Warriors of the Deep [Doctor Who, Story 130]

 Warriors of the Deep by Johnny Byrne
5 - 13 January 1984

I've always had a particular soft spot for the Silurians and the Sea Devils. Their conflict with humankind is inherently different from that of the various alien races that populate this show, and lends itself to some interesting drama.

It's unfortunate that their appearance here, their first since Pertwee's early days, is wasted on a story that fails its promising foundations and is all around just a bit unpleasant.

The way this story looks has been remarked upon many times, from the wobbly sets to the Myrka, problems which were probably unavoidable for the most part. I can't help feeling, however, that some different directorial decisions could have patched up most of these issues and made the story more visually pleasing.

My chief issue with the story lies more in its unremitting pessimism and its level of violence. Not to go all Mary Whitehouse on you or anything, but some moments felt excessive, like the Sea Devil melting in the latter part of the story. The "everybody dies" ending left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. It is arguably a good fit for the theme of mutually assured destruction that permeates this story, but I wasn't in much of a mood for it and thought it was done in a bit of a tacky way regardless.

I don't have much else to say about this one at present except that I'm a bit disappointed that a great story could have been made from this. Alas.

The Awakening is next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 28 April 2024.)

The Five Doctors [Doctor Who, Story 129]

 The Five Doctors by Terrance Dicks
23 November 1983

  

Here's one I've been looking forward to for a long time. The Three Doctors in 1973 certainly didn't spare any effort, but it's obvious from this episode just how much the show's sense of legacy has ballooned over the ten years since then. The way it starts with a brief clip of The Dalek Invasion of Earth is not just a bow to that history, but a small way of including the late Bill Hartnell, which was nice.

With Tom Baker obviously (and probably unavoidably) MIA, it's more of a Four Doctors affair, so here follows a quick overview of those four.

Richard Hurndall is obviously not Hartnell, but I think he turns in a good performance that evokes the original. It's really rather sad that he passed on so soon after the filming of this episode. The most "First Doctor" moment in my eyes was when he turns to the camera and begins eating a snack like a chipmunk; correct the colors to monochrome and I'd have mistaken it for a lost clip of Marco Polo.

As always I am impressed at how Troughton reinhabits the role, as effortless as breathing, no matter how many years pass. He's great throughout the episode, but my favorite moment of his is the quiet grief after he observes why the Jamie and Zoe who greet him and the Brig can't possibly be real.

Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor hasn't changed very much either. He gets paired with Sarah Jane in the absence of Baker, and we're immediately reminded that Three and Sarah were a great Doctor-companion pair even if we may have forgotten in the wake of her two seasons with Four.

I was impressed with Five here as well. Even though he gets less screen time than usual, he still shines in it. I enjoyed his leeriness of President Borusa, and also his cheeky escape from the Cybermen. It's interesting that he's the least immediately dismissive of the Master considering his recent experiences. "Like Alice, I try to believe three impossible things before breakfast."

Speaking of the Master, I found his role in this story really funny. It's amusing how he seems genuinely a bit wounded by the Doctor's lack of trust, and the way he falls back on old habits makes me wonder how sincere he was in the first place. It's a shame we don't hear from him one last time at the end of the episode, as he'd have to acknowledge that the Doctors sort of saved his life (again) by not allowing him to take the ring. The Brigadier laying him out was also pretty gratifying.

Speaking of the Brig, he fares the best out of the companions in this episode, though Sarah Jane is also good, if a little bit scream-y. Susan's return after 19 years I was a bit less enthusiastic about, as she only gets to scream and sprain her ankle (yes, ha ha, very funny, Uncle Terrance). Poor Tegan and Turlough get basically nothing to do the whole time, crowded out by the large ensemble cast. The cameos of Liz, Yates, Zoe, and Jamie are also a welcome addition.

President Borusa is a pretty good twist villain. Having been known to us twice previously as an ally of the Doctor's, seeing his fears of his own mortality warp him into the villain he is now is pretty good stuff. His fate is properly horrifying. Those eyes moving around in the plaster! I bet the kiddies were scared stiff.

