Harry -
Well, I wondered how we'd feel after watching all 42 Tom Baker stories in a row. The strongest thing right now is nostalgia. Watching all of his stories took me back to childhood days, being curled up on the living room floor -- way too close to the TV -- and watching that funny man with the funny scarf as he and his nice friends faced all sorts of dangers and saved the day, time and again.
Sarah -
I'll be honest, I kind of want to start over and watch them all again. Tom Baker's Doctor always makes me very nostalgic, too. Having a few years on you, I was a young teenager, staying up late on Sunday nights to watch Doctor Who on public television. It was the best part of the week -- Monty Python at 10:00 p.m., Dave Allen at Large at 10:30, and Doctor Who, run in the movie format, from 11:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. I spent Monday mornings in high school in a constant state of exhaustion, but it was so worth it!
Harry -
Tom is the colossus at the centre of the classic series. He made the show an international sensation and cemented its place in pop culture.
Sarah -
For decades, he was the one Doctor who was recognizable to non-viewers. If you mentioned Doctor Who in the 80s and 90s, the inevitable response was, "Oh, the guy with the scarf." He even made three appearances in The Simpsons in the 90s!
Harry -
He was also the only actor to play the Doctor long enough to have visibly aged from his first season to his final one.
Sarah -
Having watched them all in just over a year, it's really striking how much he aged, being a Time Lord and all. He looks so tired at the end, which is perfect for a Time Lord on the verge of regeneration. My first story was the Ribos operation, so I started in Season 16. This meant that I saw Tom's final three seasons first. When WTTW got back around to the beginning of his era, it was like meeting an entirely new Doctor.
Harry -
He started wearing a little thin by the end, but in the beginning he required no breaking in period to get into the role. Tom himself has said countless times that he was the Doctor. He immersed himself in the role from the get-go, grafting his own madcap persona onto that of the character, and he never stepped out of character in public. How's that for method acting?
Sarah -
From the very first moments, he was absolutely the Doctor. There was no growing into the role. He simply WAS.
Harry -
I agree it's tempting to watch this era all over again -- right now! So many stories I could watch over and over and I'm not exaggerating. It's quite possible that Season 12 (Tom's first) is the one season of Doctor Who that I have re-watched the most.
Sarah -
That may well be the case for me, too.
Harry -
It's nearly perfect. Tom is fresh and energetic, UNIT is still part of the scene, Sarah Jane and Harry are fantastic companions, and the stories (Robot, The Ark in Space, The Sontaran Experiment, Genesis of the Daleks, and Revenge of the Cybermen) are all brilliant. Revenge of the Cybermen was my first story and it hooked me forever.
I'd be hard pressed to pick a different season as my favourite. How about you?
Sarah -
I would have to agree on Season 12. Every story is so strong and the entire cast is spot on. Elisabeth Sladen did some heavy lifting as a crossover companion, letting us know that this Doctor was still THE Doctor and ushering in a new era.
Harry -
Once they cleared the remaining UNIT stories out of the cupboard, we entered the era of the Hinchcliffe Horror Homages, easily the high point of classic Who. Planet of Evil, Pyramids of Mars, The Brain of Morbius, the list goes on and on. As much as the stories were "borrowed", they were still undeniably Doctor Who and I'm glad Sarah Jane stayed around for those.
Sarah -
Season 13 is a very close second on my list of favorite seasons. While the stories are mostly homages, they are all perfectly Doctor Who. One of the delights of the season is the perfect chemistry between Sarah Jane and the Doctor. They're both wonderful and Sarah's departure is still one of my saddest moments in Doctor Who. Have you ever listened to the commentary tracks they did together? You can just feel the love they have for each other, even all those years on.
Harry -
If I remember correctly, Tom still had a boyish crush on Lis ,and who wouldn't? Anyway, Hinchcliffe Horror eventually gave way to the zany fun of the Douglas Adams years, represented by the Key to Time season and the high point of the year that followed, City of Death.
Sarah -
These seasons also feature the only Time Lord to have traveled with the Doctor so far -- Romanadvoratrelundar. I'm a big fan of having a companion of equal (or perhaps superior) intelligence traveling with the Doctor. The two Romanas have very different styles, but they've both got the Doctor's number! Going from Leela to Romana may have been one of the most dramatic changes in companion ever.
Harry -
The biggest course change came in the final season. Under John Nathan-Turner and Christopher H. Bidmead, Doctor Who veered towards serious, sober science fiction.
Sarah -
Season 18 has such a different feeling. We say goodbye to Romana and eventually meet the three companions who will carry us over into the Fifth Doctor era. Adric is the only one who has significant screen time with the Fourth Doctor, so I don't usually think of of Nyssa and Tegan as his companions. On this viewing, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the inevitable regeneration getting heavier and heavier with each story. It was a very bittersweet experience.
Harry -
So many varieties of Doctor Who, all with the same lead man. We'll never see something like that again until the new series, where the genres will change from week to week.
Sarah -
It's unlikely that any future Doctor will serve as long as Tom Baker, which is probably for the best -- both for the series and the actor's career.
Harry -
It's great that so many of our favourite companions travelled with Tom, from Sarah Jane and Harry, to Romana and K-9, and finally we watched as Peter Davison's future team of companions was assembled.
It was thrilling news when Tom finally dipped a toe into the world of Doctor Who audios, with the BBC and with Big Finish. It's wonderful to hear his voice again. And his appearance in the 50th anniversary story was sublime. After decades away, there was our Doctor again, face to face with Matt Smith, and being as playful and enigmatic as ever. For me it was the high point of the story. I'm so glad he returned.
Sarah -
Listing to his audios is like seeing a beloved friend after a long absence. The 50th anniversary appearance was a delightful surprise. I have to admit that I started crying the moment he appeared and it's almost the only thing I still remember about the story right now.
