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Going Through Doctor Who (Spoilers all Eps aired on BBC/BBCA)

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    Robot is a load of nonsense. It's not bad, per se, but it's just really, really ludicrous.

    PLOT

    As the Doctor is recovering from his regeneration at UNIT HQ, an experimental prototype robot is misused by a fascistic group plotting to blow up ze world(yes, we're at Zaroff levels here).

    There's very little making sense. It's as if Terrance wanted to make the craziest story for what he perceived the craziest Doctor. All the characters are shameless caricatures, the robot is preposterously wobbly and it just feels... well, stupid.

    CHARACTERS

    Before I talk about my opinion of the Fourth Doctor, I'd like to say that I was really shocked at how similar he was to the new series Doctors. His post-regeneration scene, where he examines his face and comments on how a new body is like a new house could've easily been written by either Davies or Moffat. Throughout the story, he exhibits a similar kind of flippancy that defines the 11th and 12th Doctors. Truly, Tom Baker was the first madman in a box.

    Which is also largely why he's such a mixed bag with me. The thing is, I don't really like the flippancy, at all. I get alien and out-of-sync, but the effect is that he comes off as a jerk all the time. That's not funny. Besides, it doesn't even make sense considering how long he's already lived with humans, even only in his fourth incarnation. Pat Troughton nailed the role by never adhering to the rules and yet still understanding and respecting them.

    On the other side, Tom Baker is a genius. His manic energy is a great asset for the show and his combination of supreme dignity and utter childishness is legendary. No wonder everybody saw him as a role model.

    While I prefer the Third Doctor and Sarah, I will admit that she works pretty good(I just reread this and heard Eric Roberts in my head. Anyone else?) with the new Doctor too. She's pretty much the 1970s Rose(she even looks a bit like her) and the relationship between her and her Doctors is comparable to Rose's relationship with the Ninth and Tenth Doctors.

    BENTON GOT PROMOTED!!!! I have no idea what a "Warrant Officer" means, but I'm too happy to care. He deserves it. He's such a sweetheart(no, I'm not gay). When I'm the Doctor and should John Levene still be around, I won't stop clamouring until I get him into an episode. I'd have him keep Bessie as a reward.

    I kind of like Harry Sullivan. He's a bit of an airhead, but I think he's a really decent guy. He reminds me of Jamie.

    Leaving aside my hatred for the K1 design, I will say that Michael Kilgariff did a really good job with his voice. Also, the purple head and beeping sound effects were really good.

    Of the other characters, miss Winters stands out since she looks like a pissed off teacher trying to take over/blow up the world. It's funny and scary at the same time. And Kettlewell was a charming, quirky antihero. I also found the SRS spokesman who talked to Sarah really memorably creepy because of how obviously corrupt he was, like Walker in The Sea Devils.

    NOTES

    *UNIT ought to hire a barber. I bet they're constantly plucking their hair out of paperwork.

    *Tom Baker in Bessie = a load of plus points for this story. Although I wonder what he did with the Whomobile... I mean, wouldn't it be the more efficient car for him to drive around at this point?

    *That scene where the Doctor and Harry hop around is creepy. And hilarious.

    *I love how the Doctor shouts out "and stupid!" the moment Harry walks into the lab.

    *You can tell the Doctor really wanted Harry in his TARDIS - people have called it a lot worse than "an old police box".

    *How did the Doctor pick up a metal object with his scarf?

    *After all the really weird costumes he picked, how'd he end up choosing the mismatched one he eventually went with? I mean, none of the other costumes looked like they were thrown together the way the last one did.

    *Why does the disintegrator gun make the robot grow bigger? And why does the virus reverse the process?

    *The toy tank didn't really bother me much... it was certainly better than those dinosaurs we had in the previous season.

    *I know humans have a tendency to ignore scientific data in favour of their own delusions, but there's no way Kettlewell's living metal and cure to pollution would be ignored just like that.

    *Kettlewell's hair LOL.

    *That conversation about Great Britain being chosen to control all the nuclear weapons in the world feels like it belongs in season 7.

    *The Brigadier's terrified order to miss Winters to stop the countdown was very reminiscent of the Brigade Leader's similarly futile orders to the Doctor.

    BEST QUOTE

    "Just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets!"

    CONCLUSION

    An unfortunately silly opening, but it's bound to get much, much better. I don't really hate it at all.
    Last edited by rushy; 22 March 2015, 11:32 AM.
    "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

    Comment


      The Ark In Space is a great thriller let down by a really crappy-looking monster. However, it's still a very impressive, fun story.

      PLOT

      The TARDIS crew find themselves on an adrift space station in the 30th century, where the survivors of the human race(yes, there's been ANOTHER big catastrophe) have been placed into cryogenic storage. After waking up the station's senior technicians, they must convince them that the station is under attack from a swarm of insectoid aliens...

      It's really a bit terrific. The later episodes fly by a little too quickly for me(I think it would've worked even better as a six-parter), but other than that, it's very memorable. The set design is one of the best there's ever been and the acting is stellar. The special effects are dodgy, but I can live with that.

      CHARACTERS

      Toning it down a little, Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor is much more pleasant and he has a great rapport with Ian Marter's clumsy, but loyal Harry Sullivan and a passable one with Elisabeth Sladen. It's a nice return to the Troughton-era companion dynamic and it works like a charm.
      I loved that the first episode was all about the regulars. It doesn't seem to work as well in color, though(certainly not as well as the first episodes of The Wheel In Space or The Mind Robber).

      Of the guest cast, Noah started out as slightly annoying, but his anguished acting when being consumed by the evil bubblewrap really elevated him in my eyes.
      I also really liked the character of Vira, who was out of touch with Harry's 20th century behavior. Her development was great.

      NOTES

      *Despite getting heavily burned, the Doctor's scarf looked fine a scene later.

      *I think having the story be more ongoing(having the characters move on without the TARDIS) is much more gripping than them just popping in and out in the first and last episodes. It reminds me of The Daleks' Master Plan, when they traveled via spaceships and transmats and stuff.

      *Speaking of transmats, here we get to hear the word for the first time. I find it slightly odd there's no reference to The Seeds Of Death, though.

      *Tom Baker seemed to zone a lot in episode 3. There were whole scenes where his REALLY HUGE eyes just stared into the distance.

      BEST QUOTE

      "Homo sapiens. What an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenceless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague. They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. Ready to outsit eternity. They're indomitable. Indomitable."

      CONCLUSION

      It's atmospheric and brilliant, but somewhat messy. I still highly recommend it, though.
      "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

      Comment


        The Sontaran Experiment has its good parts, but is mostly very forgettable.

        PLOT

        The Doctor, Sarah and Harry travel to future Earth to repair the transmat terminal for space station Nerva, only to discover heinous experiments being carried out on human astronauts by a lone Sontaran soldier...

        ANALYSIS

        The early scenes at the T-Mat terminal are great, actually. The chemistry between the actors is already as strong as it can ever get and there's a sense of great danger when we see them being knocked out one by one and the ravaged astronauts only add to it. The cherry on the cake is the cliffhanger. The Sontaran spaceship is still familiar in the viewers' minds and it's like "oh crap. These guys again."

        Unfortunately, it all falls apart in the second half. The entire story has a grey, dull feel to it, mostly because the setting is entirely grey and dull, some desolate rocky plains. There's nothing to soothe the eye. It's as cheap as Doctor Who gets.

