14 Dec 2005, 1:15 pm
Dorney
Time Lord
Bromley, Kent
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 1:
You know, if I ever learnt anything from being a Red Dwarf fan, it was that I really hate parallel universe stories. One of the three or four shark-jumping elements that show had was it’s over-reliance on them (along with its alien-less universe getting populated with ‘might as well be aliens’ like simulants and gelfs, its playing to the fans, its increasing belief that it was a sci-fi show and not a comedy). Towards the latter years of the series, all it needed to get a laugh was a vaguely different version of Rimmer to turn up. One that was a woman, one that was in drag, one in a monk’s outfit, a muskateer, a hippy, a tramp. It just went on and on.
It just seemed to me to be a fundamentally dull idea. All too often, these kind of stories in Dwarf and elsewhere seemingly have no point beyond the sheer novelty of seeing familiar faces in unfamiliar places, as if that was all that was required to make the stories interesting. Shock value. But beyond a certain point, the visual incongruity becomes dull. Yes, it may look like our regular, but it isn’t our regular. Why should we care? Unless there’s more going on, unless there’s some wit, or some plot, it has no point. Too often the difference seems to be regarded as a point in itself.
In Doctor Who terms, the concept has had a rocky time. Spin offs have illustrated the problem – the Unbound series produced by BF in particular. You either drown in the continuity (as He Jests at Scars does) to illustrate how this new world is different, or you divorce yourself from the altered history so much that the story itself could just about take place in the regular Whoniverse. This is not a criticism of the writers, more an explanation of the inherent problem with the formula, you have to go one way or the other, and neither are entirely satisfactory. One of the novels, Blood Heat, always struck me as a dull book, where I couldn’t figure out why I should care about a world that didn’t happen, why I should bother with a world that was just a best of compilation rather than a truly richly created place. A place with no life outside continuity.
The final problem is that you can create a completely new world, placing your characters in a dynamic, new and exciting world… but if that world is completely separate from our own, if it doesn’t reflect ours, again, what’s the point?
All this is a somewhat overlong build up to a review of Inferno, made particularly odd considering that the parallel universe of this story takes two episodes to turn up. But it’s kind of appropriate. You see, I love Inferno. I hate parallel universe stories, but I love this one. And I think I’ve finally figured out why.
You’ll find out why in a couple of episodes time.
I was going to do another mini essay on the story’s reputation, but I think I’ll save that for next time. Not least because with seven episodes to go, I’m going to need to fill in the time somehow.
As first episodes go, this is a slightly odd one. It certainly doesn’t have the immediate hook you sort of expect from an acknowledged classic. The central threat of the story is, by and large, underplayed. Slocum’s infection and subsequent killings aren’t exactly a rampage or a spree. It’s treated almost casually by most of the characters in the story (the Doctor seems saddened by the initial murder, but not actually concerned – despite some of the obvious oddities of the killing, such as the heat generated by the spanner – and the Brigadier sort of makes a joke about it – saying that trouble follows the Doctor). There’s no actual investigation of the crimes until the last few minutes of the episode, with everyone walking around as if nothing has happened. As well, the whole episode is rather low key. What’s going to drive the actual plot is limited to less than five minutes of the whole, and everything else is treated in exacting detail. The build to Slocum touching the green goo is long enough, and ordinary enough, that it doesn’t really feel like Who so much as an engineering drama. In deed, I’d suggest that the opening shot of the story with Pertwee driving Bessie through the plant and singing, is placed specifically to remind you what show it is you’re watching – to reassure you that this is Who.
Now, none of this is necessarily a bad thing. It strikes me immediately that this is a good thing to start a seven part epic. You don’t need to rush in with the plot, especially if the plot is quite sparse. This does lead me onto a few thoughts I should probably save for later episodes though (ah, the perils of reviewing a story you know very well).
The strengths of this episode, and why it grips despite a noticeable lack of incident, are in performance, characterization and direction. To go with the last of those first, it’s clearly a beautifully thought through piece. In comparison to a lot of the well directed stories the show has had, the nicest touches are in the incidentals. Pretty much anyone can make set pieces look good. Whereas the two bits that work beautifully here are mere throwaways – the jump cut from Slocum’s initial killing to the hammer thudding into a nail; and the scientist saying how quiet everything is as we see Slocum advancing on him. The second of those is my favourite. I notice how as I type that description it comes across as much more dramatic than the actual shot itself. The moment is underplayed. Slocum isn’t moving menacingly, is barely even in shot. And we cut before he even makes a move to do anything. It’s gorgeous.
All of the characters are sketched in beautifully, through conflict and action – we see who they are, rather than get told who they are. No-one needs to say ‘Stahlman’s a bit of a grump’. We see that he is by how he interacts with people – always the best kind of characterization. You do really get the sense of a proper world, populated by proper people – Slocum gets to demonstrate a sense of humour in the few minutes he’s aware, even the trooper outside the Doctor’s hut is blessed with a personality. And for the most part the performances match the detail of the script. Olaf Pooley, in particular, has a fine take on his dialogue, filling it with light and shade. The character could so easily have been a one note aggressive figure, but Pooley correctly plays him as the hero of his own story. He may be the closest this story has to a bad guy, but he doesn’t come across as a one note caricature. Sometimes, his aggression is couched in sarcasm, sometimes it’s just delivered straight. Suddenly it feels like a real person, rather than a villain.
Derek Newark and Sheila Dunn are a little more uncomfortable with their own roles, but to be fair, they’ve got a little less meat to chew on. Perhaps the most interesting stuff is saved for the regulars – the Doctor and the Brigadier’s banter is playful and intelligent, and, in another masterful piece of direction, we immediately warm to Benton (a character who has only been in, what, four episodes so far? Five?) His mild amusement at the Doctor’s moustache crack, and the subsequent non-verbal telling off from the Brigadier are extremely well judged. You see, the guy isn’t really a regular yet. But this little detail suggests he’s already part of the family and immediately makes us sympathize with him (who doesn’t think ‘ah’ when they see that?). Whilst there’s a clear degree that this has to be done in order to set up the switcheroo of later episodes of this story, it’s more than any of the other bit part soldiers get, and makes us want to keep him around quicker than a ream of backstory and dialogue could have done.
