Story #5 - The Keys of Marinus (1964)

Harry -
No sooner has the TARDIS crew survived the trek across Cathay than they stumble into another quest story, this time on the planet Marinus.

I love the opening shot of the first episode: a nice bit of model work featuring the building where we will find Arbitan and the Conscience machine. From a contemporary point of view, it looks like a mega-resort on some Caribbean island.


Sarah -
One would expect that beginning with an awesome miniature and THE SEA OF DEATH across the scene can only lead to further awesomeness, however, one could also be easily mislead.

Trapped by cavemen, imprisoned by Daleks, driven mad in space, kidnapped by Marco Polo -- and now blackmailed by Arbitan and sent on a scavenger hunt to find his keys. A promising start that devolves into a Scooby-Doo episode.


Harry -
Marinus is a strange place: beaches made of glass and seas of acid. Despite the evident dangers and a close call with an acid pool, Susan rather stupidly wanders off, all the way to the distant building. Watching these stories in quick succession reinforces to me why I never really liked Susan. When we first met her in "An Unearthly Child," she towered over her fellow students, but in these subsequent adventures, she's very accident prone and immature.


Sarah -
As I've mentioned before, I do not get Susan. I understand that her role is to get into scrapes that will lead us to further adventures, but she was introduced to us as a much more interesting character. With the exception of a few scenes in "Marco Polo," I find her to be most tedious!


Harry -
Definitely.

Anyway, the crew all make it to the building, where they encounter Arbitan and the Voord (and some BBC TV crew who strayed into shot, yikes!).


Sarah -
I think half the crew makes a special appearance in this episode...not to mention the boom mics that seem to be a permanent fixture in the story. They should have slapped wet suits on them and made them Voord.


Harry -
The boom mic shadows are so ubiquitious in classic Who that I just accept them as part of the story -- think of them as being caused by some kind of overhanging devices attached to the TARDIS ceiling.

By this story, William Hartnell has settled into his portrayal of the Doctor. This is the curious, serious and whimsical Doctor we remember him as.


Sarah -
Having taken two weeks off for a vacation in the middle of the story, Hartnell was tan, rested and ready by his return in the fifth episode of the story. He's positively feisty by the fifth episode!

Speaking of, The Doctor seems to have acquired a new wig for this story. The locks were decidedly less-flowing.


Harry -
You'd think they'd have gotten matching wigs for the man, but there's the BBC budget for you (obligatory BBC budget dig!).

Going back to the contemporary point of view, I like seeing Ian still wearing an Oriental shirt, like he's just come home from holiday and wants to show off a bit.


Sarah -
Ian’s rocking the Chinese leisure wear! Or is he in fancy dress as one of Adam’s Ants? In any case, he is SO ready for the next Con.

Amusingly, Mr. Smith HATES Ian. Quite passionately, which is more than a little bit out of character. He finds Ian too pompous, officious, terse, and inexplicably self-assured. I tried to explain his better points, citing his man-of-action role in Marco Polo, but Mr. Smith was having none of it.


Harry -
Ian is either the coolest science teacher ever, or the nerdiest action hero ever. Jury's still out.

The Voord: a nice try by Terry Nation, but nowhere near as memorable or menacing as his previous villains. How menacing can you be in a costume that involves giant hood ornaments coming out of your forehead, and speed-inhibiting flippers? (We will see one of the Voord almost do a face-plant later in the story.)


Sarah -
Those costumes looked positively claustrophobic.

Now, let us return once again to my favorite subject of this first season -- my new best girlfriend, Barbara Wright. Yet again, she proves her excellence by seeing through illusions, smashing the alien overlords, feigning fear as the lamest stakes in the history of television threaten to slightly bump her while trapped under a fishing net, fighting off a rapist -- And can I just say WTF? Has anything like this happened elsewhere on Doctor Who? Is this not a children's program? -- and figuring out that Kala is lying. She is truly a woman for the ages.


Harry -
Barbara is far and away the lead character in each of the mini-adventures in this story.

In "The Velvet Web", she sees through the mind-control façade foisted upon the others by the brain monsters, and she is the one who destroys them. In "The Screaming Jungle", she is the one who calms down Susan's hysterics, and (inadvertently) finds the hidden lair where the key is kept. In "The Snows of Terror," Barbara fights off the trapper (whose intentions of rape are clearly implied), and in the final two episodes she gets to team up with the Doctor for a spot of clever detective work. She rules this story!