        While I do understand why Kevin Lindsay couldn't be asked to wear his original costume, the new one still looks unforgivably bad. The mask's eyeholes don't match up to Lindsay's eyes at all. And the fingers raise so many needless questions. His torturing of the Galsec colonists was also really, really tame, even for Doctor Who. I mean, it just looked silly when I watched him wander around the giant rocks to the few prisoners he had and made them hold up weights and stuff.

        CHARACTERS

        Tom Baker surprised me in this story. When the Doctor discovers Sarah at the hands of Styre(the Sontaran), he doesn't just insult the guy, he doesn't try to guilt him or attack him. He snarls at him like a mad dog, possibly the most human reaction the Doctor has ever given to a threat. I'm liking Tom much more than I expected to(and poor old Peter Capaldi is slowly sinking in my top Doctors list...), which is more than fantastic, given how many more stories of him I have to watch.

        Ian Marter also comes into his own as Harry. He's still really a more modern version of Jamie(he even says the familiar "Eh?" at one point), but there's a clumsy, unique charm to his character. His rapport with Tom and Elisabeth is great.

        Unfortunately, Sarah Jane gets really underused here(mostly spending time in Styre's captivity), but that's okay, not every story has to be feminist.

        Kevin Lindsay's performance as Styre is pretty much the same as the one he gave for Linx, except the script calls for him to act more like a machine than a creature(all the references to his "programming"), which I suppose in some ways is more appropriate for a lowly Major.

        The guest cast were all forgettable, angry loonies, minus the terrified Galsec colonist whom Sarah Jane befriended. I thought his performance was great, it really implied a lot of horrible things(none of which made their way to the screen any other way, of course).

        NOTES

        *Like Linx, Styre has some bizarre need to keep his helmet on until the cliffhanger and then never wear it again.

        *So why does he have more fingers(it's also notable he has a more typical gun rather than the stick that Linx was forced to use)?

        *The sonic screwdriver gets a LOT of work in this story. I mean, new series levels of lot. I'm still really confused as to why Letts and Dicks thought it was overused when it only appeared a few times per season in pretty much every other season. This is really the first time the sonic has become a big thing.

        BEST QUOTE

        "I shall kill you all now... but first I have more important tasks to perform!" This HAD to be a joke.

        CONCLUSION

        It's what people think it is, a bit of harmless filler.
        "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

        Comment


          So, another birthday has come and gone and I'm now in the final year of my childhood.
          Expect reviews of my new books: Prisoner Of The Daleks and Touched By An Angel.
          The delay of my Genesis Of The Daleks review was brought on by an unfortunate accident where I dropped my Android and basically cracked it. It was only a year old.

          Now I have to dig up my old laptop, fix the keyboard, buy a new wire, deal with the piling mass of essays and re-tests etc.

          *Angry William Hartnell-style mutters*
          "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

          Comment


            Prisoner Of The Daleks is a fantastic Doctor Who novel that perfectly recreates the feel of a classic Dalek story from the 70s combined with the efficient pace of the RTD era. It's fun, satisfying and charming to top.

            PLOT

            After the Tenth Doctor is rescued by a group of bounty hunters(he got stuck behind a door), he and his new "buddies" get involved in a Dalek plot to directly control history via a time rift. Captured and sent to a secret Dalek base, the Doctor must face "Dalek X"(yes, you read right) and prevent him from stealing his TARDIS...

            ANALYSIS

            I love it. It certainly has the length of a good 6-parter Dalek story and according to the foreword, was inspired by Planet Of The Daleks, but it also has characterisation much more akin to the RTD days - a gritty future with mercenaries flying a clunky Millennium Falcon-style spacecraft whilst judging the Doctor's fate as he surreptitiously blends in(or not).

            Besides atmosphere, the book also has a great sense of humor. In fact, there's one scene I can safely say is my favourite comedy moment in Doctor Who, period.

            One thing that may upset a few readers is the amount of continuity injected in, which I certainly don't think was necessary. And for as great as the humor is, some jokes just fall flat. But the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. When you put down the book with a smile, you know it.

            CHARACTERS

            The Tenth Doctor walks a thin line between irritating and lovable here. It could just be me, but all the "ooh" and "bla-bla-bla-well, bla-bla" moments just aren't as good on paper as they are on-screen.

            The captain of the ship, Jon Bowman eventually redeems himself, but is an unlikable moron for a large part of the novel. I'm actually surprised the Doctor didn't punch the daylights out of him for all the sniping he does, pacifist or not.

            I wish Koral(a catlike lady who owes her life to the captain and ultimately falls in love with him) would've stayed on as a companion. Even though no direct physical description was never given of her, she sounded sexy even on page.

            Scrum and Cuttin' Edge(what a name) were both pretty human. They could be arses, but they could also be really nice, in the end. Neither were anything special, but they were just... well, human, if you get what I mean.

            Stella was a decent would-be companion, but we didn't see much of her, so I'll just leave it at that.

            DALEK X... oh boy. I love Dalek X. I wish I had my own Dalek X. Is that a great name or what(a clue... no)? Anyway, Dalek X is basically the Heinrich Himmler of the Daleks, striking fear into every mutant's... erm... (do Daleks have hearts?) He works really well as a surrogate Davros-esque figure and his scenes with the Doctor were gold, particularly their final conversation.
            In fact, the Daleks here are as good as they were in the Troughton stories, I am not making this up. Their emotions seep through the book.

            NOTES

            *Having the Daleks talk in the Dalek font was a brilliant touch. Absolutely brilliant.

            *Considering that
            Spoiler:
            Dalek X survived via astronic radiation AND he was a time-oriented scientist, could he be the famed Dalek Time Controller from Big Finish?


            *On the cover of the copy I have, there is a Time-War era Dalek, painted bright red. No such Dalek appears in the book.

            *Another lovely touch: the Daleks do not recognise the Doctor because he's jumped a time-track and met them before the Time War even happened. Explanations like this need to be explained to Steven Moffat.

            *The Doctor believes that the Daleks are searching for the time rift on the basis that one of them told him that "the Daleks will become masters of time and space"(and it turns out to be a deliberate trap). That's a bit contrived in my opinion.

            *At some point, the Doctor sees something brilliant(I won't spoil what, but it's pretty awesome), causing him to shout out "a new sight!" as if he saw something new for the first time in years. That's a nice tie-in with the Eleventh Doctor.

            *The date when all these things are happening is as inconsistent as the Doctor's age. At one point it's "thousands of years after Morse(the code guy) was born", at another it's 500 years in the future.

            *The Daleks' plot to control time travel is also a neat tie-in to Day Of The Daleks.

            *The Doctor bizarrely does not mention being an alien whose home planet was wiped out by the Daleks to the crew despite being accused of not understanding the exact same situation by another alien whose home planet was wiped out by the Daleks.

            *A lot of references to the Draconians in this book. This guy really liked Pertwee, I see.

            BEST QUOTE

            "WHERE DID YOU LAST HAVE IT?!" - Dalek X, after the Doctor accidentally dropped the TARDIS key. Best. Moment. Ever.