So, all in all, an engrossingly detailed, if not exactly exciting, episode. Well made, intelligent. It might not have you chomping at the bit to tune in next week, but it’s an incredibly well made bit of television.
(PS: And now my computer's fouled up, so I'm back to square one!)
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#378 14 Dec 2005, 2:35 pm
Jared
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Brush Creek, NSW
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Last On: 10 Mar 2007 6:29 am
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
All of the characters are sketched in beautifully, through conflict and action – we see who they are, rather than get told who they are
Hey, Dorney. I don't think I've posted on this thread before, but I love these reviews. They're so intelligent and thoughtful they're always delightfully written.
I just had to highlight that one part of your Inferno review, as it is an incredibly acute observation and, as an aspiring writer myself, something I consider very important. Characterisation is all too often very clumsy and one-note, often we are clearly given the reaction we are supposed to have to a character rather than just being shown the character and letting us decided for ourselves.
In particular, an example that bothers me is the DW book author Justin Richards, who, from what I've read, seems to do great plots but poor characters. His characters mostly come across as place-fillers in the story, serving either to get killed or push the story forward one step at a time. When he tries more complicated characters it invariably falls flat on its face because we are given conflicting details about who these people are - all too often I find myself thinking "That guy wouldn't say that!" when reading his books.
I don't know if you read DW books at all, but it felt like the best example for the polar opposite of Inferno's effortlessly sublime characters.
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#379 14 Dec 2005, 9:18 pm
The Secretive Bus
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Edinburgh
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Re: Day by Day
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Hurrah!
Inferno is one of those stories I love when I'm watching it but I still never put on of my list of favourite stories - I seem to forget it's there, or its reputation puts me off a bit. But I am looking forward to its tentative DVD release next year.
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#380 15 Dec 2005, 2:19 am
Mr Coxy
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Re: Day by Day
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Another fine review. I kind of like the fact that your reviews are a little sporadic at the moment Dorney. It makes them just that little more special.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bus
But I am looking forward to its tentative DVD release next year.
Perhaps in a blaze of non-publicity, peeking coyly out fom behind copies of 'The Claws of Axos', the story title in small print and a disc that may - or may not actiually work? (And which for the sake of economy has as its commentary a pertual loop of 'And they were all wearing eyepatches!')
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#381 15 Dec 2005, 2:46 am
bingo99
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
the scientist saying how quiet everything is as we see Slocum advancing on him.
I was watching this last night too, and realised that this scene is a rip of the 'Psycho' shower scene. Not the actual killing, just before it, as Janet Leigh is showering, a figure strolls silently towards the shower, no music build up at all, then strikes.
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Reviewing every story randomly
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#382 16 Dec 2005, 11:53 am
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bingo99
I was watching this last night too, and realised that this scene is a rip of the 'Psycho' shower scene. Not the actual killing, just before it, as Janet Leigh is showering, a figure strolls silently towards the shower, no music build up at all, then strikes.
Of course, if you're going to rip off anyone, Hitchcock's as good a call as any.
Inferno 2 review half written now folks. Hopefully should have three remarkably soon on it's heels. I really want to watch this one!
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#383 18 Dec 2005, 5:12 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 2
One thing I talk about a lot is the fan consensus. There's a certain degree to which the decision making of fandom has passed hands in recent years, and Inferno is one of the best examples. Ownership of classic attributing seemed always to be the province of the older fans. The best story of every era was the one you were told it was.
Since then, it's swung around quite a bit. The Daemons was clearly the most respected Pertwee for ages - but its reputation as the best didn't so much stem from its inherent quality, to my eyes at least, as much as it's season position (finale to the Master year) and the fact that the regulars had a really good time making it and said it was their favourite (and we want to think they've got taste, so it's our favourite too - the same process by which, in Red Dwarf's second mention in two reviews, Gunmen of the Apocalypse is hugely overrated for that show).
Fortunately, when Inferno hit the underground video dubbing network, and thence the vhs release, everyone suddenly realised it was much better. I recall quite clearly that the burst out seemed to happen overnight around about 1989/1990. It was quite an exciting time. Suddenly everyone realised the older fans could be wrong, and that we could make our own minds up. To this day, I think that Inferno is the one that changed everything. Simply because it was so good, and almost ignored (or at any least not as lauded). The fact that a bona fide classic seemed to have been missed wised everyone up to the fact that no one knew anything. From there on in follows the rediscovery of Ambassadors of Death, Invasion of the Dinosaurs (sort of) - and the devaluation of Planet of the Spiders and so on. Fandom is a freer place, and all the better for it.
