We did it, Sarah! We made it to the end of "The Daleks' Master Plan."
What a wild and woolly ride that was. The story really is a tale of two halves, so our previous review after Part Six was well timed, I think.
We could probably spend this entire session discussing Part Seven, "The Feast of Steven." That had to be the rompiest romp since romp came to Romptown!
Sarah -
Romp Away, I say! What a good time. I didn’t even mind the Doctor breaking the fourth wall to wish us a Happy Christmas. It was a pleasant respite from Master Plans and Daleks and Such. Professor Webster, for whom the Doctor was mistaken earlier, made me giggle when he critiqued the film set. But, I think my favorite line was when the cop told Sara to “Have a swinging time!” He’s the copper who’s down with the kids – or at least knows how to humor the drunks.
Speaking of Sara, can I cut to the chase and get up on my soapbox? Why is Sara Kingdom not included in the official BBC companions listing? She spent more time in the TARDIS than Katrina, traveled all over the damn place with the Doctor and Steven, and died trying to help the Doctor. To top it off, she’s smart, sexy, and awesomely fabulous. I’m going to compose a sharply worded letter to the BBC this evening and set things straight. This injustice cannot continue!
Or, maybe I’ll just head down the pub for a Halloween pint…
Harry -
Sara's companion status has been much-disputed. Entire message boards have risen and fallen without arriving at a conclusion to this question. I am firmly in the "Companion? Yes!" camp. It's great that Jean Marsh recently reprised the role in a series of DW Audios, which further expanded Sara's travels with the Doctor and Steven.
Sarah -
I’ve not heard those audios. You’ll have to get the titles to me, and perhaps our readers – if there are any out there. Hellooooooo!!!!
Harry -
I guess Part Seven can be considered the very first DW Christmas Special, since it was a complete one-off with no impact on the greater story. But it was a wild piece, DW as slapstick comedy.
Moving on to Parts Eight and deeper, though, it seemed hard for the story to get back up to speed again. Part Eight is essentially a reboot, with the Daleks spending most of the episode preparing to launch their own time machine on a pursuit of the TARDIS.
Sarah -
The Dalek-shaped doors on the time machine were a nice touch.
The return to the alien council was a relief -- I was kind of starting to miss them -- and Chen. Unfortunately, the whole Time Destructor test scene lacked the drama that would have pulled us back into the story, even with the cursory extermination of Trantis.
Harry -
There was also that silly bit involving the TARDIS landing on a cricket pitch. The story couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to be anymore.
Sarah -
The first appearance of cricket in Doctor Who! There was little point to it, but the commentators made me laugh, “We’re checking the record book to see if this has happened before.” I could imagine it the same scene playing out on ESPN.
Harry -
And then to confuse matters further, all of a sudden we land in the middle of an Egyptian historical... with a familiar villain back on the scene!
Sarah -
The Time Meddler is back! My hope briefly surged! Peter Butterworth is once again an utter delight. The Doctor looks so happy to have bumped into his old adversary in Ancient Egypt. The scenes between the Monk and Chen are a blast as the two cunning manipulators try to outmaneuver each other.
And then it turns into an episode about lock tampering and repair. Oh the drama!
Harry -
Mind-blowing greatest-hits package that foreshadowed the RTD epics to come, or a chaotic cacophony of confusion? What has become of "The Daleks' Master Plan?"
Sarah -
I feel much better knowing it wasn’t a sudden attack of latent-onset ADD or something. I had a terrible time keeping my attention focused on the story. After a strong start, we’ve wandered into a rambly Chase-like thing.
Harry -
Oh yes, I was feeling the "Chase" vibe in these later episodes too.
Sarah -
There’s a bit of an upswing in episode ten, but I think that’s mostly due to having footage again – and being able to enjoy Kevin Stoney’s brilliant, subtle performance.
Harry -
Kevin Stoney is definitely the gem of this story. He steals the scene in all the real footage episodes, with his little asides, his pinky-to-the-mouth bit, and his growing madness.
Fortunately part twelve brings it all together again. After a wild pursuit across time and space with an entire season's worth of great characters, it all boils down to the Doctor and his friends confronting the Daleks and their ally.
Chen is completely looney tunes by the end, and I loved it! In the space of 10 minutes, he lets go with at least three roaring "I, MAVIC CHEN!" outbursts. Completely, delightfully bonkers.
Sarah -
I believe Stoney is the current holder of my “All-time favorite guest actor” title. Such a gem of a performance.
Harry -
And then, death sweeps through the story one last time, taking Chen, the Daleks and (devastatingly) Sara.
Sarah -
Oh Sara, I renew my pledge to battle for your Official Companion status! Just right after I finish this pint, I promise.
Harry -
What a gripping way to finish the story. Stephen and the Doctor, alone in a dusty wasteland, lamenting their dead friends, and the Doctor regretting the terrible waste of it all. Perfect finish. For me, it overcomes the loosey-goosey flaws of the second half.
Sarah -
It’s simply devastating – Sara, Katarina, Bret, not to mention all the baddies who bit the dust. A terrible waste.
Harry -
One final note before we wrap it up. Part twelve might be the first DW episode that features wall-to-wall soundtrack for almost its entirety. I love electronic music, especially the ambient noise that we heard throughout. Contemporary DW might be a bit over-the-top and too movie-ish in its use of blaring musical cues, but this story demonstrates how a bit of background sound can heighten tension and elevate a story. Well done!
Before I collapse in a quivering heap:
Lasting image - I loved that moment when the Egyptians gazed up at the sun in the sky, and the image morphed into the reflection of a light on a Dalek casing. But I'll go with Mavic Chen's peculiar writing style, which is more conducive to a still image.
Favourite moment - the exchanges between the Monk and the Doctor, always laced with latent hostility.
Best line - Could there be any other than "I, MAVIC CHEN!"
Second half rating - 8/10
Overall rating - 8.5/10
Sarah -
Lasting image – The Monk in his sunglasses.
Favorite moment – Mavic Chen spiraling out of control.
Best line – Because I don’t want to copy "I, MAVIC CHEN!"…
Steven: “You’re a genius, Doctor.”
Doctor: “Yes, I know, My Boy!”
Second half rating - 8/10
Overall rating – 8.5/10
Our marathon continues with Story #22 - The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve...
Really enjoying this blog! I spent most of 2010 doing a similar watch (it was a re-watch of some Hartnell and Troughton, but most of the classic series was new to me) and this brings back so many memories of my experiences. Can't wait to do it again! Hope to keep reading your blog for a long time to come.
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's a small relief to know we aren't just talking to each other. We slacked off a bit during the Summer months, but we'll be spending much more time on the sofa with the onset of Winter.
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