            CONCLUSION

            It's not just a great Doctor Who novel, it's a great sci-fi novel. Lots of planets and sights to see and heroes and villains to meet. Action and humor, the way every Star-something nerd likes.
            Last edited by rushy; 15 April 2015, 02:11 AM.
            "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

            Comment


              Touched By An Angel is an unexpectedly touching timey-wimey story where the Weeping Angels are at their best and the time travel actually makes sense. Well, sort of.

              PLOT

              After the death of Rebecca Whitaker, his husband Mark turns depressed and unsocial until one day when the Angels send him back in time and he has a chance to undo all that. At the same time, he is stalked by the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory in their attempt to keep Mark's history together and prevent the Angels from feeding on the growing paradox...

              ANALYSIS

              The time travel in this story is just brilliant. It's not from B to A to C, more like from Z to D to H to... you get the point. It's a big, wonderful mess and feels like an actual story from the 2010-2011 heyday of the Moffat era. Unlike Prisoner Of The Daleks, past references are kept to an absolute minimum, with Mark Whitaker's story taking precedence. And I don't have any problems with that.

              The story is less directly humorous than its' Dalek "WHERE DID YOU LAST HAVE THEM?!" counterpart, but there's still a lot of hilarity just from the situations alone and the characters' reactions to them.
              My favourite was probably Mark's wedding, where everything that could go wrong, went wrong and the Doctor constantly had to go back in time and fix everything.

              That's all I really have to say. Touched By An Angel is well constructed, entertaining and charming as any other great Doctor Who story.

              CHARACTERS

              The writing for the TARDIS crew is spot-on, all three of them. The Doctor's jokey attitude covering his dead serious, Time Lord persona is captured without a flaw, as is Amy's flirtiness and Rory's misery.

              Mark Whitaker(in all ages) feels like a real, rounded person who's blindly trying to do the right thing and is capable of both extreme generosity and trust and extreme idiocy.

              Rebecca is also a perky, witty character, kind of like a blend of Rose and Amy, but with more smarts and less whining.

              None of the other characters are particularly important, but they all feel like real people too. We see glimpses of their varying personalities and quirks that speak of their own lives beyond the book. I love that.

              Even the Weeping Angels feel creepy and for once, their abilities match the ones we've already seen in Blink and The Time Of Angels.

              NOTES

              *Poor Rory, having to wait for the Doctor and Amy to show up TWICE.

              *If the TARDIS flew right next to Mark's train, how come nobody saw it?

              *How did the Weeping Angels(especially if they were seen by the TARDIS crew) fly outside of Mark's apartment?

              *Psychic credit card! Lol.

              *The Doctor has a wibbliness detector! It doesn't go ding.

              *Where did the Weeping Angels even come from? Speaking of that, where do they EVER come from?

              *Rebecca turning the old Mark young again is plot magic that's never happened before in time travel. I was kind of expecting her to survive the story herself(as it would've happened if Moffat had written this), but ultimately, this feels like the best happy ending that could've been written.

              BEST QUOTE

              "Time can't be rewritten without people getting hurt."

              CONCLUSION

              A stellar story all the way round. The best presentation of the Weeping Angels yet, plus the best timey-wimey story yet. *clap clap clap*
              Last edited by rushy; 15 April 2015, 02:30 AM.
              "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

              Comment


                It might be because I've already seen it once and spoiled the surprises or because of my irritating three-year old brother who sees babbling about numbers as being more important than the Doctor questioning his right to destroy the Daleks, but I just didn't enjoy Genesis Of The Daleks the way I did the first time I saw it. Don't get me wrong, it's still an effective tale, but the flaws are sharper for me than ever before.

                PLOT

                The Time Lords task the Doctor with rewriting the history of the Daleks, fearing that they will become unstoppable even by their standards(that's some prophetic thinking). The TARDIS crew are sent to pre-(I'll come back here later when I figure out my Dalek timeline) Skaro where they come face to face with the creator of the Daleks themselves - the mad scientist Davros. Does the Doctor have the right to destroy the Daleks? Is Davros evil enough to release a virus that would destroy all other forms of life?

                ANALYSIS

                Where Genesis Of The Daleks excels is the presentation. The story definitely feels special. There's an appropriately bleak and frightening atmosphere(particularly when film is used instead of video), the set design is creative and harkens back to their 1960s appereances(as opposed to the bland Pertwee sets). There's lots of brilliant ideas like the regressive Thal-Kaled war, the Elite and the interplay between the Doctor and Davros.

                Where it fails is the pacing. I know four parts might've felt too short for such a grand tale, but Genesis Of The Daleks is badly padded. The crew spends episodes doing very little(worst example being the rocket-loading scenes in the Thal dome), meaning that episodes 2-4 are some of the least interesting Doctor Who episodes I've seen, which is sad because it's GENESIS OF THE DALEKS.
                Another flaw is in some of the acting, which I'll talk in greater detail below.

                CHARACTERS

                Tom Baker bizarrely seems to turn on and off in his acting. There are some moments(like when he refuses to reveal the future of the Daleks to Davros) where he's great, but for large swathes, particularly later, he just seems disinterested. That's part of the reason I initially disliked him. All eyes are on him, but he just does nothing.

                Thus he is carried by the performances of Lis Sladen and Ian Marter, whose rapport I am more and more fond. But who cares about these two in this story.

                Michael Wisher provides one of the series' best ever villains in his definite best ever showing as Davros, lord and creator of the Dalek race. His intensity and obsession with perfecting the Daleks over everything else was brilliant writing on Terry Nation's part. His death was a cherry on top and it was really a completely idiot move to bring him back after a finale like that. He just doesn't have anywhere else to go after this story(sure, he's great in anything, but he has no point).

                Another stand-out is Peter Miles as the slimy, one-tone Nyder who assists Davros. Miles really plays his bad guys the exact same way every time, but his talent is used best here. He's a really entertaining sidekick to Wisher's master mind.

                The rest of the cast isn't perhaps as memorable(with the exception of General Ravon because of his over-the-top style and connection to 'Allo 'Allo, which I love), but there's no bad acting to be found here, so don't even bother. It's Terry Nation in the end... he cares very little for the bit-part roles.

                The Daleks were perhaps just a bit underused(they only come into their own at the very, very end). It's great that they turn on Davros at the end, but I just wish we could've seen a bit more of them actually being constructive.

                NOTES

                *So... what happened to all that horrible distronic toxeamia that was supposed to kill you after a few loads?

                *Why clams? In this story, whose decision was it to include GIANT CLAMS?!

                *What in-story reason does the Doctor have for giving Sarah that jacket?

                *And where did his own jacket and hat materialize from? I thought they were still at the Kaled dome(under tons and tons of rubble).

                *How exactly did Davros come to the conclusion that there are only seven galaxies and that Skaro is the only planet in all of them capable of supporting life?

                *I can't remember if it was the same way in the previous story, but the Doctor's sonic screwdriver in this story sounds exactly like it does now.

                *The Daleks seem to be operated by the same incompetent team as in Planet Of The Daleks. The lights barely work, the shells roll around as they talk and the eyestalks occasionally look in random directions. Tut, tut, tut.

                *The new grey color looks terrible. Why can't they be gold or silver? Daleks should NEVER look anything, but gold or silver!

                *I love the design of the Dalek incubation chamber. The green squicky stuff works wonders.

                *The idea of a Time Ring that the characters depend upon is an awesome gimmick.

