I Sense They Got Something Rite
Watching Doctor Who: Series 1 Serial 7: The Sensorites
In a galaxy not so far away from the familiar, the gang manage to land on a spaceship that is orbiting a planet. They're instantly greeted by the lifeless bodies of two of the crew who have literally fallen asleep at the wheel. Once woken from their deep sleep we find out that the planet's odd inhabitants (or should that be Ood?) have been controlling their minds and won't let them leave.
As Fry lacked the delta brainwave to be mind controlled, the TARDIS crew are also equip with primitive brains that can resist their would be captors,The Sensorites. The Sensorites come to the ship to try and earn a few quid washing the ship's windscreen, but after some awkward staring they decide the best thing to do it just break in and see what's going on.
The gang try to find a way to defend themselves against this powerful foe. But what is their weakness? Could it be kryptonite? Or silver bullets? Luckily for them flicking the light switch on and off a few times while making ghostly noises is all it takes to make them agree to take some of them down to the surface.
Not long after making friends with the planet's leader Mr X, Ian manages to get himself poisoned. And so the Doctor leaps to his aid, and to those dying on the planet too. But he comes up against resistance. One of the Sensorites is humanist, and not in the human sense of the word, he's willing to do anything to stop them. Even stooping so low as to trick them all by changing outfits.
Just like on Earth, dirty deeds and underhanded deals lead to power, and he is soon advanced to second in command... will they be able to make it off the planet alive?
Spoiler: Yes, yes they will.
Strangers In Space
How has Barbara already forgotten about the issues in The Aztecs... I'm sure that therapists would have something to say about that. I do like how they had a moment to reflect about what's happened. They must have already been pondering their futures as time travellers on the BBC.
When a woman senses things you should really listen. Women's instinct is a force to be reckoned with.
The Doctor only just said he doesn't make uninformed guesses, but he makes a fairly uninformed guess about the watches... because this alien place must have Rolex and Timex (and lots of other "ex"s that makes watches all the same way).
Oooooh 28th Century!
Ah Ian is finally on my level, yeah Doctor, you never mess with anything you shouldn't!
The Sensorites seem like a very odd bunch. What are they upto? It's like aliens have just upgraded their abduction techniques. Why bother battling through all the air traffic around Earth when they could just have them in a holding pattern around their own planet?
The girls really are playing the part in this episode. First thing you do when you get somewhere new... be really nosy... but also somehow miss reading the big sign that says "water". It's even in the same room they've been sitting in! *sigh* Calm thoughts. At least Susan isn't screaming, that holiday must have done her the world of good.
John seems to have a lot of that space ship to himself. And all he wanted was a cuddle!
I really want the Sensorite glowing lights to be someone dressed entirely in black running around in the darkness behind the stage holding Ood spheres. Excellent eye acting from Ian while we sit in silence waiting for them to appear.
LMFAO.
The Unwilling Warriors
Someone invite them in for a cup of tea. They're probably just misunderstood.
I am lost for words at the Sensorites' outfits. Really ahead (or technically behind, depending on how you look at it) of their times. Snazzy onesies with dusters for feet.
Good to know that women thinking about handbags and shopping can overpower aliens... noted for future reference.
So 20th century humans are better equip than 28th century humans to defend against them mentally. Computers and video games were clearly the downfall of the human race after all!
There's always good acting of space. Limited set space means you rush to a door, but then investigate slowly so it feels like there's more than there actually is. A bit of extra duct tape could have come in handy for some of the flappy scenery though.
I'm unsure what Ian was intending on doing. They've found the intruders and now he's threatening them while backing away. Mixed signals much?
These aliens are very nice, in an aggressive way. They're only protecting themselves. But you'd think that they'd have worked out how to wipe people's minds, or given them false memories so that they wouldn't come back.
Oh Susan! At least this time it was a noble reason you got separated from the rest of them I suppose.
Hidden Danger
The Doctor is definitely showing his grandfatherly love in this episode. It's quite a nice bit of interacting from all involved. It does make you wonder if there was more intention of it as a teaching tool than for the story line.
The Sensorites are an odd bunch. Logical, suspicious, treacherous. Hmm... reminds me of something.
John went mad because his mind was opened up to the full force of the Sensorites. I instantly thought of Donna when she listened to the song of the Ood.
Lucky that Ian drank that pleb water, it's a very quick way to work out what's killing everyone.
I hardly made any notes during this episode, but I feel like lots happened. I guess it's just because there were some big scenes in there.
A Race Against Death
So Ian has three days until fatality. The Doctor is feeding him salty water. Yet again I'm wondering where he got his doctorate.
Oh come on Carol! You've just given the City Administrator what he needs to mess up the entire plan.
Some effective use of cut scenes there to get through the testing of the water. I feel like this set of episodes have really found the key to a good series. Well, apart from getting filming equipment and shadows into shot.
An amusing little ending. The Doctor finds deadly nightshade, and someone with a bad chest infection. Sounds like a terrible combination to me, definitely has to be where the illness is coming from.
Kidnap
After hearing the moaning sound for a second time, I'm convinced that's what they based their moans off in Shaun of the Dead. Excellent zombie groans!
I'm impressed that Carol manages to keep such a bouffant hair style on an alien planet when she brought no luggage with her. But then I suppose if the Sensorites we're going to their ship and keeping them alive that they probably sent a hairdresser too. They must be glad for the work when everyone on the planet is bald with reverse beards.
I may have just witnessed the worst fight scene ever. But it must have been an effective blow for it to kill him!
Ian enjoyed feeling smarter than the Sensorite, getting to play the lawyer instead of the Doctor. I feel like this rise and fall of the City Administrator is happening rather fast though.
Always handy that alien planet's use the same measurements when referring to things.
Damn it, Susa... wait, that wasn't Susan. She's really managed to up her game since having her holiday.
A Desperate Venture
"The one they call Carol must hold the secret to lush and magnificent hair, we will make her tell us!"
Everything is coming to a head now. They've worked out Carol has been kidnapped, and the Doctor and Ian know that they've got useless weapons and a doctored map. I'm almost sad that this is the last episode, it means that everything is going to work itself out quickly, and for once it would have been a good couple of episodes.
I can't believe that I didn't realise the monsters were the humans from the first ship. The first two guys are a little nuts and a bit scary, but the one in charge seems to have his wits about him... although with a tinge of nut job.
Hmm. Little disappointed by the ending though.
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According to the oracle the Sensorites and the Ood are very close neighbours, the Sense-sphere and the Ood-sphere share a constellation or two. This trivia pleases me some what, and I'm glad that there is some connection in that way and the new series hasn't just ripped off a previous story line. I'm not sure which I prefer. The Ood seem like a more gentle race, but that is purely based on the fact that the City Administrator was a bit of a dick!
This might get added to my list of favourite episodes. No shrieking from Susan, good aliens, nice plot. It's almost as good as talkative Daleks... almost. While some of the Dalek episodes had their weak moments, The Sensorite episodes seemed more consistent... but then the Dalek episodes had Daleks. So, you see my predicament. If I was trying to get someone interested in original Who though I would definitely pick this as a serial to watch.
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