Story #39 - The Ice Warriors (1967)

Sarah -
I’d just like to begin by saying that when I launch my own international agency to combat glaciers, I know exactly how I want the uniforms to look. Martin Baugh may have just created my favorite uniforms ever in the history of Doctor Who. I’m sure it’s the black and white that makes me love them so – can you imagine how dreadful they would look in color?


Harry -
They look like a futuristic British Winter Olympics team! I remember seeing a colour photo of those uniforms, and each one was a splash of rainbow hues. Very creative and memorable.


Sarah -
I take it all back! I just tracked the color images down and they’re smashing!

http://www.kittensdirect.com/colourise/season5.html

My international agency will definitely have those unis!


Harry -
There's definitely a "Yellow Submarine" feel to that look.


Sarah -
In any case, the team at Brittanicus Base, in all their sartorial splendor, is struggling to hold back the glaciers that are slowly taking over the planet as a result of global cooling. (Global cooling? This really is science fiction!)


Harry -
A wacky premise but let's go along with it.


Sarah -
While the techs battle the icebergs with their computer system, Arden, a scientist with an archeological bent, is on the glacier with his team, where they find what they think is an ancient human. While the scientists’ excitement at finding the body is a reasonable human reaction, their cavalier attitude when one of their party, Davis, is killed in an avalanche is almost chilling (no pun intended). They tote the iceman’s body back to base, with hardly a look back or mention of poor Davis, who stays on the glacier.


Harry -
My favourite thing in this story might be how everyone pronounces glacier as "GLASS-ear."


Sarah -
They need someone to show up with an overdone American accent to pronounce it “GLAY-shur.”


Harry -
The avalanche was well done, but I agree with the strangely cavalier attitudes towards Davis' death. I still have Toberman in mind!


Sarah -
Poor Toberman.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS materializes on its side and Jamie suspects they’re just a bit farther up the mountain in Tibet.


Harry -
The Doctor really botched that landing.  Yet another story begins with madcap comedy.


Sarah -
I love this scene, when everyone is all happy and jokey coming off their Tibetan adventure. Even when they enter the Brittanicus Base, it’s still all fun and good times.


Harry -
Brittanicus Base threw me for a loop. As with "The Abominable Snowmen", we aren't really given a definitive date for when the story takes place. We opened with the futuristic control centre, which it turns out is just a room inside a Victorian manor, which on the outside looks like some sort of science building whose doors slide up and down with the wave of a hand. Bizarre!


Sarah -
Victoria suggests they leave when danger seems imminent, but the Doctor responds with his usual “No, let’s go in!” attitude. Jamie’s a bit miffed to be labeled a scavenger, but not enough to dampen the mood.


Harry -
Our heroes enter the base and meet the crew. The Doctor almost immediately leaps into action to prevent a disaster. This was another charming Troughton moment, watching him bounce from console to console, issuing orders.

Leader Clent is not amused. I wasn't too wild about him, to be honest. Pompous, arrogant, a slave to protocols and computers and the exact opposite of the Doctor as is pointed out repeatedly. The Doctor is very anti-technology here, which was odd.


Sarah -
It was, wasn’t it? Even after preventing a reactor explosion, the Doctor spent much of his time breaking protocol and trying to show up the technicians and scientists. It was amusing when Clent gave the Doctor a challenge to see if he was really the scientist he claimed to be. Troughton’s performance as he drags the answer, which he knew all along, out to the last second was delightful.


Harry -
I liked the Doctor's line: "I think you might try trusting human beings instead of computers."


Sarah -
There are so many great lines in this story:

“We’ve been on retreat in Tibet. We are sanctifiers.” The Doctor, explaining why they don’t know about the glacier crisis.


Harry -
"He's got a printed circuit where his heart should be." Penley disparages Clent's obsession with computers.


Sarah -
“Well, looks aren’t everything you know.” The Doctor’s response when Varga says he looks like a scavenger.

Going back to the uniforms, I’m not their only fan, it seems. I loved the scene when Jamie asks Victoria if she would consider wearing one, much to her embarrassment. The chaste flirting between the two of them is so sweet.

Unfortunately, this sweet moment won’t last long.


Harry -
To this point I like Victoria's character. She's shown endearing flashes of personality and isn't there just to scream at things. Well, in this case she's there to be kidnapped!


Sarah -
I quite like her, too. I think she’s gotten the shaft in fandom. Deborah Watling does a great job with the character and deserves more respect than she gets!


Harry -
Agreed.


Sarah -
Poor Victoria. Varga, the Ice Warrior, newly thawed, knocks out Jamie and takes her hostage!

What did you think of Penley, the rogue scientist, and Storr, the scavenger? They’re a bit of an odd couple, but seem to share a sense of purpose and hatred of the base scientists.


Harry -
They were a strange pair. A couple of shaggy wildmen at first, creeping around the base and adding to the incongruity of things. As we learn more about Penley and his falling out with Clent, he gains depth as a character. Storr just whinges about everything. Although he met an undeserved end at the hands (gloves? pincers?) of the Ice Warriors.


