair for this one. I'd think I'd go so far as to say that I'd give it a better than half rating if it had been an existing story rather than a recon.
Overall personal score: 2.5 out of 5
Monday, May 23, 2016
The Lodger
Have you met you?
The Lodger is one of those fun little stories that took advantage of the Eleventh Doctor's quirkiness. In many ways, it follows some of the same tent poles shown in Fear Her but it is done better, relying on more seasoned actors and a better use of practical effects.
Plot Summary
Landing in Colchester, the Doctor steps out to investigate when the TARDIS takes off again with Amy still inside. A day later, the Doctor becomes the housemate of Craig Owens who is looking for a lodger and whose house is the source of the time distortion that is preventing the TARDIS from landing. He has also managed to contact Amy to get information on her end as well.
Not wanting to alert anything hostile to his presence, the Doctor refrains from using his sonic or any advanced technology. He also resolves to try and blend in (which Amy is skeptical of). Over the course of the time the Doctor is there, several people are called up to the second floor of the building by a person in shadow asking for help. When up there, they are killed and a spot of dry rot on Craig's ceiling grows.
As the Doctor investigates, he intrudes more into Craig's life, arousing Craig's jealousy through his friendship with the woman Craig has a crush on, Sophie and outperforming him in a local soccer match. The Doctor, meanwhile is actually trying to help push Sophie and Craig together as they very obviously have feelings for each other.
Things reach a head when the Doctor cures Craig of poisoning by the dry rot and then going to work for him. The combined stress causes Craig to ask the Doctor to leave. The Doctor then shares memories with Craig, explaining who he is and why he is there. As they are sharing, Sophie arrives but is called upstairs by the mysterious figure. Sensing the time distortion, the Doctor races upstairs to save her. Amy also pipes in saying that she has found the plans for the house and there actually is no second floor.
Upstairs, they find an alien ship with a TARDIS like control room. The pilot is dead and the computer has been searching for a replacement but all previous human trials have proved inadequate. Craig and the Doctor pull off Sophie before she can burn but the computer selects the Doctor and tries to plug him in. Knowing that he would be trapped if connected and that could cause an explosion that would destroy the solar system, the Doctor tells Craig to plug in since Craig has been putting up excuses to stay with Sophie. The desire to stay will counter the ship's programming as it had been previously been pulling in people trying to leave. Craig does so and confesses his love for Sophie who loves him back. The ship releases Craig but the feedback triggers a self destruct and the three escape as the ship implodes leaving the one-story building it always was.
With the ship gone, the TARDIS lands with Amy unharmed. Craig and Sophie make plans together while the Doctor has Amy prepare the clues they had left for him before things started. While she starts, she discovers the engagement ring Rory had given her before his erasure from existence.
Summary
This was a fun episode with a lot of humor, although it did peter out at the end. Following Craig's incredulity as he deals with the Doctor's weirdness is very funny, especially as the Doctor attempts to do things that might be seen as normal behavior.
As mentioned above, there is a lot in this story that is similar to Fear Her. There is a lost alien entity that is trying to help itself but is actually making things worse; the Doctor has to pass himself off as a normal person while getting to the bottom of it; at the center of things is an ordinary person with a problem that ends up giving a solution to the problem and the Doctor and companion are split up forcing the solution on to only one of the pair.
However, The Lodger took everything Fear Her got wrong and made it better. Rather than putting the onus on the companion to solve the issue, the Doctor is the catalyst. The ordinary person is not a child actor forced to carry things, but an established comedian who can play both funny and straight man as needed, keeping the comic timing fresh. The Eleventh Doctor is much more alien and strange and that contrasts much better than the Tenth Doctor who could easily pass himself off as a slightly quirky human, generating a greater comedic effect in the environment. Also the alien entity is more sinister as children are not involved and it actually kills people trying to fix itself rather than trapping them for a potential happy ending.
The ending of The Lodger was also slightly better than Fear Her as it did not go with the overly sappy Olympic torch lighting that just looked so cheap and strange. However, it still contained the greatest flaws of the episode. The alien computer was looking for a new pilot and humans weren't capable of handling the strain. But why would the Doctor overload the system and cause the explosion? Also, things are happening so fast with so much yelling and loud music, that it is very difficult to hear and understand that Craig's desire to stay will override the system. Also, why? It just seemed like a cheap way to defeat the computer and also have Craig finally tell Sophie that he loved her, which is what he had been trying to do all episode. But it was done in such a clunky and ham fisted way that it didn't give the emotional payoff that it felt like it deserved. The ending was definitely the one thing that just clanged while the rest of the episode performed nicely.
Aside from the flaws of the ending, this was a enjoyable episode. It was funny, the enemy was simple yet sinister and the whole thing kept you entertained throughout. If the ending had been done better, I'd have considered giving it a 5, but it's just a strong sour note at the end that just doesn't quite jive with everything else. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to watch it again if offered.
Overall personal score: 4 out of 5
The Lodger is one of those fun little stories that took advantage of the Eleventh Doctor's quirkiness. In many ways, it follows some of the same tent poles shown in Fear Her but it is done better, relying on more seasoned actors and a better use of practical effects.
Plot Summary
Landing in Colchester, the Doctor steps out to investigate when the TARDIS takes off again with Amy still inside. A day later, the Doctor becomes the housemate of Craig Owens who is looking for a lodger and whose house is the source of the time distortion that is preventing the TARDIS from landing. He has also managed to contact Amy to get information on her end as well.
Not wanting to alert anything hostile to his presence, the Doctor refrains from using his sonic or any advanced technology. He also resolves to try and blend in (which Amy is skeptical of). Over the course of the time the Doctor is there, several people are called up to the second floor of the building by a person in shadow asking for help. When up there, they are killed and a spot of dry rot on Craig's ceiling grows.
As the Doctor investigates, he intrudes more into Craig's life, arousing Craig's jealousy through his friendship with the woman Craig has a crush on, Sophie and outperforming him in a local soccer match. The Doctor, meanwhile is actually trying to help push Sophie and Craig together as they very obviously have feelings for each other.
Things reach a head when the Doctor cures Craig of poisoning by the dry rot and then going to work for him. The combined stress causes Craig to ask the Doctor to leave. The Doctor then shares memories with Craig, explaining who he is and why he is there. As they are sharing, Sophie arrives but is called upstairs by the mysterious figure. Sensing the time distortion, the Doctor races upstairs to save her. Amy also pipes in saying that she has found the plans for the house and there actually is no second floor.
Upstairs, they find an alien ship with a TARDIS like control room. The pilot is dead and the computer has been searching for a replacement but all previous human trials have proved inadequate. Craig and the Doctor pull off Sophie before she can burn but the computer selects the Doctor and tries to plug him in. Knowing that he would be trapped if connected and that could cause an explosion that would destroy the solar system, the Doctor tells Craig to plug in since Craig has been putting up excuses to stay with Sophie. The desire to stay will counter the ship's programming as it had been previously been pulling in people trying to leave. Craig does so and confesses his love for Sophie who loves him back. The ship releases Craig but the feedback triggers a self destruct and the three escape as the ship implodes leaving the one-story building it always was.
With the ship gone, the TARDIS lands with Amy unharmed. Craig and Sophie make plans together while the Doctor has Amy prepare the clues they had left for him before things started. While she starts, she discovers the engagement ring Rory had given her before his erasure from existence.
Summary
This was a fun episode with a lot of humor, although it did peter out at the end. Following Craig's incredulity as he deals with the Doctor's weirdness is very funny, especially as the Doctor attempts to do things that might be seen as normal behavior.
As mentioned above, there is a lot in this story that is similar to Fear Her. There is a lost alien entity that is trying to help itself but is actually making things worse; the Doctor has to pass himself off as a normal person while getting to the bottom of it; at the center of things is an ordinary person with a problem that ends up giving a solution to the problem and the Doctor and companion are split up forcing the solution on to only one of the pair.
However, The Lodger took everything Fear Her got wrong and made it better. Rather than putting the onus on the companion to solve the issue, the Doctor is the catalyst. The ordinary person is not a child actor forced to carry things, but an established comedian who can play both funny and straight man as needed, keeping the comic timing fresh. The Eleventh Doctor is much more alien and strange and that contrasts much better than the Tenth Doctor who could easily pass himself off as a slightly quirky human, generating a greater comedic effect in the environment. Also the alien entity is more sinister as children are not involved and it actually kills people trying to fix itself rather than trapping them for a potential happy ending.
The ending of The Lodger was also slightly better than Fear Her as it did not go with the overly sappy Olympic torch lighting that just looked so cheap and strange. However, it still contained the greatest flaws of the episode. The alien computer was looking for a new pilot and humans weren't capable of handling the strain. But why would the Doctor overload the system and cause the explosion? Also, things are happening so fast with so much yelling and loud music, that it is very difficult to hear and understand that Craig's desire to stay will override the system. Also, why? It just seemed like a cheap way to defeat the computer and also have Craig finally tell Sophie that he loved her, which is what he had been trying to do all episode. But it was done in such a clunky and ham fisted way that it didn't give the emotional payoff that it felt like it deserved. The ending was definitely the one thing that just clanged while the rest of the episode performed nicely.
Aside from the flaws of the ending, this was a enjoyable episode. It was funny, the enemy was simple yet sinister and the whole thing kept you entertained throughout. If the ending had been done better, I'd have considered giving it a 5, but it's just a strong sour note at the end that just doesn't quite jive with everything else. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to watch it again if offered.
Overall personal score: 4 out of 5
Friday, May 20, 2016
The War Machines
WOTAN must be obeyed.
The War Machines was the last story of Season Three and the unceremonious dumping of the last of the earliest companions. It also marked true beginning of the end for the First Doctor. He would survive for two more stories, but the process that had begun in earnest in The Celestial Toymaker finally came to fruition and word came down on high that the Doctor would be replaced. It is rather ironic then that The War Machines actually produced probably the most iconic shot of the First Doctor: him staring down the war machine while everyone around him flees at the end of Episode Three.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Dodo land in London in July, 1966. Looking around, they see the newly finished Post Office tower and the Doctor gets a strange alien feeling from it. They enter, posing as a scientist and secretary.
The head scientist, Professor Brett, shows them the computer WOTAN, which is scheduled to be connected to other major computers around the world in a few days. The Doctor is impressed but also unsettled. Dodo examines it but zones out for a moment. She dismisses it as being tired and Professor Brett suggests that his secretary, Polly Wright, take her out. Polly suggests a club she knows called The Inferno.
In the club, Polly meets a friend who encourages her to cheer up a repeat customer. A sailor named Ben Jackson is moping about due to being assigned to shore duty for six months. Polly chats with him and is accosted by another patron. Ben, warning the patron, knocks him down and settles in to keep Polly and Dodo company.
The Doctor heads to the scientific meeting where WOTAN is being made known to the press. Professor Brett is late but the head, Sir Charles Summer, discusses the project without him. At the lab, Professor Brett is preparing to leave when WOTAN hypnotizes him to bring him under control. It does the same with Major Green, head of the building security. Professor Brett heads to the scientific meeting where he grabs Professor Krimpton and brings him back to WOTAN where he is also hypnotized.
While they are gone, Major Green calls The Inferno and has Dodo put on the phone. Over the phone, WOTAN reengages the hypnotism it started earlier. Dodo then leaves the club, although Ben and Polly notice she is missing after a while. When all four are assembled, WOTAN issues an order for the Doctor to be brought to it. Dodo and Professor Krimpton leave to do this while Professor Brett and Major Green begin to construct a set of war machines. Major Green also works on telephoning scientists from all over the country to be hypnotized by WOTAN.
Dodo reenters the club and tries to lure the Doctor back to the tower. Polly jumps in and gets a taxi for them. The three drive off with Ben agreeing to meet Polly for lunch tomorrow. He passes a tramp who is preparing to enter an old warehouse to spend the night.
In the warehouse, Professor Brett is leading a group of workers who also have been hypnotized in building the war machines. Professor Krimpton comes in to let him know that Dodo has not been able to bring the Doctor. The tramp overhears this but he is detected by WOTAN. Professor Brett orders the workers and they surround and kill him.
The next morning, the Doctor reads of the death of a noted scientist. Sir Charles has also become aware of the disappearance of several other prominent scientists. Polly enters the room, having been telephoned by Professor Brett that Sir Charles' secretary was ill and that she should work for him today. Dodo enters a minute later and suggests that they go to see Professor Brett to have his questions answered. The Doctor agrees but decides to telephone the lab to let Professor Brett know that they are coming.
When the Doctor calls, Major Green connects the phone to WOTAN. The Doctor reacts with pain and hangs up the phone. Dodo comes to him to ask what his instructions are, but the Doctor broke contact before WOTAN could control him. Realizing that Dodo has been hypnotized, the Doctor counters the hypnosis with a little of his own. Sir Charles offers to take her to his country house to be taken care of by his wife. Polly, seeing what happened to Dodo, heads over to the lab to check on Professor Brett.
The Doctor continues to recover and think when Ben shows up looking for Polly as they were to meet for lunch. The Doctor enlists his help to investigate the area near the club last night. Ben, seeing the activity near the warehouse, slips in and observes Major Green conducting tests with the new war machine. It kills one man in a weapons test and begins to approach his hiding spot in another test.
Ben tries to run but is spotted by the machine. Major Green alerts the people and they pursue him. Polly arrives and locks the door, having been hypnotized and sent over to work. Ben is captured and would have been killed but Polly states that WOTAN demands the work be finished and all labor must be used. Ben is put to work but with everyone working, he is able to run off and escape. Polly sees him but does not raise the alarm as she is starting to fight the hypnosis. When this is discovered, she is sent back to WOTAN for punishment.
Concerned for Ben's safety, the Doctor is about to leave Sir Charles' house when Ben arrives. He tells them what happened and the Doctor realizes that they must knock out WOTAN. Sir Charles however believes that the war machine Ben found is the only and they should deal with it directly. He calls the government and has the army brought in.
The army sends a squad in to the warehouse. Major Green dispatches the workers and the war machine to attack them. The workers are beaten back but the machine beams out a signal that jams their guns. In the face of the attack, the soldiers fall back. Others begin to retreat as well as the machine advances but the Doctor stands his ground, despite Ben urging him to retreat. As the machine approaches, it suffers a fault and shuts down.
With the machine down, the soldiers clear the warehouse and the men come out from their hypnosis. Major Green does not even remember meeting the Doctor so they are dismissed. The Doctor examines the machine and determines that the other eleven machines are scheduled to attack all of London at noon.
In another location, a second war machine is misprogramed, kills the programmer and destroys the relay device. It then breaks loose and begins to attack London, heading towards a major power station. The Doctor proposes capturing it by trapping it in a powerful magnetic field. He has the army set up electrical cables in three parts of a square. When the machine enters, Ben runs behind it and finishes the square. The cables are activated and the magnetic force renders the machine inert.
The Doctor enters the field and deactivates the machine. He then reprograms it to only attack other machines and not humans. The Doctor then sends the machine to the Post Office tower to destroy WOTAN.
