Well, we really burned through that one. After the previous 12-parter, this was a walk in the park.
Sarah -
It felt so quick after "The Daleks' Master Plan", didn't it?
Interesting choice to have the Doctor and Steven land in a historical situation that is less well known than those we've visited previously. We don't know where our loyalties are supposed to lie at any point in the story...and I still don't know.
Harry -
It felt very much like being pulled back into Season One, with a historical/educational type of story, this.
Sarah -
I was waiting for Barbara and Ian to show up and sort it all out.
Harry -
I know nothing about this particular episode of French history, but in a way it was refreshing to be able to choose sides for myself. Sort of. Soon enough, it's clear that this is a "religious intolerance" dilemma, and Steven soon finds himself in the middle of it. Sort of. I liked the overall atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion that was maintained throughout. Plots, treason, assassins, tasty stuff.
Sarah -
It’s unusual and refreshing for this era of Doctor Who to offer us a story with no clear protagonist. Other than Anne, we don’t really develop an emotional connection to any of the characters. Like us, Steven doesn’t know what’s going on, and has to find his way through the story without the benefit of the foresight that previous companions enjoyed in their historicals.
Harry -
It was very much a "Choose Your Own Adventure" for Steven. Meanwhile, the Doctor vanishes for a chunk of the story early on, first in search of the scientist Preslin, then for one more "Hartnell Holiday."
Maybe because of my historical ignorance, I found the story quite dry and hard to get into. Although some of the performances were great. I especially liked André Morell, who chewed his dialogue with great élan as the beruffed Marshall Tavannes. I wonder if he appeared in any other stories (wishing for Toby Hadoke's powers of total recall).
Sarah -
Watching the story in a reconstruction didn’t help. After a while, I couldn’t keep my Catholics and Protestants straight!
Harry -
Yes, this was a painful reconstruction. As for The Big Twist, ie. the Abbot being played by Hartnell, it had me rolling my eyes I must confess. The doppelganger has never been a favourite plot device of mine. Although the Abbot's murder was well played out and Steven's belief that the Doctor was dead was very believeable. We've seen the Doctor take on the identity of French characters in previous stories, so I genuinely puzzled if the Abbot had in fact been the Doctor or not.
I have to ask, was that ever really resolved? I'm still not certain!
Sarah -
It was – and he wasn’t!
Harry -
Thank you!
Sarah -
While I enjoyed Steven having the opportunity to take center stage, I started thinking he was a bit dense when he couldn’t let go of the idea that the Abbot was the Doctor. Even after finding the Abbot dead in the street, he was convinced the Doctor was dead and he had to find the TARDIS key to escape.
I kind of enjoyed Hartnell’s performance as the Abbot, if only because it reminded me that Hartnell was, in fact, acting when he played the Doctor. It can be easy to forget sometimes.
So, the TARDIS takes off, leaving the Huguenots to their fate. Steven rips into the Doctor for leaving Anne behind and the Doctor responds with a speech that illustrates an eternal conflict of the series:
“My dear Steven, sometimes history gives us a terrible shock and that is because we don’t quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we’re all too small to realize its final pattern. Therefore, don’t try and judge it from where you stand. I was right to do what I did. Yes, that I firmly believe.”
Steven begs to differ and tells the Doctor to let him off at the next stop, which, conveniently, is twentieth century England.
Harry -
And it only took him two years of trying to get Barbara and Ian there...
Sarah -
The Doctor is alone in the TARDIS for the first time in the series, leading to my favorite moment in the story:
“Now. They’ve all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chetterton…Chesterton…they were all too impatient to get back to their own time and now Steven. Perhaps I should go home back to my own planet. But I can’t. I can’t.”
Poor Ian; the Doctor still can’t get his name right.
Harry -
Great speech, really, really great speech. The muffing of Ian's name was a quintessential First Doctor moment.
Sarah -
As we know, the Doctor doesn’t like being alone with himself. His sadness is overwhelming and I found it the most touching moment of "The Massacre".
Harry -
Because it came out of nowhere, the Doctor's soliloquoy was all the more profound. I had never seen this story before, but we know that Steven continues as a companion for several more stories, so this little moment was an unexpected delight. Definitely the highlight of the story.
Sarah -
But, this being Doctor Who, it doesn’t last long…
Harry -
Ah yes, now the lowlight. The sudden, jarring, utterly absurd appearance of Dorothea (Dodo) Chaplet. This scene is bonkers. One of the worst if not the worst companion introduction ever.
Sarah -
I'll go with worst.
Harry -
What the heck happened there? Dodo comes skipping up to the TARDIS looking for help for an injured child. She barges in and discovers the Doctor, who politely tries to shoo her away, and she ends up staying.
La la la, who cares about that injured child! La la la, you say this is a flying spaceship, what fun! La la la, never mind about my family and friends, I'm an orphan!
Completely bonkers.
I have a theory about Dodo. Would you like to hear it?
Sarah -
Would I? I'm all aflutter with anticipation!
Harry -
Here now, is my theory, which is mine, about Dodo Chaplet.
*ahem*
My theory is this: that Dodo Chaplet is insane. She herself may have been responsible for causing injury to the unseen child, if there was a child at all. Being insane, she then skipped merrily to the Police Box, perhaps to call for help, perhaps just to hide behind it. Perhaps those policemen that Steven saw were, in fact, looking for Dodo. Trying the door, she entered a wonderland that totally captivated her.
Dodo is insane. That is my theory. I shall have further evidence to present as our marathon continues. For now, I'm ready to wrap this one up. Too many flaws dragged this story down for me and I can't give it much of a rating.
Sarah -
Interesting theory, Harry Brackets-Mister-Brackets. I'm fairly sure that your theory will color my viewing of Dodo's episodes, none of which I've seen, from here on out.
Let's wrap it up, then -- so we can start planning for Chicago TARDIS!
Harry -
Chicago TARDIS! See you in a few hours dearie!
Oh, and by the way, I looked up André Morell. He never appeared in Doctor Who again, but his son did! (Our Toby probably could have told us that.)
Sarah -
Lasting image: Steven finding the Abbot dead in the street.
Favorite moment: The Doctor alone in the TARDIS.
Best line: The Doctor’s lonely reflection.
7/10
Harry -
Lasting image: Marshall Tavannes and his ruff.
Favourite moment and Best line: I concur with your picks!
5/10
Our marathon continues with Story #23 - The Ark...