As for this specific episode... well, it's odd that for a sort of monster story, this episode is very much about power games (literally, I suppose), all but ignoring the overall threat posed by the primords. The monsters run around the place trying to look threatening... but it's like no one cares. The moment the Doctor discovers Wyatt in full mutation, he has to realise that there's some sort of infection going around - and that there's one infected man still on the loose (I'm so excited that this man is called Bromley - my current home). But does he do anything? Does there seem to be any mass search for the missing man? No. The Doctor just nips off to his hut to experiment a bit more. Sure, the Doctor's motivation is always alien and hard to understand, but there's a real degree here where it seems out of character. He is, at least, always compassionate. There's some suggestion that UNIT is investigating off camera, but in terms of what we actually see, the story proper isn't interested in them. They seem to be the main thrust of the plot, but they are relegated to subplot position (it's an awkwardness in the story's construction, to be fair. The story, really, is about the drilling, and the impending apocalypse - but that's all quite a nebulous threat, lacking in presence or identity. So the primords are brought in to add a degree of tension, and direct physical interaction for the 'enemy' - but it's impossible to focus too hard on them, otherwise the drilling would be stopped and the whole of the central thrust would be negated. You either have a story with no dramatic tension whatsoever, or you throw in a secondary threat initially. Notice how other stories similarly lacking in a tangible villain - the Empty Child leaps to mind, as does a lot of Sapphire and Steel - have to replace it with a sort of pseudo-villain to focus the story telling and provide dramatic tension. Stahlman doesn't really fulfill this function yet, as the man isn't actually dangerous). I notice I said much the same thing last time - no-one's too fussed about the main plot yet, it's all a little bit part politics. But, it personalises the characters more significantly - and less stereotypically - than any of the last few stories did (and it's not like their characterisaiton was exactly shabby), so it's hardly a massive complaint - though it's true to say that this episode all but exclusively focuses on the Doctor vs. Stahlman. Greg and Petra, Keith Gold and Liz get very little to do in this episode (though the elegant simplicity of the Benton 'smile' in part one carries through into the writing of the only real Greg and Petra scene in this episode - turning the initial frostiness into a believable warmth within a few lines, and making them both seem lighter, less sexist and cold respecitvely. Due in no small amount to the playing and the direction - Newark resists the temptation to make the 'call me Greg' line as oily as the initial flirtation, and the writing has the character make it as a friendly aside of friendliness rather than a come on by suplimenting it with a non related question - as a result the thaw seems utterly justified - the man goes from looking like a knob to just straightforward, for both Petra and us). The story becomes all about the tension between the two scientists, with us easily siding with the Doctor through tradition rather than exact fairness (There's a moment of glorious hypocrisy with the Doctor complaining that Stahlman is childish, right after calling him a nitwit as publically as possible - but the Doctor's childishness always seems fun, and there's something about Stahlman's that seems mean-spirited).
It doesn't help that the monsters are impossible to touch. The confrontation between Wyatt and the Doctor (ending with Wyatt falling over the edge, stupidly) is embarassing - simply because the Doctor has no means at all of fending off or doing anything to the creature attacking him, and as a result the enemy has to dispose of itself, in the most unconvincing way possible. And speaking of unconvincing - why exactly does Liz look at the power switch to check whether the Doctor is experimenting again? She doesn't know that Stahlman cut the power off?
Still, it does say something when the only faults you can really pick up on are minor bits of nitpicking. It's a fine episode. Still slightly narratively unsure, to my eyes, probably due to the length, but so well performed and written it hardly matters.
Dorney
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#384 19 Dec 2005, 3:43 am
Mr Coxy
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Petersham, NSW
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
the Doctor's childishness always seems fun, and there's something about Stahlman's that seems mean-spirited
This is one to come back to when you get around to reviewing Colin Baker (in around 2012!).
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#385 22 Dec 2005, 3:17 am
The Secretive Bus
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Re: Day by Day
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I've read a lot of reviews that say how rubbish the Primords are and that the story would be better without them but I'd have to disagree entirely, mainly for the reasons you've mentioned. The apocalypse is too big a threat for the characters to deal with and too abstract to fill up seven episodes. The Primords add an extra desperate layer, give the characters a tangible threat to deal with. Plus later episodes work far better - you get a vague feeling that the Doctor could save everybody so long as those bloody Primords weren't getting in the way (which cranks up tension - will the Doctor win through in time?) whereas without the monsters you'd just have everybody sitting about and tinkering with computers for several episodes.
Inferno is a story that has a plot in which the characters do precisely nothing - aside from Stahlman's drilling, nothing else of consequence that occurs is tied in with the actions of the characters. They just react to the inevitable. This could have been disastrously boring, but it isn't. Quite a neat trick, that, and full marks to Don Houghton for managing to make the episodes so engaging.
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#386 26 Dec 2005, 9:55 pm
supervoc
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
Fortunately, when Inferno hit the underground video dubbing network, and thence the vhs release, everyone suddenly realized it was much better. I recall quite clearly that the burst out seemed to happen overnight around about 1989/1990. It was quite an exciting time. Suddenly everyone realized the older fans could be wrong, and that we could make our own minds up..
Yes indeed. It is hard to appreciate these days what a cataclysmic godlike revelation it was. It really was like Binro receiving confirmation at last that his faith was right and not misplaced, that our opinions of various stories derived from various sources was vindicated. Not to mention the confirmation that some older fans were just gasbags with very ropey memories.
The new generation can hardly imagine what it was like but anyone who lived through that time will never forget the joy of such revelations
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
To this day, I think that Inferno is the one that changed everything. Simply because it was so good, and almost ignored (or at any least not as lauded). The fact that a bona fide classic seemed to have been missed wised everyone up to the fact that no one knew anything. From there on in follows the rediscovery of Ambassadors of Death, Invasion of the Dinosaurs (sort of) - and the devaluation of Planet of the Spiders and so on. Fandom is a freer place, and all the better for it.
Jolly good
We went a different route with a combination of Hartnell, Troughton and a few Pertwee stories but to the same effect.
Then Tomb was rediscovered
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#387 28 Dec 2005, 7:25 pm
Alzarian
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Raleigh, NC
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Re: Day by Day
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My exposure to Inferno is a bit different than the experiences shared thus far. By the time I finally got the chance to see the Pertwees, I was pretty well-versed with the Tom Baker era and the first couple of seasons of Davison. At least initially, only the Pertwee stories in color were made available to the PBS stations here in the US, and Inferno was actually the first story I ever saw from his era.