                *I didn't find the destruction of the Kaled dome very believable. Oh, it was fine when it was being destroyed, but I saw no indication of it in the sets or backgrounds. It just seemed to not be in the story anymore.

                BEST QUOTE

                "They talk of democracy, freedom, fairness! Those are the creeds of cowards! The ones who would listen to a thousand viewpoints and try to satisfy them all. Achievement comes through absolute power! And power through strength! They have lost!"

                CONCLUSION

                An excellent, iconic story plagued by flaws.
                "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                Comment


                  Revenge Of The Cybermen is fairly mediocre, but has some very decent moments in it.

                  PLOT

                  The TARDIS crew arrive on Nerva, a few thousand years early just in time for a Cyber-invasion of the place. The Cybermen intend to destroy Voga - the planet of gold that stopped them from beating the human race in the Cyber War(see: Nightmare In Silver).

                  ANALYSIS

                  I'm honestly surprised that this is the best Gerry Davis could come up with. Sure, most of his Cyberstories relied more on good directors than good writing, but at least they were always interesting. This was only four parts long and I felt like it went on forever. If that doesn't convince you, then know that Mavic Chen, GUARDIAN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM was in this one and if he can't at least entertain, your story's doomed.

                  Urgh. The sets were all dirty dank caves or more of Nerva, which we've already seen to death. At the hands of a better director in a much better story.

                  The few moments that are good usually involve Tom Baker, who defied the odds and managed to stay awake despite being a zombie in most of Genesis Of The Daleks. Does worser story = better performance when it comes to him?

                  CHARACTERS

                  As I just said, Tom Baker's really fun in this one, constantly teasing the Cybermen and enjoying the action. He keeps the snarkiness to a minimum, which is always nice.

                  Sarah Jane gives a great performance as always, managing to balance every aspect of a great companion: the screaming, the bantering and the sexiness. She's terrific.

                  Poor Harry. Everyone hates him in this story. I don't. Leave Harry alone.

                  Kellman is one sneaky creep. Just look at his hair! He's like Banik from The Enemy Of The World, born to be evil. Even if he turns out to be good, which I didn't entirely understand.

                  The commander and his lackey both play their roles fairly well. Same goes for the Vogans. I'd like to mention Kevin Stoney, just so I can say Mavic Chen, GUARDIAN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM again. Mavic Chen, GUARDIAN OF THE- okay, I'll stop.

                  This is the only Cyberman story made in the 1970s and it shows. They have some of the emotion that will become their trademark in the 80s("Excellent!" makes its first appereance), but they are still reminiscent of their counterparts in The Invasion.

                  Mavic Chen, GUARDIAN... okay, fine! It's not my fault it was a great performance!!

                  NOTES

                  *Oh my god, the part where the Cyberleader shakes Tom Baker... has there been a camper moment in Doctor Who? I think not.

                  *The one really great thing about this story is the music. The Cyber theme is fantastic.

                  *Why does the Doctor say that the Cybermen are only beaten by gold? Let's see what's beaten them in his past stories: 1) Their homeworld being destroyed made them melt. 2) Vacuum of outer space. 3) Being deprived of energy. 4) Some kind of sonic thingamajig the Doctor made up...? I barely remember that one, it was a recon. 5) Bullets.
                  Add to that a cocktail of cleaning fluids which melted their armor and their own guns.

                  *How does Sarah Jane know about the Cybermen? Did the info get out in The Invasion? Wouldn't the people have known about it in The Tenth Planet, then? Great, I just got finished with my Dalek Timeline, now I have to worry about this one too!

                  *Why does the Time Ring(given to the Doctor by people who are supposed to know how this stuff works) send the TARDIS crew into the wrong time period? And what makes the TARDIS appear at the end? Is it the Time Lords' way of saying "oops, we sent them into the past. Well, better throw their time machine after them."

                  *When did the Doctor give the Brigadier a time telegraph? I suppose the Third Doctor could've done that at some point, but surely the Brigadier would've seen fit to use it more than once instead of go "oh, there he goes off again right when I walk in. Well, better go tell miss Smith some national secrets."

                  *The Cyber-mats look even worse than they did in the 60s.

                  *Transmats cure people now!

                  *Why don't the Cybermen just blow up Voga by sending their Cybership loaded with bombs at it?

                  BEST QUOTE

                  "Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!!!!" - It's very mean to Harry, but this was hilarious.

                  CONCLUSION

                  Oh god, the freakin' Zygons are next? And we're losing Harry?!


                  Well, Season 12 has come and gone. I think it was okay. Tom Baker's Doctor needs some getting used to, but I don't have much of an issue with him. I do miss the 3/Sarah relationship, but other than that, it's completely okay. Harry is brilliant, it's a shame to lose him so quickly.
                  I can't wait to lose UNIT, to be honest. The sooner we say bye-and-bye to Earth and get on with the TARDIS as the only constant again(I want to see the console room!), the better.
                  Last edited by rushy; 25 April 2015, 01:29 AM.
                  "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                  Comment


                    Terror Of The Zygons is such a typical UNIT adventure. An enemy based on myth - check. An outlandish location in the UK - check. The Brigadier butting heads with the local guy in charge - check. A toy monster enhanced with CSO - check. Something to do with Earth's power supply - check. I'm surprised they didn't have it in six parts(in all honesty though, I love the new four-parter deal) as well.

                    PLOT

                    The TARDIS crew return to London to help UNIT solve the mystery of disappearing oil rigs in Scotland as the nefarious Zygons plot to take over the planet with the help of the Loch Ness Monster.

                    ANALYSIS

                    Whilst there are a few inventive and interesting elements about this story, namely the Zygon design, Scotland and the darker tone, it's still such a derivative story I find it hard to like it or hate it... it's a formula that works, for sure, but not when you've just finished with all the Pertwee stories. It would've been nice to do something a little more unique with them, considering that the production team were deliberately trying to phase them out.

                    If I had been tasked with writing a going-out party for UNIT, I would've changed things a bit like they had done in season 11 with Mike: have the Brigadier retire for example, and have Benton take things over or have them be the bad guys working being forced to work against the Doctor a la season 7. You know, something! Instead, it's just the same old same old.

                    And that's not to say it isn't fun to see UNIT again, I love UNIT(especially in these little doses), but I spent most of the story bored and wanting to see Tom Baker do new stuff and stop gnawing on Pertwee's leftovers. Season 12 was so good and now it's like we're going backwards.

                    CHARACTERS

                    Tom Baker is really on form here, teasing and quipping with his friends and generally enjoying himself, which is always great to see. I do wish he'd be even more humorous, because it's obviously Baker's strength.

                    Harry and Sarah are both also lovely, especially during the scene where Fake Harry attacks Sarah with a pitchfork(I would've liked to see Sarah just a tiny bit more traumatised by that, but then again, I'm a sucker for crying women. Come at me feminists). Great acting on both their parts, as always.

                    Nicholas Courtney is so-and-so in his final regular appereance. It's obvious here that the character is not what he used to be, but for once, I've decided not to whine about it. He's mellowed with age and gone a little senile, but we all still respect him to no end. *salutes*

                    I'm a little irritated that Benton's role hasn't really been expanded since he was promoted. He's presumably the Brigadier's assistant now, but mostly he does what he's always done - run around and give orders to a bunch of extras.