What I really like about "The Keys of Marinus", despite it being mostly poo-pooed by Rob & Toby, is that it veers Doctor Who in yet another new direction. This time out we have a very fast-moving piece, and each episode serves as a self-contained adventure, like an old Saturday movie-house serial.

The story itself is not the greatest. It's a quest to assemble the pieces for a machine that will control people's minds -- a machine whose destruction is deemed appropriate at the end of the story, coupled with a little speech about the dangers of machines. Whaaa?

But as with so much Doctor Who, if you focus on the things you like, and conclude that the things you don't like don't count, then it's a winner!


Sarah -
The real problem with this story lies in the writing. I'm fine with the concept of each episode being an adventure, but it just never adds up in the end. Our Heroes are kidnapped and forced to find the keys to a machine that subverts free will and each has a scrape with death while trying to find them. When the machine is destroyed in the end, they all just shrug it off and move along.


Harry -
Maybe this Terry Nation kid should go back to writing Daleks. He might be on to something there...


Sarah -
Significantly, this is the first adventure for adventure's sake. There's no mention of Barbara and Ian trying to get back home; they're just off on another lark, it seems.


Harry -
Back to Ian again, this is not his best story. Though initially suspicious in "The Velvet Web", he ends up brainwashed and attacks Barbara. I'll give him "The Screaming Jungle" because he comes to Barbara's aid and sorts out the scientific code. In "The Snows of Terror", Ian does some more rescuing, but gets outwitted by the trapper more than once -- the same trapper than any five-year-old viewer would have concluded was "bad news" the moment he appeared onscreen. And he almost fell for Yartek's hoodie ruse. Come on, Mr. Chesterton!

A word on Altos and Sabetha. I really liked these secondary characters. More memorable than any of the Thals, they made a cute couple in the end. And I can't say I didn't enjoy watching Altos dash about in his cape and Y-fronts. I'm glad that as early as its first season, Doctor Who was providing something "for the uncles" too. Hah!


Sarah -
Poor Altos must have been freezing his stuff off in "The Snows of Terror"!

Altos and Sabetha were sweet. I really liked the final shot when Barbara says she'll miss them and Ian beckons her into the TARDIS. Watching their relationship develop out of the confines of school has been delightful.


Harry -
If you had a favourite single episode in "The Keys of Marinus" which would it be?


Sarah -
If I had to choose one favorite, I'd go with "Sentence of Death," which contains some excellent moments. I especially enjoyed Hartnell in this episode. The Doctor was downright spunky in his investigation of the murder and defense of Ian. And, it was nice to see him again after two episodes of Barbara and Ian taking the lead.


Harry -
I'd pick "The Snows of Terror" just above "The Velvet Web". The former is very grown-up and sobering, up until the keystone knights thaw out.


Sarah -
I also liked the shift in perspective in "The Velvet Web" -- Susan's dress being beautiful from her point of view, but tattered rags from Barbara's, and, of course, The Doctor admiring the lab that was an empty room containing only a rusty tin cup.


Harry -
Good point about the camera perspectives in "The Velvet Web." DW often gets knocked for wobbly sets and rushed productions, but not enough praise goes to the occasional director who adds some flair to the show. Props to John Gorrie on this one.

Lasting image - the opening model shot of the island and pyramid building.

Favourite moment - the Doctor's lively crime scene reconstruction with Barbara and Susan.

Best line - Ian: "In a moment I've got to go in there and face an accusation of murder. I need a man to defend me." Doctor: "I am that man."

Rating: 7/10


Sarah -
Lasting image - The Doctor holding his tin cup!

Favorite moment - Barbara lounging on the chaise, cool as a cucumber, when everyone else arrives in Morphoton.

Best line - "I am that man." Classic Doctor moment!

Rating: 6/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #6 - The Aztecs...

Story #4 - Marco Polo (1964)

Sarah -

Our first lost episode! The wiping of "Marco Polo" has to be one of the great tragedies in the history of Doctor Who. I had previously watched the synopsis included on the "Edge of Destruction" DVD, but it did not prepare me for this marvelous story. If this seven-parter can be carried by the soundtrack and photographs, imagine watching the original! My heart breaks at our loss.