I remember thinking how utterly alien and bizarre the series was, based on this first exposure. The lava fields and exploding volcanos playing under the titles for one thing. The lack of the Tardis, excepting the console. The quite serious and no-nonsense companion in Liz Shaw. The very quality of the filming which almost gave the story a movie-like feel as opposed to a studio-bound television story. Being an unheard-of-to-me epic of seven episodes!
I mean, it was just so utterly different from Robot, which up to that point had been my earliest slice of Doctor Who. I was certainly engaged in seeing how the Pertwee era would morph and change over the next five seasons.
And... I thought it was quite brilliant too.
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#388 12 Jan 2006, 3:30 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Just to keep everyone informed, I should be able to do a massive catch up with Inferno next week.
The problem is always getting back into the habit, if anything...
Dorney
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#389 13 Jan 2006, 12:27 pm
ianzpotter
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Sheffield
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Re: Day by Day
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Keep going, sir!
I can't wait to see how the Delgado episodes fare with you. I'm just about to start on Monster of Peladon (bloody-mindedness has led me to slot in Ghosts of N-Space first), and I'm now firmly of the opinion that we were fibbed to by the fan elders who say the Master's character was betrayed in the JNT days. He was always preposterous and incomprehensibly motivated (just slightly more amusing, and a closet cockney, in the 70s).
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#390 6 Feb 2006, 3:27 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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I rewatched episodes one and two on Friday. I'm hoping to get part three done and dusted tomorrow, and then the rest to follow through the week.
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#391 6 Feb 2006, 8:35 pm
Llama Roddy
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Re: Day by Day
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Hurrah, huzzah and bravo!
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#392 7 Feb 2006, 10:16 pm
Dan Stimson
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Re: Day by Day
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I have just started my own marathon, and wanted to know your experiences of doing one. Were the missing stories really hard going? Were there times when you felt like giving up?
What did you do to keep your interest up?
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#393 8 Feb 2006, 1:00 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by icewarrior
I have just started my own marathon, and wanted to know your experiences of doing one. Were the missing stories really hard going? Were there times when you felt like giving up?
What did you do to keep your interest up?
Well, the missing stories were great for bus or tube journeys. And it's only really the three big batches of thirteen (now reduced to two batches, of course) that are a problem, interest wise. I think the best way to do it could be the way I did. You set yourself a regular time to go through them, and make yourself do it. Get into a habit of it. With breakfast, with dinner, in the car, whatever.
Of course, it's slightly easier when you get to the telesnapped stories.
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#394 8 Feb 2006, 11:56 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 3:
Well, sorry for the delay. You'd never guess, but I'd actually travelled over to a parallel dimension. A really weird one where I was an attractive success. The me there was actually much further along (mid way through Ribos Operation iirc). Still, I'm back now.
This episode is fairly obviously plot light as it establishes the situation of the parallel world, so it's about time for me to attempt an explanation of why I feel that this parallel universe story works better than all the others I've seen/heard/read. It's simple. It's the only one that underplays it.
You see, when you think about it, Inferno barely qualifies as a parallel universe story at all. The story isn't about it in any real sense. This probably sounds a bit bizarre, but analyse it. The actual plot of the episodes doesn't have to take place on an alternative earth. It could take place on any given planet. Heck, it could even take place on ours, without any real changes. The story's only reason to be set on a parallel world is to enable the eventual destruction. For the rest of the story it's not fussed.
There's no exploration of the world beyond the walls of the project. We get hints about the nature of the world outside, but the story isn't really interested in looking at them (we hear it's a repulbic, we see what we presume is a leader figure, but that's pretty much it). The story isn't interested in pointing out how different this world is from ours. It's more interested in the specific individual story of a world that is doomed. Even the Doctor has pretty much taken it as commonplace by the end of the episode.
Everything else is window dressing. The script is fully aware that it's power has to be derived from the storyline itself and not the novelty value of seeing Nicholas Courtney in an eyepatch.
And that's another element. None of the characters are vastly different. In context, remember, the Brigadier is only nine episodes down from blowing up the Silurians. Benton has appeared in, what, five or six episodes with nothing much to say or do. Neither have developed into the warm cuddly figures of the 'family' Pertwee years. The most major differences seem to be a lack of facial hair, and austerity of clothing. Greg and Stahlman in particular seem utterly unchanged (admittedly this is more due to material - it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm pretty certain that Newark's accent is a bit more clipped, a bit posher in this episode). As the story progresses, Liz and Petra join them in the 'broadly similar' camp.
The script could easily be set in any random military base, and still tell an interesting story. The Doctor entering a military establishment and being mistrusted is pretty much the entireity of season 5 remember. It could be defined by it's trappings - but it isn't. It's about what could happen to our world (i.e: the drilling) rather than what didn't (the fascist regime). All to often it's hard to care about what happened in alternate worlds that don't exist - 'yes, it may be a fascist regime,' you think, 'but it never happened.'
That's why it works better than most others. The 'what if' isn't about the world. We're not asked to marvel at the changes, it's not as interested in them as it is in the ongoing story. They're not the raison d'etre. They're the icing. They're there to add another layer of interest, they compliment, but they are never all the story has. It's fundamentally about a doomsday scenario, rather than about a parallel world. It's a nightmare version of our future, this world, rather than the fascist counterpart.
General notes now: This episode is quite a nice little piece, all told. First and foremost, Courtney confirms his reputation by putting in a cracking performance as the Brigade Leader. Compare his take with the new Liz. Section Leader Shaw is generic in a way the B-L never is. Courtney has created a whole new character here, with different body language and an air of arrogance. The character feels new in ways that go beyond the script and the different costume and the eyepatch - it's the physicality, the air of arrogance.