Guessing that Polly had gone back to WOTAN, Ben races ahead of the machine and breaks into the office. He grabs Polly and carries her out, her fighting him the whole way. Professors Brett and Krimpton try to stop him, but the reprogramed war machine arrives. Professor Krimpton tries to stop it but the machine shoots him down. The machine then smashes WOTAN. Professor Brett slowly comes out of his trance as Sir Charles and the Doctor arrive. Seeing WOTAN destroyed, the Doctor leaves.
The next day, the Doctor waits for Dodo outside the TARDIS. Ben and Polly arrive with a message that Dodo has fully recovered, but has decided to stay. The Doctor, slightly indignant, thanks them and enters the TARDIS. As they walk away, Polly realizes she still has a TARDIS key that had been dropped earlier. She and Ben unlock the TARDIS and enter to give it back to the Doctor. As they enter, the machine dematerializes.
Analysis
Okay, first to address the big controversy: WOTAN referring to the Doctor as Doctor Who. First, it is very clear that WOTAN uses that as the Doctor's name. However, that does not mean that this is the Doctor's actual name. Throughout the series, nearly all Doctors have enjoyed a little joke in using Doctor Who. The Second Doctor goes so far as to use the German titled version: Doktor Von Wer. I have no problem with it as it obviously and alias used by the Doctor. I like to imagine that the Doctor came up with it when he entered some place and a clerk or receptionist asked his name. He said "the Doctor" and the clerk responded, "Doctor Who?" In response, the Doctor simply said "Yes." It is an easy way to get past annoying people and the use of it as a joke would explain why the Doctor is seemingly so amused by the joke so many years later (Asylum of the Daleks being an obvious example). So of all the great nerd rages, this is not one that causes me much of a second thought.
Now, on to the actual review. Overall, this wasn't a bad story but the limitations of 1960's television do show with the design of the war machines. There is also some very questionable pacing decisions that nearly undercut some good performances.
I enjoyed the Doctor in this story a great deal, despite his being sidelined a bit for screen time. In a way, that sidelining worked to his advantage and he appeared smarter and even more on top of the situation than if he had been involved in every scene. I mentioned the stare down at the end of Episode Three and as this is the first time he has seen a war machine, his facing it down without flinching seems even more impressive.
It was also nice to see the army looking somewhat competent for a change. Obviously they were hindered by the inability to use their weapons which didn't help, but the fight against the workers and the war machine in Episode Three wasn't bad, although not shot that well. Then the fact that they successfully organized a clear path and capture of the war machine made them better that what we often got out of UNIT.
I enjoyed the acting of the side characters as well. The hypnosis moment was a bit shoddy but the overall performance of everything else was pretty good. I had this nagging feeling that I have seen the actor who played Professor Brett before but the only thing I can find that I've seen is that he was also in The Macra Terror so I must be remembering him from there.
Of course, there were some let down moments as well. The production staff tried hard to make the war machine scary but it didn't really work. Probably the biggest fault is that it fired a steam cannon rather like the Daleks in the two Peter Cushing movies. It just works better when there is an actual projectile be it bullet or laser. The forward hammers were also very clunky and obviously restricted by their own weight so that didn't help the machine either. It was a competent try but it still looked a bit unconvincing.
My second complaint was Ben's acting. It makes a marked contrast with Steven who could also be over the top but had a certain level of restraint also. Ben just sounds like he's a hair away from hysterical which give an odor of "Look, I'm acting!" to his performance. His quieter moments we're okay, but his intense moments got grating at times, especially in the first half of Episode Three where he combined them with obtuse character moments that just made him an annoyance.
As an aside, I also didn't like WOTAN's voice. Why is a computer hissing like an Ice Warrior? I'm guessing they were going for a sinister sound, but I think it would have been better if it were a cold, emotionless voice. That would have been more appropriate for a computer and much scarier. To say nothing of that fact that I would have been able to understand all that it said instead of straining make out the words.
But probably the biggest problem is the pacing. Episodes One and Two weren't bad, although I thought the parts in the club were a bit dull. But with the focus being on Dodo and the direct threat to the Doctor, there was a tension that was reasonably well played out. But Episode Three got dull. Too much time was devoted to Ben's capture and rather cheesy escape. As a result, very little time was spent with the Doctor and nothing much had been accomplished except that the army and the Doctor were aware of one machine.
This lack of development had a cascade effect in pushing together so much that Episode Four felt rushed. Rather than have so much time wasted on Ben's capture and escape, I think the story would have been better served if he had escaped immediately after being detected. This would have pushed the army attack to the middle of Episode Three and it could have ended with either learning that the machines are preparing to attack at noon or with the word that a second machine had been loosed on the city. A bit more development there would have evened out the pacing.
Instead, we are left with a very rushed ending with the reprogrammed war machine rushing in to destroy WOTAN, making it look weak with very little defense. It also makes you wonder why the army couldn't have rushed in and destroyed WOTAN. Afterall, Ben was able to rush in and grab Polly. Why couldn't have a squad of troops rushed in, grabbed Brett and Krimpton, and then tossed a few grenades through the door to destroy WOTAN? I would have been simple and easily done before the rest of the war machines were launched. Either way, the villain was shown to be not up to the caliber that you would expect of a principle threat.
Overall, this is a mixed bag. Decent performances and some nice cinematography, but poor pacing exposed some annoying shortfalls in the story and left me a bit bored at points. It's ok for background watching, but I can't say that I'd rush to watch it again.
Overall personal score: 2 out of 5
The War Machines was the last story of Season Three and the unceremonious dumping of the last of the earliest companions. It also marked true beginning of the end for the First Doctor. He would survive for two more stories, but the process that had begun in earnest in The Celestial Toymaker finally came to fruition and word came down on high that the Doctor would be replaced. It is rather ironic then that The War Machines actually produced probably the most iconic shot of the First Doctor: him staring down the war machine while everyone around him flees at the end of Episode Three.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Dodo land in London in July, 1966. Looking around, they see the newly finished Post Office tower and the Doctor gets a strange alien feeling from it. They enter, posing as a scientist and secretary.
The head scientist, Professor Brett, shows them the computer WOTAN, which is scheduled to be connected to other major computers around the world in a few days. The Doctor is impressed but also unsettled. Dodo examines it but zones out for a moment. She dismisses it as being tired and Professor Brett suggests that his secretary, Polly Wright, take her out. Polly suggests a club she knows called The Inferno.
In the club, Polly meets a friend who encourages her to cheer up a repeat customer. A sailor named Ben Jackson is moping about due to being assigned to shore duty for six months. Polly chats with him and is accosted by another patron. Ben, warning the patron, knocks him down and settles in to keep Polly and Dodo company.
The Doctor heads to the scientific meeting where WOTAN is being made known to the press. Professor Brett is late but the head, Sir Charles Summer, discusses the project without him. At the lab, Professor Brett is preparing to leave when WOTAN hypnotizes him to bring him under control. It does the same with Major Green, head of the building security. Professor Brett heads to the scientific meeting where he grabs Professor Krimpton and brings him back to WOTAN where he is also hypnotized.
While they are gone, Major Green calls The Inferno and has Dodo put on the phone. Over the phone, WOTAN reengages the hypnotism it started earlier. Dodo then leaves the club, although Ben and Polly notice she is missing after a while. When all four are assembled, WOTAN issues an order for the Doctor to be brought to it. Dodo and Professor Krimpton leave to do this while Professor Brett and Major Green begin to construct a set of war machines. Major Green also works on telephoning scientists from all over the country to be hypnotized by WOTAN.
Dodo reenters the club and tries to lure the Doctor back to the tower. Polly jumps in and gets a taxi for them. The three drive off with Ben agreeing to meet Polly for lunch tomorrow. He passes a tramp who is preparing to enter an old warehouse to spend the night.
In the warehouse, Professor Brett is leading a group of workers who also have been hypnotized in building the war machines. Professor Krimpton comes in to let him know that Dodo has not been able to bring the Doctor. The tramp overhears this but he is detected by WOTAN. Professor Brett orders the workers and they surround and kill him.
The next morning, the Doctor reads of the death of a noted scientist. Sir Charles has also become aware of the disappearance of several other prominent scientists. Polly enters the room, having been telephoned by Professor Brett that Sir Charles' secretary was ill and that she should work for him today. Dodo enters a minute later and suggests that they go to see Professor Brett to have his questions answered. The Doctor agrees but decides to telephone the lab to let Professor Brett know that they are coming.
When the Doctor calls, Major Green connects the phone to WOTAN. The Doctor reacts with pain and hangs up the phone. Dodo comes to him to ask what his instructions are, but the Doctor broke contact before WOTAN could control him. Realizing that Dodo has been hypnotized, the Doctor counters the hypnosis with a little of his own. Sir Charles offers to take her to his country house to be taken care of by his wife. Polly, seeing what happened to Dodo, heads over to the lab to check on Professor Brett.
The Doctor continues to recover and think when Ben shows up looking for Polly as they were to meet for lunch. The Doctor enlists his help to investigate the area near the club last night. Ben, seeing the activity near the warehouse, slips in and observes Major Green conducting tests with the new war machine. It kills one man in a weapons test and begins to approach his hiding spot in another test.
Ben tries to run but is spotted by the machine. Major Green alerts the people and they pursue him. Polly arrives and locks the door, having been hypnotized and sent over to work. Ben is captured and would have been killed but Polly states that WOTAN demands the work be finished and all labor must be used. Ben is put to work but with everyone working, he is able to run off and escape. Polly sees him but does not raise the alarm as she is starting to fight the hypnosis. When this is discovered, she is sent back to WOTAN for punishment.
Concerned for Ben's safety, the Doctor is about to leave Sir Charles' house when Ben arrives. He tells them what happened and the Doctor realizes that they must knock out WOTAN. Sir Charles however believes that the war machine Ben found is the only and they should deal with it directly. He calls the government and has the army brought in.
The army sends a squad in to the warehouse. Major Green dispatches the workers and the war machine to attack them. The workers are beaten back but the machine beams out a signal that jams their guns. In the face of the attack, the soldiers fall back. Others begin to retreat as well as the machine advances but the Doctor stands his ground, despite Ben urging him to retreat. As the machine approaches, it suffers a fault and shuts down.
With the machine down, the soldiers clear the warehouse and the men come out from their hypnosis. Major Green does not even remember meeting the Doctor so they are dismissed. The Doctor examines the machine and determines that the other eleven machines are scheduled to attack all of London at noon.
In another location, a second war machine is misprogramed, kills the programmer and destroys the relay device. It then breaks loose and begins to attack London, heading towards a major power station. The Doctor proposes capturing it by trapping it in a powerful magnetic field. He has the army set up electrical cables in three parts of a square. When the machine enters, Ben runs behind it and finishes the square. The cables are activated and the magnetic force renders the machine inert.
The Doctor enters the field and deactivates the machine. He then reprograms it to only attack other machines and not humans. The Doctor then sends the machine to the Post Office tower to destroy WOTAN.
Guessing that Polly had gone back to WOTAN, Ben races ahead of the machine and breaks into the office. He grabs Polly and carries her out, her fighting him the whole way. Professors Brett and Krimpton try to stop him, but the reprogramed war machine arrives. Professor Krimpton tries to stop it but the machine shoots him down. The machine then smashes WOTAN. Professor Brett slowly comes out of his trance as Sir Charles and the Doctor arrive. Seeing WOTAN destroyed, the Doctor leaves.
The next day, the Doctor waits for Dodo outside the TARDIS. Ben and Polly arrive with a message that Dodo has fully recovered, but has decided to stay. The Doctor, slightly indignant, thanks them and enters the TARDIS. As they walk away, Polly realizes she still has a TARDIS key that had been dropped earlier. She and Ben unlock the TARDIS and enter to give it back to the Doctor. As they enter, the machine dematerializes.
Analysis
Okay, first to address the big controversy: WOTAN referring to the Doctor as Doctor Who. First, it is very clear that WOTAN uses that as the Doctor's name. However, that does not mean that this is the Doctor's actual name. Throughout the series, nearly all Doctors have enjoyed a little joke in using Doctor Who. The Second Doctor goes so far as to use the German titled version: Doktor Von Wer. I have no problem with it as it obviously and alias used by the Doctor. I like to imagine that the Doctor came up with it when he entered some place and a clerk or receptionist asked his name. He said "the Doctor" and the clerk responded, "Doctor Who?" In response, the Doctor simply said "Yes." It is an easy way to get past annoying people and the use of it as a joke would explain why the Doctor is seemingly so amused by the joke so many years later (Asylum of the Daleks being an obvious example). So of all the great nerd rages, this is not one that causes me much of a second thought.
Now, on to the actual review. Overall, this wasn't a bad story but the limitations of 1960's television do show with the design of the war machines. There is also some very questionable pacing decisions that nearly undercut some good performances.
I enjoyed the Doctor in this story a great deal, despite his being sidelined a bit for screen time. In a way, that sidelining worked to his advantage and he appeared smarter and even more on top of the situation than if he had been involved in every scene. I mentioned the stare down at the end of Episode Three and as this is the first time he has seen a war machine, his facing it down without flinching seems even more impressive.
It was also nice to see the army looking somewhat competent for a change. Obviously they were hindered by the inability to use their weapons which didn't help, but the fight against the workers and the war machine in Episode Three wasn't bad, although not shot that well. Then the fact that they successfully organized a clear path and capture of the war machine made them better that what we often got out of UNIT.
I enjoyed the acting of the side characters as well. The hypnosis moment was a bit shoddy but the overall performance of everything else was pretty good. I had this nagging feeling that I have seen the actor who played Professor Brett before but the only thing I can find that I've seen is that he was also in The Macra Terror so I must be remembering him from there.
Of course, there were some let down moments as well. The production staff tried hard to make the war machine scary but it didn't really work. Probably the biggest fault is that it fired a steam cannon rather like the Daleks in the two Peter Cushing movies. It just works better when there is an actual projectile be it bullet or laser. The forward hammers were also very clunky and obviously restricted by their own weight so that didn't help the machine either. It was a competent try but it still looked a bit unconvincing.
My second complaint was Ben's acting. It makes a marked contrast with Steven who could also be over the top but had a certain level of restraint also. Ben just sounds like he's a hair away from hysterical which give an odor of "Look, I'm acting!" to his performance. His quieter moments we're okay, but his intense moments got grating at times, especially in the first half of Episode Three where he combined them with obtuse character moments that just made him an annoyance.
As an aside, I also didn't like WOTAN's voice. Why is a computer hissing like an Ice Warrior? I'm guessing they were going for a sinister sound, but I think it would have been better if it were a cold, emotionless voice. That would have been more appropriate for a computer and much scarier. To say nothing of that fact that I would have been able to understand all that it said instead of straining make out the words.
But probably the biggest problem is the pacing. Episodes One and Two weren't bad, although I thought the parts in the club were a bit dull. But with the focus being on Dodo and the direct threat to the Doctor, there was a tension that was reasonably well played out. But Episode Three got dull. Too much time was devoted to Ben's capture and rather cheesy escape. As a result, very little time was spent with the Doctor and nothing much had been accomplished except that the army and the Doctor were aware of one machine.
