I have always and will always love "The Ribos Operation". It's the first Doctor Who story I ever saw, late on a Sunday evening in the autumn of 1983. My dear cousin Rich suggested that I watch the series, which I had heard about but never seen. I stayed up late on a school night and fell immediately in love with every single thing about Doctor Who. Thirty-one years later, I still get a chill when I hear the opening theme.
Harry -
Shout out to cousin Rich! Did you ever imagine where the show would take you and the people you would meet?
Sarah -
Who could possibly imagine? You know what else I never could have imagined? That Doctor Who would be so massive thirty years later -- never could have seen that coming!
Harry -
There's a local shoppe near my home that sells (for lack of a better all-encompassing term) pop culture stuff: t-shirts, toys, souvenirs, etc. The first display when you enter is a massive pile of Doctor Who goodies. Unbelieveable!
As for us here, it's the Key to Time season -- almost a kind of mini-reboot to give the show a kick. New companion Romana, new-old companion K-9, same old Tom, but the Doctor has been given a mission that will take all of Season 16 to complete.
We also learn of the White and Black Guardians, in an opening scene that was a throwback to those times when a random Time Lord would appear to the Doctor. But the Guardians seem much more powerful, possibly omnipotent. The desert scene with the White Guardian was odd -- not sure what they were trying to portray there. He did enjoy sipping that drink, whatever it was (even though it looked like mouthwash!). Maybe someone thought that's what a mint julep looks like?
Sarah -
The White Guardian scene is very odd. Is the life of the White Guardian a never-ending seaside cocktail party? Nice work if you can get it!
I love when the Doctor tells the White Guardian that he doesn't need an assistant; that he and K-9 can handle it. I'm pretty sure Robert Holmes just transcribed a conversation with Tom Baker for that scene. Still, after two seasons of the Doctor explaining things to a "savage," Romana is a refreshing change of pace.
Harry -
The show's writers and costume designers must have been thrilled with the new remit.
Sarah -
A recent graduate from the Academy with a triple first, she's not impressed with the Doctor's 51 per cent ... in his second attempt.
Harry -
She's clearly a carry-over of the character Rodan from the previous story. Haughty but with the smarts to back it up, her distinct lack of awe throws the Doctor for a loop. It's a prickly opening scene for the characters, but enjoyable to watch. It's been ages since someone has made the Doctor so uncomfortable. Perhaps not since Barbara?
Sarah -
The Doctor always has trouble with the smart ones. Liz knew how to get under his skin, before her skirts got short and the character tanked. Zoe was clearly smarter than the Doctor but Jamie was there to balance her out, so things didn't get too difficult. That said, I think you're correct -- no one has challenged him this much since Barbara.
Harry -
At this point I'll add that "The Ribos Operation" is one of my favourites too. As the scene shifts to the curiously Czarist Russian setting on a distant planet, we meet one unforgettable character after another, brought to life by Bob Holmes' dialogue and some fantastic acting (and overacting!).
Sarah -
How fabulous is Iain Cuthbertson as Garron? Talk about a first-class charlatan! Robert Holmes continues his penchant for doubles acts in giving Garron the hapless Unstoffe for a partner. Add Paul Seed as the Graff Vynda-K and no scenery will be left unchewed on the Grade 3 planet of Ribos!
Harry -
It's great how Holmes slowly teased out Garron's plot. It first seems as if he and Unstoffe are conducting a dime-store jewel heist, but it expands into a deal for the sale of a planet involving millions of gold opeks. Garron is a loveable rogue bursting with Falstaffian charm. Unstoffe, with his open and honest face, is a master of voices and storytelling. His yarn about the scringestone was brilliant. I was going to say it was overdone, but nothing in this story is quite overdone as the Graff-- or should I say, THE GRAFF VYNDA-K!
Sarah -
The Graff is definitely all-caps sort of guy. The scringestone scene is a particular favorite of mine. Such an open and honest face!
The award for most endearing performance has to go to Timothy Bateson as Binro the Heretic. The scene when Unstoffe explains to Binro that his theory of the planet revolving around the sun is correct is perhaps one of the most touching in the series history. Poor Binro dies protecting Unstoffe, but happy in the knowledge that he was correct.
Harry -
Binro the Heretic, Ribos' very own Galileo. He's a throw-in character without much impact to the overall story, but very endearing and tragic. The same goes for the Seeker, hauled out to do the Graff's bidding only to lose her life too. Her costume is one of my favourites.
Sarah -
It's a good look. Who doesn't like a good bone shaker?
Harry -
The Captain of the guards was a familiar face -- none other than Prentis Hancock, making his fourth and final appearance on Doctor Who. I liked the smug satisfaction he projected, right up until the end when he decided to fire a cannon and bury everyone in the catacombs. That escalated quickly!
One thing I really like about this story is that despite the old Russian look and feel of Ribos -- with state jewels and curfews -- we never see or even hear about the ruler of the place. Yes, there are some fur-hatted guards stomping about, but aside from them we only meet the lower denizens who dwell in the Concourse, like Binro, or the Seeker, who gets panned for her "primitive mumbo jumbo".
Sarah -
I like that the ruler is irrelevant to the story. The Graff doesn't need to meet the ruler to buy the planet, he'll just deal with the broker and take control.
Harry -
I wonder if Paul Seed was directed to play the Graff over the top, or if it came naturally during filming. That's got to be the second-shoutiest character in all of Doctor Who.
Sarah -
To your point about things escalating quickly, I always feel that the story escalates quickly and then ends far too quickly. Every time I see it, I have that moment where I'm surprised it's over. It's a quick wrap up for a jaunty story.
Harry -
By the time we get to part four, everything is moving at breakneck speed, even though everyone is just running in and out of the catacombs. Ultimately no one gets what they were after except the Doctor and Romana. Binro too, I guess. He died, but sort of happily.
Sarah -
Poor Binro. The Doctor does pull a nice double-switch on Garron when he tries to pocket the scringestone...I mean Jethryk...or, rather, the disguised Key to Time.
Harry -
What a romp! I fear it might be all downhill after the first story of Season 16.
Sarah -
Oh dear. I'm trying to watch it with fresh eyes and take it as it comes.
Harry -
What do you think of the "Key to Time" set up? The White Guardian didn't really indicate what would happen to our friends once it was fully assembled.
Sarah -
It's all so unclear, isn't it. "Go find the pieces of the key, assemble it, you have no choice, here's an assistant." Thanks White Guardian, we'll get right on that.
Harry -
I still cringe thinking about that green stuff he was sipping.
Best Line:
Garron: "There's no comfort in dying. I've always said it's the last thing I want to do."
Favourite Moment: the slapstick glove-slapping exchange between the Doctor and the Graff.
Lasting Image: Romana's all-white ensemble.
9/10
Sarah -
Onward to the second segment of the Key to Time!
Best Lines:
The Doctor : "I'll call you Romana."
Romana : "I don't like Romana."
The Doctor : "It's either Romana or Fred."
Romana : "All right, call me Fred."
Favorite Moment: Unstoffe telling Binro that his theory is correct.
Lasting Image: Everyone listening to Unstoffe's Scringestone story in the reliquary.
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #99 - The Pirate Planet...
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