May I talk about the effects? There's some obvious signs of a 1980s television budget, but it seemed like they were afforded a little more time and money to make them work in this episode, and it pays off. It looks fantastic, from the direction to the location they chose for the Death Zone (even if it is another moor/quarry/what-have-you, it still looks fitting for what the setting is supposed to be). I also want to give the soundtrack a very special shoutout, as this was easily one of the best in the Classic series.

We are reminded that, as usual, we are watching Doctor Who, by things like the Castellan moaning "Not the mind probe!", phantom Zoe's bubblewrap dress, or the Raston Warrior Robot being... the Raston Warrior Robot. Honestly, I don't know if I would have wanted an anniversary special without such reminders. What would we be without things like those?

Having now watched this, I'm amazed to see how many things I took for granted. The mythology of Gallifrey is now pretty much completely solidified, and it seems that a good deal of things about the Time Lords originated, or at least were made concrete, here. The dialogue of the episode features a lot of quotes of old episodes, but there's some new lines that end up being referenced in New Who eventually, making this an odd bit of nostalgia salad, recalling both the past and the future for me.

A splendid episode all things considered, and a fine love letter to the series so far.

Warriors of the Deep is next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 26 April 2024.)

Doctor Who, Season Twenty

I'm not sure this season really hit the "only classic Doctor Who enemies" requirement it set out for, but that's really no mark against it. It was a fairly competent season overall and didn't need any such anniversary year gimmicks to help it along.

The Black Guardian plotline was a bit interesting, but seemed frequently overshadowed by the stories it ran across. It did, however, make for a good introduction to Turlough, who has swiftly proven my favorite Fifth Doctor companion. (But who knows? Maybe Kamelion will grow on me?

Anyway, here's the score breakdown:

Arc of Infinity - 7.00
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 7.00
Part Three - 7.00
Part Four - 7.00

Snakedance - 10.00
Part One - 10.00
Part Two - 10.00
Part Three - 10.00
Part Four - 10.00

Mawdryn Undead - 6.75
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 7.00
Part Three - 6.00
Part Four - 7.00

Terminus - 6.50
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 6.00
Part Three - 6.00
Part Four - 7.00

Enlightenment - 9.00
Part One - 9.00
Part Two - 9.00
Part Three - 9.00
Part Four - 9.00

The King's Demons - 6.00
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 5.00

Best episode: Snakedance, Part One - 10.00
Runner-up: Snakedance, Part Four - 10.00
Worst episode: The Kings' Demons, Part Two - 5.00

Season Twenty average: 7.68

Best guest appearance: Lynda Baron as Wreck (Enlightenment)
Best special effect: The sailing ships (Enlightenment)
Best musical score: To be honest, I didn't take special notice of any.

The Five Doctors is next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 25 April 2024.)

The Kings' Demons [Doctor Who, Story 128]

 The Kings' Demons by Terence Dudley
15 - 16 March 1983​

A slight story deserves a slight review, I think. Like Black Orchid the season before it, The Kings' Demons is only half the length of most of its contemporaries. The chief problem I saw with it was that it didn't seem to realize this restriction until the start of the second episode.

The first part starts promising enough, with a historical setting that seems rendered fairly well and some guest characters whose actors are doing an able job. King John (or rather his facsimile) was a highlight for me, with his cruel, plummy tone lending itself well to his florid dialogue. ("Your words are more generous than your purse...")

The Master's demasking at the end of part one is also a bit of a fun conceit, though it was easy to see coming. His affected accent and slight mumble as "Gilles" both makes him difficult to understand, and makes him stand out a little as odd. I must say, it's also odd (and slightly disappointing) that Nyssa went out just a few episodes too soon and missed one last rematch with the man who stole her father's face, something the show never really fully reckoned with. Missed opportunity.

Things go off the rails in part two, I'm afraid. With not very much time left in the story at all, we see the Doctor and company fail (badly) at keeping the trust of the lord of the castle and his family, kind of get his cousin killed unless I'm misremembering something, and then escape without ever letting them know what really happened.