Harry -
News of his cameo leaked the day before, but I was still rendered a dripping mess when he appeared. Oh Tom Baker, you will always be our Doctor! I wouldn't give up all the time we've been together for anything.
Sarah -
He's Our Doctor always and forever -- and we have him to thank for making our friendship possible in the first place. Thanks, Tom!
Harry -
Well, shall we check out this new fellow? He's got an excellent team around him already.
Sarah -
I think I'm ready. Let's do it.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Story #115 - Logopolis (1981)
Harry -
I keep muttering "block transfer computation" to myself.
Sarah -
Just watch out for that column behind you while you're muttering.
Harry -
Do you think you could ever work "block transfer computation" into a conversation?
Sarah -
Now I really want to find a way.
Harry -
It might help distract from the cold realization that the Doctor -- our Doctor! -- is no more.
Sarah -
I can't hear you. *fingers in ears* LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA
Wait! Is that the cloister bell I hear?
Harry -
There's a veritable cacophony of sounds that kick off Tom Baker's farewell story. We've got the cloister bell, we've got the chuckling Master, we've got the New Companion Klaxon -- it's all happening at once!
It begins in the TARDIS cloisters. The Doctor stalks around, preoccupied with something. Adric trails behind, trying to figure out what's on his mind. Turns out, it's the chameleon circuit. After all this time, the Doctor wants to finally repair it, using [dramatic pause] "block transfer computation." And what is that, we wonder. Why, it's creating solid objects through pure mathematics, something they do for kicks at a place called Logopolis. So! First it's nip down to Earth to measure an old police box, then a quick dash to Logopolis where something something something, and the chameleon circuit will be good as new.
Sarah -
I've been thinking perhaps we should add cloisters to the Sofa -- you know, give us a place for reflection between stories.
Harry -
Could have used it after this one.
Sarah -
There's a lot going on in the opening TARDIS scenes. In addition to something something "block transfer computation," we learn that the TARDIS was on Gallifrey for repairs when he "borrowed" her ("There were rather pressing reasons at the time.") and the chameleon circuit has been stuck ever since. To distract himself, the Doctor decides to repair the circuit, but first needs to get accurate measurements -- in twenty-seven dimensions -- of a police box, which requires materializing around a working police box.
Harry -
Lost? So was I. But in the meantime, here's Tegan Jovanka!
Sarah -
TEGAN! Her arrival takes away some of the sting of so much loss in this story.
Harry -
I love the leisurely pace of Part One. It takes five minutes just to get into Auntie Vanessa's car. Then she and Tegan spend the rest of the episode trying to fix a flat tyre.
Sarah -
It takes five minutes just to lock the front door! I love the scenes of Tegan and Auntie Vanessa bickering over the tyre. It's a nice was to establish the character's sense of adventure: automobiles aren't good enough for Ms. Tegan Jovanka -- it's air travel or nothing. I also have to say that I've always positively adored Vanessa's ensemble. I don't think I could pull it off, but she rocks that look.
Harry -
A whirlwind of fur and feathers, it's quite the style.
Meanwhile, the Doctor is conducting what could be construed as a very symbolic "one last look around the TARDIS", strolling through the corridors we haven't seen for some time, peeking in on Romana's old room, and finally landing around an actual police box. Only, the Master got there first, and he hurls the Doctor and Adric into a maze of TARDISes within TARDISes. I liked how each time they entered one TARDIS, the lights got dimmer and eerier.
Sarah -
The last look at Romana's room is touching, but sentiment can't be considered when it's time to jettison her room, French schoolgirl costume and all!
I love the "TARDIS inside a TARDIS inside a TARDIS" scenes. Each TARDIS manages to be more menacing than the last. As we end Adric's brief tenure as a solo companion, I found myself really enjoying his scenes with the Doctor. We know now how intimidated Matthew Waterhouse was while working with Tom Baker, but he pulls off some great work in these scenes. I imagine his frustration having been put to good use during the scene when the tension gets to be too much and they start shouting at each other. That felt quite genuine.
Harry -
Some very crabby exchanges there. I still think the brief Doctor-Adric combination worked more often than not.
Sarah -
I agree. Their timing in the measuring the TARDIS scene is perfect and I love the image of Adric atop the TARDIS.
Harry -
Frustrated by the discovery of a flat spare tyre ("Hell's teeth, Auntie Vanessa!"), Tegan sets off for a garage, but can't resist peeking into the police box standing by the roadside. Her exploration of the TARDIS -- layered with curiosity, bafflement and apprehension -- was a nice sequence.
Sarah -
If I can't manage to work "block transfer computation" into a conversation, I'm totally going to devote myself to making "Hell's teeth" a thing. Here's Our Tegan, taking the tyre off to the garage and then fearlessly exploring the TARDIS. She's got spunk!
Harry -
Alas, while Tegan was off exploring, Auntie Vanessa fell victim to the Master and his tissue compression eliminator (I'm not even going to IMAGINE trying to work that one into a conversation).
Sarah -
Poor Auntie Vanessa. The shot of her and the police constable shrunken on the car seat is heartbreaking.
Harry -
I have to admit, the flow of the story was a bit clunky. Part One was slow paced, but then things started jumping all over the place. The Doctor got this bizarre idea to flood the TARDIS, presumably to flush out the Master. They end up on the deck of a barge in the Thames. The Doctor then spots the Watcher and they have a chat on the Albert Bridge! as Adric looks on with the Battersea Power Station! in the background.
(I am inordinately excited about these places because this is one of the rare times that I have been to a Doctor Who filming location. I visited London back in 2001 and one day took a stroll around Chelsea and Battersea, where this filming took place. Permission to Squee?)
Sarah -
Squee away! I thought of you during these scenes and could almost hear the squeeing from Toronto to Chicago. The Doctor's plan to flood the TARDIS is perhaps the oddest part of the story. Other than holding back the doors, we don't find out much about his plan not to have himself and Adric drowned in the process.