                    I was quite impressed with the guest stars, specifically the Duke of Forgill, who was played by a really capable and entertaining actor. The explanation that his human self would die if the Zygons didn't turn into him every few hours was too much, but he made the Zygons much more interesting than they would've been on their own.

                    Oh yes, the Zygons... I still can't understand why they were picked for the 50th anniversary special. What's so special about the Zygons? They change shape and use organic tech. Well, don't the Axons do the same? It seems like a very odd choice to me.

                    NOTES

                    *Why does the Doctor scream after putting Sarah in a trance?

                    *Why do everyone immediately want to return to London after getting the TARDIS(the Brigadier I understand, but the Doctor, Sarah and to a lesser extent, Harry should all be happy to get back in the box and leave)? And why didn't they just get someone to go and fetch it for them?

                    *And why did they bring the Duke of Forgill to see the TARDIS take-off? I thought it was top secret and... stuff?

                    *Nicholas Courtney in a kilt. Why? *facepalm*

                    *Why do the Zygons kill the bartender and steal their camera, thus attracting their attention?

                    *In fact, what was the point of attacking the oil rigs to begin with?

                    *So... how come nobody remembered the giant Loch Ness monster walking across London(and somehow not crushing anybody)? And people keep whining on about the dinosaur in Victorian London.

                    BEST QUOTE

                    "I thought you were a Scotsman." the Duke of Forgill says, disappointed in the Brigadier.

                    CONCLUSION

                    Please let's not say goodbye to UNIT by using the same tired formula that made us want to leave it in the first place.
                    "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                    Comment


                      Planet Of Evil is an atmospheric, but cluttered horror tale. The plot is almost incomprehensible, but it's visually distinctive.

                      PLOT

                      The TARDIS responds to a distress call from the planet Zeta Minor which is at the very edge of the universe. The Doctor and Sarah arrive to find a murdered expedition with one semidelusional member, an antimatter scientist named Sorenson who has angered the inhabitants of the antimatter universe who also live on the planet.
                      At the same time, another ship of Sorenson's people arrive to try and solve the crisis, clashing with the Doctor and Sarah.

                      ANALYSIS

                      Given that The Three Doctors made it clear that antimatter can't exist in unison with normal matter plus the fact that the universe shouldn't really have an edge makes this story more confusing than interesting. It's a shame really, because the production is fantastic. The sets are better than ever, the antimatter creatures look terrifically out of this world and there's always something bizarre and mysterious going on.

                      Frankly, and I can't believe I'm saying this, it should've been a six-parter. There's just so much going on with the "planet's will" and the other universe and the Doctor's relation to it and Sorenson's backstory that it needed two more episodes to make sense.

                      CHARACTERS

                      I'm finally happy to be enjoying Tom Baker's performance, which has definitely improved. He'll always be more Tom Baker than the Doctor of course, but that can't be helped. Still, "Tom Baker Who" isn't the worst thing ever.

                      Has Sarah Jane ever been as sexy before as she is in this serial? I mean, wow. Really, she just got everything right with costume. It's low-cut, practical, has a girl-next-door attitude and yet still feels somewhat professional. It just sums up Sarah Jane.

                      By far the most interesting guest star(he really put the star in guest star for this story, as some of them do) was Frederick Jaeger(you may recognise him as the guy who impersonated William Hartnell in The Savages) as Sorenson. Besides giving a fascinatingly delirious performance, what really hooked me about him is his astounding resemblance to Jack Nicholson(it's those arched eyebrows), one of my favourite actors ever. He really elevated the story for me.

                      The other guest stars were all pretty decent, the usual sort we see in Doctor Who. A crazy leader, played by Prentis Hancock(whom I must say is a bit underrated... he can certainly play smug). His pressured underling, Vishinsky(he's so old... why has he not been promoted yet?) and a few other extras.

                      NOTES

                      *The Doctor removed his scarf for about half the story. That's just weird. Coincidentally, his old-fashioned bow-tie(which I finally learned is called a "neckerchief") reminds me of William Hartnell.

                      *This has nothing to do with Planet Of Evil, but I just learned that Patrick Troughton's bow-tie was attached to his shirt with a safety pin. I no longer have to be embarrassed for not knowing how to tie my tie!!

                      *One of the most annoying parts of the story is when Sorenson first drinks his anti-man mixture because it comes out of nowhere. They do explain it eventually, but it's such a bizarre moment.

                      *The prison cells aboard Salamar's ship are just pathetic. Seriously, listen to this: all that the Doctor and Sarah have to do to escape is OPEN THE WINDOW. They got out INTRUDA WINDOW.

                      *I love the space funeral custom that we see. It's not like it's the first time I see it in sci-fi, but it's just a beautiful idea that should be used whenever possible. Here they actually use it as a cliffhanger, which is even better. One of the few tense cliffhangers I've had.

                      *I wonder what exactly happened to Sorenson and the Doctor in the trippy antimatter world.

                      *How did the Doctor even survive there? He had some antimatter in his pocket... so?

                      *Why does the Doctor have that handcuff thingamajig on his TARDIS? I bet it was a Christmas present from River Song.

                      *Why are the Doctor and Sarah so insistent on returning to London? And people think the Ponds were the first companions with double lives!

                      BEST QUOTE

                      "You and I are scientists, professor. We purchase the right to experiment at the cost of total responsibility." Wait, what does that actually mean? Is he saying they have to be super responsible or that they're not responsible at all??

                      CONCLUSION

                      Sometimes you can give it your best, but the story just won't come out and shine. This is a case of that.
                      "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                      Comment


                        Pyramids Of Mars is one of the best Doctor Who stories I've ever seen. As in the previous story, everyone give their 11 and this time they hit jackpot with this wonderful Egyptian-Victorian-Alien(not the movie, just general) horror story.

                        PLOT

                        The TARDIS makes another detour in 1911 when it detects the power of Sutekh, an ancient superbeing affecting the Earth. Upon landing, the Doctor and Sarah discover that Sutekh is plotting to escape his tomb and annihilating the universe(if you ask the typical "why", he says it's his idea of good. So there) via robotic mummies built by the possessed archeologist Marcus Scarman. It's up to the Doctor to face his greatest foe yet!

                        ANALYSIS

                        Superb. Fantastic. Perfection. Those are words that I would use to describe this great story. If I had to compare it with anything, it would be the new series. The Doctor is melancholy(I'll get into that below) and perceived as a power in his own right. His banter with Sarah Jane has never been better. We see the consequences of Sutekh's potential freedom. It's all very RTD and even better given the time we are given to enjoy the story.

                        CHARACTERS

                        Tom Baker finally outgrows his Tom Bakerness to deliver a performance worthy of the character he's playing. No wacky pranks here, this is the Doctor in all his glory: the fire and ice and so forth. He even does a rerun of his snarling bit from The Sontaran Experiment!

                        I can finally see why people hold Sarah Jane as the companion to whom all companions should be judged. And I agree. She is really the most wonderful companion ever. Sexy, somewhat bossy yet also able to listen to advice(*insert random Clara or River rant*), friends to the end with the Doctor... it's just great to watch these two, so great. I really adore her.

                        Marcus Scarman is spooky. I bet he terrified all the kids, especially when shooting him didn't work. Has a zombie ever been played better? I love that he has a personality, even when he's basically a walking cadaver.

                        Lawrence Scarman is misguided, yet we feel sympathy for his desire to help his brother and his inability to accept the truth.