Sarah -
I appreciated Rob’s point that Penley’s and Clent’s rich character development is the sort of thing that you can do in six episodes, but would never make it into the current series. Brittanicus Base certainly feels lived-in.

Penley also gets in one of my favorite lines of the story. When Clent says there is no hope, he responds with, “You mean hope happens to be inconvenient.”

So good, the Doctor could have said it himself!


Harry -
The whole story seems to be built on contrasts. At one point, the story has broken out into a bunch of character pairings: the Doctor and Clent, Penley and Storr, Victoria and Varga, and Jamie and Arden. The biggest contrast is obviously the pro and con sides of the computer debate.

Maybe there were too many pairings, but something in this story just didn't click for me. It started to drag in the second half, when everything revolved around finding out what kind of engines powered the Ice Warriors ship. Not exactly high adventure.


Sarah -
Some of it was a bit pat, but the performances made up for a lot of the problems I had with the script. Everyone is in top form and doing all they can with the material.


Harry -
The Warriors were interesting to look at and I loved the makeup - especially those weird pouting mouths - but they got a bit dull too. Maybe it was their slow movements or the whispering voices, probably both, but I'm left wondering why the producers would have wanted to bring them back again.


Sarah -
Definitely not the most compelling baddies. One wants a little zing in one’s monsters, no?


Harry -
I would have liked a little more zing in this story too, but they can't all be gems.

Best Line: Whenever someone said "glacier."

Favourite Moment: The Doctor enters the ship and sees the Ice Warriors, says "Oh my word!" and does an about face before they surround him. Classic Troughton moment!

Lasting Image: The Ice Warriors' mouths.

6/10


Sarah -
I liked it a bit more than you, but I think that’s a tribute to the actors.

Best Line: The Doctor, reacting to the thought that he should take a weapon as he goes to treat with the Ice Warriors, “Well, I’m not going to fight a duel!”

Favorite Moment: Jamie suggesting Victoria put some oomph into her wardrobe.

Lasting Image: Those groovy unis, of course!

7/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #40 - The Enemy of the World...

Story #38 - The Abominable Snowmen (1967)

Harry -
This was something unique. Not what I expected, yet even better. Enigmatic, eerie, even downright scary at times.

The story starts off on such a light note. The Doctor is delighted to be back in Tibet. He can barely wait to throw on his outrageous fur coat and go scampering down to the monastery.


Sarah -
I love his enthusiasm and that he's been here before. The snow and screaming at the beginning let's us know that all is not well, but the Doctor is so ready for adventure.

I love the juxtaposition of the Doctor rushing off all madcap with the Ghanta, and Jamie with the feeling that all is not quite right.


Harry -
I was thrilled because it felt like an old Hartnell historical.


Sarah -
It does, doesn't it? I almost expected Marco Polo to show up!


Harry -
As our friend Rob points out, the story moves very slowly, but that's not a bad thing. There are enough varied characters to keep it from feeling as though the story is being padded out. The Doctor is on form, and Jamie and Victoria both have lots of screen time.

Travers is the Edwardian hunter with a squint in his eye. Khrisong is the blunt and bullying monk. Songsten is the mysterious, enigmatic abbot. All three of them threaten to be revealed as the villain at any moment.

And yet... the story keeps leading us on. We wait and wait, but there seems to be something greater at work here. Even the Yeti are not what they seem - the Doctor reveals that they are just robots. That should be a big reveal, but it happens as early as episode two. What is going on here?


Sarah -
Unfortunately, this is one of those stories where the recon got in the way of my enjoyment of the story. I hate to admit it, but there were times when I had absolutely no idea what was going on and which character was which. I stayed with it through the first two episodes, but completely lost track of what the hell was going on for the rest of the story.

Mostly I just focused on the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria, who all had some nice moments. Victoria seemed to have some especially good plotlines...I think.


Harry -
Rob touched upon the fact that this story did require some serious attention while viewing. Like "The Faceless Ones," it was a more grown up kind of Doctor Who. I liked it, but I don't think it would work on an ongoing basis.


Sarah -
Reading Rob and Toby's discussion, I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's what happened" quite often.


Harry -
In terms of being "grown up", there were several moments of horror that the recon did hinder, but were still effective. The reveal of Padmasambhava - basically an animated corpse kept alive by the power of the Great Intelligence - that was a great moment. His dual voices, his creepy hands, his chilling laugh all made for a memorable "villain."


Sarah -
The voice was definitely the most compelling and creepy aspect of the character.


Harry -
Another scary moment was Victoria's possession. This wasn't the now-standard companion possession, where they lurch about droning some brainwashed messaging. Victoria projected near-frantic levels of fear and urgency as she shouted at the Doctor to take her away. That was incredible!


Sarah -
It reminded me of Dodo's possession by WOTAN. The Doctor's panicked response to this possession made me really worry about Victoria!


Harry -
The story's strong suit seems to be the very uncertainty that it sows. We never know who the true villain is until late in the game. Even then, we never see it because it can only manifest itself in avatars.