Harry -
Following his chat with the Watcher, in which he glimpsed his future, the Doctor sets course for Logopolis immediately, just as Tegan returns to the console room. What an arrival!
Sarah -
The looks on the Doctor's and Adric's faces when Tegan bursts into the console room are priceless! It makes me laugh every time, but the humor ends when Tegan asks about her aunt and the Doctor realizes that she's been the Master's victim. Fortunately for him, the TARDIS has arrived on Logopolis and he is able to sidestep the question.
Logopolis is unlike any place we've visited before. Its inhabitants are able to model reality by pure mathematics and whatever they calculate can take physical form. They seem to spend their days sitting in little monk holes, muttering and working their abaci, but Logopolis turns out to be a more exciting place than it appears.
Harry -
The scale replica of the Pharos Project, for example. I didn't catch the purpose behind it, but I'm sure it was very sciency and Christopher H. Bidmead was immensely pleased by his having come up with it.
Sarah -
That whole part of the story was like, "science, science, Pharos Project, science, science, blah, blah, blah," but somehow still managed to be absolutely compelling.
Harry -
Anyway, the Master upsets one too many apple carts on Logopolis, triggering a series of missed calculations by the Logopolitans, with the effect that they can no longer stave off the entropy that threatens to engulf the entire universe. The battle against entropy -- one might imagine the showrunners seeing themselves battling a kind of entropy that had set in at the end of the Tom Baker era. This story is packed with symbolism.
Sarah -
The script practically writes itself! (Christopher Bidmead would love to read that, wouldn't he?)
Harry -
With Logopolis crumbling around them, it's up to the Doctor and Master to team up and prevent the end of the universe, while Tegan, Adric and Nyssa wait safely inside the TARDIS.
Nyssa's return. Bit of a surprise, but they gave it a decent explanation don't you think?
Sarah -
The Watcher brought her there to look for her father, it seems. She finds him, not immediately realizing that his body is now inhabited by the Master, but she's certainly suspicious when he forces her to wear a bracelet that can control her actions. It's not long before he turns her on Adric -- strangling him to force Tegan to comply with the Master's wishes. Oh, what tangled webs he weaves!
This is our first full story featuring Anthony Ainley as the Master. What do you make of him? Ainley was my first Master, so I can't help but having a fondness for him. I'm looking forward to revisiting his episodes in light of Roger Delgado having become my definitive Master.
Harry -
For sentimental reasons I can't not love this Master, but I remember having a negative reaction to Ainley at first. He seemed to be too much of a Snidely Whiplash character. Where the dapper Delgado presented himself with cool reserve, Ainley's Master came off more cartoonish, twirling his moustache and chuckling at his nefarious schemes. However, Ainley's interpretation has come to fit right in with the evolution of the character. Haunted by the task of four beats that pounds ceaselessly in his head, the Master has become further unhinged over time. Each time we meet him anew, he is more and more insane. By the time we get to John Simm, the Master is utterly manic, and the Missy-Master doesn't hesitate to describe herself as "bananas!". So Ainley has come to represent a middle ground between cool early Master and bananas contemporary Master.
Sarah -
The Master is on a one-way train to crazyville -- and we get to go along for the ride!
Harry -
The one constant, however, is that the Doctor always outsmarts his lifelong adversary -- even, as here, at the cost of his own life. His plans foiled, the Master jumps into his TARDIS and flees as the Doctor lies near death, having plummeted from the aerial dish tower after saving the whole damn universe.
As the Doctor's friends gather around his broken body, he announces that "It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for."
We've watched this scene a zillion times, perhaps two zillion, but it still retains its power. The longest era of Doctor Who comes to a quiet, unforgettable end.
Sarah -
This was my first regeneration and I didn't know it was coming at the time, so it hit me really hard. Every time I watch it, I will the Doctor to not fall. Every time is as dramatic and heart-wrenching as the first time I watched it and I'm reduced to tears despite myself.
Tom Baker is the reason I became a Doctor Who fan 30+ years ago and he will always be my Doctor. I often wonder if I would have fallen in love with the show if I had started watching during another Doctor's era and am grateful that I don't have to answer that question.
Harry -
The final scene is by far the best moment of the entire story. There's no better way for Tom to have gone out than by saving the entire universe from the grip of the Master. And it turns out the Watcher was him all along, in an advanced mid-regenerative state. He slips away knowing that everything will be alright...
Sarah -
If there's one thing viewers believe they can count on in Doctor Who, it's that the Doctor will survive his adventure to fight another day. In Logopolis, perhaps for the first time, it feels as though he could fail and the story leads us to the inevitable conclusion. The moment has been prepared for us and it doesn't feel forced or unnatural. We are (mostly) ready.
Harry -
...and along comes Peter Davison! Surrounded by his newly-assembled trio of companions, a new era of Doctor Who is ready to take off! Shall we dash along to the next adventure?
Sarah -
Peter Davison, looking so young and handsome. I'm looking forward to our first post-regeneration story in a while. Castrovalva awaits!
Harry -
Best Line: Rather than a best line, there were so many memorable and endlessly repeatable phrases, like "Block transfer computation," "Hell's teeth, Auntie Vanessa!" and "It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for."
Favourite Moment: the Doctor chats with the Watcher on Albert Bridge.
Lasting Image: the dying Doctor lays surrounded by his friends.
7/10
Sarah -
Best Line: "Never guess. Unless you have to. There's enough uncertainty in the universe as it is." This line is so representative of the Fourth Doctor and his need to keep all options open.
Favorite Moment: The Doctor and Adric reacting to Tegan bursting into the console room.
Lasting Image: Adric atop the TARDIS taking measurements.
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #116: Castrovalva...
I keep muttering "block transfer computation" to myself.
Sarah -
Just watch out for that column behind you while you're muttering.
Harry -
Do you think you could ever work "block transfer computation" into a conversation?
Sarah -
Now I really want to find a way.