This lack of development had a cascade effect in pushing together so much that Episode Four felt rushed. Rather than have so much time wasted on Ben's capture and escape, I think the story would have been better served if he had escaped immediately after being detected. This would have pushed the army attack to the middle of Episode Three and it could have ended with either learning that the machines are preparing to attack at noon or with the word that a second machine had been loosed on the city. A bit more development there would have evened out the pacing.
Instead, we are left with a very rushed ending with the reprogrammed war machine rushing in to destroy WOTAN, making it look weak with very little defense. It also makes you wonder why the army couldn't have rushed in and destroyed WOTAN. Afterall, Ben was able to rush in and grab Polly. Why couldn't have a squad of troops rushed in, grabbed Brett and Krimpton, and then tossed a few grenades through the door to destroy WOTAN? I would have been simple and easily done before the rest of the war machines were launched. Either way, the villain was shown to be not up to the caliber that you would expect of a principle threat.
Overall, this is a mixed bag. Decent performances and some nice cinematography, but poor pacing exposed some annoying shortfalls in the story and left me a bit bored at points. It's ok for background watching, but I can't say that I'd rush to watch it again.
Overall personal score: 2 out of 5
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Listen
What's that in the mirror; in the corner of your eye?
What's that footstep following, but never passing by?
Perhaps they're all just waiting. Perhaps when we're all dead,
Out they'll come a slithering from underneath your bed.
Listen is an episode that when you first watch it, you think, "That was ok. A bit scary and not bad." Then you watch it a second time and it's better because you catch more things. Then you watch it a third time and you start debating as to whether it's the best episode of Series Eight. I'm not sure it's above Mummy on the Orient Express for me, but it's definitely in the top three between that and Flatline.
Plot Summary
Clara returns from a date with Danny that did not go well. Each of them put their respective feet in their mouths and Clara walked out. Entering her bedroom, she finds the Doctor waiting for her. He talks her into doing an experiment where they research a dream everyone has of a creature reaching out from the bed to grab their leg. He plugs Clara into the TARDIS and asks her to focus on this dream.
Clara's phone rings, distracting her into thinking of Danny and the TARDIS materializes outside a children's home. The Doctor, still thinking it's Clara's childhood heads in. Clara talks though a window to a boy named Rupert Pink (Danny as a child) and sneaks into his room. Rupert has had the dream of something under the bed. Clara comforts him but as they are under the bed, it depresses. Someone is sitting on the bed under a blanket.
The Doctor enters the room and tells Rupert about fear. They turn their back to the thing on the bed and allow it to leave without looking at it. It removes the blanket and leaves the room with it. Still scared, Clara settles Rupert in with his toy soldiers to protect him. The Doctor then knocks him out, imbuing Rupert with a dream about Dan the soldier man.
At Clara's request, the Doctor drops her off at the restaurant just after she walked out and she tries again. However, Clara slips and calls Danny Rupert just as a figure in a space suit appears. Danny, offended that Clara is lying to him, walks out without seeing the figure. Clara follows it into the TARDIS where she discovers that it is not the Doctor, but Orson Pink, a time traveler from about 100 years in the future.
The three return to the end of the Universe where Orson had been marooned for six months. The Doctor makes up a story about the TARDIS needing to recharge to stay the night to further investigate the hidden creature idea. Orson goes into the TARDIS and as the ship goes into night mode, the Doctor prepares to open the door to see if something will come in. He orders Clara into the TARDIS before he does so.
When the Doctor opens the door, the air begins to rush out. Orson goes out of the TARDIS to rescue the Doctor before he is sucked out. Brought back in he is unconscious from a head wounds. Worried about something attacking the TARDIS, Clara taps in to the telepathic circuits again to take them away. The Doctor stirs as she does so and this distraction causes the TARDIS to land somewhere else.
With the scanner off-line, Clara goes out to investigate. A boy is lying in bed crying in a barn. She whispers to him (thinking him either Rupert or Orson as a boy) but has to duck under the bed when she hears the door open. Two adults enter inviting the boy into the house. As they walk away, the male notes that he'll never be a Time Lord and Clara realizes that the boy is the Doctor.
In the TARDIS, the Doctor wakes, shouting out. The noise carries and the boy gets up to investigate. Worried about the Doctor meeting himself, Clara unconsciously reaches out and grabs the boy's ankle. She whispers that this is a dream and he should get back into bed. As he gets back into bed, Clara whispers words of comfort to him and leaves the toy soldier Orson gave her after they rescued him. It is the same soldier (Dan the soldier man) she had pulled out for Rupert earlier.
She goes back into the TARDIS, urging the Doctor to never look and see where they have just been. The Doctor drops her off and she goes to reconcile with Danny and they both apologize for being idiots.
Analysis
This is a good episode. As stated above, I'm not going to put it above Mummy or Flatline, but it is definitely in my number three spot. The scenes in Rupert's room and at the end of the universe are genuinely creepy and provide real tension. I enjoy that we both never see what exactly is under the blanket or if anything is actually beyond the locked door in the time ship. That mystery with both simple and terrifying options being available ratchets things up and is more satisfying than if an actual answer is given.
The use of lens flares in Rupert's room is also oddly compelling, as opposed to annoying as in any J. J. Abrams production. It gives Rupert's room an ethereal feeling that is not necessarily there. There is a similar lighting change in the time ship that amps the mood, although the sound is what really gets you. I think we've all been there, especially the first time you are in a house alone and it just starts talking. I remember I barely slept the first time I was left on my own and there was nothing particularly spooky or interesting going on at the time.
The Doctor is quite enjoyable in this episode, even if most of the action and story actually revolves around Clara. He is entertaining in his own level of focus. The planting of the creep factor just so he can steal the caretaker's coffee is effective and also funny. Likewise is his obsession with finding out what is outside the time ship, to the point of doing something openly foolish due to the atmospheric breach. But it is also laced with the poignancy of his kindness in comforting and protecting Rupert and the respect he shows to Clara at the end. Even when they argue on the time ship and she storms off like a told off child, he agrees with her that he is being an idiot.
Clara is also good in this. Clara being arrogant or whiny as she does in later episodes annoys me, but there is a reasonable balance here. She counterbalances the Doctor when he is going too dark and is a great comforter to both Rupert and the young Doctor. She and Danny both make mistakes in their date and both come off like fools so that it doesn't devolve into the standard dating tropes.
Speaking of dating, that was one of the two things I have to downgrade the story for. The date scenes were fine, nothing wrong with them; but I thought they were a bit too drawn out from the rest of the story. It was like a built in lull that went a bit too long in the moments of tension. What's more, the date itself didn't have that much bearing on the overarching plot. It was just a detour for Clara as she tried to navigate her time with the Doctor.
The other point is the allusion with Orson Pink. If nothing had been said and the relationship between Orson and Clara had been left totally up in the air, I would have been fine. However, Orson throws in the lines about Clara looking vaguely familiar and later talking about time travel stories from his great-grandparents. There is nothing wrong with that in this episode in particular, but when weighed against the overall storyline of Series Eight, it is just so out of place.
Whether you go with the idea that Clara was originally going to leave at the end of Series Eight or not, Danny Pink still dies and stays dead in Dark Water/Death in Heaven. This means that Steven Moffat knew from the beginning that Danny and Clara would never have children so why tease the idea? It's just an unnecessary couple of lines that throws needless twisting into the story when you step back and look at it as a whole.
Still, this is an excellent story. Scary but with moments of poignancy and humor. It is an excellent story to start someone off on in a modern sense, especially if you want to get them in with real tension. As mentioned before, I've now seen this one three times and I anticipate that I'll be watching it again and enjoying it more.
Overall personal score: 4.5 out of 5
What's that footstep following, but never passing by?
Perhaps they're all just waiting. Perhaps when we're all dead,
Out they'll come a slithering from underneath your bed.
Listen is an episode that when you first watch it, you think, "That was ok. A bit scary and not bad." Then you watch it a second time and it's better because you catch more things. Then you watch it a third time and you start debating as to whether it's the best episode of Series Eight. I'm not sure it's above Mummy on the Orient Express for me, but it's definitely in the top three between that and Flatline.
Plot Summary
Clara returns from a date with Danny that did not go well. Each of them put their respective feet in their mouths and Clara walked out. Entering her bedroom, she finds the Doctor waiting for her. He talks her into doing an experiment where they research a dream everyone has of a creature reaching out from the bed to grab their leg. He plugs Clara into the TARDIS and asks her to focus on this dream.
Clara's phone rings, distracting her into thinking of Danny and the TARDIS materializes outside a children's home. The Doctor, still thinking it's Clara's childhood heads in. Clara talks though a window to a boy named Rupert Pink (Danny as a child) and sneaks into his room. Rupert has had the dream of something under the bed. Clara comforts him but as they are under the bed, it depresses. Someone is sitting on the bed under a blanket.
The Doctor enters the room and tells Rupert about fear. They turn their back to the thing on the bed and allow it to leave without looking at it. It removes the blanket and leaves the room with it. Still scared, Clara settles Rupert in with his toy soldiers to protect him. The Doctor then knocks him out, imbuing Rupert with a dream about Dan the soldier man.
At Clara's request, the Doctor drops her off at the restaurant just after she walked out and she tries again. However, Clara slips and calls Danny Rupert just as a figure in a space suit appears. Danny, offended that Clara is lying to him, walks out without seeing the figure. Clara follows it into the TARDIS where she discovers that it is not the Doctor, but Orson Pink, a time traveler from about 100 years in the future.
The three return to the end of the Universe where Orson had been marooned for six months. The Doctor makes up a story about the TARDIS needing to recharge to stay the night to further investigate the hidden creature idea. Orson goes into the TARDIS and as the ship goes into night mode, the Doctor prepares to open the door to see if something will come in. He orders Clara into the TARDIS before he does so.
When the Doctor opens the door, the air begins to rush out. Orson goes out of the TARDIS to rescue the Doctor before he is sucked out. Brought back in he is unconscious from a head wounds. Worried about something attacking the TARDIS, Clara taps in to the telepathic circuits again to take them away. The Doctor stirs as she does so and this distraction causes the TARDIS to land somewhere else.
With the scanner off-line, Clara goes out to investigate. A boy is lying in bed crying in a barn. She whispers to him (thinking him either Rupert or Orson as a boy) but has to duck under the bed when she hears the door open. Two adults enter inviting the boy into the house. As they walk away, the male notes that he'll never be a Time Lord and Clara realizes that the boy is the Doctor.
In the TARDIS, the Doctor wakes, shouting out. The noise carries and the boy gets up to investigate. Worried about the Doctor meeting himself, Clara unconsciously reaches out and grabs the boy's ankle. She whispers that this is a dream and he should get back into bed. As he gets back into bed, Clara whispers words of comfort to him and leaves the toy soldier Orson gave her after they rescued him. It is the same soldier (Dan the soldier man) she had pulled out for Rupert earlier.
She goes back into the TARDIS, urging the Doctor to never look and see where they have just been. The Doctor drops her off and she goes to reconcile with Danny and they both apologize for being idiots.
Analysis
This is a good episode. As stated above, I'm not going to put it above Mummy or Flatline, but it is definitely in my number three spot. The scenes in Rupert's room and at the end of the universe are genuinely creepy and provide real tension. I enjoy that we both never see what exactly is under the blanket or if anything is actually beyond the locked door in the time ship. That mystery with both simple and terrifying options being available ratchets things up and is more satisfying than if an actual answer is given.
The use of lens flares in Rupert's room is also oddly compelling, as opposed to annoying as in any J. J. Abrams production. It gives Rupert's room an ethereal feeling that is not necessarily there. There is a similar lighting change in the time ship that amps the mood, although the sound is what really gets you. I think we've all been there, especially the first time you are in a house alone and it just starts talking. I remember I barely slept the first time I was left on my own and there was nothing particularly spooky or interesting going on at the time.
The Doctor is quite enjoyable in this episode, even if most of the action and story actually revolves around Clara. He is entertaining in his own level of focus. The planting of the creep factor just so he can steal the caretaker's coffee is effective and also funny. Likewise is his obsession with finding out what is outside the time ship, to the point of doing something openly foolish due to the atmospheric breach. But it is also laced with the poignancy of his kindness in comforting and protecting Rupert and the respect he shows to Clara at the end. Even when they argue on the time ship and she storms off like a told off child, he agrees with her that he is being an idiot.
Clara is also good in this. Clara being arrogant or whiny as she does in later episodes annoys me, but there is a reasonable balance here. She counterbalances the Doctor when he is going too dark and is a great comforter to both Rupert and the young Doctor. She and Danny both make mistakes in their date and both come off like fools so that it doesn't devolve into the standard dating tropes.
Speaking of dating, that was one of the two things I have to downgrade the story for. The date scenes were fine, nothing wrong with them; but I thought they were a bit too drawn out from the rest of the story. It was like a built in lull that went a bit too long in the moments of tension. What's more, the date itself didn't have that much bearing on the overarching plot. It was just a detour for Clara as she tried to navigate her time with the Doctor.
The other point is the allusion with Orson Pink. If nothing had been said and the relationship between Orson and Clara had been left totally up in the air, I would have been fine. However, Orson throws in the lines about Clara looking vaguely familiar and later talking about time travel stories from his great-grandparents. There is nothing wrong with that in this episode in particular, but when weighed against the overall storyline of Series Eight, it is just so out of place.
Whether you go with the idea that Clara was originally going to leave at the end of Series Eight or not, Danny Pink still dies and stays dead in Dark Water/Death in Heaven. This means that Steven Moffat knew from the beginning that Danny and Clara would never have children so why tease the idea? It's just an unnecessary couple of lines that throws needless twisting into the story when you step back and look at it as a whole.
Still, this is an excellent story. Scary but with moments of poignancy and humor. It is an excellent story to start someone off on in a modern sense, especially if you want to get them in with real tension. As mentioned before, I've now seen this one three times and I anticipate that I'll be watching it again and enjoying it more.
Overall personal score: 4.5 out of 5
Monday, May 16, 2016
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
I never liked clowns.
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is a rather meta story. It started as somewhat surreal, but as soon as Whizz Kid showed up, a very tongue in cheek vibe could be felt. It probably didn't help that the story had an obvious disdain for that character. This is a rather odd contrast with Silver Nemesis which aired prior to this. That was complete fan service romp (albeit with some cheek). It lends credence to the idea that the folks in charge of Doctor Who didn't know which way was up at this point.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Ace are in the TARDIS when they are visited by a robot. It taps in to the console and advertises The Psychic Circus, both to view and to compete in. Ace is hesitant but the Doctor shows interest. The robot goads her a little as well and she agrees. The two arrive and engage with a local fruit seller, who is dismissive of them and anything to do with the circus.
Elsewhere on the planet, two people, Bellboy and Flowerchild, are running away from the circus. They are pursued by clowns in a car and spied upon by kites above. The two split up with Bellboy trying to draw their pursuers attention. Flowerchild arrives at an abandoned bus and is attacked from behind, her attacker dragging her away leaving one earring behind. She had given the other to Bellboy.
The Doctor and Ace move along the road after a biker who was going to the circus. They are nearly run down by the clowns in the car, who pick up Bellboy after collapsing near the fruit stand. The Doctor and Ace stop and have tea with an explorer named Captain Cook and his assistant Mags. While there a robot buried in the sand awakes and begins to attack them. Ace knocks it out with a blow to the head.