                        Sutekh is... okay, he's not my favourite of villains. The quiet voice doesn't do him justice. I know what people see in him, but personally, I would've hired John Dearth again. "STEVENS!!"

                        NOTES

                        *The Doctor's brown coat gets plus points from me. It suits his look better than the red one.

                        *Again, I loved the scene where the Doctor shows Sarah the future. What a way to shake the viewers.

                        *I do believe this is the first time the Doctor has been made mythic by the show.

                        *The invisible force field works better than I would've expected.

                        *The Fourth Doctor is really putting the sonic to work, isn't he? I remember Troughton whipping it out a few times during his tenure and Pertwee would get it out once a year, but he's using it for real. I keep expecting it to have an LED light on the top.

                        *Why on Earth is the Doctor having a midlife crisis? I mean, he's not even through half of his regenerations! Surely the Time Lords would keep track of their age that way! And even if he counts by years, his 700 and something means nothing when you think of the six incarnations who can also each live a few hundred years. Maybe Time Lords have midlife crises in each of their incarnations?

                        *Okay, there is no way Sarah Jane's comment about the pyramid's similarity to Exxilon makes any sense(since the Doctor went in there with one of the Exxilons). Couldn't she have gotten it changed?

                        *How exactly did Sutekh's face get into the TARDIS without him knowing about it?

                        CONCLUSION

                        What a fantastic season this is turning out to be.
                        "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                        Comment


                          The Android Invasion is an early 60s sort of Doctor Who story. It has the same slow pace, needless twists and running about. In an era that just gave us Pyramids Of Mars and Planet Of Evil, it feels out of place, but at the same time, it's easily one of Terry Nation's best offerings. It's as fun as any Hartnell story, uses the doppelganger gimmick well and lets us remember the old days without wheeling out the Daleks again.

                          PLOT

                          The Doctor and Sarah finally arrive on Earth only to discover themselves in the laboratory experiments of Stigren, a Kraal scientist who has copied an entire English village(along with the nearby Space Defense Station) for military practice. As the real invasion begins, it's up to the two to stop the Kraals and their duplicate androids.

                          ANALYSIS

                          Okay, this is where it falls all apart. The story really makes no sense. Nitpicking usually happens later in these reviews, but this is more than that, this is basic logic. Of all the places in the universe, how did the TARDIS end up in the Kraal copy of the village? Why are the Kraals copying people anyway instead of just sending the virus down? I guess you could use the old "it was watched one episode per week" excuse, but so what? It doesn't mean you have the permission to be sloppy.

                          Even if they're using the village for some kind of a test, what test exactly is that supposed to be? The Kraals don't seem to do anything with the village beyond destroying it with a matter disperser. That's it. Literally. The Doctor and Sarah hang out with the androids, escape from the androids, hang out, escape, hang out, escape and then Stigren blows the whole thing up and they take the rocket to Earth for their chemical attack(which doesn't affect the androids anyway, making the whole thing even more ridiculous).

                          CHARACTERS

                          Perhaps it's the 60s feel crossing over, but Tom Baker thankfully continues to integrate into the role. He had some really great moments in this one(I loved it when he tricked the android Benton).

                          Sarah twists her ankle. Enough said here I think.

                          The UNIT regulars get horribly shafted aside. The showrunners haven't really thought their departure through, have they? They should've had a proper farewell. Heck, I would've been glad to see the back of them in Terror Of The Zygons because this story's treatment of them really depresses me. They just show up, for no real reason other than to brush aside the "return to London" mini-arc and that's it.

                          And they have the shame to recast the Brigadier. Oh, sure, they renamed him, but it's the Brigadier. The same moustache, the same belt size, the same hat... it's John Hurt all over again. He's not horrible or anything, but it's just bizarre seeing him on-screen with Benton and Harry. Why not just give the Brigadier's lines to Benton? It wouldn't have been that hard rewriting the two characters together.

                          Speaking of which, this is the final story featuring Harry and Benton(another odd thing is seeing these two together). I loved both of them. I hope John Levene gets to reappear in Doctor Who for whatever reason someday, because he has become one of my most beloved actors in the show. How can you not just look at Benton and go "aww"?
                          Harry was a very charming chap himself and his removal hurts maybe even more since we saw what chemistry he had with the Doctor and Sarah more directly.

                          I didn't care about the Kraals at all, they were incredibly bland and boring aliens.

                          Milton Johns was a bit miscast as Crayford, I don't see him as an astronaut at all.

                          NOTES

                          *Crayford's astronaut suit was definitely borrowed from the Thals.

                          *I'm not a fan of the Doctor's new coat. Nothing really wrong with it, but the brown was just perfect. The grey makes him stand out.

                          *Do you think the ginger beer thing was something that Terry Nation hoped would quickly catch on and become this Doctor's defining trait? "Would you like a ginger pop?"

                          *The android design itself was absolutely brilliant, top-notch, but the way they had Sarah randomly collapse and break her face off felt very contrived.

                          *I also love how they don't turn into monotone robots when they're outed and retain the original's personality. The Doctor vs The Doctor scene was a great highlight.

                          *When the Doctor emerged from the water, all I could think of was "wow, he has a normal hairdo for once!".

                          *Actually, looking back on the Brigadier's lines, I'm getting increasingly happier that they didn't get Courtney back because I can pretend that the Colonel is just an idiot. Wait, no, I can't because no one would hire a dolt who goes like "oh, nonsense, these facts you tell me are absolutely balderdash." Oh, I hate this idiot characterisation.

                          *How come nobody asks Crayford about his new pirate eyepatch?

                          *What was the point of the eyepatch anyway? Why not just gain his trust by giving him the cure for cancer or something? Why did they have to lie to him? And if they did, why not say they rebuilt him entirely and made up a photo of him looking really screwed up with PhotoShop? It was the 1970s(edit: or 80s), he would've fallen for it!

                          *How did the Doctor survive the g-force? Also, how is the g-force suddenly such a big deal now? I thought all that happened was that you get scrunched back into your chair and then okay-doke, you're in space? I guess we can chalk that down to "it was the future!".

                          *What does the Doctor refer to when he says this is familiar in the first episode? It sounded like he was building up to an epic reveal, but then, nada.

                          *That slope Sarah accidentally fell down off was an eerie precursor to The Five Doctors.

                          CONCLUSION

                          A story that's unfortunately too engaging not to notice the massive plot holes.
                          "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                          Comment


                            The Brain Of Morbius is a masterpiece of Frankenstein horror, with a macabre atmosphere, but also excellent creative dark humor. It's tied to the show's continuity, yet has the Troughton-style one-off feel.

                            PLOT

                            The Time Lords(or the TARDIS) dispatch the Doctor to yet another mission: the renegade
                            Time Lord Morbius (or more specifically, his brain) has been located on the planet of Karn and it's up to him and Sarah to make sure he doesn't regain full physical form via the insane Dr. Solon.

                            ANALYSIS

                            Unlike Pyramids Of Mars and Planet Of Evil, which were more obscure in what they were riffing, The Brain Of Morbius shows its source material everywhere and I don't care, because this is one of the best pieces of television ever produced. It's set in a mad scientist's laboratory in a haunted-looking old castle on a stormy night! There's a talking brain in a jar!! Witches, hunchbacks, mad wig-wearing scientists! What more could the soul want?!