Harry -
It might help distract from the cold realization that the Doctor -- our Doctor! -- is no more.
Sarah -
I can't hear you. *fingers in ears* LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA
Wait! Is that the cloister bell I hear?
Harry -
There's a veritable cacophony of sounds that kick off Tom Baker's farewell story. We've got the cloister bell, we've got the chuckling Master, we've got the New Companion Klaxon -- it's all happening at once!
It begins in the TARDIS cloisters. The Doctor stalks around, preoccupied with something. Adric trails behind, trying to figure out what's on his mind. Turns out, it's the chameleon circuit. After all this time, the Doctor wants to finally repair it, using [dramatic pause] "block transfer computation." And what is that, we wonder. Why, it's creating solid objects through pure mathematics, something they do for kicks at a place called Logopolis. So! First it's nip down to Earth to measure an old police box, then a quick dash to Logopolis where something something something, and the chameleon circuit will be good as new.
Sarah -
I've been thinking perhaps we should add cloisters to the Sofa -- you know, give us a place for reflection between stories.
Harry -
Could have used it after this one.
Sarah -
There's a lot going on in the opening TARDIS scenes. In addition to something something "block transfer computation," we learn that the TARDIS was on Gallifrey for repairs when he "borrowed" her ("There were rather pressing reasons at the time.") and the chameleon circuit has been stuck ever since. To distract himself, the Doctor decides to repair the circuit, but first needs to get accurate measurements -- in twenty-seven dimensions -- of a police box, which requires materializing around a working police box.
Harry -
Lost? So was I. But in the meantime, here's Tegan Jovanka!
Sarah -
TEGAN! Her arrival takes away some of the sting of so much loss in this story.
Harry -
I love the leisurely pace of Part One. It takes five minutes just to get into Auntie Vanessa's car. Then she and Tegan spend the rest of the episode trying to fix a flat tyre.
Sarah -
It takes five minutes just to lock the front door! I love the scenes of Tegan and Auntie Vanessa bickering over the tyre. It's a nice was to establish the character's sense of adventure: automobiles aren't good enough for Ms. Tegan Jovanka -- it's air travel or nothing. I also have to say that I've always positively adored Vanessa's ensemble. I don't think I could pull it off, but she rocks that look.
Harry -
A whirlwind of fur and feathers, it's quite the style.
Meanwhile, the Doctor is conducting what could be construed as a very symbolic "one last look around the TARDIS", strolling through the corridors we haven't seen for some time, peeking in on Romana's old room, and finally landing around an actual police box. Only, the Master got there first, and he hurls the Doctor and Adric into a maze of TARDISes within TARDISes. I liked how each time they entered one TARDIS, the lights got dimmer and eerier.
Sarah -
The last look at Romana's room is touching, but sentiment can't be considered when it's time to jettison her room, French schoolgirl costume and all!
I love the "TARDIS inside a TARDIS inside a TARDIS" scenes. Each TARDIS manages to be more menacing than the last. As we end Adric's brief tenure as a solo companion, I found myself really enjoying his scenes with the Doctor. We know now how intimidated Matthew Waterhouse was while working with Tom Baker, but he pulls off some great work in these scenes. I imagine his frustration having been put to good use during the scene when the tension gets to be too much and they start shouting at each other. That felt quite genuine.
Harry -
Some very crabby exchanges there. I still think the brief Doctor-Adric combination worked more often than not.
Sarah -
I agree. Their timing in the measuring the TARDIS scene is perfect and I love the image of Adric atop the TARDIS.
Harry -
Frustrated by the discovery of a flat spare tyre ("Hell's teeth, Auntie Vanessa!"), Tegan sets off for a garage, but can't resist peeking into the police box standing by the roadside. Her exploration of the TARDIS -- layered with curiosity, bafflement and apprehension -- was a nice sequence.
Sarah -
If I can't manage to work "block transfer computation" into a conversation, I'm totally going to devote myself to making "Hell's teeth" a thing. Here's Our Tegan, taking the tyre off to the garage and then fearlessly exploring the TARDIS. She's got spunk!
Harry -
Alas, while Tegan was off exploring, Auntie Vanessa fell victim to the Master and his tissue compression eliminator (I'm not even going to IMAGINE trying to work that one into a conversation).
Sarah -
Poor Auntie Vanessa. The shot of her and the police constable shrunken on the car seat is heartbreaking.
Harry -
I have to admit, the flow of the story was a bit clunky. Part One was slow paced, but then things started jumping all over the place. The Doctor got this bizarre idea to flood the TARDIS, presumably to flush out the Master. They end up on the deck of a barge in the Thames. The Doctor then spots the Watcher and they have a chat on the Albert Bridge! as Adric looks on with the Battersea Power Station! in the background.
(I am inordinately excited about these places because this is one of the rare times that I have been to a Doctor Who filming location. I visited London back in 2001 and one day took a stroll around Chelsea and Battersea, where this filming took place. Permission to Squee?)
Sarah -
Squee away! I thought of you during these scenes and could almost hear the squeeing from Toronto to Chicago. The Doctor's plan to flood the TARDIS is perhaps the oddest part of the story. Other than holding back the doors, we don't find out much about his plan not to have himself and Adric drowned in the process.
Harry -
Following his chat with the Watcher, in which he glimpsed his future, the Doctor sets course for Logopolis immediately, just as Tegan returns to the console room. What an arrival!
Sarah -
The looks on the Doctor's and Adric's faces when Tegan bursts into the console room are priceless! It makes me laugh every time, but the humor ends when Tegan asks about her aunt and the Doctor realizes that she's been the Master's victim. Fortunately for him, the TARDIS has arrived on Logopolis and he is able to sidestep the question.
Logopolis is unlike any place we've visited before. Its inhabitants are able to model reality by pure mathematics and whatever they calculate can take physical form. They seem to spend their days sitting in little monk holes, muttering and working their abaci, but Logopolis turns out to be a more exciting place than it appears.