The group walks on together and finds the same bus Flowerchild came to. Upon entering, they are accosted by a robot conductor with a lethal ticket machine. The Doctor tricks the robot and destroys it. Captain Cook and Mags walk on towards the circus but Ace and the Doctor stay behind to rest. Ace finds Flowerchild's earring and pins it to her jacket. The two then continue on towards the circus.
Bellboy is deposited back at the circus and then dragged into the center ring. Captain Cook and Mags arrive shortly after and observe him being punished in the ring. Mags begins to scream at the sight although the ringmaster mutes her scream. As Ace and the Doctor approach the circus, Ace can hear her scream but the Doctor cannot. With much reluctance, she enters the tent with the Doctor.
The Doctor engages in conversation with the gypsy running the ticket booth while she discusses the history of the circus. She seems rueful about their current stay on this planet. The chief clown invites them in to the big top. It is dark and they stumble about until a light comes up. There they see a family of three watching. The Doctor tries to engage them in conversation but they ignore him as the show starts. The Ringmaster invites the Doctor to participate in the show and after accepting is lead back. Ace is kept from the Doctor and she runs away from the clowns through the tunnels.
The Doctor sees Captain Cook, Mags and the biker in another room and goes to them. As he does, bars drop behind him and he is locked in a cage. Captain Cook informs him that it is now a game of survival. The biker is led away as the next act in the ring. In the ring, he impresses the family with a feat of strength but fails to impress them when he attempts to tell jokes. For that failure, he is vaporized.
Ace runs through the tunnels, eluding the clowns. She gets back to the main entrance where she overhears the gypsy and the ringmaster talking about the old days and how they are just part of a machine now. Ace is spotted and she runs back with the clowns chasing her. She finds Bellboy tied to a workbench and tries to talk to him but he does respond. The chief clown enters and drags Bellboy away to work on repairing the robotic clowns.
The Doctor and Mags hatch a plan to escape. While juggling, the start arguing about who will enter the ring first. When two clowns try to break up the argument, they strike them down and run into the tunnels. Captain Cook stays in the cage however. The Doctor and Mags wander through the tunnels until the come to a ancient stone passage. Although Mags is reluctant, they enter.
Ace nears the same entrance when she is cornered by the mentally damaged worker Deadbeat who alerts the chief clown. He drags Ace to the repair workshop and locks her in with the robot clowns. She notices that they start to move and advance towards her.
At the arrival of a new contestant, one who claims to be the circus' biggest fan, the ringmaster discovers the Doctor's escape. Captain Cook goes along and helps them find the Doctor and Mags, who have just discovered a well with an eye in it, identical to those on the kites. The Captain and the clowns take Mags but the Doctor runs off back towards the entrance.
Ace begins to fight off the clowns when they suddenly stop. In the same room is Bellboy who shuts them down upon seeing Ace whom he remembers showing him kindness. He talks wistfully of the days of the circus before it's current plight, when they were free to decide things themselves and just entertain. Filled with regret that one of his robots killed Flowerchild, tells Ace to keep Flowerchild's earring and also gives her a remote that controls a robot with the ability to fire lasers from it's eyes, similar to large one Ace knocked out with Captain Cook and Mags.
At the entrance, the Doctor spies the gypsy's crystal ball and sees a similar eye peering out of it. Deadbeat approaches the crystal but backs away fearful. The Doctor runs up to him in the tunnels and speaks of the eye and his fear. Deadbeat indicates for the Doctor to follow him.
In the big top, the family are growing restless and getting angry. The chief clown continues his search for the Doctor but orders the Ringmaster to send Captain Cook into the ring as the next contestant. Captain Cook in turn, takes advantage of Whizz Kid's enthusiasm and tricks him into going into the ring ahead of him. Whizz Kid readily agrees and dies shortly afterward.
The Doctor and Deadbeat break into the robot repair room where Ace and Bellboy are being held. Bellboy remembers that Deadbeat was once called Kingpin and he led them to this planet searching for something and it all went wrong from there. Deadbeat mutters information about the eye and the Doctor knows he must go back to the well. As they prepare to go, Bellboy stays behind to buy them time as he doesn't care anymore with Flowerchild gone.
The Doctor's group heads to the well where Deadbeat holds up a medallion with an eye on it. Ace recognizes it as something similar she saw at the bus. The Doctor decides that he will stall the circus people while Ace and Deadbeat head to the bus to retrieve the missing piece. Meanwhile the chief clown enters the original locked room but rather than give up the Doctor, Bellboy sets his own robots on him, imploring them to kill him. The chief clown backs out as the robots move in.
Ace and Deadbeat sneak out while the Doctor goes back to the cage. He urges Captain Cook and Mags to enter the ring with him to give them all a better chance. Mags agrees readily but Captain Cook does so reluctantly. Upon entering the ring, the Captain asks for moon spotlight to focus on Mags. The beam causes her to begin to turn into a werewolf. She chases the Doctor and the family is entertained by the affair. As she corners the Doctor, he appeals to her mercy and to fight it. Captain Cook however comes up to urge her on. She then rounds and kills Captain Cook.
Deadbeat and Ace arrive at the old bus. Ace searches while Deadbeat waits outside. She finds a sealed box that she suspects contains the missing piece but cannot open it. Her actions arouse the robot conductor who had been repaired. He attacks her and in doing so, jars open the box. Deadbeat picks up the missing piece and reassembles his medallion. As he does so, his memory returns. He tries to pull the conductor off Ace, but is knocked down. He shouts to Ace to push the button hidden under it's cap. She does so and the robotic conductor explodes.
After Mags recovers, she and the Doctor flee the ring. The family, knowing there are no more acts waiting, demand more entertainment. The Ringmaster and the gypsy protest that they will bring more, but the clowns sweep upon them and disappear them into baskets. The Doctor tells Mags to get to Ace and Kingpin to help them with the medallion. He will stay behind and stall. Mags flees the circus and the clowns gather into their car to chase after her.
The Doctor reenters the circus but separates the layers so that he appears in the family's true time, as the stone gods of Ragnarok. They demand to be entertained and he sets to do so with vaudevillian magic tricks. The gods are not amused but allow him to continue to see if it improves.
Mags reaches Ace and Kingpin and warns them. They see the clowns approaching and Ace gets an idea. She leads them back to the damaged large robot where Ace first met Captain Cook and Mags. She activates it using the remote that Bellboy gave her as the clowns approach. Using it's laser, it destroys the robot clowns and then guns down the head clown. Ace then deactivates the robot and the group takes the car back to the circus.
Arriving back at the circus, the group observes through the gypsy's crystal ball that the Doctor is with the gods. They run to the well but the undead body of Captain Cook follows them. At the well, he knocks down Kingpin and seizes the medallion. Ace and Mags rush him and the medallion falls into the well. The Doctor takes the medallion and uses it to reflect the gods' energy back at them. They become exhausted and collapse, causing the temple to crumble. Captain Cook stumbles and falls into the well as the entire circus begins to shake.
Ace, Mags and Kingpin run clear while the Doctor calmly walks away from circus as it explodes behind him. Kingpin vows to rebuild the circus and invites Mags to help him. He also invites Ace and the Doctor but the Doctor politely declines.
Analysis
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy was the child of necessity but that same freedom produced an interesting story. Studio filming was lost for this story so they made up for it with some old fashioned quarry shooting and an old circus tent. They also got creative with the story, including some very meta moments. Whizz Kid is a very obvious reference to the fans, going so far as to give him lines about not seeing the circus in the early days but still loving it. That the fan representation is shown so much disdain by the other characters and then killed by the family (who feel like a representation of the BBC) does hint rather strongly that the show was growing weary and disdainful of the very thing that was keeping it alive. Still, it was creative and interesting to see a show finally push back a bit from all those that were nibbling it to death.
On the whole, I would have to say that I rather enjoyed this one. It continued to have the problems that one associates with the Seventh Doctor era but they were more muted and allowed a fairly decent story to shine through. My quibbles remain the same as on nearly every Seventh Doctor story: the introduction was a bit muddled with more confusion than mystery to establish things, a somewhat rushed ending where the Doctor suddenly knows something and no explanation given as to where the information came from, and the typical odd cinematography that is a distinction of nearly every 80's show. They couldn't really help the last one so I give that a bit more of a pass.
The use of a tent and silks to disguise the lack of a studio was a rather interesting idea and seemed like a good first step towards the modern show. All parts were played well but I thought the head clown was particularly good. I can understand the general creepiness of clowns, although I don't have a problem with them, but the chief did a very good job in taking what could have been a slightly silly role and becoming genuinely sinister. Even better, he's not shown as being blatantly incompetent as some villains are shown to be. Yes, the protagonists give him the slip here and there, but aside from that, he is rather good at his job and gives a bit of a Joker vibe as he does so.
Aside from the acting, I think the thing I enjoyed most was the camera work. The director did a nice mix of close-ups and tight shots in addition to the standard long shots to both highlight tension and also disguise the location. It was also nice to see an appropriate use of lighting as well. Hallway shots were suitably dark as were other locations which helped to give the story a more dour and sinister mood. This also contrasted nicely with the normal atmosphere of a circus which is generally light and playful.
On the negative end of the scale, I would note the beginning and the end as alluded to earlier. Seventh Doctor stories seem to try and pack a lot of information in at the beginning but they also do it in such a way so as to not reveal anything that often leads the watcher confused. For instance, it was unclear to me throughout Episode One whether Flowerchild had actually be killed or simply knocked out and dragged away. It also seemed odd that no one would every openly admit that the conductor killed her. In fact, I was never really clear on why the bus was guarded unless it was a safeguard to ensure that no one could escape. But I felt more confused than curious, although that lifted as things sped along in Episode Two.
I was also annoyed at two points in the end. First was the quick disposal of the Ringmaster and the gypsy. It would have made more sense to me if they were magicked away but reappeared in the holding cage. But after they disappear in the baskets, they are simply gone as though they have been killed. It seemed like an odd way to dispose of them. I also would have liked to know how the Doctor knew that the entities being entertained were the gods of Ragnarok. That they are powerful alien entities is obvious, but that the Doctor seems to know all about them is never made clear and that annoying. It is another moment where it feels like a bit of exposition or some other scene were cut out. I would have almost preferred the entities to remain unnamed as their actual identities is not important to the story and just have the Doctor deal with them.
But on the whole, those are rather minor quibbles. Ultimately this is an entertaining story with it's flaws being relatively minor compared to the story and performance at large. Knowing the full ending, I'd be curious to watch this one again to see if it makes anything clearer. Ultimately though, each episode kept me curious as to what was going to happen next and how the situation was going to be resolved. The meta jokes also brought an extra layer of entertainment to me as well.
Overall personal score: 3.5 out of 5
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is a rather meta story. It started as somewhat surreal, but as soon as Whizz Kid showed up, a very tongue in cheek vibe could be felt. It probably didn't help that the story had an obvious disdain for that character. This is a rather odd contrast with Silver Nemesis which aired prior to this. That was complete fan service romp (albeit with some cheek). It lends credence to the idea that the folks in charge of Doctor Who didn't know which way was up at this point.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Ace are in the TARDIS when they are visited by a robot. It taps in to the console and advertises The Psychic Circus, both to view and to compete in. Ace is hesitant but the Doctor shows interest. The robot goads her a little as well and she agrees. The two arrive and engage with a local fruit seller, who is dismissive of them and anything to do with the circus.
Elsewhere on the planet, two people, Bellboy and Flowerchild, are running away from the circus. They are pursued by clowns in a car and spied upon by kites above. The two split up with Bellboy trying to draw their pursuers attention. Flowerchild arrives at an abandoned bus and is attacked from behind, her attacker dragging her away leaving one earring behind. She had given the other to Bellboy.
The Doctor and Ace move along the road after a biker who was going to the circus. They are nearly run down by the clowns in the car, who pick up Bellboy after collapsing near the fruit stand. The Doctor and Ace stop and have tea with an explorer named Captain Cook and his assistant Mags. While there a robot buried in the sand awakes and begins to attack them. Ace knocks it out with a blow to the head.
The group walks on together and finds the same bus Flowerchild came to. Upon entering, they are accosted by a robot conductor with a lethal ticket machine. The Doctor tricks the robot and destroys it. Captain Cook and Mags walk on towards the circus but Ace and the Doctor stay behind to rest. Ace finds Flowerchild's earring and pins it to her jacket. The two then continue on towards the circus.
Bellboy is deposited back at the circus and then dragged into the center ring. Captain Cook and Mags arrive shortly after and observe him being punished in the ring. Mags begins to scream at the sight although the ringmaster mutes her scream. As Ace and the Doctor approach the circus, Ace can hear her scream but the Doctor cannot. With much reluctance, she enters the tent with the Doctor.
The Doctor engages in conversation with the gypsy running the ticket booth while she discusses the history of the circus. She seems rueful about their current stay on this planet. The chief clown invites them in to the big top. It is dark and they stumble about until a light comes up. There they see a family of three watching. The Doctor tries to engage them in conversation but they ignore him as the show starts. The Ringmaster invites the Doctor to participate in the show and after accepting is lead back. Ace is kept from the Doctor and she runs away from the clowns through the tunnels.
The Doctor sees Captain Cook, Mags and the biker in another room and goes to them. As he does, bars drop behind him and he is locked in a cage. Captain Cook informs him that it is now a game of survival. The biker is led away as the next act in the ring. In the ring, he impresses the family with a feat of strength but fails to impress them when he attempts to tell jokes. For that failure, he is vaporized.
Ace runs through the tunnels, eluding the clowns. She gets back to the main entrance where she overhears the gypsy and the ringmaster talking about the old days and how they are just part of a machine now. Ace is spotted and she runs back with the clowns chasing her. She finds Bellboy tied to a workbench and tries to talk to him but he does respond. The chief clown enters and drags Bellboy away to work on repairing the robotic clowns.
The Doctor and Mags hatch a plan to escape. While juggling, the start arguing about who will enter the ring first. When two clowns try to break up the argument, they strike them down and run into the tunnels. Captain Cook stays in the cage however. The Doctor and Mags wander through the tunnels until the come to a ancient stone passage. Although Mags is reluctant, they enter.
Ace nears the same entrance when she is cornered by the mentally damaged worker Deadbeat who alerts the chief clown. He drags Ace to the repair workshop and locks her in with the robot clowns. She notices that they start to move and advance towards her.
At the arrival of a new contestant, one who claims to be the circus' biggest fan, the ringmaster discovers the Doctor's escape. Captain Cook goes along and helps them find the Doctor and Mags, who have just discovered a well with an eye in it, identical to those on the kites. The Captain and the clowns take Mags but the Doctor runs off back towards the entrance.
Ace begins to fight off the clowns when they suddenly stop. In the same room is Bellboy who shuts them down upon seeing Ace whom he remembers showing him kindness. He talks wistfully of the days of the circus before it's current plight, when they were free to decide things themselves and just entertain. Filled with regret that one of his robots killed Flowerchild, tells Ace to keep Flowerchild's earring and also gives her a remote that controls a robot with the ability to fire lasers from it's eyes, similar to large one Ace knocked out with Captain Cook and Mags.