Throughout, the Doctor seems to know what he's doing, but is not really convincing. His mental battle with Padmasambhava seems the critical moment - but was it just a distraction, long enough for Jamie and Thonmi to smash the true source of The Great Intelligence's power? We never really find out how much of the Doctor's actions were bluff and ruse, but that seems to go well with the entire story.

It's too bad this one was mostly erased, because in the absence of a big soundtrack, the visuals are critical. At least we got one episode out of six. How many of these damn recons are left, Sarah? I sense you are clutching your abacus with white knuckles over there.


Sarah -
Seven, Dear Harry, exactly seven!


Harry -
Bloody eck! I was hoping for a lower number. Well, let's put this one on ice (foreshadowing!) and press onward, shall we?


Sarah -
It's less than the eight we had going into this story, so that's something.

Onward!


Harry -
Best Line: Padmasambhava's wickedly slow delivery of the line "Come in my child - you have no al... ter... na... tive..."

Favourite Moment: Caught in a trance, Victoria frantically begs the Doctor to take her away.

Lasting Image: Those recurring shots of characters running up or down the mountainside. Wales looks so lovely!

8/10 (probably higher than it deserves, but I really liked the scary bits)


Sarah -
Best Line: The Doctor pulls out bagpipes while searching for the Ghanta:

Jamie: “I can fix these easily.”
Doctor: “Yes, I was afraid so.”

Favorite Moment: See above. It made me laugh out loud. What a team!

Lasting Image: Jamie and Victoria coming down the mountainside, looking for the Doctor. Ah, Wales!

6/10

Our marathon continues with Story #39 - The Ice Warriors...

Story #37 - The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967)

Harry -
We did it, Sarah! We finally reached the first full Troughton story. No missing episodes! No telesnaps nor subtitles! Let us revel in the moving pictures!


Sarah -
I cannot tell you how much I've been looking forward to this day!


Harry -
And yet, for all the enjoyment of the camera angles and wordless moments, this is such a simple story. Heck, the first two episodes could have been compressed into about ten minutes:

- Victoria receives her TARDIS orientation session
- TARDIS lands on a planet and our friends meet an expedition of archaeologists
- They break into a mysterious city and have a look round
- Cybermen!


Sarah -
Swap out the Cybermen and it could be so many other stories, don't you think?


Harry -
Hopefully not too many.


Sarah -
The opening scene in the TARDIS is refreshing. It feels so long since we were inside that Victoria’s introduction to the TARDIS is almost our reintroduction. We even get to find out the Doctor’s age – 450 years old!


Harry -
That was an unexpected revelation - I'm so used to the 900-something-years being tossed about by subsequent Doctors.


Sarah -
Time flies when you’re having fun, and all that…

I was amused at Jamie playing TARDIS tour guide for Victoria. He was just a bit too eager to help her find the wardrobe department, don't you think?


Harry -
Oh my word!


Sarah -
A quick slip into one of Polly's left-behind frocks and she's ready for adventure. I found myself wondering if a Victorian gal might not feel a wee bit exposed in 1960s clothes, when she commented on the shortness of the skirt. What do you think she's carrying in the purse? She can't have brought much with her from Skaro.


Harry -
Perhaps a paper fan and a bottle of opium?


Sarah -
One does want to be prepared. Also, it’s a handy place to store a cybermat!

In any case, we soon find ourselves in a quarry – and, as any Doctor Who fan knows, there’s nothing like a quarry to set the mood. All we need to complete the scene is a multinational team on a mysterious scientific mission and we’ll be set for adventure. Unfortunately, the one thing you can count on when a large team is introduced is that there are going to be casualties. A lot of casualties.


Harry -
A bit morbid, but in my notes I started tracking when and how people were getting killed off. It was "ten little Indians" at first, and I was really looking forward to Cyril Shaps' inevitable demise. Oh I love Cyril and his recurring performances as The Frazzled Neurotic Who Soon Meets His Inevitable Demise. I haven't seen what Toby had to say about him, but I hope he likes Cyril as much as I do!


Sarah -
He nailed the part, didn’t he? Cyril was clearly doomed as doomed could be.


Harry -
I checked.  Turns out neither Toby nor Rob had anything to say about Cyril.  Alas...


Sarah -
We’ll find out more about the rest of this band of adventurers as the story progresses, but I’d like to give a special shout out to Captain Hopper for giving what just may be the broadest performance in the series thus far – and that’s saying something!


Harry -
CERtainly the BROADest aMERican ACcent we've heard so FARRRR.

I love BBC Americans.


Sarah -
It may be the novelty of a complete episode, but Troughton is especially delightful in this story, isn’t he? Despite the danger, he just can’t resist adventure. Neither can he resist demonstrating how smart he is, helping Klieg open the doors to the tomb even when it’s clearly not a good idea.


Harry -
It could be argued that this story demonstrates the prototypical Troughton Doctor. He's often quiet and thoughtful, sometimes skittish and anxious, yet always in control. Rather than leaping into the fray, he lets others do what needs to be done, and throws the odd switch when necessary. A manipulative little clown, that fellow!