Harry -
Let us offer the Salute of Rassilon to the fine folks behind the Loose Cannon Doctor Who Reconstructions, who have enabled us to hear and partially see the lost stories at their original length. A 30-minute reconstruction of a seven-parter can't help but be painfully abridged.


Sarah -
All Hail Loose Cannon Productions! This project would not be possible without their fine work.


Harry -

I spent a bit of each morning last week watching "Marco Polo". Just one or two episodes a day, it made for an excellent week.

As the story begins the TARDIS continues to malfunction, leaving the crew in the hands of fate. They meet up with a mixed group, neither entirely heroes nor villains. This is the murky dynamic that will be explored, twisted and resolved over the next seven episodes.


Sarah -
Everyone is at the top of their game. And, the complex narrative and moral ambiguity of the story are especially remarkable when you consider that this was a series aimed at children.

We begin as we ended "The Edge of Destruction" – with a giant footprint. Is this a Yeti story, an alien ice planet? No, it’s 13th Century Cathay and The Doctor is in a testy mood. A burnt-out circuit in the TARDIS deactivates the lighting, heating and water supply. Oh No! What are we to do?

But wait, there are some travelers who may wish to help us, as long as we’re not evil spirits sent to deceive them…

Our introduction to the fierce warlord Tegana, the most interesting human baddie we’ve met so far, is startling. And then there’s Marco Polo! I love the women’s reaction: Susan: "Who is he, Barbara?"

Barbara: "I was asking myself the same question."

Hubba Hubba!

Marco’s narration over the map is an excellent device and has the advantage of being charmingly low-budget.

Mark Eden and Derren Nesbitt are note-perfect as Marco Polo and Tegana. Tegana’s cool contempt is terrifying, even as he charms and deceives Marco. One does wonder, however, why he bothered with the poison. Did I miss something or did that plot point lead nowhere?

Hartnell is a joy in Marco’s tent -- swinging from old crank to charming flirt when Ping-Cho serves her soup. Then there’s his hysterical laughter when Marco reveals his plan to take the TARDIS. Of course, Tegana has plans of his own.

And, once again, the TARDIS crew finds themselves unwilling pawns in the schemes of others.


Harry -
I agree that this is a very grown-up story right from the start. Tegana wants to do away with the strangers, but out of culture shock rather than bloodlust. At no point in this story will he lapse into moustachio-twirling panto villainry. He is simply acting out the role one would expect from a cautious emissary and a calculating warrior. (Yes, the poison was a brief notion and never really seemed a viable threat to anyone.)

As for Marco, he doesn't leap off the screen like the swashbuckling historic character I was expecting (despite his dishy Errol Flynn looks!). To me, Marco's character is "charismatically ambiguous". He plays his cards very close to his chest. The less he says to the newcomers, the more I want him to speak and reveal what he really thinks of the situation. This is where his brilliantly-conceived journal comes in.

"I wonder what the strangers' reaction will be when I tell them what I propose to do..."

So! Marco is not to be the hero of the story, but will play the role of kidnapper who will lead the TARDIS crew on a journey that may spell their doom.

The map graphics are endearingly low-budget, but effective.

In episode two, the caravan sets off to cross the Gobi desert, the TARDIS now seized by Marco as a gift he will present to Kublai Khan in Shang-Tu.

Here we have the first of William Hartnell's occasional lengthy absences from a story (which occurred from time to time when he would go on holiday!). To explain it away in the story, apparently the Doctor is sulking! I love this.


Sarah -
Having The Doctor spend most of this episode sulking off camera is brilliant. I laughed when Marco called him "difficult and bad tempered." Yep, that’s Our Doctor!


Harry -
The caravan makes camp and Ian and Marco engage in a game of chess, an obvious metaphor for the head-games that are being played out among many sides in this story. Marco is constantly the focal point for antagonism, whether it is between himself and Tegana, Ian, the Doctor, or even Ping-Cho, whom he is delivering to an arranged marriage.


Sarah -
The chess scene is so well-played by Marco, Ian and Tegana. Tegana is already starting to play the others off against one another. He’s so smooth – I wish I could see Derren Nesbitt in motion.Tegana – "Can you save your king?"

Marco – "I think so, Tegana."

Chilling.


Harry -
The highlight of this episode is the sandstorm. I'm sure it sounded better than it looked on film, but Susan and Ping-Cho's terror is quite gripping.

