Is it possible to summarize this entire story with a single word? Is "WOW" strong enough? Is "EPIC" too cliché? "CLASSIC?" "SENSATIONAL?" "MONUMENTAL?"
Obviously, I like it!
Right from the start, there is a different feel to this story. Rob and Toby noted it too. You just know -- from the title and the opening location shots and the music -- that this story is going to be big. And it is.
Sarah -
Bigger than big! The biggest! What’s not to love?
Harry -
We have seen nothing like this before. The TARDIS team scrambling around a ruined London. The foetid Thames, the crumbled Battersea Power Station, the ominous poster under the bridge. It's too late for the Doctor to stop the apocalypse, it has already happened.
Sarah -
My notes are full of exclamation points: Battersea! Thames! Dalek Ship! Poster!
The shot of the “It is forbidden to dump bodies into the river” poster while the Roboman walks into the river was brilliantly chilling. We don’t know what’s going on, but we know it’s bad.
Harry -
And you can sense the Doctor's anxiety early on. He's not relaxed at all. He's sniping at Susan, he's being snarky to Ian, and these moments of tension stoke the viewing experience.
Sarah -
I can’t disagree with The Doctor when he tells Susan, "What you need is a jolly good smacked bottom!"
Harry -
I always laugh at that line. Old school.
Sarah -
Who else would bring the bridge crashing down on the TARDIS?
Harry -
And twist her ankle AGAIN? As our heroes separate and explore, the reality of the situation becomes more evident. Robomen, spacecraft (delightfully wobbly spacecraft!), and, as the first cliffhanger arrives... Daleks!
Sarah -
Not just Daleks, but Daleks in the Thames! I nearly fell off the sofa with excitement! One might ask how Daleks can be underwater, but who’s going to split hairs when there are DALEKS IN THE THAMES!
The Doctor and Ian are taken captive by the Daleks, while Barbara and the limping Susan ally themselves with the resistance fighters. I loved Barbara’s chase after the man carrying Susan (Can you recall his name? I’m not sure anymore.) -- it looked and felt like a Goddard film, as did Barbara’s run around London with Dortmun and Jenny. So much great location work in this story!
Harry -
The "flight across London" sequence is one of my favourites in all of Doctor Who. Three-and-a-half minutes with no dialogue and loads of tension. The empty city looks amazing, especially with the Daleks creeping around. I'm not saying this just to big it up, but my heart starts to race whenever I watch that sequence. It's either that good, or I need more exercise.
Sarah -
The Daleks ruling over London was one of my favorite scenes. I couldn’t help thinking that they looked like tourists checking out all the sights!
Having already taken a swipe at Susan – albeit one of my last – I have to give her credit for the best line of the story, when Barbara says she can cook and Susan is asked, “What do you do?” Her cheeky response, “I eat” made me laugh out loud.
Harry -
That was cheeky fun. I wish Susan could have been more like that. Less scream, more snark.
There is so much going on in this story outside the main plot that I almost missed William Hartnell's absence from the fourth episode. While the absence was injury-related, it was a bit of luck in that it allowed the Susan-David relationship to develop in a believable way (in comparison to Leela's relationship with Red Pants Boy in "The Invasion of Time").
Sarah -
I agree about Susan and David. Their scenes were sweet, especially that smoochie fireside scene! I liked when Susan called the Doctor out and he responded by supporting David’s proposal – and then David diffuses the bomb and saves the day. Hooray!
I also didn’t realize that Hartnell didn’t appear in that episode until I read about it afterward.
Harry -
It's astonishing how much action they crammed into this story. Ian battling the mutant Slyther, Barbara plowing a truck through a line of Daleks, Susan being menaced by a baby reptile, etc. Even the Doctor puts a bit of stick about (literally!) when he clubs one of the Robomen with his walking stick.
Sarah -
Don’t forget Barbara the bomb thrower!
Harry -
The constant barrage of action exposes the fact that the story itself is a bit "style over substance." In fact, it's daft. The Daleks have invaded Earth with a scheme to hollow out the planet's core and install an engine so they can boot around the universe. What the hell?
Sarah -
The script really is rather weak, but Richard Martin’s direction saves the day. We also need to give a shout out to Francis Chagrin’s excellent music, especially during the flight across London. Not what you’d expect on Doctor Who!
Harry -
The only other weakness in this story was that everybody was guilty of some stilted acting at some point. The switch from contained studio to open locations gave the actors a lot more room to work with, and sometimes they seemed to not know quite what to do.
Sarah -
Excellent observation and spot on! I kept thinking that William Russell look uncomfortable, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Still, Ian did manage to thwart the Dalek plot in his suit and tie – you’ll never find a contemporary companion doing that.
Harry -
But this is minor quibbling. I could watch our heroes run, climb and battle all day. This six-parter was well filled in.
Sarah -
I loved seeing them out of the studio. It was exhilarating!
Harry -
Who exactly was the titular "Waking Ally" of the fifth episode? All I can think of is that it was the Robomen emerging from their mind-control, but that doesn't really happen until the next episode.
Sarah -
I was wondering that myself, but have no idea.
Other great moments include Barbara responding to a moment of crisis by making tea and, later, manipulating the Daleks, the Dalek attempting to question the mannequin, perhaps the lamest Doctor Who monster of all time (and that’s saying something!), the Slyther and – most importantly -- our first quarry!!!!!
Harry -
If there was any lingering doubt about Barbara's sheer excellence, this story should dispell it. Having been terrified in her first encounter with the Daleks, she is now jerking them around brilliantly.
And yeah, the Slyther looked like something they assembled from some rubbish found behind the studio.
Sarah -
It also had its touching moments, like Larry and his brother killing each other; and delightfully laughable moments – the Robomen chanting “Pull, Pull,” and Barbara and Jenny holding their manacles in place, Barbara and The Doctor imitating the Daleks giving orders to the Robomen.
Harry -
Sometimes you've just got to fight daft with more daft!
Sarah -
Exactly!
It’s interesting that Jenny’s character was originally considered as a replacement for Susan. I liked her gruff dependability.
Harry -
Not a fan of the pokey balaclava. Again, minor quibbles.
Sarah -
That was quite the look, wasn’t it?
And then, alas, it’s time to say goodbye to Susan. It’s been great, Kiddo, but I can’t say I’ll miss you. But, I did get a little teary-eyed at their separation. She was so determined to take care of The Doctor, despite her love for David. Now she gets to help rebuild a planet from the beginning, as she wished. But first, she’ll have to find some shoes.
The Doctor’s final words to Susan are that one day he will come back. And he did! Sort of…
Harry -
The Doctor's farewell to Susan has been replayed so often and I've seen it so many times it may have lost a bit of its impact. Seeing it here though, at the conclusion of the complete story following after a long buildup, dammit if I didn't get teary!
Well, those Daleks have been sent packing and the Earth can rebuild. Susan has got a new life ahead of her, and the TARDIS team are off. This has been the first great epic of Doctor Who. It almost felt like a 10-parter. I wouldn't have minded if it was. Big thumbs up to Richard Martin for bringing this amazing story to life.
Lasting image: the Dalek emerging from the Thames.
Favourite moment: Barbara, Jenny and Dortmun's flight across London.
Best line: I'm torn between the ridiculous ("What you need is a jolly good smacked bottom!") and the sublime ("One day I shall come back, yes, I shall come back...").
Rating: 9/10
Sarah -
And we’re off to our next adventure!
Lasting image: The Daleks touring London
Favourite moment: Can only be the flight across London.
Best line: I’ll give this last one to Susan, with, “I eat.”
Rating: 9/10
Our marathon continues with Story #11 - The Rescue...
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