Sarah -
Manipulative and funny! His pun about the cybermats having a complete metal breakdown and Jamie’s pained reaction will be one of the moments I’ll remember from this story. What a team!


Harry -
As I said earlier, there isn't much to this story, but there isn't that much character development either. A lot of time gets taken up in just giving so many characters something to say.

The Cybermen's resurrection scene is iconic, of course, as the familiar timpani-woo-woo Cyber theme fades in.


Sarah -
Now that was cool. The cybermen stirring in their tombs was wonderfully creepy!


Harry -
Something new to this story, unless I've missed it before, was the addition of the sounds that Cybermen make when they attack someone. They all make a kind of gremlin noise, which is both fun and decidedly odd. After all, they are so proud of having eliminated fear and yet there they are trying to spook people with their boogedy-boo noises.


Sarah -
Even super-villains need to move with the times, My Friend. Can’t sit around waiting to be out-done by the Daleks!


Harry -
The Cyber Controller is particularly menacing here. He is both physically imposing and frighteningly single-minded. He constantly utters the "We will survive" refrain, and it was chilling when he stated: "Now you belong to us - you will become like us."


Sarah -
Well, at least his agenda’s on the table, I guess.


Harry -
We haven't said much about Klieg and Kaftan, but as secondary villains go, they were terribly predictable.


Sarah -
Oh, they were awful – futuristic versions of Maxtible from the Evil of the Daleks. Klieg’s attempts to rationalize the Cybermen’s behavior and reframe his plan to control them whenever he’s thwarted was pathetic. Kaftan is just odd. She looks mad as a hatter with those crazy eyes, and what’s with her “servant” Toberman? The relationship between the two of them was uncomfortable to say the least – and just a bit too reminiscent of Kemel and Maxtible’s in the Evil of the Daleks.


Harry -
Toberman's character is very dated. I was appalled when, after he sacrificed himself to stop the Cyber Controller, everyone went their separate ways and left his body lying in the dust. Appalling!


Sarah -
“Thanks, Buddy. Catch you later. No really, we’ll see you soon enough, marching around St. Paul’s. Until then, it’s been a laugh riot. Byeeeeeee.”

Victoria was actually the nicest surprise of this story. I was prepared for panicked screaming from her, but she was funny, smart, and kind of endearing. Her scenes with ship’s crew were particularly good.


Harry -
Victoria is delightful! The Doctor has clearly found a new surrogate grandchild to watch over. Their private conversation was wonderful to watch.


Sarah -
It was so touching. I felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside.


Harry -
And so we come to the end of a story that wasn't really about anything. Some folks found a tomb, some Cybermen got loose, then they got put back again. The end. This might have worked better as a more energetic two-parter.

The story rates highly among fandom, but a lot of that is probably because it's the earliest surviving Troughton story and the act of watching it is a joy in itself. There have been better Troughton stories before this one, and better ones to follow.

This one does have its moments, so I can't be all down about it.


Sarah -
It definitely benefits from having survived, but has some wonderful moments for Troughton and the companions. Also, Cybermen are cool.

Best Line(s):
Klieg : "How did you know in the first place?"
Doctor : "Oh, I used my own, special technique."
Klieg : "Oh, really, Doctor... and may we know what that is?"
Doctor : "Keeping my eyes open and my mouth shut!"

Favorite Moment: The Doctor consoling Victoria on the loss of her family and explaining how he deals with the loss of his.

Lasting Image: The Cybermen emerging from their tombs.

7/10


Harry -
Best Line: "I think perhaps your logic is wearing a little thin."

Favourite Moment: Toberman hurls "the Cyber Controller" into the main control panel. Classic BBC props work.

Lasting Image: The Cybermen emerging from their tombs.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #38 - The Abominable Snowmen...

Story #36 - The Evil of the Daleks (1967)

Harry -
Well, there's no surprise to this adventure when the baddies are featured in the title. It was a surprise, however, to see the first episode played almost entirely as a comedy.


Sarah -
There are some things one can count on from a story with “…of the Daleks” in the title, but comedy usually isn’t one of them.


Harry -
First there's Jamie's confrontation with Hall at Gatwick - complete with jaunty music - then some delightful moments of Troughton and Hines playing it up for the cameras as they search for the TARDIS.


Sarah -
“TARDIS is a Gaelic word.”


Harry -
I like how they take turns playing the foil to each other's schtick. A classic comedy partnership!


Sarah -
There’s a reason Hines stuck around so long. I laughed out loud when he asked, “Do you think this is some kind of trap, Doctor?” and the Doctor responded with an almost-giddy, “Yes.” Then we get to hear “Paperback Writer.” Best coffee bar scene in Doctor Who ever!


Harry -
I never knew this many Beatles references existed in classic Who.


Sarah -
Did you notice the detail of the TARDIS having been signed for by J. Smith? The first John Smith of the series!


Harry -
Yes, it was subtle.

But wait, isn't this a Dalek story? Ah yes, one of them fades into being at the end of part one and launches into a furious interrogation of Kennedy, who is not long for this world...


