My word, it took forever to get through that one. Did I mention I'm developing a slow-boiling hate for recons?
Sarah -
Oh, My Dear Harry, it's like a slog through the thickest mud. It takes all my energy to stay positive.
Harry -
What struck me about "The Macra Terror" is that it is a feast for the senses. We were denied so many visuals here: the majorettes on parade, the Macra attacks, and Jamie's highland fling! Boo recons! Damn you BBC!
At least we had the full audio. And what a cacophony! Delia and Co. must have had a blast coming up with the incidental bits like the majorettes' music.
Sarah -
One suspects that 1966 is the year LSD hit the Beeb. The soundtrack is INSANE!
How I'd love to see the majorettes parade in motion.
Harry -
Looking beyond the frustrating stills and relentless noise, "The Macra Terror" is an interesting little adventure. At times, I found it a study in psychological terror, other times it was an anti-establishment satire.
The root of the story is a colony fallen under the control of parasitic insects, who utilize Orwellian tactics to keep the human colonists under control.
Enter the TARDIS crew, who take a flipping great fly swatter to the whole thing.
Sarah -
On a mission to irritate the baddies of the galaxy since 1963!
Harry -
Our friends Rob and Toby declare this story to be a classic. I'm not quite there, but I do agree with much they have to say. The Doctor is brilliant here, tweaking the nose of authority, throwing spanners into the works, and even awarding himself 10 out of 10s for his mathematical skills. Cheeky!
Sarah -
Troughton's delightful performance helped me through the rather challenging recon. I laughed loudly at the Doctor's reaction to the grooming machine -- inserting himself into the muscle-toning machine to get properly messed up again!
Harry -
Madcap!
This time, it's Ben's turn to fall under the sway of the enemy via their nighttime brainwashing. I was genuinely angry with him for lacking the willpower of Polly and Jamie, but he still showed flashes of bravery, as when he rescued Polly from one of the Macra.
Sarah -
Poor Ben, always so solid and reliable. I felt so badly for him being the one to succumb to the Macra.
Harry -
And how about those Macra, eh? The stills and brief snippets of footage depict lumbering, claw-waving hulks with glowing headlights for eyes. I couldn't help but think of them as Volkswagons that had become sentient, not so much "crabs" as "bugs" if you know what I mean.
Sarah -
OMG, that's perfect. I guess they might be scary if one found oneself face to face...but not so much in the stills.
Harry -
I guess the pivotal scene was the "man behind the curtain" moment. This was when the Controller was revealled to be a confused old man, who was then attacked by a Macra. It's only the end of part two, and the façade of the colony has been ripped away. Yet the colonists are unfazed by what they've seen, and it's up to our heroes to overthrow the system once and for all.
Sarah -
It really takes a lot to get through to these colonists doesn't it?
Harry -
But not before Jamie gets caught in a gas-filled tunnel, Ben fights to overcome his subconscious indoctrination, and Polly and the Doctor figure out a solution.
I don't know. This is such a straightforward story, but the telling of it was so bizarre. Like Jamie making his way to the "glee club" practice room and dancing a highland fling. Crazy!
Sarah -
I kind of like the randomness of that whole thing.
Harry -
Kudos to the production crew for creating such a distinctly bizarre story! It was Doctor Who, The Prisoner and 1984 mashed into one.
Sarah -
I feel better knowing I wasn't the only one reminded of The Prisoner.
Harry -
Perhaps that could be our next marathon, sometime in the 2020s!
Sarah -
I'm not sure if it was me or the low-quality of the recon, but I just couldn't get caught up in this story. I was relieved when the "Stranger's Trophy" was presented and we could get the heck off that planet. We're not done with the Macra, mind you, but what's forty years between friends?
Harry -
Indeed!
I'm ready to wrap this one up.
Best line: In lieu of any particular zinger, I'm giving the award to Delia Derbyshire and her amazing score.
Favourite moment: The big party at the end. Everyone was in such great spirits before dancing away.
Lasting image: Ben and Polly clinging to each other in panto terror.
6/10
Sarah -
Best Line: I'll give this one to the Doctor : "Bad laws were made to be broken"
Favorite Moment: The Doctor getting cleaned up and immediately messed up again.
Lasting Image: The Highland Fling!
6/10
Our marathon continues with Story #35 - The Faceless Ones...