I like the fact that journals have made something of a return to the new Doctor Who. John Smith kept his Journal of Impossible Things, and River Song has her spoiler-packed blue diary.

The journal-map feature of "Marco Polo" is also a way of cutting through a lot of travel time and meshing the key scenes together. This story seems to take place over the course of many weeks if not months.


Sarah -
This story finally gives Susan a chance to do more than scream or yell, "Oh, Grandfather!" Her developing friendship with Ping-Cho is a sweet depiction of two homesick teenage girls. How perfect that they get to play Nancy Drew and set off after Tegana. Nancy Drew, of course, would have been considerably more quiet than the two of them. Could they have possibly made more noise?

Speaking of noise, the sound design of the storm is positively brilliant – and the lack any moving images may have made it more terrifying.

One thing I really liked about this part of the story is how it all hinges on the primal need for water. Our travelers have been threatened by so many things, but their biggest threat now is the simple lack of water…and, of course, Tegana.


Harry -
In two episodes, this story has packed more punch than many other stories in the history of the show. I agree with Rob Shearman's suggestion that Sydney Newman could have built an entire series around the journey of Marco Polo's caravan.

Onward!


Sarah -
Hooray for condensation! Having been allowed back into the TARDIS after a fainting spell (and another "Oh, Grandfather!" from Susan), The Doctor is able to capture the moisture forming inside the TARDIS after a cold night. The explanation is worked in so seamlessly that it would be easy for the children watching not to realize that they were learning science.

A favorite moment was The Doctor complaining about the "rushing about" everyone is doing at the oasis, when he wants to get to work on the TARDIS.


Harry -
The teachable moments in early Doctor Who were part of the brief that Sydney Newman set down, which was a very Canadian thing to do. Everything we produce up here has to have some educational value, no matter how notional it may seen. Hockey games? What better way to learn about Scandinavia. Canadian made sitcoms? Let us immerse ourselves in our nation's rich cultural diversity. Every other show on Canadian TV? Let us immerse ourselves in America's rich cultural diversity.

It's too bad the show moved away from this. Imagine David Tennant's scene with Donna at the Shadow Proclamation..."Donna, come on, think: Earth, there must have been some sort of warning. Was there anything happening back in your day, like... electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the... sky?"

"Well, how should I know? Um, no. I don't-- I don't think so. No."

"Oh, OK, nevermind."

"Although, there were the bees disappearing."

"The bees disappearing. The BEES disappearing. Sayyyy... Donna, did you know that because of its unique composition and chemical properties, honey is suitable for long term storage and is easily assimilated even after long preservation?"

"Wha?"

"Honey, and objects immersed in honey, have been preserved for decades and even centuries."

"That's... great."

"Now where were we? Oh yeah, the BEES disappearing..."


Sarah -
I would love to see Catherine Tate’s reaction to that!

Meanwhile, back in Cathay, our clever Barbara reads the signs at the Oasis and realizes there were probably no bandits. Her suspicion of Tegana grows, leading her to follow him to the Cave of Five Hundred Eyes, where she finds herself trapped again. First the Daleks, now this!


Harry -
My admiration for Barbara grows with each episode we've been watching. We are only on the fourth story of Doctor Who, but she has been put through hell! How many times has her life been imperiled already, but she bounces back each time. She is a rock.

It is also interesting how much the Doctor's lack of dominant screen time doesn't hinder this story. This is truly Marco's tale.


Sarah -
Barbara may just be my new favorite companion!

It is impressive that the story carries on so well without The Doctor. Of course, things heat up when he's on screen. Calling Marco a "poor, pathetic, stupid savage" was definitely a high point!

The tension between everyone at this point in the story is so intense that Ian starts breaking plates. When chem. teachers start smashing crockery, you know things are spiraling out of control! Poor Ian, when he’s ready to play the hero, the guard turns out to already be dead. Still, he does get to use the bamboo trick, which is right clever.


Harry -
I have neglected to say much about Ping-Cho. It's too bad that in a story like this, with a web of tension criss-crossing between so many characters, her straightforward plight seemed an afterthought. Maybe that's why the resolution of her story -- though a happy ending -- seemed a bit of a happy coincidence.