Sarah -
It’s really an odd and clever first episode, which doesn’t go where we expect. The scenes at the airport and coffee bar set us for an extended visit in 1966, on what has to have been the most exciting day in Earth’s history – WOTAN defeated, a brokered peace with the Faceless Ones and now Daleks.

Nor are the humans we meet the baddies we expect them to be. Curiouser and curiouser…


Harry -
No kidding. No sooner do Jamie and the Doctor find their way to Waterfield's antique shoppe, than they are whisked away to the home of Theodore Maxtible in 1866... and this suddenly becomes a steampunk story!


Sarah -
All Maxtible needs is a pair of goggles and his look will be complete.


Harry -
"The Evil of the Daleks" is steampunk before such a thing even existed. The classic elements are there: Victorians tinkering with the fabric of time, bubbling laboratories and analog experiments, aliens from the future come to wreak havoc in the 19th century, fantastic stuff.


Sarah -
Plus, a sliding bookcase! Really, is there anything more exciting than a sliding bookcase and secret room?


Harry -
The Doctor sorts out the mystery and Maxtible confirms that the TARDIS plot was all a trap to bring the Daleks' greatest foe before them. This time however, they don't want to destroy him, they want him to make them extra superior. They want the so-called "human factor".

(I didn't really buy why the Daleks would not want the "Doctor factor" instead, but I went along with it.)


Sarah -
Best not to dwell too much on the science, especially in this story.


Harry -
Especially when it turns out that the Daleks have promised Maxtible the secret formula for turning iron into gold. What a rube!


Sarah -
I love the Doctor’s reaction when static electricity is mentioned and suddenly all the pieces fall into place.


Harry -
I love Patrick Troughton's acting throughout this story. Fraser Hines was great too.


Sarah -
And so begins Jamie’s Dalek adventure. His reaction to finding out they were dealing with Daleks is classic, almost rolling his eyes at the Doctor for having gone on and on about the Daleks. One imagines the Doctor in front of a TARDIS fireplace, recounting tales of his old foes over a cup of cocoa.

This time out, they want to understand humans so that they can conquer them more effectively. The Doctor appears to go along with their plan to help Waterfield get his daughter, Victoria, back from the Daleks. Unfortunately for Jamie, the plan involves using him as a guinea pig to help the Daleks understand human nature – and he’s having none of it!


Harry -
If "The Faceless Ones" was where Jamie became the acknowledged main companion, this story thrusts him into the lead for a couple of episodes completely.

While the Daleks, the Doctor and Maxtible observe, Jamie does battle with the mysterious Kemel. Having knocked each other around the house for almost five minutes of dialogue-free screentime (crazy!), they then team up to search for Victoria. This show is now The Adventures of Jamie McCrimmon and his silly friend the Doctor.


Sarah -
I kept thinking of the games in "The Celestial Toymaker" during these scenes -- I knew something exciting was going on, but wasn't quite sure what it was.


Harry -
By the time we get to Part Five, Jamie and Kemel thwart the Daleks and rescue Victoria Waterfield. The action-adventure component of the story comes to a happy conclusion, but the Daleks are still demanding the human factor and the Doctor obliges, with unexpected results!


Sarah -
The human-factor-infected Daleks were brilliant! Their reaction to being given names was priceless and their playing was the last thing you would ever expect from Daleks!


Harry -
Again, Troughton is magical here, playing "trains" and "roundabout" with the Daleks who coo like babies.

But the fun comes to an end quickly, as all Daleks are summoned back to Skaro. Everyone is either dragged along in their wake, or forced to flee as Maxtible's house is blown up. The fun never stops, does it?


Sarah -
Never ever!


Harry -
(And before I forget, one thing that bugged me throughout this story, and was never explained: why was a painting of Waterfield's wife hanging above the mantel in Maxtible's home?)


Sarah -
(Yeah, what was that?)


Harry -
Part Seven is a very dark episode. Skaro is as nasty a place as we remember. The Emperor Dalek is a new and ghastly menace.


Sarah -
It feels like both forever ago and just yesterday that we were last on Skaro.


Harry -
Poor Maxtible finally gets his payoff from the Daleks in the form of the Dalek factor. He was such a willing collaborator and total fool that I did not totally feel sorry for his demise.


Sarah -
Maxtible’s willing blindness to the utter evil of the Daleks was infuriating.


Harry -
The Doctor relies again on the art of deception, as well as the human factor, and he sows rebellion in the heart of the Dalek world. The reward for viewers (or audio listeners, or eternally-suffering recon watchers) is an unforgettable scene. The Daleks turn on each other in the Emperor's control room. What a battle! This outdoes the Daleks-Mechanoids fight scene in "The Chase".


Sarah -
I love that when the Daleks get the human factor, the first thing they do is start questioning their orders and refusing to obey.


Harry -
It was a thrilling conclusion to a wild, rollicking adventure. I think this is Troughton and Hines's best story so far, and one of the best Dalek stories ever.


Sarah -
And so ends season four.


Harry -
It was a wild one.


Sarah -
I hadn’t realized this was meant to be the final Dalek story. Troughton’s line, “I think I’ve seen the end of the Daleks forever,” could have been the end of the Daleks.


