It all begins with such promise as our group of traveling chums share a moment of reflection on their many adventures. Barbara assures us she's "got over all that" kerfuffle with the Aztecs, The Doctor tells a mildly amusing anecdote about Henry VIII (I'm telling you, The Doctor and his Royals obsession -- will it never end?), and we're on to the next adventure!
Harry -
The First Doctor and Susan met Henry VIII: this makes me want to take up fan fiction just to write that adventure!
Susan also mentions an adventure with some telepathic plants on the planet Esto or something like that. This leads to revelations that she and the Doctor both possess telepathic abilities, as we will see demonstrated as the story goes on. An interesting new characteristic, though one that didn't get much play after this story.
Sarah -
Our Travelers find themselves on a space ship littered with what seem to be dead bodies and overly dramatic music. When Barbara said she "can sense something," I assumed it was the heavy hand of composer Norman Kay. When Ian pronounces Maitland dead, the Bahm-Bahm of the music nearly knocked me off my sofa.
Harry -
The musical stings in this story were a bit overdone. BAHM-BAHM!
Sarah -
But wait, they're not dead after all, and Our Heroes spring into action, lending support where they can -- and decided to bugger off when they conclude that, oh well, there's really not much they can do. If only someone hadn't absconded with the TARDIS lock.
OK, I'm being a bit glib. In retrospect, so much happens in this first episode that I'd almost remembered it as two parts.
Harry -
A lot happens, but the best moment of the first episode is when nothing happens at all. There's that long silence as everyone anticipates the first appearance of the aliens. And there's one now! Peeping into the ship! BAHM-BAHM!
I'm struggling to imagine how I might have reacted to the Sensorites if I was seeing them for the first time, in 1964. Men in bodysuits with awkward circular feet, with furry faces beneath egg-head craniums. Creepy? Goofy? Somewhere in between?
Sarah -
I kept thinking that the they looked like the Whos-down-in-Whoville, but that's my jaded modern sensibility. There were so many references to them looking exactly the same, except that the didn't really, did they?
Harry -
After the reveal, the action moves down to the Sense-Sphere, which appears to be the set of a 1960s game show -- huge drapes and arches, big polka dotted panels, and a kiddie pool fountain. I love how everyone acts around the pool, glancing at it, but never saying anything about it. They all do their own silent take: "Oh, here's a random kiddie pool fountain, nice."
The story. Is there much to it, beyond the obvious themes? By that I mean... xenophobia and racism, BAHM-BAHM!
Are we both being glib with this one? I've focused more on the kiddie pool than anything else.
One other point I wanted to make was that The Sensorites is the first story that really felt stale. We've seen myriad alien races on DW and other shows, and the Sensorites look terribly dated even if they might have been new and weird for 1964.
Same goes for the story. It is really of its time, lacking in nuance, and, like the images themselves, very black and white. By the time we got to the bonkers Earth crew living in the aqueducts, I'd kind of switched off.
Sarah -
That was odd, wasn't it? I have to give props to John Bailey for his wonderful turn as the Commander. That, and the return of the lovely Barbara and her stunning outfit gave the story a bit of a lift at the end.
Harry -
The roaring standoff between Susan and the Doctor was pretty wild, though.
Sarah -
This was perhaps the most interesting development. Our Little Susan is growing up and Grandfather is not ready for it so she turns to Barbra as her natural ally. It was a nice scene.
Harry -
Nice foreshadowing too. We found the one bit of depth in this story!
Sarah -
And now I'm ready to move on!
Lasting image - The Sensorite at the window in episode one.
Favorite moment – The superior officer twit commander in the aqueducts.
Best line - "I learned not to meddle in other people's affairs years ago."
Of course you did, Doctor, of course you did!
Rating: 5/10
Harry -
Lasting image - I want to say the kiddie pool, but let's go with John's constant face of trauma. That was hella trauma.
Favourite moment - the 30 seconds of silence before we first see a Sensorite
Best line - "Your story is a tissue of lies."
Haven't heard that term before. Must be an old Sensorite saying.
Rating: 5/10
Our marathon continues with Story #8 - The Reign of Terror...
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