There's also the interesting matter of Kamelion. The Master's explanation leaves the question of whether he's fully sentient or not rather muddy, and his introduction is, as a whole, pretty rushed. I fail to understand why exactly he's invited to stay on the TARDIS at the end of the story. I think Tegan has the right idea!

So, half good, half bad. A familiar thing at this point...

A very special anniversary is almost due to be celebrated, but before that, we have our Season 20 roundup next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 25 April 2024.)

Enlightenment [Doctor Who, Story 127]

 Enlightenment by Barbara Clegg
1 - 9 March 1983

 ​

It took twenty years, but a woman finally gets a credited writing role on Doctor Who. Hurrah for my sisters!

As it happens, Enlightenment is an exceptional story. I've struggled with a few stories in this era on the grounds that they seem to be written for a different main character than the Fifth Doctor we actually have. Enlightenment is in the same club as the very best of this era (including the Mara duology) in part, I think, because it actually recognizes and plays to the strengths of its lead.

Moodily lit and with a relative minimum of monsters and mayhem, the story is a more sedate and thoughtful affair which gives us ample time to appreciate the characterization. The main cast are written superbly. Peter Davison's Doctor feels right at home in this setting, and it shows in his performance; his quiet outrage at the callousness of the Eternals is extremely well-played. Other enjoyable moments included him casually switching out his celery for a fresher one at Wreck's salad bar, or when he tells Striker, "You know how impulsive the young are! ... No, I don't suppose you do." I enjoy his performance at the end as well, when he's observing Turlough make his choice about whether or not to attain Enlightenment. Something in his manner tells me that the Doctor knew something was wrong about Turlough already; maybe he noticed as soon as he joined the TARDIS. If so, him letting him stick around and try to befriend him is a great show of the character's compassionate side.

Both of the companions get some great work and a lot of attention as well. This is the last part of Turlough's struggle with the Black Guardian, of course, and while that subplot has not been written the most elegantly his emotional turmoil is still portrayed wonderfully, and his decision to do the right thing at the end is definitely a fist-pump moment. Tegan is written a lot more subtly than she usually is, and is generally just great in this; her relationship with Marriner, such as it is, is really fascinating. I admit, the story had me going at first believing that it was merely an infatuation on his part. Then came his plaintive, almost heartbreaking plea in the final part, "What is love? I want existence!"

The Eternals are a fascinating bunch. Timeless in such a way that they consider even Time Lords like the Doctor to be "Ephemerals", they are, as a rule, completely disinterested in the existence of life and the universe itself and simply chase new ideas and stimuli from the mortals who, unlike them, are capable of dreaming them. Their disregard for the lives of their abducted crews is really quite chilling at times, like when Striker, eyes cold and dark, blandly remarks, "Bad luck, really," in response to an entire crew dying.

Wreck is a brilliant villain here also. Pure ham. Full marks, no complaints. Lynda Baron's performance is loads of fun.

I was heartened to have this story (and Snakedance, for that matter) in a season that otherwise felt pretty rough. I feel like I got a better glimpse at the Fifth Doctor that I wish I was seeing all the time.

The Kings' Demons is next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 25 April 2024.)

Terminus [Doctor Who, Story 126]

 

Terminus by Steve Gallagher
15 - 23 February 1983

 

​

I knew very little about this story going in except that it marked Nyssa's departure from the cast. Accordingly, I was a little surprised to recognize Steve Gallagher, who previously wrote Season 18's Warriors' Gate, which was one of my favorite stories of the marathon so far.

The resemblances are few but relatively obvious, particularly between the Garm and the Tharils of the earlier story, but the story that Terminus is trying to tell is somewhat different in the broad strokes. Terminus, Inc., and the fate of both its "patients" and the slave guards set to watch over them, seem like a take down of the for-profit medical industry. Right on, says I. But I'm really not sure where the big bang bootstrap paradox or the threat of universal destruction really fit into that picture; just seemed like a way of ratcheting up the stakes to me.

