Harry, you’ll never guess the most interesting thing I discovered about this serial. It was airing when Your Sarah was born! Not likely that it was airing anywhere near the South Side of Chicago, but still, it’s a bit exciting. In a nerdy sort of way, I’ll admit.
Harry -
It's your birthday story. Huzzah! Did you wish for an end to these infernal recons? Woops, there's me projecting again.
Sarah -
Just three more, Dear Harry!
Want to know the most exciting thing I learned from this serial? Sonic screwdrivers can be used to remove screws. Imagine that!
Harry -
Ah, the debut of the sonic. So subtle here. Little did the producers know it would eventually become the magic wand with which the Doctor could resolve entire plotlines in a moment, never mind open a particularly tricky box.
Sarah -
Other than these exciting tidbits, it’s pretty much Base Under Siege all over again. Oh, look, there’s a paranoid base commander bullying his entire staff, while an unseen menace closes in. Haven’t we seen this all before?
Harry -
This is all getting a bit Groundhog Day, isn't it?
Sarah -
Groundhog Day? If only I could figure out a way to work in a Ned Ryerson reference!
Harry -
TARDIS lands on Earth - Doctor and friends engage in playful frolic - they get accosted and dragged before a bullying commander as the real menace draws nearer.
I had to laugh when even Jamie and Victoria seemed baffled (almost annoyed) to be back on Earth again.
Sarah -
I laughed out loud at Jamie's, "It's always England!" Spoken like a true Scotsman.
There are some nice touches to the story. I quite liked the relationship between Harris and Maggie. We haven’t seen many families in our travels, have we?
Harry -
Such a lovely couple.
Sarah -
I kind of loved Maggie's outfit. And her hair. Fabulous hair!
Harry -
Love the hair!
Sarah -
Somehow, the sudden appearance of domesticity was almost shocking in the science-fiction world we’ve been inhabiting.
I also loved Oak and Quill. Thank you, Australian censors, for preserving the clip when they attack Mrs. Harris with poison gas. It was wonderfully creepy. I only wish we got to see more of Oak and Quill in action.
Harry -
Ah yes, the famous image of Mr. Quill's face. Probably would have freaked me out as a child. Now I only snickered at the thought that these two sinister characters were attacking poor Mrs. Harris with their bad breath.
Sarah -
I have to admit that really freaked me out. There was something very ordinary about it, which made it more sinister.
Harry -
We are giving this story a bit of a rough ride, but I really liked the atmosphere. Something about the Doctor skipping around a room full of white coats, trying to warn them of danger, always makes me smile.
Sarah -
Lucky for him, he gets to do it so often, isn't it? It amuses me how each successive set of scientists is suspicious of the Doctor, but always end up filling him in on the entire situation before the second episode is over.
Harry -
The musical score is excellent here, experimental and edgy and a nice compliment to the setting.
Sarah -
The clanging music during the gas attack definitely contributed to the scene. Dudley Simpson has outdone himself!
Harry -
Best of all is the lurking menace, more heard than seen. The nasty bits of seaweed hint at a greater monster thumping around in those pipes. The ominous threat is best summed up by Van Lutyens at the end of episode two:
"Mr. Robson there is something alive in the pipeline... It's down there, in the darkness... in the pipeline... waiting."
Errm... I'll be behind the sofa if you need me!
Sarah -
This is where the story just didn't quite work for me. Maybe it's the recon, but the thumping kept sounding to me like a party going on at the neighbors. I couldn't shake the image that the monsters were just holding a rave and it would all be better if the Doctor brought along some glow sticks.
Harry -
It was a very rapid heartbeat.
Sarah -
Maybe the succession of similar stories is finally getting to me.
Speaking of similarities, have we not met Robson before? If memory serves, he was calling himself Hobson then, but it’s all the same, really. The arrival of Megan Jones was a nice surprise for the era. She was clearly in charge, but also brought a humanity to Robson that he would not have been able to achieve on his own!
Harry -
Ms. Jones definitely put some stick about - a refreshing change! We also got treated to a wacky helicopter ride courtesy of the Doctor. It seemed somewhat out of place here, but maybe they got a two-for-one rental deal on the helicopter from "The Enemy of the World."
Sarah -
Ha! I was thinking the same thing!
In any case, let's raise our glasses to Victoria in her final story. She really gets short shrift in fandom, which I think is unfair. The fact that most of her episodes are lost doesn't help things, but she’s a stronger character than one would expect. In this episode, she gets to use her science background, reminding us that she’s not just a Victorian-era damsel in distress. She’s the educated daughter of an esteemed scientist, with a quick wit and sharp intelligence. Also, her screaming came in quite handy in this story.
Harry -
Likely the only story (pending Mel) where the enemy is routed thanks to the companion's screams. Gosh that was a wacky ending, everyone survives (including Quill offscreen), with a lusty "hoorah!" from the cast as even Van Lutyens is found to be alive and well. HOORAH!
Anyway, it was clear for most of the story that this would be Victoria's farewell. It's fun to travel with the Doctor, but there is a cost that every companion must pay. Victoria was strong enough to decide when she'd had enough.
Sarah -
Her relationship with Jamie is sweet, and not likely one that either of them would have been able to experience in their own times. Their final scene together was heartbreaking in its tenderness. I will miss Victoria and hope she’ll be happy in 1960s England.
Harry -
I liked Victoria, and it's too bad she only stuck around for one season. At least she got an extended goodbye. Not the first seaside parting we'll see...
Sarah -
Spoilers, Dear Harry, spoilers!
Harry -
Overall I didn't mind this story. It offers several hints at the direction the show is about to move towards: lots of Earth-bound stories, lots of sciencey settings, experimental music and lots of action outside the studio. I can't wait!
I might have given this one a higher ranking were it not for the limitations of the recon. How many left again?
Sarah -
Threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Line: "Jamie, you wouldn’t let me go down there on my own, would you?”
That’s our cleverly manipulative Doctor!
Favorite Moment: Victoria and Jamie’s tender farewell.
Lasting Image: The Oak and Quill gas attack!
6/10
Harry -
Best Line: "It's down there, in the darkness... in the pipeline... waiting."
Favourite Moment: Robson's meltdown.
Lasting Image: Maggie Harris walks into the sea.
7/10
Our marathon continues with Story #43 - The Wheel in Space...
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