The episode does spend its entire length setting up the general premise of the parallel world, giving the viewer plenty of time to get the gist (of course they're probably well ahead of the Doctor on that one). It's a good idea - after plenty of time on the same world, the concept of travel needs establishing. Even then, there are some gorgeous little ideas (the rebirth of Wyatt is a neat riff on the central trick). Beyond this, it still manages to be a surprisingly action packed segment - with Pertwee the only goody in the entire place it gets to play cat and mouse for the entire episode. It's simple chase stuff, but undeniably entertaining and exciting. With multiple threats (soliders and primords) it's pleasingly high staked. So generally, extremely good. Oh and 'well you won't feel the bullets when we shoot you' is one of the best lines the series ever had. Almost certainly the best one not said by the Doctor...
The only little niggle I have is how Pertwee manages to recognise Liz from behind when she's in a completely different costume and with new hair. I'm not sure how many of us would be able to do that. Maybe she's got a particularly distinctive arse and the Doctor's been studying it. I dunno. But it's a minor glitch in a simple but intelligent and enjoyable episode.
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#395 10 Feb 2006, 5:38 am
Max K Wilkie
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Sydney, Australia
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Re: Day by Day
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He's back, and it's-*SLAP*
Ow. Sorry.
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Mind the gap.
The Next Doctor - 9/10
Planet of the Dead - 7/10
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#396 10 Feb 2006, 11:00 am
The Secretive Bus
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Re: Day by Day
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I have a distinctive arse. I'll send you a photo some time for comparison.
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#397 10 Feb 2006, 2:58 pm
ianzpotter
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Re: Day by Day
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My suspicion is it looks like the back of a bus.
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#398 10 Feb 2006, 5:17 pm
Korvin
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Maybe she's got a particularly distinctive arse and the Doctor's been studying it
Sounds plausible to me.
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#399 13 Feb 2006, 3:12 pm
brandynigma
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Re: Day by Day
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As some of you may know, the ABC just finished a near-complete run of the existing stories of Doctor Who. Naturally, some of we Aussies are at a loss after this, so I decided to do something very interesting.
I had a 2005 marathon. Rose through to Attack of the Graske, all on a lazy Sunday.
It was an extremely emotional journery, and left me more hungry for Doctor Who than ever before.
In the same week, my The Beginning box set arrived. As such, I decided, having just finished the latest stuff, why not start from Hartnell? I have a good handul of the recons (must fill in the blanks soon though!), so I set off. For appropriate stories, I'll have a word to say on the extras as well. First up was An Unearthly Child, including the 'pilot' version...
Episodes 0/1: An Unearthly Child 5 Stars
With so much similarity between the pilot and the transmitted version, I've decided to lump them into a review together. Also, that will give me a chance to compare and contrast the changes. I have to say, I've always preferred the music of the Hartnell titles with the 'thunderclap' effect over the top. Much of a muchness, I know, but it really scary me at 12, and still chills me a bit now!
Waris Hussein's camera work is wonderfully effective. The long tracking shot that opens the series, with the music still playing over the top, fills the air with trepidation better than anything else in the episode (and that's not an easy task). Also of interest was the approach to Barbara on her 'nothing in the middle' line is great, and the technique on the flashback sequence (although the performances are technically flawed). I don't know why, but I've always got a kick out of "I can see that red turns to blue" because it's the kind of thing I used to say to my science teachers, and I was a little disappointed not the see it in the initial version. Maybe that one line is why Sydney told them to do it again?
I will make no bones about this: Jacqueline Hill is one of my favourite Doctor Who actresses. She captures the part of Barbara here perfectly, being by turns authoritative, open, approachable, intelligent, curious and charming. Hill delivers the line "I get the feeling we're dealing with something that's best left alone" with utter conviction, and it tells us something big is going to happen- and we haven't even met this Doctor Who yet!
William Russell is very dishy and just as good as Jacqueline Hill. Until he feels the vibration of the TARDIS, you get the strong impression that while he's suspicious of Susan, he's really just going along to keep Barbara happy. Maybe this is the beginning of their implied relationship? At any rate, the interplay between them inside the ship, with the open Barbara to the sceptical Ian, counterpoints the strengths of their characters and their burgeoning relationship.
Carole Ann Ford turns in a strong and yet under stated performance as Susan, really embracing the unearthly aspect of her character. This is undoubtedly strongest in the first version, especially when Susan says "You don't know what you've done coming here" in a voice that sent a shiver down my spine. I thought the ink blot was very interesting, but only as I already knew what the console was- the book was a much better way of getting the idea across in a far more accessible manner.
Finally, we come to William Hartnell. From the first moment we see him, looks are deceiving. He enters the yard, coughing and spluttering: an infirm old man. However, as soon as he know he is not alone, he is alert and his senses are primed. This juxtaposition works well for Hartnell. As Verity Lambert points out in the commentary, he was younger than he looked, and so could appear to act 'youthful' for his age. Hartnell rightly commands our attention in every scene he is in. While his 'nasty' first performance is absolutely great, I must agree that the slightly less sinister performance is much much better. We do not warm to the character at all in the pilot version, but are much more ready to understand his reasoning and melancholy in the transmitted version.
The professionalism of all four actors is shown brilliantly in the raw studio footage, as they do not react in any way to the doors that bluntly refuse to close, and spend about 3 minutes clanging over their dialogue! It is interesting to note that on the second take, the camera operators take great care to remove the doors from frame as soon as possible. The interplay between the four is instantly involving, with Ian and Barbara connected to but distanced from the Doctor, with Susan acting as intermediary.
The set itself is just fantastic, and still has a unique and truly alien feel after all these years. Hussein's original pan and long shot reveals of the room (as well as the fast editing of the entry sequence) add to the authenticity, and the transmitted version is strengthened greatly by the Doctor offering the "television" explanation of fitting a large item in a smaller one. Yes, it's not terribly clear, but it's not supposed to be.
Another gripe in the pilot version is that the Doctor and Susan immediately turn to hit their marks after takeoff. Waris' direction fixes this in the second version, which is very good- the earlier movement is very stagey, marring the travel effect. The effect itself is wonderfully eerie, as is the Doctor's nervous face during the sequence, and the prone forms of Ian and Barbara afterwards.