At the entrance, the Doctor spies the gypsy's crystal ball and sees a similar eye peering out of it. Deadbeat approaches the crystal but backs away fearful. The Doctor runs up to him in the tunnels and speaks of the eye and his fear. Deadbeat indicates for the Doctor to follow him.
In the big top, the family are growing restless and getting angry. The chief clown continues his search for the Doctor but orders the Ringmaster to send Captain Cook into the ring as the next contestant. Captain Cook in turn, takes advantage of Whizz Kid's enthusiasm and tricks him into going into the ring ahead of him. Whizz Kid readily agrees and dies shortly afterward.
The Doctor and Deadbeat break into the robot repair room where Ace and Bellboy are being held. Bellboy remembers that Deadbeat was once called Kingpin and he led them to this planet searching for something and it all went wrong from there. Deadbeat mutters information about the eye and the Doctor knows he must go back to the well. As they prepare to go, Bellboy stays behind to buy them time as he doesn't care anymore with Flowerchild gone.
The Doctor's group heads to the well where Deadbeat holds up a medallion with an eye on it. Ace recognizes it as something similar she saw at the bus. The Doctor decides that he will stall the circus people while Ace and Deadbeat head to the bus to retrieve the missing piece. Meanwhile the chief clown enters the original locked room but rather than give up the Doctor, Bellboy sets his own robots on him, imploring them to kill him. The chief clown backs out as the robots move in.
Ace and Deadbeat sneak out while the Doctor goes back to the cage. He urges Captain Cook and Mags to enter the ring with him to give them all a better chance. Mags agrees readily but Captain Cook does so reluctantly. Upon entering the ring, the Captain asks for moon spotlight to focus on Mags. The beam causes her to begin to turn into a werewolf. She chases the Doctor and the family is entertained by the affair. As she corners the Doctor, he appeals to her mercy and to fight it. Captain Cook however comes up to urge her on. She then rounds and kills Captain Cook.
Deadbeat and Ace arrive at the old bus. Ace searches while Deadbeat waits outside. She finds a sealed box that she suspects contains the missing piece but cannot open it. Her actions arouse the robot conductor who had been repaired. He attacks her and in doing so, jars open the box. Deadbeat picks up the missing piece and reassembles his medallion. As he does so, his memory returns. He tries to pull the conductor off Ace, but is knocked down. He shouts to Ace to push the button hidden under it's cap. She does so and the robotic conductor explodes.
After Mags recovers, she and the Doctor flee the ring. The family, knowing there are no more acts waiting, demand more entertainment. The Ringmaster and the gypsy protest that they will bring more, but the clowns sweep upon them and disappear them into baskets. The Doctor tells Mags to get to Ace and Kingpin to help them with the medallion. He will stay behind and stall. Mags flees the circus and the clowns gather into their car to chase after her.
The Doctor reenters the circus but separates the layers so that he appears in the family's true time, as the stone gods of Ragnarok. They demand to be entertained and he sets to do so with vaudevillian magic tricks. The gods are not amused but allow him to continue to see if it improves.
Mags reaches Ace and Kingpin and warns them. They see the clowns approaching and Ace gets an idea. She leads them back to the damaged large robot where Ace first met Captain Cook and Mags. She activates it using the remote that Bellboy gave her as the clowns approach. Using it's laser, it destroys the robot clowns and then guns down the head clown. Ace then deactivates the robot and the group takes the car back to the circus.
Arriving back at the circus, the group observes through the gypsy's crystal ball that the Doctor is with the gods. They run to the well but the undead body of Captain Cook follows them. At the well, he knocks down Kingpin and seizes the medallion. Ace and Mags rush him and the medallion falls into the well. The Doctor takes the medallion and uses it to reflect the gods' energy back at them. They become exhausted and collapse, causing the temple to crumble. Captain Cook stumbles and falls into the well as the entire circus begins to shake.
Ace, Mags and Kingpin run clear while the Doctor calmly walks away from circus as it explodes behind him. Kingpin vows to rebuild the circus and invites Mags to help him. He also invites Ace and the Doctor but the Doctor politely declines.
Analysis
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy was the child of necessity but that same freedom produced an interesting story. Studio filming was lost for this story so they made up for it with some old fashioned quarry shooting and an old circus tent. They also got creative with the story, including some very meta moments. Whizz Kid is a very obvious reference to the fans, going so far as to give him lines about not seeing the circus in the early days but still loving it. That the fan representation is shown so much disdain by the other characters and then killed by the family (who feel like a representation of the BBC) does hint rather strongly that the show was growing weary and disdainful of the very thing that was keeping it alive. Still, it was creative and interesting to see a show finally push back a bit from all those that were nibbling it to death.
On the whole, I would have to say that I rather enjoyed this one. It continued to have the problems that one associates with the Seventh Doctor era but they were more muted and allowed a fairly decent story to shine through. My quibbles remain the same as on nearly every Seventh Doctor story: the introduction was a bit muddled with more confusion than mystery to establish things, a somewhat rushed ending where the Doctor suddenly knows something and no explanation given as to where the information came from, and the typical odd cinematography that is a distinction of nearly every 80's show. They couldn't really help the last one so I give that a bit more of a pass.
The use of a tent and silks to disguise the lack of a studio was a rather interesting idea and seemed like a good first step towards the modern show. All parts were played well but I thought the head clown was particularly good. I can understand the general creepiness of clowns, although I don't have a problem with them, but the chief did a very good job in taking what could have been a slightly silly role and becoming genuinely sinister. Even better, he's not shown as being blatantly incompetent as some villains are shown to be. Yes, the protagonists give him the slip here and there, but aside from that, he is rather good at his job and gives a bit of a Joker vibe as he does so.
Aside from the acting, I think the thing I enjoyed most was the camera work. The director did a nice mix of close-ups and tight shots in addition to the standard long shots to both highlight tension and also disguise the location. It was also nice to see an appropriate use of lighting as well. Hallway shots were suitably dark as were other locations which helped to give the story a more dour and sinister mood. This also contrasted nicely with the normal atmosphere of a circus which is generally light and playful.
On the negative end of the scale, I would note the beginning and the end as alluded to earlier. Seventh Doctor stories seem to try and pack a lot of information in at the beginning but they also do it in such a way so as to not reveal anything that often leads the watcher confused. For instance, it was unclear to me throughout Episode One whether Flowerchild had actually be killed or simply knocked out and dragged away. It also seemed odd that no one would every openly admit that the conductor killed her. In fact, I was never really clear on why the bus was guarded unless it was a safeguard to ensure that no one could escape. But I felt more confused than curious, although that lifted as things sped along in Episode Two.
I was also annoyed at two points in the end. First was the quick disposal of the Ringmaster and the gypsy. It would have made more sense to me if they were magicked away but reappeared in the holding cage. But after they disappear in the baskets, they are simply gone as though they have been killed. It seemed like an odd way to dispose of them. I also would have liked to know how the Doctor knew that the entities being entertained were the gods of Ragnarok. That they are powerful alien entities is obvious, but that the Doctor seems to know all about them is never made clear and that annoying. It is another moment where it feels like a bit of exposition or some other scene were cut out. I would have almost preferred the entities to remain unnamed as their actual identities is not important to the story and just have the Doctor deal with them.
But on the whole, those are rather minor quibbles. Ultimately this is an entertaining story with it's flaws being relatively minor compared to the story and performance at large. Knowing the full ending, I'd be curious to watch this one again to see if it makes anything clearer. Ultimately though, each episode kept me curious as to what was going to happen next and how the situation was going to be resolved. The meta jokes also brought an extra layer of entertainment to me as well.
Overall personal score: 3.5 out of 5
Thursday, May 12, 2016
The Unquiet Dead
In what way are you a cooling device?
The Unquiet Dead may be one of the best stories of Series One and also one of the best of the celebrity historicals. I remember being a bit dismissive of it the first time I watched it, but on second viewing, it was much more enjoyable.
Plot Summary
In 1869 Cardiff, Mr. Sneed, and undertaker, is seeing to a recently deceased woman. Her grandson is staying with her when the body reanimates and attacks him. Mr. Sneed tries to get her down but she breaks out and walks into the street. He collects his housekeeper Gwyneth and the two go looking for the woman.
The Doctor and Rose land a few blocks away and step out to explore. The dead woman enters a theater where Charles Dickens is giving a recital of A Christmas Carol. He observes the dead woman in the audience and sees blue mist coming from her mouth. The audience panics and rushes out, telling Mr. Sneed where to go. He and Gwyneth grab the now lifeless body and drag it to the hearse. The Doctor and Rose are also drawn by the commotion. The Doctor observes the blue mist creature entering the gas lamps. Rose however sees Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth taking the body and goes after them. Fearing she has seen too much, Mr. Sneed chloroforms Rose and dumps her in the hearse as well.
Seeing that Rose is missing, the Doctor runs out and sees her in the hearse. Charles Dickens, believing that the Doctor is behind this trick, runs after him. The Doctor commandeers Dickens' carriage and goes after them. Dickens comes along and after introductions and understanding of what is happening, warms up to the event.
Arriving at Mr. Sneed's mortuary, the Doctor hears Rose yelling for help and bursts in on her being attacked by the two corpses. The corpses ask for help before the blue gas leaves their bodies and disappears in to the lamps. The Doctor asks some questions of Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth before going after Dickens who is having difficulty coming to terms with the reality of the situation.
Rose and Gwyneth have a quiet moment of talking where Gwyneth reveals her psychic abilities. It seems there is a dimensional rift in Cardiff with a weak point over this house. Growing up near it has made Gwyneth sensitive to it. The Doctor sets up a séance with Gwyneth as medium. Dickens is skeptical again but agrees. The gas creatures appear and ask for help. They are known as the Gelf and their planet was destroyed in the Time War. They ask for a bridge to be formed through the rift so that they can inhabit dead bodies. The Doctor agrees, offering to take the dead bodies to a different planet so they can build a new world.
Rose tries to talk Gwyneth out of the Doctor's plan but she is convinced that she can help. The group heads down to the morgue and Gwyneth uses her sensitivity to form the bridge. However, upon completion, the Gelf move through and take possession of the bodies and attack. They kill Mr. Sneed and move on to the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor locks himself and Rose in a gated alcove while Dickens runs into the street. Angry at their lying, the Doctor vows to destroy them.
Dickens spies a gas lamp flickering in the street and gets an idea. He goes back into the house and blows out the flame of the lamps but keeps the gas on. He does this and yells to the Doctor what he is doing. The Doctor, being near the main gas line, releases it as well. The gas pulls the Gelf out of the bodies and into the air where they remain trapped. Rose and Dickens run into the street while the Doctor tries to get Gwyneth. He goes to her but realizes that her body has already died and only her latent spirit remains. That spirit pulls a matchbox out and readies to strike it. The Doctor runs out and gets out of the house as she strikes the match, causing the house to explode, closing the rift point and burning the Gelf in the air.
Dickens takes the Doctor and Rose back to the TARDIS, inspired with new vigor. He states that he will be returning to London to make amends with his family and will tell the world of what happened in the conclusion of his currently unfinished book. The Doctor and Rose depart although he confides to Rose that Dickens will die the next year and never finish that book. Dickens however, is greatly amused by the disappearing TARDIS and heads off to find his coach.
Analysis
There is not much to say about this particular story. It is a well crafted story and well acted. The bit play between the Doctor and Charles Dickens is particularly funny, especially with the use of anachronistic language in the form of the fan discussion.
It is nice that it is a well contained story with only three other characters beside the Doctor and Rose. Granted there are the dead bodies and the theater manager in one brief scene, but most of all the scenes only involve those five people and that gives it an intimate feel, as well as an understanding of how this event could happen and yet it escape with no one knowing about it, like many of the Doctor's adventures.
On that note, it is interesting that on the third episode of the new series, the rules established by the First Doctor are thrown out the window. Rose notes that dead bodies with gas people are not around in her time and the Doctor immediately shoots her down by noting that time is in flux and can constantly change. That makes for a strong departure from the First Doctor's statement about how time cannot be changed or that if it can, mechanisms exist to correct it (such as recently seen in The Time Meddler).
What's even more interesting is that just before the rift is opened, the Doctor tells the Gelf that living in the bodies is only a temporary solution and that he will take them to a new planet to rebuild. This would immediately explain Rose not knowing of gas beings in dead bodies in her time; the Doctor had taken them away. So his talk of about how time was in flux served nothing except to tell the audience that things are in play. I suppose this would be more in line with The Pyramids of Mars where the inaction of the Doctor would lead to an alternate future rather than direct action changing events.
Another aspect of this episode that was enjoyable was the peek into the Doctor's vulnerability regarding the Time War. Given what Gwyneth could pull from Rose's mind, it remains in question as to whether the Gelf were actual victims of the Time War or if they were simply exploiting the Doctor's memories to gain sympathy. Either way, the Doctor plunged full in to helping them while Rose was the counterbalance of skepticism. This is also a bit of contrast as usually it is the companion who shows mercy and kindness and the Doctor who needs to be convinced to step in.
Gwyneth and Mr. Sneed were decent enough characters, although a bit one note through the episode. It is not surprising that most scenes were stolen by Charles Dickens, who showed a great deal more depth and nuance in his characterization. But they played their parts well and were enjoyable to watch.
On the whole, I think and argument could be made for this story being the best of Series One, although I know that The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances will certainly get some votes. I would say that I think it's the best of the celebrity historicals until Vincent and the Doctor and I certainly understand how some would prefer this story to that. It was enjoyable to watch, a well paced story and one that I think I would enjoy a third time around.
Overall personal score: 4.5 out of 5
The Unquiet Dead may be one of the best stories of Series One and also one of the best of the celebrity historicals. I remember being a bit dismissive of it the first time I watched it, but on second viewing, it was much more enjoyable.
Plot Summary
In 1869 Cardiff, Mr. Sneed, and undertaker, is seeing to a recently deceased woman. Her grandson is staying with her when the body reanimates and attacks him. Mr. Sneed tries to get her down but she breaks out and walks into the street. He collects his housekeeper Gwyneth and the two go looking for the woman.
The Doctor and Rose land a few blocks away and step out to explore. The dead woman enters a theater where Charles Dickens is giving a recital of A Christmas Carol. He observes the dead woman in the audience and sees blue mist coming from her mouth. The audience panics and rushes out, telling Mr. Sneed where to go. He and Gwyneth grab the now lifeless body and drag it to the hearse. The Doctor and Rose are also drawn by the commotion. The Doctor observes the blue mist creature entering the gas lamps. Rose however sees Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth taking the body and goes after them. Fearing she has seen too much, Mr. Sneed chloroforms Rose and dumps her in the hearse as well.
Seeing that Rose is missing, the Doctor runs out and sees her in the hearse. Charles Dickens, believing that the Doctor is behind this trick, runs after him. The Doctor commandeers Dickens' carriage and goes after them. Dickens comes along and after introductions and understanding of what is happening, warms up to the event.