Harry -
I didn't know this either.


Sarah -
It will take a while, but I’m really glad they’ll be back.


Harry -
In keeping with the oddball entrances and departures of 1960s companions, Victoria is now along for the ride. I haven't seen many of her stories, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her. She doesn't seem to be rated highly among companions. I guess we'll soon find out why.


Sarah -
Well, there’s something to look forward to.


Harry -
Best line: "Hellooo friennnnnd!"

Favourite moment: The Doctor urges Jamie to be careful inside Waterfield's antique shoppe, then almost topples a table himself.

Lasting image: The Emperor Dalek

9/10


Sarah -
Best line: “I will obey, but not without question”

Favorite moment: Jamie calling out the Doctor for not telling him the truth.

Lasting image: The Daleks playing with the Doctor

9/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #37 - The Tomb of the Cybermen...

Story #35 - The Faceless Ones (1967)

Sarah -
I like getting straight to the action – Police Box on the Runway! One can’t help but wonder, if an airplane was coming straight at you, wouldn’t one be safer in the TARDIS than dashing across the runway?


Harry -
Well, the Doctor decided that "Scatter!" was a better option, so everyone obliged. I love the opening minutes of this story - in fact, the entire first episode is a rush of action. Everyone scampering around Gatwick, with Bobbies and police motorcycles in pursuit, and 60s action music full on. Classic stuff.

It's interesting to contrast the pacey opening to the remarkably tepid finale - but I'm getting ahead of myself.


Sarah -
I'll resist the urge to get both of us ahead of ourselves.

In any case, the action begins and our heroes are immediately separated. Poor Polly encounters a bloke with a death ray and apparent alien overlord. Has no one told this guy that killing a cop is never a good idea and always dooms you in the end?


Harry -
It's poor Polly's turn to be separated from her friends and brainwashed. At least the writers kept a rotation going.


Sarah -
It's inevitable when you travel with the Doctor, isn't it?


Harry -
Indeed. Wasn't that Captain Blade a chilly bastard? His henchman Spencer too. Even though their plots seemed improvised and incoherent at times, at least their tone was consistent. They never strayed into histrionics - these were very "grown up" alien villains. Mysterious too - their secrets were teased out to the audience at just the right pace.


Sarah -
I love the calm, cool, and collected tone that all the aliens use. Positively menacing.


Harry -
My favourite 60s DW stories are the ones set in contemporary (for its day) London. The look, the sound, the classiness of it all - and the fact that they are now historicals in their own right. Wild.

Even though this adventure takes place at an aeroport, there is still an intimate feel to the story because everything takes place in only a handful of rooms. What I'm trying to say is, I really like this story!


Sarah -
I love this story! After the drudge of "The Macra Terror", I was more than ready for a great story and "The Faceless Ones" more than delivers!


Harry -
It's also an important story because of the big companions shift that takes place. After part two, Ben and Polly vanish and Jamie has the spotlight all to himself - that is, until the lass from Liverpool bursts onto the scene.


Sarah -
Remember, this is my first time watching "The Faceless Ones".


Harry -
Mine too.


Sarah -
I nearly jumped off my sofa when she first appeared…


Harry -
Me too!


Sarah -
...but more on that later.


Harry -
One of the most striking images of the story comes right after Polly is snatched away by Spencer, and the Doctor and Jamie are seen strolling amiably away, as if they've always been best mates. It's one of those moments where you suddenly realize that the show has made a Big Shift.


Sarah -
They’ve always been best mates, haven’t they?


Harry -
It was interesting to read Rob and Toby's notes on this story. I was unaware that Samantha Briggs was all-but the next companion, had Pauline Collins not turned the opportunity down. I'd love to hear her thoughts today, to find out whether she regrets the decision or not.


Sarah -
Oh my, I’ll have to dash off and read that. (Sorry, Rob and Toby, I try not to consult your work until I’ve gotten my thoughts down – don’t want to be unduly influenced.)


Harry -
Anyway, when Samantha first appeared at the Chameleon kiosk to question Polly, there was something familiar about her. It was driving me nuts until I realized where else I'd seen her (and no, I'm not talking about Shirley Valentine).


Sarah -
Because obviously you’re thinking of her dynamic performance as Sarah on Upstairs, Downstairs! That little minx! First Jean Marsh, then Pauline Collins! We’ll have to go more than two decades to see Simon Williams in "Remembrance of the Daleks" but it will be well worth the wait. Pauline Collins is a positive spitfire and brings all she’s got to the role of Samantha, she would have probably kicked the Doctor out and stolen the TARDIS eventually, so it’s probably best that she didn’t stick around.

Oh…wait…I suspect you were referring to an appearance Collins will make forty years hence, which merely backs up my point that she’s a absolute firecracker in any role she assumes!

Sorry, we were discussing something else, weren’t we? I get a little distracted when the subject of Upstairs, Downstairs comes up.


Harry -
A brilliant digression, Sarah!


Sarah -
If we had an Upstairs, Downstairs blog, I would probably digress about Doctor Who. (Hmm, now there’s an idea. We’ll need a project when we finish this one in ten or so years.)