Finally, with the ship landed on a stark landscape, a menacing figure overshadows them. OK, the shadow is far too long, but it's still a great ending.
Episode 2: The Cave of Skulls 4 Stars
This episode serves to join the two stories of the piece: the mystery of the Doctor, Susan and the TARDIS and Ian and Barbara's reaction to them, and the cavemen political drama.
The Doctor's total disinterest in Ian and Barbara as he goes off to explore actually helps endear him to us. It makes him not a malignant kidnapper, merely a self-absorbed worried old man. It also allows more information on the TARDIS from Susan, who is far more likely to tell Ian and Barbara (as well as us!) because she likes them.
The attack on the Doctor is sudden and frightening, and Ian's motivation for finding the Doctor is starkly pragmatic. There are no need for noble sentiments at this point. Let's face it, Ian has only known the Doctor for about 15 minutes, during which time the Doctor has insulted him, electrocuted him, abducted him and knocked him out. He's lucky Ian needs him at all really!
The Cavemen scenes are a lot better than they get much credit for, with Derek Newark particularly captivating. Hur is very intelligent, and Eileen Way as Old Mother is a bit batty (starting a long tradition of eccentric older women in Doctor Who!). While these two women are certainly not treated as well as the men folk, the dialogue and performances are not as misogynistic as they could have been. I can only find any fault with Howard Lang as Horg, who seems to be out of place in a very self-conscious performance. Jeremy Young's Kal is great, desperate to prove himself to the tribe, and also greedy for Za's position. Za and Kal promising the tribe supplies over the Doctor's prone form is wonderfully done, feeling nowadays like Parlimentary Question Time. One wonders if Za would have had so much trouble if he'd just said the making of fire wasn't a core promise?
Then, the Doctor wakes up, and he's dropped his matches. The vulnerability of the character again comes to the fore, but is still paired with authority. Kal shows himself to be intelligent, striking the Doctor's hands together to make fire as he had seen done earlier. The melee scene is visually impressive, though as the Information Text points out, not a punch is thrown, just a lot of people pushing and shoving. This is very clever directing on Hussein's part, and works on force of numbers (about 16 people tussling on a small screen). The Doctor's saving of Ian is brilliant as well, finally showing the compassionate and life affirming side of the character we've all come to know and love.
In the titular cave, the Doctor apologises to Barbara, further hinting at the humane depths of the character. The travellers are bound and make a shocking discovery- the skulls have all been split open. Another very chilling ending, and it's the second week running where the audience are left without much of a clue what's going to happen next! This is actually rivetting stuff!
Episode 3: The Forest of Fear 4 Stars
Our heroes are still as tied up as when we left them, bless. The characters continue to develop under duress, the writer's old friend. It is here a slow trust starts building between the teachers and the aliens. The Doctor's advice to Ian (to try a fragment of bone, and also to get himself free first) and Barbara (to memorise the route to the TARDIS tokeep herself calm) builds him up not only in their esteem, but in ours.
Old Mother is given a great moment when she frees the prisoners, telling them fire will only bring death to the tribe. While The Daleks is more often and rightly credited, this is probably Doctor Who's first strong message about pacifism. This is further brought to the fore when Za and later Kal both attack Old Mother for effectively denying them fire, and that it also results in her death. Hur again shows her wily side, convincing Za that it is better to expose Old Mother in the act of helping the strangers as it will give him power. It really is very political, innit?
Then, the chase is on. The group's morale deteriorates in the night-time forest, with Barbara's inner strength and the Doctor's friendlier side the first casualties. Ian steps up to lead, much to the Doctor's chagrin, but this doesn't make him back down. We know that the group can work together- but whether they want to is another matter, and this adds a very juicy area of complication to an already tense atmosphere. A scream from Barbara brings Za and Hur to them. With our hereos in hiding, the animal that scared Barbara attacks Za- bringing another great character moment.
Barbara and Susan force the Doctor and Ian to help tend to Za. Hur's suspicion is wonderfully acted, as is Barbara's indignation at likening Za to an animal. Most interesting the Doctor's reaction to the problem. He initially helps, seemingly intrigued by Za as a scientist would be by a lab rat. However, as carrying Za might be a danger to him, he picks up a rock to do him in! Ian stops him, and there are no words. There is no need. The performances, expression and direction of the actors carry the intent perfectly. This is shocking to us. Although we have seen the Doctor be both cruel and kindly in these episodes, we have never seen him this cold. Ian's interference does prompt an unsure reaction, but this is still a case of showing us that we don't really know our hero just yet.
Meanwhile, the rest of the tribe is after them, and they must hurry back to the TARDIS. However, the tribe has beaten them to it, and raise their spears in challenge. Still a good ending, but not as effective as the previous two. More purely functional than stylised. Still, the story is cracking away.
Episode 4: The Fire Maker 5 Stars
The opening scene is another great political moment, and a defining one for the Doctor. The Doctor chooses to defeat Kal by use of the caveman's own deeds, and it is, in my opinion, the morally right thing to do. True, the Doctor has his life and freedom to worry about and this is part of his motivation- but the Old Woman's death is still avenged. The Doctor and Ian working together is quite a warm moment, and the first real sense of them working as a team because there is a degree of wanting to, rather than having to. This also introduces the tribe to the concept of working together for a common purpose, another theme that would constantly crop up in Doctor Who. And our very first capture-escape-capture! They couldn't go more than four weeks...