Arriving at Mr. Sneed's mortuary, the Doctor hears Rose yelling for help and bursts in on her being attacked by the two corpses. The corpses ask for help before the blue gas leaves their bodies and disappears in to the lamps. The Doctor asks some questions of Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth before going after Dickens who is having difficulty coming to terms with the reality of the situation.
Rose and Gwyneth have a quiet moment of talking where Gwyneth reveals her psychic abilities. It seems there is a dimensional rift in Cardiff with a weak point over this house. Growing up near it has made Gwyneth sensitive to it. The Doctor sets up a séance with Gwyneth as medium. Dickens is skeptical again but agrees. The gas creatures appear and ask for help. They are known as the Gelf and their planet was destroyed in the Time War. They ask for a bridge to be formed through the rift so that they can inhabit dead bodies. The Doctor agrees, offering to take the dead bodies to a different planet so they can build a new world.
Rose tries to talk Gwyneth out of the Doctor's plan but she is convinced that she can help. The group heads down to the morgue and Gwyneth uses her sensitivity to form the bridge. However, upon completion, the Gelf move through and take possession of the bodies and attack. They kill Mr. Sneed and move on to the Doctor and Rose. The Doctor locks himself and Rose in a gated alcove while Dickens runs into the street. Angry at their lying, the Doctor vows to destroy them.
Dickens spies a gas lamp flickering in the street and gets an idea. He goes back into the house and blows out the flame of the lamps but keeps the gas on. He does this and yells to the Doctor what he is doing. The Doctor, being near the main gas line, releases it as well. The gas pulls the Gelf out of the bodies and into the air where they remain trapped. Rose and Dickens run into the street while the Doctor tries to get Gwyneth. He goes to her but realizes that her body has already died and only her latent spirit remains. That spirit pulls a matchbox out and readies to strike it. The Doctor runs out and gets out of the house as she strikes the match, causing the house to explode, closing the rift point and burning the Gelf in the air.
Dickens takes the Doctor and Rose back to the TARDIS, inspired with new vigor. He states that he will be returning to London to make amends with his family and will tell the world of what happened in the conclusion of his currently unfinished book. The Doctor and Rose depart although he confides to Rose that Dickens will die the next year and never finish that book. Dickens however, is greatly amused by the disappearing TARDIS and heads off to find his coach.
Analysis
There is not much to say about this particular story. It is a well crafted story and well acted. The bit play between the Doctor and Charles Dickens is particularly funny, especially with the use of anachronistic language in the form of the fan discussion.
It is nice that it is a well contained story with only three other characters beside the Doctor and Rose. Granted there are the dead bodies and the theater manager in one brief scene, but most of all the scenes only involve those five people and that gives it an intimate feel, as well as an understanding of how this event could happen and yet it escape with no one knowing about it, like many of the Doctor's adventures.
On that note, it is interesting that on the third episode of the new series, the rules established by the First Doctor are thrown out the window. Rose notes that dead bodies with gas people are not around in her time and the Doctor immediately shoots her down by noting that time is in flux and can constantly change. That makes for a strong departure from the First Doctor's statement about how time cannot be changed or that if it can, mechanisms exist to correct it (such as recently seen in The Time Meddler).
What's even more interesting is that just before the rift is opened, the Doctor tells the Gelf that living in the bodies is only a temporary solution and that he will take them to a new planet to rebuild. This would immediately explain Rose not knowing of gas beings in dead bodies in her time; the Doctor had taken them away. So his talk of about how time was in flux served nothing except to tell the audience that things are in play. I suppose this would be more in line with The Pyramids of Mars where the inaction of the Doctor would lead to an alternate future rather than direct action changing events.
Another aspect of this episode that was enjoyable was the peek into the Doctor's vulnerability regarding the Time War. Given what Gwyneth could pull from Rose's mind, it remains in question as to whether the Gelf were actual victims of the Time War or if they were simply exploiting the Doctor's memories to gain sympathy. Either way, the Doctor plunged full in to helping them while Rose was the counterbalance of skepticism. This is also a bit of contrast as usually it is the companion who shows mercy and kindness and the Doctor who needs to be convinced to step in.
Gwyneth and Mr. Sneed were decent enough characters, although a bit one note through the episode. It is not surprising that most scenes were stolen by Charles Dickens, who showed a great deal more depth and nuance in his characterization. But they played their parts well and were enjoyable to watch.
On the whole, I think and argument could be made for this story being the best of Series One, although I know that The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances will certainly get some votes. I would say that I think it's the best of the celebrity historicals until Vincent and the Doctor and I certainly understand how some would prefer this story to that. It was enjoyable to watch, a well paced story and one that I think I would enjoy a third time around.
Overall personal score: 4.5 out of 5
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
The Time Meddler
I count myself very fortunate person indeed, to be here in the time to prevent this disgusting exhibition.
The Time Meddler is the beginning of a major turning point in Doctor Who. With the departure of Ian and Barbara at the end of The Chase, all of the original companions have gone leaving only the Doctor. In addition, The Time Meddler was the last story of Season Two and the beginning of the final production block where Verity Lambert would oversee the show as producer. The production block extended into the first five episodes of Season Three, but with The Mythmakers, John Wiles fully took over. It is somewhat understandable that the first ten minutes or so of Episode One feel a bit like a pilot episode with a lot of information being passed to Steven (and the audience) as the Doctor and Vicki explain the premise of the show and how things work.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Vicki reminisce about Ian and Barbara leaving when they hear a noise in the living quarters of the TARDIS. They prepare to defend themselves thinking that it might be a Dalek when Steven stumbles out and collapses. They carry him to a chair to recover. To ease things, the Doctor dematerializes the TARDIS on a beach, where it is observed by a man in a monk's cowl.
Steven is impressed with the ship but does not believe the Doctor or Vicki when told it is a time machine. Piqued, the Doctor tells Vicki to help Steven get cleaned up and then they will go out to show him that it is a time machine. Outside, they find a rusted Viking helmet, leading the Doctor to suspect they are in the 9th or 10th century. Unbeknownst to them, the monk has crept forward and is eavesdropping on their conversation. The Doctor, opting to investigate, walks along the beach while Steven and Vicki elect the climb the cliff face. The monk creeps forward and investigates the exterior of the TARDIS before noticing that he is missing something from his wrist.
Two other men observed the TARDIS on the beach and have come forward to investigate. They leave behind a woman, Edith, to manage the fire and house. The Doctor meets her and from her learns that it is the summer of 1066 and they are near York, just prior to the Viking invasion that will be beaten back by King Harold II just before losing the battle of Hastings. While sitting near the fire, the Doctor hears monks chanting in the abbey nearby, but the sound suddenly warbles as it would on a recording. He learns from Edith that the abbey had been abandoned until a few weeks ago but only one monk had been seen moving around the countryside. The Doctor thanks her and heads up to the abbey.
Vicki and Steven have gotten lost in the dark and stop to rest. While resting, they observe a local man, Eldred, bringing back a rabbit he has killed. He stops to pick something lying on the ground. Curious, and still not believing in time travel, Steven calls out to Eldred. He attacks Steven and then runs off. Steven however has grabbed the object he picked up. It is a modern wristwatch, further cementing Steven's belief that this is not the 11th century.
At the abbey, the Doctor sneaks in and finds a recording playing the Gregorian chants. He stops it but bars drop down and the monk peeks in and laughs at him. He moves the Doctor to a cell in the abbey and offers him breakfast, cooked using modern equipment but the Doctor refuses it. The monk leaves the abbey and watches the horizon. There he spies an approaching Viking ship.
Steven and Vicki awake in the forest but are captured by the villagers. They bring them back to the village where Edith recognizes their clothing style. The headman of the village, Edith's husband Wulnoth, decides to let them go while Edith tells them that the Doctor was headed to the abbey. They leave but Eldred, remembering their attack on him earlier, is fearful that they are spies for a Viking attack.
The Viking scout ship lands on the coast. Most of the warriors stay on the coast and the captain sends out two parties to scout the land and look for food and water. They are given orders not to engage unless necessary for they are a scout force preparing for the larger invasion by King Harald Hardrada later that year.
Steven and Vicki arrive at the abbey but when speaking to the monk, he denies ever seeing the Doctor. Steven sets a trap when asking and the monk gives evidence that he had seen the Doctor. Vicki is suspicious that it could be a trap for them but Steven decides that they will sneak in at nightfall to find the Doctor.
One of the Viking scout parties find the village with Edith being the only one around. They steal supplies and rape her. After they leave, the village men return from the fields to find what happened. Wulnoth leads a group after the Vikings, who have left a trail being drunk. They find them and attack. One of the Vikings is killed along with a couple of the villagers in the melee but the remaining two Vikings escape into the forest. Eldred is wounded and Wulnoth takes him to the abbey to get medical help.
At dark, Steven and Vicki sneak in to the abbey. The monk is aware of them entering but he is distracted when he hears knocking at the door. It is Wulnoth and Eldred, whom he escorts inside. Steven and Vicki find the record player of the chanting and then find the cell where the Doctor is being held. They break in but under the Doctor's cloak they find only straw. They guess that the Doctor found a secret passage to escape. Searching the cell, they also find it and follow it.
The monk treats Eldred's wounds and tries to get Wulnoth to take him back but they realize he is too weak to travel. Leaving Eldred to rest in the abbey, Wulnoth heads back to the village. The monk checks on the Doctor to find him gone. He also asks Eldred when they might expect the main Viking force and Eldred guesses a couple of days. The monk seems pleased and leaves him to sleep.
The Doctor returns to the village and talks to Edith, learning of what has happened. He reassures her that the Vikings will not bother them again as the main force will land further to the South and that it will be defeated by King Harold. He then returns to the abbey to deal with the monk. At the same time, Steven and Vicki emerge from the secret passage and continue to search for the Doctor in the woods.
The two surviving Viking raiders try to figure what to do. They elect to head to the abbey to seek sanctuary. Once inside, they will hold the monks as hostages until the main fleet arrives and they can return safely.
At the abbey, the Doctor surprises the monk and prepares to get his story out of him. Before he can, the door knocks again. To not cause any trouble, the Doctor dons a monk's cowl and opens the door. The Vikings enter and lock the Doctor back in his former cell with one standing guard. The monk, having hidden behind the door when the two Vikings entered, sneaks around and knocks out one searching the abbey. He ties up the Viking and then leaves the abbey.
Steven and Vicki return to the cliff overlooking the TARDIS but find the tide has come in and the TARDIS is inaccessible. They also find a futuristic cannon hidden in the bushes nearby. Hoping the Doctor headed around to stop the monk, they crawl back through the secret passage into the Abbey.
In the cell, the Doctor opens the secret passage entrance. The Viking, checking and seeing the open passage, enters to investigate. The Doctor, hiding behind the door, knocks him out. He heads out looking for the monk. Steven and Vicki arrive shortly after to find the unconscious Viking. They walk through the abbey and find an electrical cable leading to a sarcophagus. Doors are hidden in the bottom and inside they find a TARDIS. Searching through, they find many relics and weapons. They also find a log book demonstrating how the monk has given modern ideas and technology to primitive peoples to influence history.
The monk travels down to the village and asks Wulnoth to have the villagers prepare signal fires to be lit in a couple of days. He informs them that he is expecting materials to rebuild the monastery to be coming by ship and wants to guide them in. Wulnoth reluctantly agrees. Edith cautions him, telling him of what the Doctor said about a Viking fleet approaching.
The Doctor gets the drop on the monk upon returning to the abbey. The monk confesses his plan to change history. He will lure the Viking fleet further North than originally. Then he will use nuclear weaponry to destroy the fleet. With no northern invasion to sap his strength, Harold II will face the Norman invasion with a fresh, full strength army, allowing him to win the Battle of Hastings. The monk then plans on introducing other things into this alternate timeline, introducing the modern era over 400 years before it actually happened. The Doctor is appalled and forces the monk into his TARDIS. There they meet Steven and Vicki.
The Viking the Doctor knocked out comes to and finds his companion tied up. He releases him and the two search for the monks. As they search, they are spied by Eldred who hurries back to the village. The Vikings spy the monk and the Doctor's party emerging from the sarcophagus. The monk flees to them, professing loyalty to King Hardrada and the Vikings tie up the Doctor, Steven and Vicki. The monk gives the Vikings some warheads, telling them that they are charms that will aid their fleet.
In the village, Wulnoth is telling the rest of the village that the monk may be a Viking spy as they believe that the signal fires will actually lure the rest of the Vikings there. Eldred arrives in the middle and informs them that he saw Vikings in the abbey. Convinced, the villagers head to the abbey armed. They see the two Vikings emerging with the warheads with the monk. Upon seeing the mob, the three drop the warheads and flee into the forest. The monk misdirects the Vikings to a hiding spot and then flees in the opposite direction. The Vikings are cornered by the villagers and killed.
Edith frees the Doctor and his companions, inviting them back to the village to celebrate their victory. The Doctor accepts but says he must take care of something in the abbey first. Heading back into the monk's TARDIS, he sabotages it and then heads back to his own TARDIS with Steven and Vicki.
The monk circles back to the abbey to find everyone gone. He decides to leave but finds a letter written to him by the Doctor. He is amused at the Doctor's threat but is then horrified to find that the Doctor has stolen the dimensional transformer from his TARDIS. The control room is now shrunk down proportional to the sarcophagus exterior, rendering it impossible for him to enter and leave. He realizes he is marooned as the Doctor's TARDIS dematerializes.
Analysis
This was an excellent episode. I had unfortunately already been spoiled to the ending of Episode Four so I knew what was coming, but even with that, the story was very engaging. As each episode ended, and a couple of points where I had to stop in the middle, I was disappointed because I was genuinely interesting in seeing what happened next.
One of the best things about the episode is the production value. Nearly everything, except for a couple of quick bits of stock footage, is filmed in studio. Yet this fact is very well disguised. The forest sets look realistic as do the buildings, both exterior and interior. In fact, the only time where it is a bit obvious that they are in studio is when they are on the cliff face overlooking the TARDIS. There is nothing wrong with the set but the whole focusing on the characters while they point to and talk about something below or off the in distance is a fairly well known trick and did bring it back in.
One of the best tricks is the use of sound. It is subtle but whenever there is a forest scene, there is a chirping of birds in the background. Likewise, there are seagulls when on the beach or overlooking the cliff above the TARIDS. But the best is when they are in the abbey. The sounds is undamped so that there is an actual echo going on as if they are in a large cavernous space. It is not something that you would expect people to really notice but its addition just adds a whole level of realism that your brain picks up on. It is quite impressive.
The acting is very good in it as well. I think the two Vikings get a little over the top at one point, but they are still decent. The monk himself is a rather cool customer with a joking sense of humor. Even the Doctor seems greatly amused, even when he is obviously put out by the monk's actions. There is a good bit of humor even though the story goes to some very dark places. The aftermath of the Viking raid, including the rape of Edith, is striking for how dark it is. When Wulnoth finds Edith, I thought she was actually dead at first, but instead is catatonic. That is both impressive acting and a very dark place to go to in 1965 for a children's show. I certainly appreciated it.