I must regretfully say that none of the guest characters are very interesting here. Olvir and Kari, who help the TARDIS team, seemed pretty unimportant to the story overall, particularly in the latter case. Bor, the Vanir who goes into the danger zone and almost succumbs to his sickness, probably comes the closest to having an interesting performance. It's unfortunate that Eirak, the erstwhile leader of the Vanir, enters the story so late and is used so sparingly. A good villain might be the missing ingredient that Terminus really needed.

All things considered, I thought it also took slightly too long to actually get to Terminus and start digging into the plot. The pacing in general was a little rough, though once the story got to Terminus things did get pretty interesting.

Regarding our regular cast, the Doctor was on fine form and I thought Tegan came across well, too. But the real star of the show is Mark Strickson as Turlough, who is already making a strong impression. He's good at conveying both fear and quiet thoughtfulness; one gets the feeling that there's a lot going on in Turlough's head all the time, something we're told outright in the next serial. He's given this team a desperately needed shot in the arm.

About Nyssa, I feel like I have less to say than I would like. In what should be her finest hour, on the eve of her departure, she seems to instead spend most of the story being put in peril, captured, and jerked around. It's only in the final episode or so that she really starts to take charge of anything. I do find her motive for departure somewhat understandable, though still disappointing. I'll have more to say about Nyssa at the end of this era during the companion roundup.

With all that said, Terminus is almost a really interesting story in the vein of Gallagher's other Doctor Who contribution, but seems to be continually let down by the pacing, direction, and casting choices. I wish I could like it more, but as it is, it's merely okay.

Enlightenment is next.

 (Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 25 April 2024.)

Fantasia [Disney 100]

 

Now here is something Quinn and I were both more familiar with. Fantasia (1940) isn't much like a traditional animated movie in the vein of the two preceding Disney films. Rather, it's more like a concert set to visuals and a showcase for the medium of animation as a means of expressing color, feeling, and atmosphere. To everyone who's ever imagined a story of their own making to the tune of some classical orchestral overture (here I raise my hand, guilty) it's somewhat gratifying to see that type of thought process writ large, and made professionally.

I have a long history with Fantasia. The "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment terrified me as a kid, and with the benefit of hindsight it is easily the best segment in the movie. "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" is, however, a close second, and is stunningly animated and very evocative.

I must give "Rite of Spring" a shout as well, given the prevalence of my beloved dinosaurs, as painfully dated as they now are.

It's hard to imagine a movie like Fantasia being made today (though stay tuned for one of the later reviews in this series). It very much feels like it belongs to an earlier era where animation as a medium was thought about differently by both studios and the public, allowing this sort of experimental, almost eerie attempt at bridging it with more classical art forms.

Little else in this marathon will capture my imagination like this did. But I assure you that many wonderful things are yet to come.

Mawdryn Undead [Doctor Who, Story 125]

 

Mawdryn Undead by Peter Grimwade
1 - 9 February 1983

 

As we approach the middle point of Peter Davison's time as the Doctor, we'd expect the regulars to be known quantities by now. True enough, Sarah Sutton feels like she once again didn't get a whole lot to do as Nyssa, Tegan is rather short with everyone, and the Fifth Doctor seems curiously unconcerned with everything around him. Although this story is a considerable improvement on Grimwade's last serial, Time-Flight, it seems like a mastery of the main cast's characterization has not miraculously materialized in the interim.

Accordingly it's a bit odd that a new companion is being introduced when the existing characters already seem so inconsistent. Nevertheless, I find Turlough very interesting, and his introduction as a semi-antagonist rather than the traditional companion role is definitely interesting. The story draws a parallel between Tegan and Nyssa's distrust of Mawdryn as the fake Doctor and Turlough's introduction as a "false" companion which I find pretty neat.

Seeing the Brigadier is always a pleasure, and he brings a fair bit to the story. The time travel quandary centered on the split between 1977 and 1983, and his selves on either side, is a great plot beat, although it feels somewhat buried in the mix of everything else going on with this story.

All in all, I'd consider this one a fun story with some good ideas that stops shy of being great because it tries to do a little too much in its allotted time. It might grow on me with future viewings.

 Terminus is up next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 22 April 2024.)