Sarah -
I really liked the whole sequence of Ping-Cho stealing the key and her rationalization that it was OK because she wasn't "telling" Susan where it was. Her homesickness is so great that she has to help Susan, who is, of course, tripped up by her promise to say goodbye to Ping-Cho before leaving. And so, the TARDIS crew is foiled yet again in their attempts to escape.

And then it's Ping-Cho's turn to escape. It seems no one in this story is where they actually want to be. Still, the return to the way station means that we get to see Wang-lo again, which brings me no small amount of joy.

The upside of all the failed escape plans is that we get to meet the Mighty Kublai Khan! How wonderful is it when he and The Doctor commiserate about age and their many complaints? Hartnell's charm in these scenes is endearing.


Harry -
The Doctor really did act like a cantankerous brat for most of this story, flashes of his old arrogance returning. Who would have thought it would have been the "mighty" Kublai Khan that he bonded with? He totally mellowed out after that.

Speaking of Khan, this brings us to the new batch of characters we meet in the second half of "Marco Polo." Unfortunately they are a bit camp, but not too over the top: the big gay landlord Wang-Lo (oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!), the one-eyed bandit Kuiju (was his monkey also evil?), and Khan himself -- not the menacing war chief that Marco made us out to imagine, but a doddering old man with some kind of Slavic accent. What the hell?

Knowing some of the über-campy characters that still await us on this marathon, these three are quite tame and forgiveable.


Sarah -
Back at the summer palace, Marco Polo and Tegana have a sword fight, Tegana kills himself, Marco returns the TARDIS key to its proper owners, and as a bonus Ping-Cho's fiancee is dead. Hooray -- and we're off to the next adventure!

I LOVED this story. With The Doctor sulking, resting, and such, each of the companions was given a lot to do. Marco was distant yet compelling, Tegana sinister, and Ping-Cho sweet as can be. I can only wonder if we would like it more or less with video.

Lasting image – The TARDIS strapped on the wagon for transport.

Favorite moment – This is tough, given all the excellent moments, but I think I'll go with The Doctor laughing after losing the TARDIS at backgammon.

Best line – "'I couldn't place it in the hanging-garden, now could I?' What does he think it is? A potting shed, or something?" – The Doctor mocking Wang-Lo. I laughed out loud.

Rating: 9/10


Harry -
I want to go and light some bamboo on fire. Probably not the reaction that Sydney Newman envisioned?

Then again, Tegana committing ritual suicide seems a bit much for a kids' programme!

Well, pyromania and impalements aside, this was a fantastic story. I loved our week spent in Cathay!

Lasting image - the white line making its way across the map.

Favourite moment - Kublai Khan appears.

Best line - from Marco's journal: "...the old Doctor continually shows his disapproval of my action by being both difficult and bad-tempered. For three days now, during which time we have covered no more than 30 miles, I have had to endure his insults."

Rating: 9/10

 




Our marathon continues with Story #5 - The Keys of Marinus...

       

Story #3 - The Edge of Destruction (1964)

Harry -
Admit it! I know it was you! You took the last Orangina out of the freezer. You sabotaged my refreshment!

Now I have nothing to sip while viewing this two-part surrealist film, "The Edge of Destruction."

Look at these four people. They seemed to be a team. Now look at them. Disoriented and confused, with achy necks.

My throat, so dry. Thief! I have decided to throw you off this blog for your duplicity. Now go and stand a quarter distance closer to the camera and in profile while I watch some more.

The situation is affecting these people in different ways. The Young Girl is having psychotic fits. Her Grandfather lies unmoving on the floor. The Man is puzzled, but the Woman is strangely unconcerned:

"What's he doing there?"

"Oh, he's cut his head."

They leave Grandfather on the floor.

Where is this, exactly? These camera angles, they are unfamiliar and unique. We will never see shots like these again.

This place, it is some kind of minimalist furniture store. There's a chair here, some ugly art over there, and in the next room is the most uncomfortable bed ever designed. The Young Girl hates this bed. She hates it! She hates it! Why won't it die?!

Eerie music means some weird shit is going down back in the main room. Oh, it's just Grandfather back on his feet, nifty new headband, anyone for some classic SF jargon?

"It's the planet Quinnis in the Fourth Universe."

Sure it is, Pops. Why don't you have a lie down. The Young Girl has prepared a freshly killed bed for you.

Who can sleep at a time like this? When my tormentor has made off with the last Orangina. Don't think I haven't forgotten! You are fired from the Internet at the end of this story!