                            It's beyond incredible that only one story after finding one of the most wonderful Doctor Who stories ever, I would find one twice as good! Okay, one and a half. But no lower!

                            CHARACTERS

                            Tom Baker is absolutely mesmerising in his role, effortlessly matching his comedic talent with the terrifying fury and determination of a Time Lord. This is an actor in his prime, guys. Stand back before your heads explode from the awesomeness that is the Fourth Doctor. I mean every word, he is just so strong and so real in the role(you know what I mean when you see it) that you realise you're not looking at the actor, you're looking at your Hero.

                            Sarah Jane is funnily girly in this one, constantly needing the Doctor to back her up. Don't worry, she's not in any way diminished, in fact I love her even more because of this. There's nothing that warms a man's heart more than a damsel in distress(a real damsel in distress, not the whiny type).

                            James Spice("He who controls the Spice controls the universe!!") puts in the best voice acting performance in the show thus far minus John Dearth as the BOSS. Morbius just feels real in a way not many of the villains do. Yes, he's megalomaniac, but for the most part, he's just concerned with feeling physical anything again and doesn't really care about revenge or anything like that until he gets a body(unlike other, lesser well defined villains who'd just see being stuck in a brain as an inconvenience).

                            Philip Madoc returns to the show after a long while(last seen as the War Lord in The War Games) to bring us another spellbindingly well thought-out performance as Dr. Solon, the Frankenstein stereotype obsessed with bringing the "brilliant" Morbius to an even greater glory than before. His interplay with Tom Baker and James Spice is some of the best exchanges of dialogue you will ever see.

                            Maran is a character that's almost as old as the Doctor himself, the one who initially distrusts him, yet ultimately helps him immeasurably in his goals. The only thing I can say is that the performance is very naturalistic and you even sort of see her POV, which is always nice. What I'm saying is, she doesn't feel like a fool.

                            Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Condo. I think they made him a little too goofy-looking to be tragic. Yes, I felt really bad for him and it was a really good performance, but the character should've been just a bit better written(he keeps saying the same things over and over and it aggravates because I keep expecting him to actually develop in amidst all these perfectly multidimensional characters) and given more normal-looking make-up(think Jaws from the Bond movies)

                            NOTES

                            *Considering that Karn is right next to Gallifrey and that Morbius is a hugely infamous criminal, why would the Time Lords not just send some official there to arrest him? The whole idea of the Doctor's employment with the Time Lords is that they send him to places they can't be seen to interfere themselves. Who would question the Time Lords' right to arrest or at least check for Morbius? And why didn't they give the Doctor some intel about what he's supposed to do(it's really dumb when they just send him somewhere and expect him to find the truth out on his own).

                            *And yes, I am aware that the Time Lords' involvement was never confirmed, but then why keep bringing them up?

                            *I love that the Doctor's noticed how often Sarah seems to think he's died. It happens twice in this story too.

                            *When Solon explains about Morbius going crazy, the Doctor just goes "Oh COME ON!" in the middle of his talk and goes after him. Thumbs up.

                            *Here's the big one: the Doctor's "other faces". To be honest, you barely need to squint your eyes to think they are Morbius's faces. There's never any admission over who actually won(the Doctor almost dies, but Morbius looks pretty screwed up himself) and Morbius rants over the later faces, so I'd argue they're his.

                            *How did they succeed in not burning Tom Baker alive during the Doctor's execution scene?

                            *All of the previous Doctors' faces are from The Three Doctors' promotional photo.

                            *So, the Doctor is currently around 720? That's nice to know.

                            *Why is the sonic screwdriver in the TARDIS? I know they were trying to limit its use, but that's a bit daft.

                            *That cellar door looks like it could easily be opened from the inside. I mean, why else have that wheel there?

                            BEST QUOTE

                            "Events seem to have moved along since I fell asleep."

                            (I would also add Philip Madoc's "the pun was irresistible", but the pun itself wasn't very funny and it seems kind of OOC anyway.)

                            CONCLUSION

                            The crowning jewel in Doctor Who's horror history, scriptwriting, acting, set design, everything. It's only a shame it didn't last six episodes.
                            "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                            Comment


                              The Seeds Of Doom is both remarkably low-key(we had a brain in a jar in a stormy castle last time!!) and all-out epic(the plants are taking over the Earth this time!!). I love these stories.

                              PLOT

                              A pair of Krynoid pods land in Antarctica and begin infecting people in a plot to conquer the Earth with sentient plant life. UNIT calls in the Doctor and Sarah to check out the pods, leading them to plant lover and millionaire Harrison Chase who will do anything to see the Krynoids rule the world...

                              ANALYSIS

                              I think the key word here is "sturdy". Everything is right here: the casting, the story(again horror), the effects, the script, the sets, the designs...
                              it doesn't have the sparkle that the last few stories had, but it's still amazing in its own right.

                              CHARACTERS

                              Tom Baker's greatest strengths are seen here: being absolutely furious to the point of losing his head and not giving a crap about anything. In the hands of a lesser actor, the character's flippancy could get annoying, but Baker does it in a way that makes it look like he's really just using it as a cover whilst he analyses his surroundings and so forth. The dialogue helps.
                              A lot.

                              Elisabeth Sladen's rapport with the lead actor I won't even bother to discuss, we all know how great they are together. Instead, I just want to point out how real and multifaceted her performance is, her revulsion mixed with sympathy for Keeler and her grudge against Scorby all came across perfectly. It's lovely to see she hasn't tired of the role at all, at least
                              on-screen.

                              Harrison Chase is extremely creepy. He's kind of like Nyder, except even more devoted, to the point of insanity(they didn't even need to make him possessed, in fact it would've been better if it had been all him). I like the little touches of eccentricity about him, like those awful pieces of music he composed and how he never takes his gloves off. It's a pretty
                              well done performance all around.

                              Scorby is a great henchman. His macho act kind of bugged me at the start, but the actor and the script gave him depth and an almost-sympathy comparable to the likes of the Master. He's evil, that's just how he lives.

                              The butler was a bit of an odd character. He acts like Alfred Pennyworth, but never questions Chase's decisions, even when they're obviously against any sort of morality. Is that really how the British roll? Killing people is "naughty", but fine if you're home in time for tea?

                              I was also a bit confused about Keeler, who seemed sympathetic in his behavior, but never really redeemed himself for his crimes. He was "sort of" evil to the end. We've never had that before.

                              NOTES

                              *Hey, it's Ransom from The War Games(playing one of the Antarctic base scientists)! He has an awful beard now, though.

                              *The ending was completely lost on me. You can explain away that the Doctor either changed his mind about using the TARDIS to come to Antarctica or did so and used a helicopter later on, but the way they presented it made it seem like the Doctor made it only via helicopter before the storm got too big.

                              *Say farewell to the TARDIS exterior prop that has serviced the show since 1963. It collapsed shortly after filming the scene in Antarctica(perhaps explaining why the scene of them arriving with the TARDIS was never filmed).

                              *Also, the explanation for their arrival to Antarctica made no sense. The Doctor forgot to cancel the co-ordinate programmer? Doesn't he need to insert new co-ordinates to arrive... well, anywhere else? Or is the TARDIS truly on a randomiser?