Harry -
The scale replica of the Pharos Project, for example. I didn't catch the purpose behind it, but I'm sure it was very sciency and Christopher H. Bidmead was immensely pleased by his having come up with it.
Sarah -
That whole part of the story was like, "science, science, Pharos Project, science, science, blah, blah, blah," but somehow still managed to be absolutely compelling.
Harry -
Anyway, the Master upsets one too many apple carts on Logopolis, triggering a series of missed calculations by the Logopolitans, with the effect that they can no longer stave off the entropy that threatens to engulf the entire universe. The battle against entropy -- one might imagine the showrunners seeing themselves battling a kind of entropy that had set in at the end of the Tom Baker era. This story is packed with symbolism.
Sarah -
The script practically writes itself! (Christopher Bidmead would love to read that, wouldn't he?)
Harry -
With Logopolis crumbling around them, it's up to the Doctor and Master to team up and prevent the end of the universe, while Tegan, Adric and Nyssa wait safely inside the TARDIS.
Nyssa's return. Bit of a surprise, but they gave it a decent explanation don't you think?
Sarah -
The Watcher brought her there to look for her father, it seems. She finds him, not immediately realizing that his body is now inhabited by the Master, but she's certainly suspicious when he forces her to wear a bracelet that can control her actions. It's not long before he turns her on Adric -- strangling him to force Tegan to comply with the Master's wishes. Oh, what tangled webs he weaves!
This is our first full story featuring Anthony Ainley as the Master. What do you make of him? Ainley was my first Master, so I can't help but having a fondness for him. I'm looking forward to revisiting his episodes in light of Roger Delgado having become my definitive Master.
Harry -
For sentimental reasons I can't not love this Master, but I remember having a negative reaction to Ainley at first. He seemed to be too much of a Snidely Whiplash character. Where the dapper Delgado presented himself with cool reserve, Ainley's Master came off more cartoonish, twirling his moustache and chuckling at his nefarious schemes. However, Ainley's interpretation has come to fit right in with the evolution of the character. Haunted by the task of four beats that pounds ceaselessly in his head, the Master has become further unhinged over time. Each time we meet him anew, he is more and more insane. By the time we get to John Simm, the Master is utterly manic, and the Missy-Master doesn't hesitate to describe herself as "bananas!". So Ainley has come to represent a middle ground between cool early Master and bananas contemporary Master.
Sarah -
The Master is on a one-way train to crazyville -- and we get to go along for the ride!
Harry -
The one constant, however, is that the Doctor always outsmarts his lifelong adversary -- even, as here, at the cost of his own life. His plans foiled, the Master jumps into his TARDIS and flees as the Doctor lies near death, having plummeted from the aerial dish tower after saving the whole damn universe.
As the Doctor's friends gather around his broken body, he announces that "It's the end... but the moment has been prepared for."
We've watched this scene a zillion times, perhaps two zillion, but it still retains its power. The longest era of Doctor Who comes to a quiet, unforgettable end.
Sarah -
This was my first regeneration and I didn't know it was coming at the time, so it hit me really hard. Every time I watch it, I will the Doctor to not fall. Every time is as dramatic and heart-wrenching as the first time I watched it and I'm reduced to tears despite myself.
Tom Baker is the reason I became a Doctor Who fan 30+ years ago and he will always be my Doctor. I often wonder if I would have fallen in love with the show if I had started watching during another Doctor's era and am grateful that I don't have to answer that question.
Harry -
The final scene is by far the best moment of the entire story. There's no better way for Tom to have gone out than by saving the entire universe from the grip of the Master. And it turns out the Watcher was him all along, in an advanced mid-regenerative state. He slips away knowing that everything will be alright...
Sarah -
If there's one thing viewers believe they can count on in Doctor Who, it's that the Doctor will survive his adventure to fight another day. In Logopolis, perhaps for the first time, it feels as though he could fail and the story leads us to the inevitable conclusion. The moment has been prepared for us and it doesn't feel forced or unnatural. We are (mostly) ready.
Harry -
...and along comes Peter Davison! Surrounded by his newly-assembled trio of companions, a new era of Doctor Who is ready to take off! Shall we dash along to the next adventure?
Sarah -
Peter Davison, looking so young and handsome. I'm looking forward to our first post-regeneration story in a while. Castrovalva awaits!
Harry -
Best Line: Rather than a best line, there were so many memorable and endlessly repeatable phrases, like "Block transfer computation," "Hell's teeth, Auntie Vanessa!" and "It's the end, but the moment has been prepared for."
Favourite Moment: the Doctor chats with the Watcher on Albert Bridge.
Lasting Image: the dying Doctor lays surrounded by his friends.
7/10
Sarah -
Best Line: "Never guess. Unless you have to. There's enough uncertainty in the universe as it is." This line is so representative of the Fourth Doctor and his need to keep all options open.
Favorite Moment: The Doctor and Adric reacting to Tegan bursting into the console room.
Lasting Image: Adric atop the TARDIS taking measurements.
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #116: Castrovalva...
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Story #114 - The Keeper of Traken (1981)
Harry -
Romana and K-9 have stayed behind in E-Space, but the Doctor and Adric have to keep on Traken, all the way back to N-Space and the titular planet of this story.
So many familiar faces in this one!
Sarah -
I felt like I was visiting old friends! I still remember the first time I watched "The Keeper of Traken" and how wonderfully exciting it was. I have to admit I still felt a bit of that excitement on this viewing -- which is probably #10 or so. This is the magic of Doctor Who, isn't it?
Harry -
Absolutely, old chum. There's a nice sort-of-symmetry in that John Woodnutt -- who appeared as the Duke of Forgill in "Terror of the Zygons" at the start of Tom Baker's second season -- appears here as Soron in Tom's second-to-last story. Rrrrrolling his R's all the way as one of the Consuls of Traken. Can you believe we've just watched all but one Tom Baker story in a row and not gone doolally?
