This one is a bit dull.
Sarah -
It is.
Harry -
So it wasn't just me getting bored watching the same scenes being played out over the first two parts? That's not to say parts three and four were much better.
So much of this story felt like a rehash. The tribe of unwashed villagers looked like castaways from a Jon Pertwee story. Neeva was a pale imitation of the great high priest Tlotoxl. And the Doctor has faced off against a maniacal supercomputer more than once before. It's all been done already, so I couldn't help but find it dull.
The production didn't help. The sets were uninteresting, the costumes were drab, the special effects looked cheesy. Agh! I'm hoping you might have something more positive to say, Sarah.
Sarah -
Well, this Leela lass has all kinds of spunk. Does that count as positive?
Harry -
Ah, Leela! As weak as this story is, it offers us a great introduction to Leela. In her very first scene, we see that she has been condemned by her own people for speaking out, so you know she's not one to fall in line quietly. We also see that her tribe the Sevateem are a suspicious and superstitious lot. Their lack of knowledge of the universe around them leads Leela to have some unintentionally funny moments when she meets the Doctor.
Sarah -
Oh, I've thought of something else! I really like the idea of the Doctor coming back to somewhere he's been before and having to face the impact of his actions. That's a great concept for a Doctor Who story!
Harry -
Yes, I like the idea of the Doctor having to confront the messes that he leaves behind. It's good timey-wimey stuff and has popped up in several novels too.
If there's a Hinchcliffe homage to be had here, I was reminded of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Savages, sterile spaceships, psycho computers. It's Stanley Kubrick on the cheap!
There was something odd about Tom's performance in this one. Maybe it was his breaking-the-fourth-wall soliloquy when he stepped out of the TARDIS. Haven't seen something like that since William Hartnell wished everyone a Merry Christmas, have we? It set an odd tone at the start.
Sarah -
That was an awkward moment.
I'd forgotten that Leela forces her way into the TARDIS at the end of the story -- and I can't really blame her. Can you imagine the misery of staying on that boring planet for the rest of your life. Awful.
Harry -
This rendition of the "come aboard the TARDIS" moment was amusingly awkward, with the Doctor huffing at Leela before she dashes into the TARDIS and activates the console.
The Sevateem and the Tesh were equally boring, so Leela making a run for it is totally understandable.
That hits on the real failure of this story: I didn't care for any of the characters outside of the Doctor or Leela. Neither the superstitious savages nor the hyper-repressed technicians did anything for me. It wasn't really explained how the Tesh could control people with telepathy. I need explaining!
The best thing about the story may have been the freaky Tom Baker faces that Xoanon projected. And if that's the best thing about a story, well... maybe we should just move on quickly.
Sarah -
You've had little to say about this and I've had even less. Let's follow Leela's lead and make a break for the TARDIS door!
Harry -
I'm right behind you!
Sarah -
Best Line: "Now drop your weapons or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby."
Favorite Moment: Leela thinking that the Doctor offering her a jelly baby means he's the Evil One and eats babies.
Lasting Image: The Mount Rushmore Doctor
5/10
Harry -
Best Line: "Well yes I suppose I do like you. But then I like lots of people, but I can't go carting them around the universe with me. Goodbye."
Favourite Moment: The Doctor urges Leela to tread carefully, before turning and doing a faceplant.
Lasting Image: the crazed Doctor faces of Xoanon
5/10
Our marathon continues with Story #90 - The Robots of Death...
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