                              *The killer plant effects were quite reminiscent of The Keys Of Marinus. Perhaps the Screaming Jungle was in fact a Krynoid invasion in process?

                              *I love, love, LOVE the idea of the Doctor using a gun as a bluff. People need to do that more in movies. Usually they go "oh, I never would" instead of just PRETENDING. TO SAVE YOUR SORRY LITTLE... let's just say it's a pet peeve of mine.

                              *I also love the way the Doctor completely loses his patience with Scorby and Chase and in one particular scene, just shouts every answer to Scorby's questions so he'd get it into his thick head. Pertwee would've just kept repeating the same things in a serious monotone over and over again. He couldn't dream of taking on Scorby in an argument.

                              *The effect of the castle under siege towards the end is absolutely brilliant. It felt like a blockbuster for a minute there.

                              BEST QUOTE

                              "It will mean the end of everything! Even your PENSION!!"

                              CONCLUSION

                              The season ends as it began... taking an old thing in a new direction.


                              And that's Season 13. It was fantastic, one of the best ever. Terror Of The Zygons was a Pertwee leftover(far too soon to be a homage), but even that gave hints of things to come. Planet Of Evil was them trying to figure out how to do it. The rest was gold. The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane are certainly one of the best classic Who pair-ups ever(I forgot to mention the Doctor casually mentions she's his best friend in this story) and the way these two just bounce off of one another is brilliant. However, I know this will shock you, but I still like the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane a bit better.

                              It sounds a bit weird, but I don't see the Doctor as an equal with any of his companions, he's more like the Yoda to their Luke. They can banter and be best friends, but ultimately, the Doctor outranks the companion in terms of knowledge and experience and that should never be forgotten(that's why I hate the tendency for the new series companions to push the Doctor around or take the piss out of him, as the British say). The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane were equals in the sense that they treated each other with the appropriate respect which is natural, but in the end, it was always going to be "the Doctor and Sarah Jane", not
                              "Sarah Jane and the Doctor".

                              Season 13 also marks the end of one of the show's longest running arcs... the UNIT era. I can't really say it's an appropriate end. It's not like they were actually ending it, they were just trying to brush it under the carpet and move on. And I don't blame them, in my opinion Dicks and Letts kept the UNIT cast around at least two more years than they were needed, but it could and should've been done with a more respectful finality, considering how important UNIT has been to Doctor Who.

                              If I had been in charge at the time, I probably would've had the Brigadier and Benton show up for The Seeds Of Doom so they could finally have that meeting in London(or a cocktail party or whatever) where they chill out, talk about old times and then the Brigadier announces his retirement and that Benton is taking over UNIT. Benton then goes "well, with the Doctor around, I think I can manage" and the Doctor's like "oh, I'm still young"(harkening back to his conversation with Sarah in Pyramids Of Mars) and announces his own departure from UNIT as well. And then they all leave and Sarah Jane consoles poor
                              Benton.
                              "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

                              Comment


                                The Masque Of Mandragora is, as Sarah Jane would put it, "smashing". It's great fun and a shining example of the alien-historical genre. It's also nice not to be in Britain for once.

                                PLOT

                                After narrowly escaping the Mandragora Helix(don't ask), the TARDIS is forced to land in 15th century Italy where the evil Count Federico threatens to undo the noble Duke Giuliano's rule with the help of the pagan-serving astrologer Hieronymous(that's definitely what I'm gonna name my kid).

                                ANALYSIS

                                The Masque is very reminiscent of the 1980s Robin Of Sherwood, with a similar spiritual/magical theme mixed with freedom fighting. Except here, of course, the "magic" is explained away. The satanist cult horror parts also harken heavily back to The Daemons, although it's much, much better done here.

                                The plot is great, the design is perfect(it's historical drama and the BBC, you all know the drill) and the writing is enjoyable and meaty, as one might expect from good old Louis Marks(who also gave us equally wonderful gems Planet Of Giantsand Day Of The Daleks).

                                CHARACTERS

                                Yay! Tom Baker's brown coat returns! And is it just me, or is his neck getting
                                kind of puffy?
                                Yeah, that's notes material, I know, but seriously, why do I even bother talking about the regulars anymore? Unless something big comes up, I just won't.

                                Gareth "1970s David Tennant" Armstrong brings us the engaging almost-protagonist(like Marco Polo in his story and, I guess the "historical celebrities" in the new series. Except he's not a real person.) Giuliano, a prince trying desperately to save his land and people from the Dark Ages and be a just, enlightened ruler and all those other good things.

                                Count Federico is a great pseudo-Sheriff Of Nottingham, constantly spewing insults at his guards and so forth. He also has a Captain Some-Italian-Name-i(dammit, I just remembered his name was Rossini. There goes my joke) who's basically a Guy Of Gisborne stand in. If only Federico had shouted "ROSSINI!!" when the Doctor got away, it would've been complete.

                                Hieronymous is the best, however. He's a devoted satanist who constantly predicts everybody's death(like Cassandra in The Myth Makers, but without the hissy fits). He's also the poisoner, to complete the package I guess.

                                And then there's Marco. Who's boring.

                                NOTES

                                *Hello, second TARDIS control room. I wonder why there are two? Yes, I know the obvious answer, but considering that the show has made such a big deal about the Heart of the TARDIS being undernearth the CENTRAL column, it feels a little odd. Besides, would Time Lords really be that cautious?

                                *In the second control room, The Doctor comes across an old pink shirt with ruffles on it, obviously a reference to the Third Doctor. Only thing is, there's no way Pertwee ever wore a pink shirt. I would've remembered that! (Maybe it was Jo's cosplay costume?)

                                *As for the design of the second control room, I'm on the fence about it. It looks really cool, I'll give it that, but the lack of a column(even if they couldn't get it to move, they could've at least had SOMETHING there!) and the small size of the console itself don't appeal to me. Also, the stained glass is a good idea in on itself, but there's only like three roundels with it
                                so it seems kind of pointless.

                                *Why the heck does the ordinary control room have a tiny little black-and-white TV scanner(and a color one in a roundel) and the second, back-up control room has a ginormous, plasma, 50-inch, 5-D experience one?

                                *Considering the effect that the Mandragora Helix has on the TARDIS, I wouldn't be surprised if a few fans with good memories thought the Ice Warriors were assaulting the ship.

                                *Lovely echo effect inside the Helix. Although I wonder where the oxygen comes from(I don't think there was an automatic force field around the TARDIS back in those days. Where did that come from, anyway? Is that extrapolator thing from Series 1 STILL running?!?)?

                                *Why are the lightning effects on this show always so rubbish?

                                *So, was Demnos the Mandragora Helix all along or did the Helix corrupt the Demnos cultists? Cause they sort of switch from praising Demnos to praising Mandragora as the story goes on.

                                *The Helix energy effect is annoyingly crappy. It's obviously plastered onto the footage later on.

                                *Why would the Helix spare the hair of its victims? Like, the bodies become blue mush, but the hair remains in perfect condition?

                                *What's up with that salami at the end?

                                *Did anyone else get a Luna Lovegood vibe with that lion's costume the Doctor dons?

                                *So, if the Doctor drained the Mandragora, what happened with Hieronymous?

                                CONCLUSION

                                A thrilling adventure for any age.
                                "I have never understood why it should be necessary to become irrational in order to prove that you care... or why it should be necessary to prove it at all."

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