I personally wish Doctor Who would actually do more stories along this line of this one. This is an alternate history lover's dream. I'm sure a number of stories and papers have been written about how King Harold could have won the battle of Hastings, with the removal of the Viking invasion being a good starting point. From there you go down the rabbit hole of what would have happened. It is interesting to see the show teach history by showing the possibility of it being changed. It also marks an interesting contrast to the Doctor's statement in The Aztecs about how history cannot be changed, even if you try. Of course, the monk did try and he was thwarted so one could argue that time did preventative maintenance by bringing the Doctor there.
If I had any quibble with the story, it is with the monk's motivations. He speaks about changing history to keep Harold on the throne and turning Britain into more of an insular place; not getting involved with all the wars in France. He estimates that with uninterrupted prosperity, they might have flight in less than 400 years and have Shakespeare produce his stories for broadcast on television. But the question is why? What does the monk gain out of this? If the monk were human, you might argue that it would be for the betterment of his race and power. After all, a Britain with powered flight and other modern technology could easily take over any location that they might desire.
However, it had been established in The Sensorites that the Doctor and Susan were from another planet and by implication, the monk was as well. So why is he interested in altering the course of Earth history? About the only thing I can think of is that he is interesting in staying on Earth for the long haul. Steven reads a passage in the monk's log that he placed a sum of money in a bank and jumped forward 200 years to collect a fortune based on the compound interest. The Doctor never worries about money but the monk does. From this, we can guess that he has a vested interest in improving his life on Earth and has little to no interest in going anywhere else. Either that or he is just someone who gets his jollies from causing trouble; like a prankster. It's a minor point but it does leave you scratching your head.
Overall, I think I would have to say that I think this is the best First Doctor story I've seen so far. It was on an interesting subject, it was well acted, it had moments of dark seriousness but was also tempered with a measure of levity. It was also well produced and well directed. I think I would happily watch this one again with no complaints.
Overall personal score: 5 out of 5
The Time Meddler is the beginning of a major turning point in Doctor Who. With the departure of Ian and Barbara at the end of The Chase, all of the original companions have gone leaving only the Doctor. In addition, The Time Meddler was the last story of Season Two and the beginning of the final production block where Verity Lambert would oversee the show as producer. The production block extended into the first five episodes of Season Three, but with The Mythmakers, John Wiles fully took over. It is somewhat understandable that the first ten minutes or so of Episode One feel a bit like a pilot episode with a lot of information being passed to Steven (and the audience) as the Doctor and Vicki explain the premise of the show and how things work.
Plot Summary
The Doctor and Vicki reminisce about Ian and Barbara leaving when they hear a noise in the living quarters of the TARDIS. They prepare to defend themselves thinking that it might be a Dalek when Steven stumbles out and collapses. They carry him to a chair to recover. To ease things, the Doctor dematerializes the TARDIS on a beach, where it is observed by a man in a monk's cowl.
Steven is impressed with the ship but does not believe the Doctor or Vicki when told it is a time machine. Piqued, the Doctor tells Vicki to help Steven get cleaned up and then they will go out to show him that it is a time machine. Outside, they find a rusted Viking helmet, leading the Doctor to suspect they are in the 9th or 10th century. Unbeknownst to them, the monk has crept forward and is eavesdropping on their conversation. The Doctor, opting to investigate, walks along the beach while Steven and Vicki elect the climb the cliff face. The monk creeps forward and investigates the exterior of the TARDIS before noticing that he is missing something from his wrist.
Two other men observed the TARDIS on the beach and have come forward to investigate. They leave behind a woman, Edith, to manage the fire and house. The Doctor meets her and from her learns that it is the summer of 1066 and they are near York, just prior to the Viking invasion that will be beaten back by King Harold II just before losing the battle of Hastings. While sitting near the fire, the Doctor hears monks chanting in the abbey nearby, but the sound suddenly warbles as it would on a recording. He learns from Edith that the abbey had been abandoned until a few weeks ago but only one monk had been seen moving around the countryside. The Doctor thanks her and heads up to the abbey.
Vicki and Steven have gotten lost in the dark and stop to rest. While resting, they observe a local man, Eldred, bringing back a rabbit he has killed. He stops to pick something lying on the ground. Curious, and still not believing in time travel, Steven calls out to Eldred. He attacks Steven and then runs off. Steven however has grabbed the object he picked up. It is a modern wristwatch, further cementing Steven's belief that this is not the 11th century.
At the abbey, the Doctor sneaks in and finds a recording playing the Gregorian chants. He stops it but bars drop down and the monk peeks in and laughs at him. He moves the Doctor to a cell in the abbey and offers him breakfast, cooked using modern equipment but the Doctor refuses it. The monk leaves the abbey and watches the horizon. There he spies an approaching Viking ship.
Steven and Vicki awake in the forest but are captured by the villagers. They bring them back to the village where Edith recognizes their clothing style. The headman of the village, Edith's husband Wulnoth, decides to let them go while Edith tells them that the Doctor was headed to the abbey. They leave but Eldred, remembering their attack on him earlier, is fearful that they are spies for a Viking attack.
The Viking scout ship lands on the coast. Most of the warriors stay on the coast and the captain sends out two parties to scout the land and look for food and water. They are given orders not to engage unless necessary for they are a scout force preparing for the larger invasion by King Harald Hardrada later that year.
Steven and Vicki arrive at the abbey but when speaking to the monk, he denies ever seeing the Doctor. Steven sets a trap when asking and the monk gives evidence that he had seen the Doctor. Vicki is suspicious that it could be a trap for them but Steven decides that they will sneak in at nightfall to find the Doctor.
One of the Viking scout parties find the village with Edith being the only one around. They steal supplies and rape her. After they leave, the village men return from the fields to find what happened. Wulnoth leads a group after the Vikings, who have left a trail being drunk. They find them and attack. One of the Vikings is killed along with a couple of the villagers in the melee but the remaining two Vikings escape into the forest. Eldred is wounded and Wulnoth takes him to the abbey to get medical help.
At dark, Steven and Vicki sneak in to the abbey. The monk is aware of them entering but he is distracted when he hears knocking at the door. It is Wulnoth and Eldred, whom he escorts inside. Steven and Vicki find the record player of the chanting and then find the cell where the Doctor is being held. They break in but under the Doctor's cloak they find only straw. They guess that the Doctor found a secret passage to escape. Searching the cell, they also find it and follow it.
The monk treats Eldred's wounds and tries to get Wulnoth to take him back but they realize he is too weak to travel. Leaving Eldred to rest in the abbey, Wulnoth heads back to the village. The monk checks on the Doctor to find him gone. He also asks Eldred when they might expect the main Viking force and Eldred guesses a couple of days. The monk seems pleased and leaves him to sleep.
The Doctor returns to the village and talks to Edith, learning of what has happened. He reassures her that the Vikings will not bother them again as the main force will land further to the South and that it will be defeated by King Harold. He then returns to the abbey to deal with the monk. At the same time, Steven and Vicki emerge from the secret passage and continue to search for the Doctor in the woods.
The two surviving Viking raiders try to figure what to do. They elect to head to the abbey to seek sanctuary. Once inside, they will hold the monks as hostages until the main fleet arrives and they can return safely.
At the abbey, the Doctor surprises the monk and prepares to get his story out of him. Before he can, the door knocks again. To not cause any trouble, the Doctor dons a monk's cowl and opens the door. The Vikings enter and lock the Doctor back in his former cell with one standing guard. The monk, having hidden behind the door when the two Vikings entered, sneaks around and knocks out one searching the abbey. He ties up the Viking and then leaves the abbey.
Steven and Vicki return to the cliff overlooking the TARDIS but find the tide has come in and the TARDIS is inaccessible. They also find a futuristic cannon hidden in the bushes nearby. Hoping the Doctor headed around to stop the monk, they crawl back through the secret passage into the Abbey.
In the cell, the Doctor opens the secret passage entrance. The Viking, checking and seeing the open passage, enters to investigate. The Doctor, hiding behind the door, knocks him out. He heads out looking for the monk. Steven and Vicki arrive shortly after to find the unconscious Viking. They walk through the abbey and find an electrical cable leading to a sarcophagus. Doors are hidden in the bottom and inside they find a TARDIS. Searching through, they find many relics and weapons. They also find a log book demonstrating how the monk has given modern ideas and technology to primitive peoples to influence history.
The monk travels down to the village and asks Wulnoth to have the villagers prepare signal fires to be lit in a couple of days. He informs them that he is expecting materials to rebuild the monastery to be coming by ship and wants to guide them in. Wulnoth reluctantly agrees. Edith cautions him, telling him of what the Doctor said about a Viking fleet approaching.
The Doctor gets the drop on the monk upon returning to the abbey. The monk confesses his plan to change history. He will lure the Viking fleet further North than originally. Then he will use nuclear weaponry to destroy the fleet. With no northern invasion to sap his strength, Harold II will face the Norman invasion with a fresh, full strength army, allowing him to win the Battle of Hastings. The monk then plans on introducing other things into this alternate timeline, introducing the modern era over 400 years before it actually happened. The Doctor is appalled and forces the monk into his TARDIS. There they meet Steven and Vicki.
The Viking the Doctor knocked out comes to and finds his companion tied up. He releases him and the two search for the monks. As they search, they are spied by Eldred who hurries back to the village. The Vikings spy the monk and the Doctor's party emerging from the sarcophagus. The monk flees to them, professing loyalty to King Hardrada and the Vikings tie up the Doctor, Steven and Vicki. The monk gives the Vikings some warheads, telling them that they are charms that will aid their fleet.
In the village, Wulnoth is telling the rest of the village that the monk may be a Viking spy as they believe that the signal fires will actually lure the rest of the Vikings there. Eldred arrives in the middle and informs them that he saw Vikings in the abbey. Convinced, the villagers head to the abbey armed. They see the two Vikings emerging with the warheads with the monk. Upon seeing the mob, the three drop the warheads and flee into the forest. The monk misdirects the Vikings to a hiding spot and then flees in the opposite direction. The Vikings are cornered by the villagers and killed.
Edith frees the Doctor and his companions, inviting them back to the village to celebrate their victory. The Doctor accepts but says he must take care of something in the abbey first. Heading back into the monk's TARDIS, he sabotages it and then heads back to his own TARDIS with Steven and Vicki.
The monk circles back to the abbey to find everyone gone. He decides to leave but finds a letter written to him by the Doctor. He is amused at the Doctor's threat but is then horrified to find that the Doctor has stolen the dimensional transformer from his TARDIS. The control room is now shrunk down proportional to the sarcophagus exterior, rendering it impossible for him to enter and leave. He realizes he is marooned as the Doctor's TARDIS dematerializes.
Analysis
This was an excellent episode. I had unfortunately already been spoiled to the ending of Episode Four so I knew what was coming, but even with that, the story was very engaging. As each episode ended, and a couple of points where I had to stop in the middle, I was disappointed because I was genuinely interesting in seeing what happened next.
One of the best things about the episode is the production value. Nearly everything, except for a couple of quick bits of stock footage, is filmed in studio. Yet this fact is very well disguised. The forest sets look realistic as do the buildings, both exterior and interior. In fact, the only time where it is a bit obvious that they are in studio is when they are on the cliff face overlooking the TARDIS. There is nothing wrong with the set but the whole focusing on the characters while they point to and talk about something below or off the in distance is a fairly well known trick and did bring it back in.
One of the best tricks is the use of sound. It is subtle but whenever there is a forest scene, there is a chirping of birds in the background. Likewise, there are seagulls when on the beach or overlooking the cliff above the TARIDS. But the best is when they are in the abbey. The sounds is undamped so that there is an actual echo going on as if they are in a large cavernous space. It is not something that you would expect people to really notice but its addition just adds a whole level of realism that your brain picks up on. It is quite impressive.
The acting is very good in it as well. I think the two Vikings get a little over the top at one point, but they are still decent. The monk himself is a rather cool customer with a joking sense of humor. Even the Doctor seems greatly amused, even when he is obviously put out by the monk's actions. There is a good bit of humor even though the story goes to some very dark places. The aftermath of the Viking raid, including the rape of Edith, is striking for how dark it is. When Wulnoth finds Edith, I thought she was actually dead at first, but instead is catatonic. That is both impressive acting and a very dark place to go to in 1965 for a children's show. I certainly appreciated it.
I personally wish Doctor Who would actually do more stories along this line of this one. This is an alternate history lover's dream. I'm sure a number of stories and papers have been written about how King Harold could have won the battle of Hastings, with the removal of the Viking invasion being a good starting point. From there you go down the rabbit hole of what would have happened. It is interesting to see the show teach history by showing the possibility of it being changed. It also marks an interesting contrast to the Doctor's statement in The Aztecs about how history cannot be changed, even if you try. Of course, the monk did try and he was thwarted so one could argue that time did preventative maintenance by bringing the Doctor there.
If I had any quibble with the story, it is with the monk's motivations. He speaks about changing history to keep Harold on the throne and turning Britain into more of an insular place; not getting involved with all the wars in France. He estimates that with uninterrupted prosperity, they might have flight in less than 400 years and have Shakespeare produce his stories for broadcast on television. But the question is why? What does the monk gain out of this? If the monk were human, you might argue that it would be for the betterment of his race and power. After all, a Britain with powered flight and other modern technology could easily take over any location that they might desire.
However, it had been established in The Sensorites that the Doctor and Susan were from another planet and by implication, the monk was as well. So why is he interested in altering the course of Earth history? About the only thing I can think of is that he is interesting in staying on Earth for the long haul. Steven reads a passage in the monk's log that he placed a sum of money in a bank and jumped forward 200 years to collect a fortune based on the compound interest. The Doctor never worries about money but the monk does. From this, we can guess that he has a vested interest in improving his life on Earth and has little to no interest in going anywhere else. Either that or he is just someone who gets his jollies from causing trouble; like a prankster. It's a minor point but it does leave you scratching your head.
Overall, I think I would have to say that I think this is the best First Doctor story I've seen so far. It was on an interesting subject, it was well acted, it had moments of dark seriousness but was also tempered with a measure of levity. It was also well produced and well directed. I think I would happily watch this one again with no complaints.
Overall personal score: 5 out of 5
Friday, May 6, 2016
Cold War
There we have it Doctor. Mutually Assured Destruction.
The second half of Series Seven, being the build up to the 50th anniversary, was replete with nods to previous Doctors. Cold War was Second Doctor reference and it had it in spades. A "base under siege" story with the enemy locked in rather than out, the Ice Warriors and even the use of the HADS were all strong flourishes towards the Second Doctor era. There is also a strong flavor of The Hunt for Red October and K-19: The Widowmaker in this story as well.
Plot Summary
A Soviet submarine in 1983 is conducting missile drills after hunting for oil deposits in the Arctic Ocean. While drilling, they recovered what they thought was a mammoth frozen in ice and one crew member begins to thaw it. Instead, it is an Ice Warrior who is revived by the application of heat. Bursting through the ice, he damages the control mechanism of the sub and it plunges into deeper water.
Into this, the TARDIS arrives with the Doctor having miscalculated their arrival in Las Vegas. Immediately arrested, although trapped on the bridge, the Doctor yells advice on how to stop the sub's descent. The captain takes it and the sub lodges on a rock outcropping with no major damage.
