The Reign Of Season 1
Watching Doctor Who: Series 1 Serial 8: The Reign Of Terror
The gang have landed back home in England and the Doctor is cleaning the decks of unnecessary travellers. As he tries to kick them out of the door they realise that they aren't in England at all, it's France, and it's a little bit beheady out there.
Ian, Barbara and Susan blend in so well that they get themselves arrested and taken to prison pending a neck re-adjustment.
With spies and allies hiding in plain sight, everyone plays a big game of musical chairs and goes between wine drinking and imprisonment.
Can the Doctor forge his own papers, in these pre-psychic times, and infiltrate the prison to secure everyone's release?
A Land Of Fear
It's comforting to know that the cavalier attitude towards walking into danger stays with the Doctor all the way through his life. "I wonder what that boy was so frightened of?" "Challenge accepted!"
They've found a treasure chest full of clothes that fit them perfectly... they've worked out that they're slap bang in the French Revolution... I know, let's put these clothes on so that we might more easily be mistaken for French people.
I'm really feeling the confined spaces of the filming. The soldiers being confronted is very awkward, and feels a little forced. It's also bugging me that one of the cameras/reels has a blob in the middle... it is driving me to distraction.
Guests Of Madame Guillotine
Come on Barbara, take one for the team. You could have easily gotten everyone free and been back at the TARDIS... oh wait... more than one episode... never mind, carry on!
At the beginning of the first episode I was getting Carry On vibes, and I'm getting them again when they play that music as the Doctor walks off from the house. The more I listen, the more the music is sounding like a Tom and Jerry soundtrack.
Oh Doctor, Doctor, Doctor... why would you annoy the threatening looking guy? Why?
I'm really having trouble with this one, all I can think about is Citizen Camembert.
I personally feel like Susan isn't quite looking at this situation sensible... rats or a beheading... hmm, let me think about that one.
The Doctor managed an excellent plan to get the greedy foreman digging, but possibly they could have done with a change of how they incapacitated him so they could have televised it.
There have been some very artistic shots of Ian, almost verging on well lit glamour. Has he finally become the heartthrob that some people want him to be? (I have since learned that this was because he was off on his holi-bobs, so that solves that one.)
A Change Of Identity
They really could do with The Black Fingernail coming along at this point, but I guess the Doctor will have to do.
An important business lesson to be learnt here, always let your staff finish the job they're doing! Or you never know what might happen! I probably would have just immediately tried to leave though and not done the sneaky key switching.
Susan needs to suck it up and deal with the situation. You're off to get beheaded girl!!
I feel like it's an excellent bit of gender reversal that the Doctor is the one who is shopping in a crisis.
Barbara looks like she's looking for the chance to get her leg over in the French Revolution.
The Doctor got a very good deal on that fancy outfit. Although I bet he's wishing for a bit of psychic paper right about now.
The Tyrant Of France
Ooooh an animated episode! This is an experience. While having the original soundtrack is nice, it isn't quite clear enough. But I'm liking the graphic styling, it's surprisingly expressive. It says they were animated in 2013, it does remind me of graphic novels that I've read, I might have to do some investigating.
I'm not entirely sure that much is happening in this episode, but I'm enjoying the animation a lot. I think it helps that the scenes are a lot easier to see than the filmed versions.
Oh a good old fashioned blood letting... just what the doctor ordered.
I suppose the phrase "snitches get stitches" isn't really a problem when the snitch is a physician.
A Bargain Of Necessity
At this point I'm very confused by who is who. That's only partly to do with the animation.
The musical interludes feel so out of place.
Yet again the Doctor is tricking someone into thinking they've had a genius idea. If he was better at it I don't think they'd get into half the scrapes they do.
As much as I like Barbara, she does seem to be get on her high horse about the weirdest things when she has the knowledge to be rational.
If I was the Doctor right now then I'd be seriously considering how much I *really* loved Susan.
Hmm...
Prisoners Of Conciergerie
I'm still imagining them as animated
If Ian can't remember the mumblings then why did he bring it up? Ahhh because he knew he was going to get his memory jogged.
I'm not sure Ian or Barbara would make good inn keepers, but it's nice to see they're keeping the place going after they incapacitated the owner.
I wish I knew a little bit of the historical background for some context.
Some very deep thoughts there about where everyone is headed. Makes you want to scratch your chin and stare into the distance.
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An interesting collection of episodes, but yet again one that felt like it could have been slightly shorter.
These historical pieces are interesting, but I do long for a good old alien to pop up. I understand that the whole idea is that the Doctor is trying to get Ian and Barbara back to their Earth, so you'd be ending up in a lot more historical setting than alien ones, but still. I can't help but think that aliens are more exciting to watch... sorry human race, but I watch TV to escape real life.
Enjoyable none the less, and the animation was very good. Strange to watch, but much more enjoyable that the reconstructions. Possibly the episodes could have done with having people acting the voices rather than the original tracks, but it was nice that something of the original survived.
So... that's the end of season one... I shall have a ponder and see how I feel about the whole thing... and then bore you with another post about it.
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