Finally, someone tries to make some fire. That someone is Ian, and it is for the very good reason that the lives of the four travellers depend on it. Doctor Who again shows its belief in equality when the Doctor and Ian state that everyone should be watching so that everyone is on an equal footing, but Za just can't understand why he would want that. Newark's reaction to the fire is inspired, and he must have gotten close enough to singe his eyebrows! The same is true when Za presents fire to the tribe, and they all hold their hands up captivated. Well, except one little boy who just seems captivated to be on TV, the cute little thing. Bottom right of the shot, I believe.
The final fight between Za and Kal is brutal and uncompromising, again down to the fine performances and film direction (handled by Douglas Camfield). The actors conjure a true sense of blood lust, both characters are aware that this is a fight to the death, and Kal's final moments are chilling. The travellers are as shocked as we are. For the timeslot, you'll never see this kind of fight on Power Rangers. Pity really. I could live with seeing Austin St John in animal furs.
Of course, Za doesn't let them go, instead 'inviting' them to stay with his tribe. We again see a great gulf in the thought processes of the modern heroes and the cavemen, and this marks a great thing about these scripts. The tribe are not presented as unintelligent. Lacking in 20th Century social conscience sure, but certainly not stupid. Za doesn't understand why they want to leave because he sees his tribe as the apex of what they could want: shelter, food, water, protection and an early form of community. He doesn't know their world, and so doesn't realise why they miss it. As there is no point of reference to explain the TARDIS as there was with Ian and Barbara, it would be pointless even to begin to explain.
Instead, the crew decide to turn tribal points of reference against them. Fire is a symbol of power. The skulls also clearly have significance, and Za is aware that a head injury is pretty much fatal. The escape plan is inspired, and once again showcases the desired use of ingenuity over simple solutions in the series. The firey skulls are very effective, but you have to wonder- would the tribe really sit there for half an hour being terrified until one fell over?
The chase through the forest mimics that in the previous episode, especially with Ian and Barbara. Barbara has grown noticably in these episodes alone: when she falls here, she is helped up and carries right on, rather than panicking. Finally, as they enter the ship, the pursuing tribe launch their attack. Too late though folks- the TARDIS is off again.
The landing is very soon afterwards, and it is importantly established that without the right information and programming, the Doctor has scant control over his ship. This further removes the nastier edges of the Doctor, without destroying his mystery or (as we willl see) dangerous power. However, he's aware of the need for some quiet time after their ordeal, and the group move off shortly after landing. Unknown to them, the radiation is lethal outside- and we have to tune in next time to find out what will happen! Very exciting indeed!
Overall Comments: An Unearthly Child/The Tribe of Gum/100,000BC/Serial A 4.5 Stars
A great and varied script. More easily viewed as a game of two halves: Episode 1, and the other three. Great performances all around, with the tribe giving it their all, being utterly convincing, and still not getting in the way of the regulars. Definitely the start of something big.
Next Time: The Daleks/The Dead Planet/The Mutants/Beyond the Sun/Serial B
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Last edited by brandynigma; 13 Feb 2006 at 3:17 pm.
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#400 15 Feb 2006, 1:28 pm
bingo99
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Re: Day by Day
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Wonderful stuff brandynigma. But perhaps you could start your own thread of reviews. The idea of this thread is that it's reserved for Dorney's reviews.
Cheers
bingo99
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Reviewing every story randomly
Currently under review - The Mutants
15 Feb 2006, 10:14 pm
Llama Roddy
Bigger than a frog
Hull, England
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
But perhaps you could start your own thread of reviews.
Or join this one.
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#402 16 Feb 2006, 1:19 am
brandynigma
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Maidstone, Kent
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bingo99
Wonderful stuff brandynigma. But perhaps you could start your own thread of reviews. The idea of this thread is that it's reserved for Dorney's reviews.
Cheers
bingo99
I don't mean to be rude Bingo, but I did specifically seek out and wholeheartedly receive Dorney's permission to post my reviews here. I didn't see the point in starting what would essentially be a duplicate thread.
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#403 16 Feb 2006, 11:23 am
The Secretive Bus
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Edinburgh
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Re: Day by Day
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Besides, somebody else used to have their reviews running alongside Dorney's all the way back to the original Hartnell review thread, and it worked happily enough.
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#404 16 Feb 2006, 5:54 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Secretive Bus
Besides, somebody else used to have their reviews running alongside Dorney's all the way back to the original Hartnell review thread, and it worked happily enough.
My theory was that, with my monumental slackness and occassional busyness, it might help if somebody else poepped in to bolster the thread occasionally.
I still miss Zpotter, anyway....
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#405 17 Feb 2006, 9:53 am
ianzpotter
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Sheffield
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Re: Day by Day
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Bless you. Just finished Pyramids this morning, see how much quicker it gets when you don't have to share your opinions!
Here's a token offering - Exothermic, solenoids, tribophysics (hello Boom Town), Kasterborous, isomorphic and crucible, just some of the great words Holmes gives us here. There's a lovely pleasure in the sound of language in this season generally that's a world away from the 'increase your word power' verbosity of Pip and Jane.
Incidentally I have no problem with the Osirian warning message being sent in English the big 'flub' so many people whinge about (it's only just been triggered by the opening of the tomb, and the Osirians seem easily technologically advanced enough to be able to automatically transmit in the dominant language of the culture that opened the tomb.)
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#406 23 Feb 2006, 12:33 am
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 4:
Let's start with the end. Like Ambassadors 2, Inferno 4 is, first and foremost, memorable for an absolute corker of a cliffhanger. Once again, we can see that the skill of a cliffhanger isn't in the writing - it's in the direction.
The cliffhanger of this episode is all about context, and not about content. On every conceivable level the 'threat' is nebulous at best. What exactly is going to happen when the crust is penetrated? What exactly does it mean when the Doctor says 'the sound of the planet screaming out it's rage'?
It isn't clear. It isn't even clear if the Doctor knows - notice the way that, five minutes before the end of the episode, with thirty five minutes left on the countdown, the Doctor is still only bothered about having a kip. He isn't actually trying to escape and prevent the countdown, he has no plan - he's presented with an opportunity, but even when he's broken into the central control, he still lines up with the other guards for a moment before attempting any sabotage.