Sarah -
Of course I can! He's Tom Fecking Baker! He's OUR Doctor -- the person who made us Doctor Who fans forever and ever. This has been the best year of viewing ever, which hardly seemed possible after the past three years of great viewing! Oh ye of little faith, Harry. We've rocked this!
Harry -
It took us on average one year to get through each of the first three Doctors, and there were some weeks when it dragged, but it feels like we've gone through the entire Fourth Doctor era in the blink of an eye.
Sarah -
All those recons were a drag. A year each for three seasons of the first two Doctors, just under a year for five seasons of the Third Doctor, and just a tad over a year for seven seasons of our Fourth Doctor. I wonder how our schedule will run from here on. Will we hit a wall or continue our breezy pace? Will we survive the Sixth Doctor's wardrobe? Will I reconsider my violent loathing of Peri? Can we bear to watch the dreaded movie kiss one more time? So many unanswered questions -- stay tuned, kiddies!
We were discussing something, weren't we? Oh, yes, "The Keeper of Traken", meeting old friends, familiar faces, etc., etc., etc. Carry on, Old Boy.
Harry -
Another familiar face -- even though he's unrecognizable in this one -- is Denis Carey as the Keeper. He was none other than Professor Chronotis from "Shada".
There's one more fun fact to be had here, in that this is the only story where Adric is the Doctor's sole companion. Although we barely get halfway through before it looks like Adric's made a new friend on Traken.
Sarah -
Yes, hasn't he? Nyssa wasn't meant to be a companion when she was introduced, but we'll get to that soon enough.
Harry -
I like how both Adric and Nyssa got a sort of "soft launch" as companions, compared to others. But yes, we'll get to that soon enough.
The Traken Union! One of the most peaceful and harmonious places in the universe. It's so nice there that evil forces literally seize up and calcify there. Backed by the power of the Source and aided by a group of Consuls, the Keeper of Traken is the union's figure of leadership and wise judgement.
But all is not well. The Keeper senses that a presence of all-pervading evil has descended upon Traken, and he seeks out the Doctor for help.
Sarah -
You know peace, love, and understanding are great ideas in concept, but imagine how boring it could be living in such a perfect place.
Harry -
The Consuls found the time to get fitted in some really swish looking outfits. Their Renaissance-inspired robes stood out against the slightly more modern looking clothes of the proctor and other citizens.
Sarah -
Apparently, when everything is perfect and harmonious, there's a lot more free time to focus on wardrobe.
Harry -
Just before the TARDIS arrives, a dead body is discovered in a leafy grove. The Doctor and Adric are immediately surrounded at gunpoint. "I wonder what we've done this time," the Doctor asks, as he teaches Adric how to raise one's arms in surrender.
Sarah -
Of course a body is found just before they arrive. Bodies are usually found just before the TARDIS arrives. To be honest, I suspect the only time bodies are ever found anywhere in the known universe is just before the Doctor shows up to be blamed.
Harry -
It's one of those things that practically defines a Doctor Who story.
Sarah -
With that in mind, learning how to raise his hands in surrender may be one of the most useful things the Doctor ever taught Adric.
Harry -
Despite what we've heard from behind the scenes, the Doctor and Adric have a friendly partnership going here. I would have liked to see them in more adventures.
Sarah -
I would be a strong proponent of that.
Harry -
Anyway, they find themselves hauled before the Consuls for a rapid interrogation. Our friends protest their innocence, and the Consuls refer to the Keeper for advice. As soon as he appears, the Keeper is stricken by fear of an evil presence nearby. Everyone assumes he means the Doctor and Adric, but no one notices the enigmatic creature peeking through the doorway: the Melkur.
Sarah -
The Melkur -- Traken's personification of calcified evil. We first meet young Kassia, protege of the Keeper, and later a member of his council, when she was assigned to care for the Melkur. Maybe it's just knowing what's coming, but I find even her initial scenes with the Melkur disturbing. The Melkur is playing the long game, luring Kassia under his spell, just waiting for her to become a member of the council so he can launch his plan. And, then, of course, the Doctor shows up just in time to spoil his best-laid plans.
Sheila Ruskin certainly chews up the scenery as Kassia, but the real standout guest actor is Anthony Ainley as The Ma.... um, I mean as Tremas. He shines in every scene -- strong, intelligent, loyal, a doting father to Nyssa. Widowed and entering into a second marriage with Kassia, he is the planned successor to the Keeper. While the rest of the council falls under Kassia's influence and are suspicious of the Doctor, Tremas eventually believes the Doctor's story of being summoned by the Keeper -- and finds himself under suspicion.
Harry -
I love seeing Anthony Ainley here. His thoughtful, positive attitude as Tremas is a brilliant set up for what will befall the Consul. I never understood how or why the showrunners went ahead what that character's name, which is such an obvious anagram for another character's name. I'm sure there have been hundreds of rationalizations circulated among fanhood after the fact, but it's such a clunky note.
Sarah -
The Master hadn't appeared in five years, so I suspect it's more obvious in retrospect.
Harry -
Another thing I loved was Kassia's massively teased out mane of hair. Her and Nyssa both have amazing looks in this story. It's so 80s and yet it works quite well with their Trakenite clothes.
Sarah -
There was a whole lot of hair going on in this story!
Harry -
Despite being newlywed, Kassia does not hesitate to zap Tremas and throw him into a cell with the Doctor and Adric, as the Melkur exercises total power over her. The Melkur's plot comes to fruition at the end of Part Three. Kassia briefly takes the Keeper's place, before she herself gets zapped into oblivion and replaced by the Melkur.
Sarah -
Poor Kassia. She was just a pawn in the Melkur's hand, which is a sad end for such an interesting and strong character.