Harry -
Hah! And yes, I was referring to Pauline's grand return to Doctor Who as Queen Victoria almost four decades later. I love seeing actors who return to DW.


Sarah -
It’s loads of fun.


Harry -
But we'll get to that story eventually (I hope!). Turning back to "The Faceless Ones" you can totally see how the combination of Jamie and Samantha was being positioned as the Doctor's companions moving forward. Both are strong characters who will go to the wall for people they care about, and they definitely have an eye for each other. A peck on the cheek from Jamie, and a full on kiss at the end. The Doctor might have had to pry those two apart every time the TARDIS landed. Oh my word!


Sarah -
Oh my smootchies! Even with the telesnaps, things were getting a little heated! Nice touch picking Sam’s pocket during a kiss.


Harry -
It's odd feeling deprived by something that didn't happen in 1967, and we only found out about now.


Sarah -
Still, we’ll always have Paris…and China…and Troy…and Kembel…and Skaro…and, oh you get the picture.


Harry -
This recap is turning into a Salman Rushdie novel for all its digressions! Anyway, as the Chameleons' plot is revealed, the action picks up aboard their mother ship - which in keeping with the era looks like an aeroport cocktail lounge.


Sarah -
Loved the airplane turning into a space ship!


Harry -
This for me was where things got very interesting. Each side is suddenly at the mercy of the other, and a stalemate ensues. Instead of outwitting the aliens or relying on a stroke of blind luck, the Doctor negotiates with them. And instead of shrieking and blowing things up, the aliens negotiate with the Doctor. That's how shit is supposed to go down every time! And yet, this is one of the only stories I can remember that ended this way - not with a BBC bang, but with calmness and diplomacy (under the threat of a big stick, but still).


Sarah -
I found myself trying to recall a story that was ended so amicably. I liked how in charge the Doctor was. Troughton has spent most of his time as the Doctor flying by the seat of his pants, which I love, but which doesn’t inspire the calm and control Hartnell often brought to the character.


Harry -
Of course, if every story ended this way, Doctor Who would have been cancelled after one season.


Sarah -
You’ve got a point there.


Harry -
It is an action show, after all. But I'm so glad we got an ending like this, even just once, to show that it doesn't always have to be explosions and death for all involved.


Sarah -
So civilized.


Harry -
This is easily the most "grown up" story we've seen so far, don't you think?


Sarah -
It’s definitely not kiddie TV!

I’d like to sprint back a bit and talk about the humans at the airport. I started off being amused by the crankiness of the Commandant, but really liked him by the end of the story. He’s such a stereotypical bureaucrat – focused on the job, humorless, unimaginative.


Harry -
Oh gosh, he was the perfect miserable bureaucrat. I know so many like him!


Sarah -
He has his boorish moments, like when his charming assistant, Jean, takes the initiative to phone the hotels where Chameleon flies, he yells at her for spending too much on calls. Still, Jane’s detective work gives them the break they need to figure out what’s going on. Eventually, he evolves enough to accept that there is more to the universe and eventually goes along with the Doctor’s plan, despite his initial reluctance.


Harry -
This was a fantastic, well fleshed-out six parter.


Sarah -
It’s probably time to get to the issue of this being Ben and Polly’s last story.


Harry -
*cue sad 60s music, laden with strings and faux harpsichords*


Sarah -
It’s a pity they were treated so shabbily – both in character and on the set. Dispatching of them in the second episode is just adding insult to injury.


Harry -
Toby's recap of the actors' departure was sad to read.


Sarah -
Early on, the Doctor and Jamie brush off Polly’s concerns, promising to look after her and ignoring her concerns over Ben’s absence. Then they don’t even notice when she’s kidnapped!

Her rejoinder to Spencer, “You don’t think my friends are just going to forget me like that, do you?” made me wonder just a bit as they seem to have done just that. Just two blokes out for a stroll are Our Jamie and the Doctor.

Then Polly gets replaced with posh, snooty Polly, who doesn’t know her friends.

Ben at least gets a bit to do before he’s dispatched. The scene with the Doctor, Jamie and Ben in the photo booth, having a secret conversation and pretending to take a photo whenever anyone tried to enter may just be the funniest scene of the entire series so far!


Harry -
I loved that last bit of group zaniness.


Sarah -
Ben then finds himself immobilized and it’s “Cheerio, Mate!”


Harry -
At least they got a final scene - and a well-done one at that. It would have been maddening if they had only been spoken of at the end, someone telling the Doctor that they had been seen jumping into a cab for London or something like that.


Sarah -
They had to have a final scene after the Dodo debacle!


Harry -
The goodbyes were emotional and well-played. A great chunk of fanhood likes to believe that Ben and Polly ended up sticking together, and I'm part of that group. They were very cute together.


Sarah -
I believe the mention of Polly and Ben in the Sarah Jane Adventures makes it canon that they stayed together. At the very least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. They were both excellent characters and I want them to have a happy fictional future together.

While it was sad for us, Polly and Ben's departure may be the most positive since Barbara and Ian.