That is, if anyone is still alive at the end of this story. It's all coming apart. Paranoia and accusations. Grandfather creeping around while everyone sleeps. Anger and violence. This group is disintegrating, as might the entire furniture store. The clocks are already melting!

The Woman obviously read Art History. She delivers a brilliant discourse on the influence of subconscious Oedipal guilt and the role of Marxist animals in the early dreamscape paintings of Salvador Dali.

This spurs Grandfather to deliver a brilliant discourse on everything in the entire universe, hee hee ha ha!

But it's not about who can shout louder anymore.

And I suppose it's not about who stole whose Orangina anymore.

I may have been a bit shouty myself back there, and I can see you are hurt. But I really think you're really swell, and you have wonderfully good taste in shoes. What I'm trying to say is, you have wonderfully good taste in shoes.

Are we good again? Wanna go play in the snow with me?


Sarah -
“Tell Your Disappointment to Suck It; I'm Doing a Bottle Episode!” -- Jeff Winger, Community

I have a weakness for bottle episodes. Yes, they're cheap. But, done well, they can produce amazing television -- Hawkeye and Houlihan trapped behind enemy lines; Archie and Meathead locked in the bar storage room; Walter White and Jesse Pinkman in the desert with a dead battery in their meth-cooking RV; Bayliss and Pembleton grilling the arabber, in what had to be the most exhausting hour of television ever (I was ready to confess!); Paulie and Christopher stalked through the woods by a psychopathic Russian; even Doctor Who's "Midnight." I could go on, but will stop before I expose myself even more as someone who watches far too much television.

This is all to say that I'm a sucker for a well-executed bottle episode – which would not be Edge of Destruction. Still, it's hard not to enjoy the absolute madcap nature of this story. It's as if all the actors have just walked in the door to workshop their characters and have decided to try on every possibility.

Is Susan a hysterical mess or perhaps inhabited by an alien? And what did that bed ever do to her?

Has the alien jumped from Susan to Ian -- or is he suffering from a concussion? Perhaps he's hoping to cash in on the coming zombie craze by working on his moves now or just waiting to get into that fetching Gilbert and Sullivan cloak.

Will The Doctor get them out of this mess or toss Barbara and Ian into the endless void of space?

Barbara literally saves the day -- for the viewer and the occupants of the TARDIS. I have no idea what she was talking about, but I’ll move forward, comfortable in the knowledge that she continues to be the utterly brilliant companion I find her to be. She gave The Doctor what for and he had to apologize for being a big fat Gallifreyan jerk. I’ll forgive the melty clock freakout, because I was feeling a bit screamy by this point, myself. Barbara saved this episode for me – and put everyone else to shame in the TARDIS loungewear.

With the spring – a spring? This was all about a spring? – repaired and order restored, here’s your damn Orangina, which has not been laced with a sleeping draught, for your information. I’m so going to pummel you when we get out into that snow.

Lasting image – Susan cradling the scissors.

Favorite moment – Barbara telling off The Doctor.

Best line - "Accuse us! You ought to go down on your knees and thank us! Gratitude's the last thing you'll ever have... or any sort of common sense either!"

Rating: The first episode is a delightful mess, but the actors rally in the second, more of a team and ready for their next adventure, so I’ll go with an overall 6/10.


Harry - Let's never fight again.

Lasting image - the TARDIS doors swinging open on their own. Creepy!

Favourite moment - After the TARDIS team's relationship was literally taken to the "edge of destruction", Barbara and the Doctor make up. This moment marks a shift for the Doctor from self-interested bastard to thoughtful leader of a team. (Makes you wonder how horribly he must have treated other people up to that point in his timeline.)

Best line - the Doctor's speech on the creation of a galaxy, culminating in his outburst of laughter. Deep down, he's just a science geek! Three stories in, we finally see the Doctor we will come to know and love.

Rating - an utterly mad story, unforgettable for its weirdness. I liked the fact that all this hysteria was prompted by a wonky spring. A cheeky resolution and one that they pulled off. I can even forgive the handwritten "Fast Return" label on the console. 7/10

I think we should watch the rest of this marathon in TARDIS loungewear.


           
 

Our marathon continues with Story #4 - Marco Polo...