Harry -
Now, if this story were broadcast in the present day internet era, the true identity of the Melkur would have been plastered on every social media outlet even before broadcast. Watching this story now, I'm surprised how late they left the confirmation that the Melkur was in fact... the Master! There were certainly enough clues fed to everyone. It just felt a bit rushed towards the end, and the inevitable Doctor-Master confrontation was no more than a couple of minutes. These days, they produce entire two-parters around the two characters playing off each other.
Sarah -
I almost don't mind the quick confrontation because it leads us to the real shocker when the Master steals Tremas' body for his next regeneration!
Harry -
Kudos to Geoffrey Beevers for his brief albeit memorably grotesque turn as the rogue Gallifreyan.
Sarah -
Beevers' disfigured Master is wonderfully evil. "The Keeper of Traken" was my first Master story, so I didn't know much about his history with the Doctor. That said, I still remember how shocked I was by this scene. I love that the Doctor and Adric head off believing that all is well on Traken, while we're all screaming at the television trying to warn him!
Harry -
This was the Master at his evil worst - bodysnatching a still living body to inhabit. What a creep! On the plus side, this is the start of a fresh series of Master stories to enjoy.
Sarah -
Hooray for more Master stories!
Harry -
Overall, this was a very straightforward story by Johnny Byrne (not a name we are familiar with, is it?).
Sarah -
It's not! This is his first story and here's a fun fact: because Byrne created Nyssa and she was only intended to be in one story, he received royalties whenever her character was used.
Harry -
Good on you, Johnny Byrne. It's the wonderful characters that bring "The Keeper of Traken" to life. Tom Baker and Matthew Waterhouse were both great here. Tom boisterous but restrained, Matthew clever and industrious.
Sarah -
I love that he managed to lure good girl Nyssa into joining his caper and being mischievous. Adric is excellent in this story!
Harry -
We have completed the penultimate story of the Fourth Doctor era. Shall we proceed to the grand finale?
Sarah -
With a deep breath and a sadness in my heart...
Harry -
Best Line:
DOCTOR: "You criticise my logic."
ADRIC: "No. No, I'm just saying that a lot of the time you don't really make sense."
DOCTOR: "Ah. Ah. Oh, you've noticed that, have you?"
Favourite Moment: The Master seizes Tremas' body.
Lasting Image: Kassia and her fantastic 'do.
8/10
Sarah -
Best Line:
The Doctor: "If I knew everything that was going to happen, where would the fun be?"
Favorite Moment: Absolutely the stealing of Tremas' body. It's one of the most shocking moments in Doctor Who and I love anticipating it!
Lasting Image: The Melkur -- I love that design!
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #115 - Logopolis...
Romana and K-9 have stayed behind in E-Space, but the Doctor and Adric have to keep on Traken, all the way back to N-Space and the titular planet of this story.
So many familiar faces in this one!
Sarah -
I felt like I was visiting old friends! I still remember the first time I watched "The Keeper of Traken" and how wonderfully exciting it was. I have to admit I still felt a bit of that excitement on this viewing -- which is probably #10 or so. This is the magic of Doctor Who, isn't it?
Harry -
Absolutely, old chum. There's a nice sort-of-symmetry in that John Woodnutt -- who appeared as the Duke of Forgill in "Terror of the Zygons" at the start of Tom Baker's second season -- appears here as Soron in Tom's second-to-last story. Rrrrrolling his R's all the way as one of the Consuls of Traken. Can you believe we've just watched all but one Tom Baker story in a row and not gone doolally?
Sarah -
Of course I can! He's Tom Fecking Baker! He's OUR Doctor -- the person who made us Doctor Who fans forever and ever. This has been the best year of viewing ever, which hardly seemed possible after the past three years of great viewing! Oh ye of little faith, Harry. We've rocked this!
Harry -
It took us on average one year to get through each of the first three Doctors, and there were some weeks when it dragged, but it feels like we've gone through the entire Fourth Doctor era in the blink of an eye.
Sarah -
All those recons were a drag. A year each for three seasons of the first two Doctors, just under a year for five seasons of the Third Doctor, and just a tad over a year for seven seasons of our Fourth Doctor. I wonder how our schedule will run from here on. Will we hit a wall or continue our breezy pace? Will we survive the Sixth Doctor's wardrobe? Will I reconsider my violent loathing of Peri? Can we bear to watch the dreaded movie kiss one more time? So many unanswered questions -- stay tuned, kiddies!
We were discussing something, weren't we? Oh, yes, "The Keeper of Traken", meeting old friends, familiar faces, etc., etc., etc. Carry on, Old Boy.
Harry -
Another familiar face -- even though he's unrecognizable in this one -- is Denis Carey as the Keeper. He was none other than Professor Chronotis from "Shada".
There's one more fun fact to be had here, in that this is the only story where Adric is the Doctor's sole companion. Although we barely get halfway through before it looks like Adric's made a new friend on Traken.
Sarah -
Yes, hasn't he? Nyssa wasn't meant to be a companion when she was introduced, but we'll get to that soon enough.
Harry -
I like how both Adric and Nyssa got a sort of "soft launch" as companions, compared to others. But yes, we'll get to that soon enough.
The Traken Union! One of the most peaceful and harmonious places in the universe. It's so nice there that evil forces literally seize up and calcify there. Backed by the power of the Source and aided by a group of Consuls, the Keeper of Traken is the union's figure of leadership and wise judgement.
But all is not well. The Keeper senses that a presence of all-pervading evil has descended upon Traken, and he seeks out the Doctor for help.
Sarah -
You know peace, love, and understanding are great ideas in concept, but imagine how boring it could be living in such a perfect place.
Harry -
The Consuls found the time to get fitted in some really swish looking outfits. Their Renaissance-inspired robes stood out against the slightly more modern looking clothes of the proctor and other citizens.
Sarah -
Apparently, when everything is perfect and harmonious, there's a lot more free time to focus on wardrobe.