During the descent, the TARDIS HADS (Hostile Action Displacement System) accidentally engaged and the TARDIS disappears, leaving the Doctor and Clara trapped on the sub. Captain Zhukov prepares to detain the Doctor and Clara as Western spies when the Ice Warrior appears. He is General Skaldak, a great hero of the Ice Warriors who was frozen nearly 5,000 years ago. The Doctor offers to help him when the First Officer, Lt. Stepashin knocks him out with a cattle prod.
Terrified that Stepashin's actions will result in Skaldak declaring war on Earth, he insists that Skaldak be chained in the torpedo room. The Doctor knows he must negotiate peace with Skaldak but Captain Zhukov refuses to let the Doctor go. Knowing that no soldier can negotiate, Clara offers to go with the Doctor relaying words through a headset. Skaldak meanwhile, has recovered and activated a distress beacon in his armor.
Clara enters the room and begins to talk with Skaldak. Skaldak takes assessment of the situation by talking with the Doctor but when Clara approaches the suit, she notices that Skaldak has left it. She begins to panic and opens the hatch. Upon doing so, Skaldak leaps out and runs past her, into the rest of the sub. The Doctor is even more concerned now as leaving their suits is considered the highest dishonor for an Ice Warrior and that he stopped broadcasting his distress signal, a sign that Skaldak assumes that his people are no more.
Skaldak sneaks up on Lt. Stepashin who tries to form an alliance to save himself. Skaldak baits him for information before killing him. He then attacks and kills two other crew members, dissecting their bodies to get a better understanding of human anatomy. Captain Zhukov spies Skaldak through a grating and chases him to where Clara and Professor Grisenko are waiting for the Doctor. Skaldak tries to attack Clara but Gisenko gets him off by shooting at him. He then attacks Grisenko but Clara begs him to stop. Skaldak hesitates and both the Doctor and Captain Zhukov arrive. The Doctor again tries to talk to Skaldak but Skaldak summons his suit, forcing the group to face it. Skaldak reenters the suit and heads for the bridge.
On the bridge, Skaldak prepares to fire a nuclear missile, triggering a nuclear war that will destroy humanity. The Doctor again begs him to have mercy and announces that he will detonate the missiles and destroy the submarine if Skaldak tries to launch the missile. Skaldak is impressed with the Doctor's use of mutually assured destruction and seems amused as he asks the Doctor which of them will blink first.
As they face off, a Martian spacecraft appears having received Skaldak's signal. The ship tows the sub to the surface of the water and then transports Skaldak on board. Skaldak still has the power to launch the armed missile remotely and the Doctor waits to see if he will have to destroy the sub, now that Skaldak is no longer in danger. Skaldak sends a remote signal which disarms the missiles and the Martian ship flies away.
On the surface, Captain Zhukov oversees the further repairs to the sub while the Doctor searches for the TARDIS. He receives a signal indicating that it has reappeared at the South Pole and sheepishly asks Zhukov for a lift.
Analysis
Cold War is a very tense ride and a pretty good episode overall. Amusingly it also turned a couple of adages on their ear. Prior to the airing of the second half of Series Seven, a common trope had been that the new series would be winding down when the Ice Warriors reappeared. On top of that, Neil Gammon had stated that he was writing a episode for this same period with the intention of making the Cybermen scary again. It is the irony of the show that the Ice Warriors came out as menacing with Cold War being highly regarded and Nightmare in Silver dismissed as probably the worst episode of Series Seven, though the Cybermen were made a bit scarier. I'd still say that the Ice Warriors came off better on the whole though.
In addition to a good scary monster in a tense confined environment, this episode has some very good guest stars. The big one is David Warner as Professor Grisenko, but Zhukov and Stepashin are no slouches either. Zhukov was played by Liam Cunningham who is probably best known as Ser Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones while Stepashin is played by Tobias Menzies, also of Game of Thrones (Edmure Tully) and Outlander (Frank Randall/Jack Randall). In many ways, there is almost too much talent in the guest cast as it feels a bit like a waste not to have them on the screen all the time and that shuns the Doctor a bit too the side. But one should not complain about wealth when one has it and I'd rather have an episode overflowing with acting talent than to be hanging my head at the tortured attempts at acting that occasionally manifest themselves.
Skaldak was a very effective villain and an excellent use of the Ice Warrior as a whole. The abilities of the armor were obviously improved since the classic era as Skaldak moved much more fluidly in his suit than had ever been seen before. But removing him from his suit also gave the story an Alien feel than could never be accomplished with a full suited Ice Warrior. Making Skaldak a member of the upper tier of Ice Warrior society also cut down on the hissing done in his speech pattern and has been repeatedly mocked through the years. This actually put Skaldak closer to Lord Izlyr (The Curse of Peladon) than the standard Ice Warrior soldier, but it was still effective. I also always appreciate an antagonist who plots and thinks rather than simply brute forcing his way through things.
The tenseness of the story was a double edged sword in this case. On one hand, the story grabbed you from the beginning and never let you go, keeping things tense and constantly in action. On the other hand, it also gave the story a slightly rushed feel. I think the story could have benefited from a small bit of padding to a couple of scenes. Not much, perhaps a few seconds here and there. But it would have given the audience a chance to breathe for a moment, but in that breath, tense up even further because they knew that something was going to happen. There was some of this in the first half of the episode, but once Skaldak left the torpedo room it just felt like there was no stopping and the final scene in the bridge especially just had a slightly rushed feel. A small bit of tweaking with the pacing would have pushed things from very good to excellent in my opinion.
My only other complaint about this story is one that the producers could not have done anything about. Watching this again, I'm not sure this was a good story for the Eleventh Doctor. He does well as I think any Doctor would have, but the best Eleventh Doctor stories, while filled with tense moments and lots of action, although have moments of breathing space where he can fill things with levity. This story had no breathing space and the few attempts at levity came across as forced or just out of place. I think this story would have been better served by a Doctor with a harder or more serious edge. The Twelfth Doctor obviously would have done well, but I think the Third, Fourth, or Sixth Doctors would also have done very well. In fact, there is much in the attitude of this story that reminds me of the Doctor's behavior in Pyramids of Mars where there is almost no joking and the outlook of the Earth is in actual peril unless the Doctor acts as an agent of stability. The Eleventh Doctor wasn't bad in this, but he did feel a bit out of place in this story and not up to his full potential.
One other small quibble was with the music. The music wasn't bad, but it seemed so much louder than the dialogue. When the regular dialogue was on, I felt like I had to turn it up to hear everything properly, especially with the background noise of the dripping water. But whenever the music kicked in, I had to grab the volume control and turn it down as it was blaring out at full power. There were moments, especially in the beginning where the sub is stuck in the dive that I couldn't completely understand the dialogue as the music was so overwhelmingly loud relative to it. Not a huge problem, but something that did act as a distraction rather than an enhancement.
Overall, a very good story. I think I would have liked it a touch better with a different Doctor, but still a very good story and one that I wouldn't have any problem watching a second time around. It would be interesting to watch this story with a Game of Thrones fan to see what they thought of the guess appearances and the overall tone.
Overall personal score: 4 out of 5
The second half of Series Seven, being the build up to the 50th anniversary, was replete with nods to previous Doctors. Cold War was Second Doctor reference and it had it in spades. A "base under siege" story with the enemy locked in rather than out, the Ice Warriors and even the use of the HADS were all strong flourishes towards the Second Doctor era. There is also a strong flavor of The Hunt for Red October and K-19: The Widowmaker in this story as well.
Plot Summary
A Soviet submarine in 1983 is conducting missile drills after hunting for oil deposits in the Arctic Ocean. While drilling, they recovered what they thought was a mammoth frozen in ice and one crew member begins to thaw it. Instead, it is an Ice Warrior who is revived by the application of heat. Bursting through the ice, he damages the control mechanism of the sub and it plunges into deeper water.
Into this, the TARDIS arrives with the Doctor having miscalculated their arrival in Las Vegas. Immediately arrested, although trapped on the bridge, the Doctor yells advice on how to stop the sub's descent. The captain takes it and the sub lodges on a rock outcropping with no major damage.
During the descent, the TARDIS HADS (Hostile Action Displacement System) accidentally engaged and the TARDIS disappears, leaving the Doctor and Clara trapped on the sub. Captain Zhukov prepares to detain the Doctor and Clara as Western spies when the Ice Warrior appears. He is General Skaldak, a great hero of the Ice Warriors who was frozen nearly 5,000 years ago. The Doctor offers to help him when the First Officer, Lt. Stepashin knocks him out with a cattle prod.
Terrified that Stepashin's actions will result in Skaldak declaring war on Earth, he insists that Skaldak be chained in the torpedo room. The Doctor knows he must negotiate peace with Skaldak but Captain Zhukov refuses to let the Doctor go. Knowing that no soldier can negotiate, Clara offers to go with the Doctor relaying words through a headset. Skaldak meanwhile, has recovered and activated a distress beacon in his armor.
Clara enters the room and begins to talk with Skaldak. Skaldak takes assessment of the situation by talking with the Doctor but when Clara approaches the suit, she notices that Skaldak has left it. She begins to panic and opens the hatch. Upon doing so, Skaldak leaps out and runs past her, into the rest of the sub. The Doctor is even more concerned now as leaving their suits is considered the highest dishonor for an Ice Warrior and that he stopped broadcasting his distress signal, a sign that Skaldak assumes that his people are no more.
Skaldak sneaks up on Lt. Stepashin who tries to form an alliance to save himself. Skaldak baits him for information before killing him. He then attacks and kills two other crew members, dissecting their bodies to get a better understanding of human anatomy. Captain Zhukov spies Skaldak through a grating and chases him to where Clara and Professor Grisenko are waiting for the Doctor. Skaldak tries to attack Clara but Gisenko gets him off by shooting at him. He then attacks Grisenko but Clara begs him to stop. Skaldak hesitates and both the Doctor and Captain Zhukov arrive. The Doctor again tries to talk to Skaldak but Skaldak summons his suit, forcing the group to face it. Skaldak reenters the suit and heads for the bridge.
On the bridge, Skaldak prepares to fire a nuclear missile, triggering a nuclear war that will destroy humanity. The Doctor again begs him to have mercy and announces that he will detonate the missiles and destroy the submarine if Skaldak tries to launch the missile. Skaldak is impressed with the Doctor's use of mutually assured destruction and seems amused as he asks the Doctor which of them will blink first.
As they face off, a Martian spacecraft appears having received Skaldak's signal. The ship tows the sub to the surface of the water and then transports Skaldak on board. Skaldak still has the power to launch the armed missile remotely and the Doctor waits to see if he will have to destroy the sub, now that Skaldak is no longer in danger. Skaldak sends a remote signal which disarms the missiles and the Martian ship flies away.
On the surface, Captain Zhukov oversees the further repairs to the sub while the Doctor searches for the TARDIS. He receives a signal indicating that it has reappeared at the South Pole and sheepishly asks Zhukov for a lift.
Analysis
Cold War is a very tense ride and a pretty good episode overall. Amusingly it also turned a couple of adages on their ear. Prior to the airing of the second half of Series Seven, a common trope had been that the new series would be winding down when the Ice Warriors reappeared. On top of that, Neil Gammon had stated that he was writing a episode for this same period with the intention of making the Cybermen scary again. It is the irony of the show that the Ice Warriors came out as menacing with Cold War being highly regarded and Nightmare in Silver dismissed as probably the worst episode of Series Seven, though the Cybermen were made a bit scarier. I'd still say that the Ice Warriors came off better on the whole though.
In addition to a good scary monster in a tense confined environment, this episode has some very good guest stars. The big one is David Warner as Professor Grisenko, but Zhukov and Stepashin are no slouches either. Zhukov was played by Liam Cunningham who is probably best known as Ser Davos Seaworth on Game of Thrones while Stepashin is played by Tobias Menzies, also of Game of Thrones (Edmure Tully) and Outlander (Frank Randall/Jack Randall). In many ways, there is almost too much talent in the guest cast as it feels a bit like a waste not to have them on the screen all the time and that shuns the Doctor a bit too the side. But one should not complain about wealth when one has it and I'd rather have an episode overflowing with acting talent than to be hanging my head at the tortured attempts at acting that occasionally manifest themselves.
Skaldak was a very effective villain and an excellent use of the Ice Warrior as a whole. The abilities of the armor were obviously improved since the classic era as Skaldak moved much more fluidly in his suit than had ever been seen before. But removing him from his suit also gave the story an Alien feel than could never be accomplished with a full suited Ice Warrior. Making Skaldak a member of the upper tier of Ice Warrior society also cut down on the hissing done in his speech pattern and has been repeatedly mocked through the years. This actually put Skaldak closer to Lord Izlyr (The Curse of Peladon) than the standard Ice Warrior soldier, but it was still effective. I also always appreciate an antagonist who plots and thinks rather than simply brute forcing his way through things.
The tenseness of the story was a double edged sword in this case. On one hand, the story grabbed you from the beginning and never let you go, keeping things tense and constantly in action. On the other hand, it also gave the story a slightly rushed feel. I think the story could have benefited from a small bit of padding to a couple of scenes. Not much, perhaps a few seconds here and there. But it would have given the audience a chance to breathe for a moment, but in that breath, tense up even further because they knew that something was going to happen. There was some of this in the first half of the episode, but once Skaldak left the torpedo room it just felt like there was no stopping and the final scene in the bridge especially just had a slightly rushed feel. A small bit of tweaking with the pacing would have pushed things from very good to excellent in my opinion.
My only other complaint about this story is one that the producers could not have done anything about. Watching this again, I'm not sure this was a good story for the Eleventh Doctor. He does well as I think any Doctor would have, but the best Eleventh Doctor stories, while filled with tense moments and lots of action, although have moments of breathing space where he can fill things with levity. This story had no breathing space and the few attempts at levity came across as forced or just out of place. I think this story would have been better served by a Doctor with a harder or more serious edge. The Twelfth Doctor obviously would have done well, but I think the Third, Fourth, or Sixth Doctors would also have done very well. In fact, there is much in the attitude of this story that reminds me of the Doctor's behavior in Pyramids of Mars where there is almost no joking and the outlook of the Earth is in actual peril unless the Doctor acts as an agent of stability. The Eleventh Doctor wasn't bad in this, but he did feel a bit out of place in this story and not up to his full potential.
One other small quibble was with the music. The music wasn't bad, but it seemed so much louder than the dialogue. When the regular dialogue was on, I felt like I had to turn it up to hear everything properly, especially with the background noise of the dripping water. But whenever the music kicked in, I had to grab the volume control and turn it down as it was blaring out at full power. There were moments, especially in the beginning where the sub is stuck in the dive that I couldn't completely understand the dialogue as the music was so overwhelmingly loud relative to it. Not a huge problem, but something that did act as a distraction rather than an enhancement.
Overall, a very good story. I think I would have liked it a touch better with a different Doctor, but still a very good story and one that I wouldn't have any problem watching a second time around. It would be interesting to watch this story with a Game of Thrones fan to see what they thought of the guess appearances and the overall tone.
Overall personal score: 4 out of 5
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