Harry -
And in keeping with this wild chase of a story, we end with the TARDIS gone missing. OH MY WORD!


Sarah -
Indeed! Let's dash ahead to our next adventure, where I suspect we'll run into some old friends...

Best Line: “Ben can catch his ship and become an admiral and you, Polly, you can look after Ben.”

Favorite Moment: Polly and Ben’s final look back at the Doctor. I got teary-eyed.

Lasting Image: Smiling in the photo booth. I'm giggling again just thinking about it.

9/10


Harry -
Best Line: "It's a flying beastie!"

Favourite Moment: The TARDIS lands, everyone scatters and the adventure begins.

Lasting Image: Jamie and the Doctor strolling away together, a classic imagesfrom the Second Doctor era.

9/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #36 - The Evil of the Daleks...

Story #34 - The Macra Terror (1967)

Harry -
My word, it took forever to get through that one. Did I mention I'm developing a slow-boiling hate for recons?


Sarah -
Oh, My Dear Harry, it's like a slog through the thickest mud. It takes all my energy to stay positive.


Harry -
What struck me about "The Macra Terror" is that it is a feast for the senses. We were denied so many visuals here: the majorettes on parade, the Macra attacks, and Jamie's highland fling! Boo recons! Damn you BBC!

At least we had the full audio. And what a cacophony! Delia and Co. must have had a blast coming up with the incidental bits like the majorettes' music.


Sarah -
One suspects that 1966 is the year LSD hit the Beeb. The soundtrack is INSANE!

How I'd love to see the majorettes parade in motion.


Harry -
Looking beyond the frustrating stills and relentless noise, "The Macra Terror" is an interesting little adventure. At times, I found it a study in psychological terror, other times it was an anti-establishment satire.

The root of the story is a colony fallen under the control of parasitic insects, who utilize Orwellian tactics to keep the human colonists under control.

Enter the TARDIS crew, who take a flipping great fly swatter to the whole thing.


Sarah -
On a mission to irritate the baddies of the galaxy since 1963!


Harry -
Our friends Rob and Toby declare this story to be a classic. I'm not quite there, but I do agree with much they have to say. The Doctor is brilliant here, tweaking the nose of authority, throwing spanners into the works, and even awarding himself 10 out of 10s for his mathematical skills. Cheeky!


Sarah -
Troughton's delightful performance helped me through the rather challenging recon. I laughed loudly at the Doctor's reaction to the grooming machine -- inserting himself into the muscle-toning machine to get properly messed up again!


Harry -
Madcap!

This time, it's Ben's turn to fall under the sway of the enemy via their nighttime brainwashing. I was genuinely angry with him for lacking the willpower of Polly and Jamie, but he still showed flashes of bravery, as when he rescued Polly from one of the Macra.


Sarah -
Poor Ben, always so solid and reliable. I felt so badly for him being the one to succumb to the Macra.


Harry -
And how about those Macra, eh? The stills and brief snippets of footage depict lumbering, claw-waving hulks with glowing headlights for eyes. I couldn't help but think of them as Volkswagons that had become sentient, not so much "crabs" as "bugs" if you know what I mean.


Sarah -
OMG, that's perfect. I guess they might be scary if one found oneself face to face...but not so much in the stills.


Harry -
I guess the pivotal scene was the "man behind the curtain" moment. This was when the Controller was revealled to be a confused old man, who was then attacked by a Macra. It's only the end of part two, and the façade of the colony has been ripped away. Yet the colonists are unfazed by what they've seen, and it's up to our heroes to overthrow the system once and for all.


Sarah -
It really takes a lot to get through to these colonists doesn't it?


Harry -
But not before Jamie gets caught in a gas-filled tunnel, Ben fights to overcome his subconscious indoctrination, and Polly and the Doctor figure out a solution.

I don't know. This is such a straightforward story, but the telling of it was so bizarre. Like Jamie making his way to the "glee club" practice room and dancing a highland fling. Crazy!


Sarah -
I kind of like the randomness of that whole thing.


Harry -
Kudos to the production crew for creating such a distinctly bizarre story! It was Doctor Who, The Prisoner and 1984 mashed into one.


Sarah -
I feel better knowing I wasn't the only one reminded of The Prisoner.


Harry -
Perhaps that could be our next marathon, sometime in the 2020s!


Sarah -
I'm not sure if it was me or the low-quality of the recon, but I just couldn't get caught up in this story. I was relieved when the "Stranger's Trophy" was presented and we could get the heck off that planet. We're not done with the Macra, mind you, but what's forty years between friends?


Harry -
Indeed!

I'm ready to wrap this one up.

Best line: In lieu of any particular zinger, I'm giving the award to Delia Derbyshire and her amazing score.

Favourite moment: The big party at the end. Everyone was in such great spirits before dancing away.

Lasting image: Ben and Polly clinging to each other in panto terror.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: I'll give this one to the Doctor : "Bad laws were made to be broken"

Favorite Moment: The Doctor getting cleaned up and immediately messed up again.

Lasting Image: The Highland Fling!

6/10

Our marathon continues with Story #35 - The Faceless Ones...