Harry -
Just before the TARDIS arrives, a dead body is discovered in a leafy grove. The Doctor and Adric are immediately surrounded at gunpoint. "I wonder what we've done this time," the Doctor asks, as he teaches Adric how to raise one's arms in surrender.
Sarah -
Of course a body is found just before they arrive. Bodies are usually found just before the TARDIS arrives. To be honest, I suspect the only time bodies are ever found anywhere in the known universe is just before the Doctor shows up to be blamed.
Harry -
It's one of those things that practically defines a Doctor Who story.
Sarah -
With that in mind, learning how to raise his hands in surrender may be one of the most useful things the Doctor ever taught Adric.
Harry -
Despite what we've heard from behind the scenes, the Doctor and Adric have a friendly partnership going here. I would have liked to see them in more adventures.
Sarah -
I would be a strong proponent of that.
Harry -
Anyway, they find themselves hauled before the Consuls for a rapid interrogation. Our friends protest their innocence, and the Consuls refer to the Keeper for advice. As soon as he appears, the Keeper is stricken by fear of an evil presence nearby. Everyone assumes he means the Doctor and Adric, but no one notices the enigmatic creature peeking through the doorway: the Melkur.
Sarah -
The Melkur -- Traken's personification of calcified evil. We first meet young Kassia, protege of the Keeper, and later a member of his council, when she was assigned to care for the Melkur. Maybe it's just knowing what's coming, but I find even her initial scenes with the Melkur disturbing. The Melkur is playing the long game, luring Kassia under his spell, just waiting for her to become a member of the council so he can launch his plan. And, then, of course, the Doctor shows up just in time to spoil his best-laid plans.
Sheila Ruskin certainly chews up the scenery as Kassia, but the real standout guest actor is Anthony Ainley as The Ma.... um, I mean as Tremas. He shines in every scene -- strong, intelligent, loyal, a doting father to Nyssa. Widowed and entering into a second marriage with Kassia, he is the planned successor to the Keeper. While the rest of the council falls under Kassia's influence and are suspicious of the Doctor, Tremas eventually believes the Doctor's story of being summoned by the Keeper -- and finds himself under suspicion.
Harry -
I love seeing Anthony Ainley here. His thoughtful, positive attitude as Tremas is a brilliant set up for what will befall the Consul. I never understood how or why the showrunners went ahead what that character's name, which is such an obvious anagram for another character's name. I'm sure there have been hundreds of rationalizations circulated among fanhood after the fact, but it's such a clunky note.
Sarah -
The Master hadn't appeared in five years, so I suspect it's more obvious in retrospect.
Harry -
Another thing I loved was Kassia's massively teased out mane of hair. Her and Nyssa both have amazing looks in this story. It's so 80s and yet it works quite well with their Trakenite clothes.
Sarah -
There was a whole lot of hair going on in this story!
Harry -
Despite being newlywed, Kassia does not hesitate to zap Tremas and throw him into a cell with the Doctor and Adric, as the Melkur exercises total power over her. The Melkur's plot comes to fruition at the end of Part Three. Kassia briefly takes the Keeper's place, before she herself gets zapped into oblivion and replaced by the Melkur.
Sarah -
Poor Kassia. She was just a pawn in the Melkur's hand, which is a sad end for such an interesting and strong character.
Harry -
Now, if this story were broadcast in the present day internet era, the true identity of the Melkur would have been plastered on every social media outlet even before broadcast. Watching this story now, I'm surprised how late they left the confirmation that the Melkur was in fact... the Master! There were certainly enough clues fed to everyone. It just felt a bit rushed towards the end, and the inevitable Doctor-Master confrontation was no more than a couple of minutes. These days, they produce entire two-parters around the two characters playing off each other.
Sarah -
I almost don't mind the quick confrontation because it leads us to the real shocker when the Master steals Tremas' body for his next regeneration!
Harry -
Kudos to Geoffrey Beevers for his brief albeit memorably grotesque turn as the rogue Gallifreyan.
Sarah -
Beevers' disfigured Master is wonderfully evil. "The Keeper of Traken" was my first Master story, so I didn't know much about his history with the Doctor. That said, I still remember how shocked I was by this scene. I love that the Doctor and Adric head off believing that all is well on Traken, while we're all screaming at the television trying to warn him!
Harry -
This was the Master at his evil worst - bodysnatching a still living body to inhabit. What a creep! On the plus side, this is the start of a fresh series of Master stories to enjoy.
Sarah -
Hooray for more Master stories!
Harry -
Overall, this was a very straightforward story by Johnny Byrne (not a name we are familiar with, is it?).
Sarah -
It's not! This is his first story and here's a fun fact: because Byrne created Nyssa and she was only intended to be in one story, he received royalties whenever her character was used.
Harry -
Good on you, Johnny Byrne. It's the wonderful characters that bring "The Keeper of Traken" to life. Tom Baker and Matthew Waterhouse were both great here. Tom boisterous but restrained, Matthew clever and industrious.
Sarah -
I love that he managed to lure good girl Nyssa into joining his caper and being mischievous. Adric is excellent in this story!
Harry -
We have completed the penultimate story of the Fourth Doctor era. Shall we proceed to the grand finale?
Sarah -
With a deep breath and a sadness in my heart...
Harry -
Best Line:
DOCTOR: "You criticise my logic."
ADRIC: "No. No, I'm just saying that a lot of the time you don't really make sense."
DOCTOR: "Ah. Ah. Oh, you've noticed that, have you?"
Favourite Moment: The Master seizes Tremas' body.
Lasting Image: Kassia and her fantastic 'do.
8/10
Sarah -
Best Line:
The Doctor: "If I knew everything that was going to happen, where would the fun be?"
Favorite Moment: Absolutely the stealing of Tremas' body. It's one of the most shocking moments in Doctor Who and I love anticipating it!
Lasting Image: The Melkur -- I love that design!
8/10
Our marathon continues with Story #115 - Logopolis...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)