Our recap of "Earthshock" went long, and we didn't get a chance to look back at the first season of the Peter Davison era. It feels like we covered a lot of ground since "Castrovalva".
Sarah -
It feels like it's been a long time since the regeneration, doesn't it? It's only been two months since we started the Fifth Doctor era, yet somehow it feels as though it's been much longer.
Harry -
It does, and I think the good variety of stories in Season 19 was a factor. "Castrovalva" was a bit loopy and we watched Anthony Ainley firmly establish himself as the new Master. "Four to Doomsday" was a good romp in space. "Kinda" was all kinds of crazy -- lame snake prop aside. "The Visitation" was a fun historical-SF mashup, while "Black Orchid" marked a brief return to the classic Hartnell Historical format. I always think that "Earthshock" was the final story in this season, but it was not. That's just one of many coping mechanisms I employ to help deal with "Time-Flight".
Sarah -
We're going to need something stronger to help us cope. Didn't we leave a bottle of gin tucked into one of the sofa cushions after the last regeneration?
Harry -
It's back there somewhere. Well, JNT has killed off Adric as he continues to reshape the show to his own design. The story begins with a brief mourning scene.
Sarah -
To be honest, I'm starting to wonder if the design was intentional or just a lot of stuff happening.
Harry -
Tegan and Nyssa remain, for now. The Doctor seems to be getting caught up in events more often than influencing them. It's been an interesting season so far. And we're about to find out if Tegan ever makes it to Heathrow...
Sarah -
The action in the TARDIS picks up immediately after the survivors from "Earthshock" are sent on their way. Nyssa and Tegan are still reeling from Adric's death and implore the Doctor to go back and save him. The Doctor becomes as tetchy as we've seen him in a while, "Now listen to me, both of you. There are some rules that cannot be broken even with the Tardis. Don't ever ask me to do anything like that again. You must accept that Adric is dead. His life wasn't wasted. He died trying to save others, just like his brother, Varsh. You know, Adric had a choice. This is the way he wanted it."
Not so sure about the whole "wanting it this way" thing, but after commenting that Adric wouldn't want them to mourn "unnecessarily," we're off on the next adventure.
Harry -
The whole scene was played awkwardly. Janet Fielding seemed unsure weather to be angry or weepy and landed somewhere in between. Peter Davison rushes through his lines, and Sarah Sutton stands back and lets the two of them play it out. Awkward, but they got through the minimal requirement of reacting to a recently deceased character.
Sarah -
The TARDIS finally makes it back to Heathrow, shortly after a Concorde has gone missing. Surely the TARDIS crew won't be suspected of being involved, will they?
Harry -
I think awkward is going to be the theme of this story. This was another odd scene. After being confronted by security, the Doctor suddenly remembers his UNIT credentials and name drops the Brigadier. In a matter of minutes, the TARDIS crew are leading the search for the lost Concorde. Naturally, this involves taking another one along the exact same flight path as the first one, so the Doctor can see what happens.
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the second plane also disappears into some sort of time-slip.
Or does it? They seem to have landed back at Heathrow.
Or have they? They seem to have fallen for a psychic trick.
Turns out, both Concordes have landed 140 million years in the past. As everyone shuffles around the prehistoric stage set trying to look convincingly puzzled, a Mysterious Conjurer observes them in his crystal ball while jabbering nonsensical things to himself. Sharoom Sharoom!
Sarah -
You know what, Harry? I just can't. I cannot even deal with this story. Spoilers, everyone -- it's the Master with another of his cockamamie plans.
Harry -
Oh my word, that's cut to the chase. Only there isn't a chase, and the big plot twist is the Master wearing a pointless disguise. I'm not even sure I followed what his plan was.
Sarah -
The plan is crap. The Doctor foils it. Master defeated. Everyone back on the plane to Heathrow. Whoops, the TARDIS seems to have left Tegan behind. THE END. Move along. Nothing more to see here. On to Season Twenty.
Harry -
Can we at least say something nice about Captain Stapley, who was played by Canadian Richard Easton? He played the role with such pluck, and his acting credits are quite fascinating.
Sarah -
You can always count on a Canadian!
Harry -
Captain Stapley held things together with cheerful charm while the Doctor and Master resumed their ongoing series of flirtations. It was Stapley who came up with a solid solution to every dilemma. Need to remove a wheel from the Concorde without raising the place? Why, dig beneath it of course. Meanwhile the Doctor and Master kept exchanging technobabble to no one's amusement.
Sarah -
Captain Stapley is pretty much the hero of the piece, isn't he? What the hell is going on here, Harry? The Captain is even allowed to be in the TARDIS without the Doctor. It's like an open-door policy was declared during the Fifth Doctor's era. Everyone gets to come on board, it seems.
Harry -
It's crazy how many people are barging in and out of the console room these days.
It was a relief when they finally got back to Earth, and hey look at that, the getting-Tegan-to-Heathrow arc worked out in the end. Only, she doesn't seem at all interested in being there.
Sarah -
Poor Tegan.
Best Line:
Tegan's "So did I...", if only because it's the final line. The Doctor has inadvertently left her behind and Stapley says, "I thought you were going with the Doctor."
Favorite Moment: The one thing really I enjoyed in the story was the second Concorde crew meeting the first crew, who were under the Master's spell. "I didn't know you had a New York stopover. Meet you in the bar!" That was funny.
Lasting Image: Tegan's face when she's left at Heathrow -- the one place she's been wanting to go all season. Oh, the cruel irony.
2/10
Harry -
Best Line:
Airport security - "Are you responsible for this box, sir?"
Doctor - "Well, I try to be."
That kind of sums up the Peter Davison era so far.
Favourite Moment: So many moments of Captain Shipley being awesome that it's hard to choose just one.
Lasting Image: The Master's utterly pointless disguise. Sharoom Sharoom!
3/10
Sarah -
THREE! That extra point is for Stapley, isn't it?
Harry -
He was pretty awesome.
Our marathon continues with Story #123: Arc of Infinity...
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