Story #2 - The Daleks (1963-64)

Harry -
Nice to see this story start off by showing the main characters settling into a kind of accepted domesticity. All four leads exchange bits of conversation with each other, and look at that happy scene around the food machine. Did the TARDIS perfect a way of making tofu taste like anything? This is the future still to come and I await it eagerly!


Sarah -
So much is packed into this first episode that it's almost overwhelming. The Doctor serves a tasty meal, to the delight of all, and we get to explore our first truly alien world!


Harry -
The first episode really ambles along before the TARDIS crew finally reach the mysterious abandoned city. I love the minimalist architecture and crazy angles.


Sarah -
Honestly, how wonderful are the sets in this entire story? First the jungle with its petrified flora and fauna. I could almost feel the humidity -- although Barbara's rumpled hair probably helped with that. That first walk through the jungle is so creepy.

The big story, of course, is The Doctor's deception -- the old "Oops, the fluid link is broken" ploy. At last, a reason to visit the mysterious city!

And what a city is. LOVE the sloped Dalek-sized doorways that force our travelers to stoop their way through the city. It all feel so cramped and stale after the wonders of the jungle. (Plus, Pac-Man makes a guest appearance -- maybe those ghosts were Daleks in disguise?) Barbara losing her way in the city is disconcerting and my heart beats faster, knowing what's coming.


Harry -
Yes, one of the epochal moments of Doctor Who... the plunger!


Sarah -
Can we just agree now that Barbara faced with the plunger is the lasting image of this story? What a moment.


Harry -
Agreed.

What a fantastic cliffhanger, made effective by showing Barbara reacting to something we cannot see. She screams with gusto. This thing, it must be terrible. And then to have to wait an entire week to see it, what a build up.

And what a reveal. The Daleks are a brilliant piece of design, affirmed by the fact that no similar SF monster of that size and shape immediately springs to mind. They have never been ripped off, they have always stood alone. No wonder they seized the imaginations of the viewing public, and became as iconic as the TARDIS itself.


Sarah -
And it was all new! They had no idea they were creating iconography, which makes it even more brilliant. 10/10 for episode one!


Harry -
You could see from the very beginning that Doctor Who was both a forward looking show, and a show that didn't give two figs about looking forward.

In the previous story, it was correctly envisioned that Great Britain would switch to a decimal-based currency. In this story: the cheeky Pac-Man cameo, decades before his time!

In hindsight, you have to regret those plungers, just a little, no? On the DVD featurette, one of the original designers mentions that the Daleks were supposed to be equipped both with blasters and a kind of pincer device. They did well with the blasters, but the pincers didn't quite make it. Instead, the budget restricted the designers to equipping the Daleks with toilet cleaners. Imagine the scene:

"What's this?"

"The new design for the pepperpot monsters."

"They've been given the name 'Daleks.'"

"Right guv."

"Er, is that a..."

"...Plunger, yes. It's all we could afford in shop."

"Well, I guess it will do. After all, fifty years from now, who the blazes will even remember this show..."

"Pub?"

"Pub."


Sarah -
The poor designers! Still, they made do, and plungers have proven to be surprisingly versatile.

The Daleks willingness to cut deals is interesting, even if they plan to renege. They're cunning and duplicitous, but not quite the exterminating megalomaniacs we've come to know and love. My favorite Dalek moment is the realization, "We do not have to adapt to the environment. We will change the environment to suit us." This evolutionary leap in Dalek thinking will take us on so many adventures -- if they can only make it out of that city!


Harry -
The Thals are a bit silly in comparison. A bunch of blond fellows in sleeveless tops and leather pants might sound appealing, but I can't get past those bizarre wraparound capes. They look like a cross between Flash Gordon and Mutant Ninja Turtles. Their pacifist nature is admirable -- perhaps borne out of their sheer woodenness -- but an obvious counterpoint to the nasties back in the city.


Sarah -
We're not the first to acknowledge that the Daleks are so much more interesting and fun than the Thals in their Buck Rogers' costumes. Good grief, could these people be any more tedious? I was ready to shoot Temmosus myself after his speech in the Dalek City. Perhaps Ian felt the same way and that explains why he waited until the speech was over to warn Temmosus about the Daleks.

It's entertaining to contemplate the mutations that resulted in the Thals' wacky fashion sense. Hardly the most practical clothing for farmers, but it gets Susan's attention. I could almost hear Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" in the background as Susan ogled Alydon. Speaking of Susan, her swings from Time Lady to hormonal teenager are exhausting. I'm willing to put it down to the times, but it's irritating to watch her scream and faint moments after demonstrating her brilliance.

The Doctor and Ian's alpha dog battle carries on, but their debate about involving the Thals in their scheme to recover the fluid link is enlightening. I especially appreciated William Russell's performance when he goads the Thals. He clearly doesn't want to be doing it, but is willing to go along with the charade, even if it means a sock to the jaw. Favorite line from this episode: "This is no time for morals!" Can you picture any other Doctor saying that?


Harry -
Crazy dialogue, as the Doctor's character still takes shape.

By the end of episode four, the TARDIS crew have fashioned a brilliant escape from the Daleks and fled the city. Who would have thought that the lone piece of abstract art in the entire place would have ended up being used to wreck the Dalek lift? That'll learn em!


Sarah -
No one said art was safe!

The character who really emerged for me in this story is Barbara. Despite the obligatory screams, she has so many strong moments -- facing the Daleks alone, fighting radiation sickness, urging the Thals to fight, rocking the Thal trousers like nobody's business -- and then there are the men in her life. The relationship between Ian and Barbara can be so touching in its formality. They're a walking ad for "No sex please, we're British," which makes their moments of connection so poignant. When she states that there's nothing to rely on, Ian responds, "There's me." Ian crushes Susan's flower when Barbara screams and rushes to her side. When he catches her after jumping the crevasse, they both look so embarrassed by the intimacy of their situation -- which is only complicated by the presence of Ganatus.

The developing relationship between Barbara and Ganatus is unexpected, but perfect for a woman freed for the first time of all the baggage of her life on Earth. The moment when Ganatus asks if she always does what Ian says and Barbara replies, "No. No, I don't." is like a personal revolution. I love when she kisses him goodbye -- so forward for a proper schoolteacher.


Harry -
I don't think Barbara ever kisses Ian. Onscreen that is.  But there’s a fanfic for that…

This story could have been a tidy four-parter. If this was a later-era Who story -- especially from the 80s -- I could see the Thals being slaughtered without a second thought as our heroes made their escape.

Instead, compassion for the Thals keeps the story going. That, and the fact that the TARDIS crew must go back for the fluid link.

I'm not sure how to take the final three episodes. They weren't what I was expecting, all that slow-moving spelunking action. Meanwhile the Doctor and Susan are captured and shackled almost immediately, forced to await rescue for the longest time. This to me is the weaker side of "The Daleks," which I still rank highly because of its epochal status. Was there more to these episodes than I'm giving them credit for?


Sarah -
I don't think there was.

Back to that crevasse. Suns of Gallifrey, that scene nearly killed me. Have I ever mentioned my fear of heights? Thanks to this scene, you get to hear all about it. My palms were sweating up a storm as each of them jumped -- and I've seen this before and knew how it would end! Such effective storytelling. I've always dealt with the scorn of non-fans by explaining that it's about story, not effects. This scene makes the case perfectly. Brilliant!

Do you think Ganatus and Co. were cheesed to arrive in the city right after Alydon and Co.? Could have saved themselves loads of trouble and a couple corpses. And you knew those corpses were coming -- they might as well have been wearing red shirts. (Yeah, yeah, I know I'm mixing universes -- deal with it.) At least Antodus got to be a hero; Elyon¡'s gurgling scream was chilling.

If I'm not mistaken, the final episode gives us our first proper running through corridors as they make their way through the Dalek City. Hooray!


Harry -
Run away!


Sarah -
What the heck are the Daleks chanting in episode six? It seems that they're all shouting the same thing, but not at the same time. And, why are there beds in the Dalek prison?


Harry -
I think the Dalek actors all started shouting at once and the result was unsynchronized garble.


Sarah -
At last, our travelers take off, only to suffer another case of "Oh, what now!" On to our next adventure!


Harry -
Lasting image - Babs & the Plunger.

Favourite moment - the same.

Best line - "Exterminate them." MWA HA HA HA!

Final rankings? I give this one 8/10 because it sagged a bit in the second half, costing it a point.


Sarah - The first four episodes are killer, but the final three knock it down a bit -- 8/10!

Our marathon continues with Story #3 - The Edge of Destruction...