The reason the cliffhanger works is clearly not about what it is, but how it's done. The final five minutes or so are a masterpiece of suspense. They're broadly silent, and broadly lacking in action. We have a sequence of shots that illustrate people filling in time, waiting for something to happen. That's what this section is about - waiting for something to happen. That is what we, the audience, are doing. Seconds of inactivity suggest that something is coming. The vocal ticking clock of the countdown emphasises exactly how long we have to wait. And in deed, the very ambiguity of the set up adds to the power of the sequence - we know something is coming, but we don't know what it is. The air of menace, the constant doom mongering of the Doctor, Greg and Gold add up to an air of wrongness. When Hitchcock made his classic film Blackmail, he talked about the famous sequence with a boy carrying a bomb onto a bus and rightly pointed out that suspense is waiting (obviously, the word is derived from the same root as 'suspend'). 'Apprehensive expectation', according to the dictionary. The longer the period of expectation, the more unbearable it comes. The ratcheting of tension in the last few moments with the threats to the Doctor, all played with the booming voice of the countdown in the background (beautifully underplayed and unemphasised - the numbers are almost incidental to the scene), add to the sense that everything is rushing to a head.
The absolute stroke of genius though comes in the end. Hitchcock always said his mistake in Blackmail was letting the bomb go off. It takes the audience off the hook. The suspense dissipates. Here, the masterful gesture is the cliffhanger ending before we know what's going to happen. But when we know it is going to happen, with no way to stop it. Letting the credits start before we've even heard the 'one' properly (and just, if you listen hard, the first sound of 'zero'), makes this one of the greatest cliffhangers ever.
This all comes first because, generally, this is a fairly standard mid story episode, and there isn't much to add. What plot there is is just holding off until we hit the last five minutes or so, and before that it's fairly regular interrogation/prison stuff, that doesn't exactly push the story forward (though, unusually, this isn't really a 'plot' story at all - it's about atmosphere, character and context). Watched episodically, the lack of 'parallel world' identity is even clearer - only the brief questioning of Liz at the beginning couldn't take place in some season 5 base under siege story. If you can visualise the characters as seperate from the regulars (and Courtney clearly makes this easy for you), it feels like just another story - albeit, a bloody well made one.
Which does make it a touch disappointing that the need is felt to have a brief flashback to 'our' world. It doesn't really add too much to the plot apart from establishing that things haven't really progressed.
The only other real point to make is that the Greg/Petra subplot is being nicely developed. Odd to see characters who have little real interaction with the Doctor being given the chance to have a little bit of an arc, but there you go. What's also nice is that the two of them have a subtly different relationship to the one in the 'real' world, but with a similar feel. Quite some subtlety there.
So, not much going on, but still excellently made television, with quality performances, but mainly tonnes of atmosphere.
______________________________________
A Ploppycock, a kid's TV show, Spielberg's Alien Admiral Calavicci
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Last edited by Dorney; 23 Feb 2006 at 12:35 am.
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#407 23 Feb 2006, 9:51 am
The Secretive Bus
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Edinburgh
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
When Hitchcock made his classic film Blackmail, he talked about the famous sequence with a boy carrying a bomb onto a bus and rightly pointed out that suspense is waiting (obviously, the word is derived from the same root as 'suspend')...
Following your other reviews in this thread, I have to ask - is this the only Hitchcock film you've ever seen or what?
Besides that, looking forward to seeing you complete season 7.
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Ben grins out of the cockpit window:
“I am only borrowing this. I’m Ben Chatham” before expertly taking off into the clouds.
- "Face of Death" by Sparacus
"They laughed at Gallileo once."
- Sparacus
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#408 24 Feb 2006, 9:52 am
Dorney
Time Lord
Bromley, Kent
Joined April 22, 2004
Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Secretive Bus
Following your other reviews in this thread, I have to ask - is this the only Hitchcock film you've ever seen or what?
Besides that, looking forward to seeing you complete season 7.
I wasn't sure whether I'd mentioned it or not! Poo... that's what you get when it's about three months between each post...
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#409 24 Feb 2006, 11:00 am
The Secretive Bus
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Last On: 27 Jun 2009 7:02 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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I reckon I'll let you off, just this once.
Hope you feel better soon, John.
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Ben grins out of the cockpit window:
“I am only borrowing this. I’m Ben Chatham” before expertly taking off into the clouds.
- "Face of Death" by Sparacus
"They laughed at Gallileo once."
- Sparacus
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#410 24 Feb 2006, 12:50 pm
Dorney
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Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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Cheers Bus.
I'm sure I'll be fine in time, but at the moment I'm just incredibly fed up with the way life seems to be going. It's annoying because I'm usually positive. The accident was just another kick. Just feeling terribly down.
Having said all that, there's the potential for something fab in the next couple of weeks - only now I'm dreading that, cos if it doesn't come off, I'll be incredibly low.
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#411 24 Feb 2006, 4:12 pm
The Secretive Bus
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Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
Having said all that, there's the potential for something fab in the next couple of weeks - only now I'm dreading that, cos if it doesn't come off, I'll be incredibly low.
Paul McCartney winning Survivor?
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Ben grins out of the cockpit window:
“I am only borrowing this. I’m Ben Chatham” before expertly taking off into the clouds.
- "Face of Death" by Sparacus
"They laughed at Gallileo once."
- Sparacus
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#412 24 Feb 2006, 6:25 pm
bingo99
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brandynigma
I don't mean to be rude Bingo, but I did specifically seek out and wholeheartedly receive Dorney's permission to post my reviews here. I didn't see the point in starting what would essentially be a duplicate thread.
Much apologies, never spotted that.
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Reviewing every story randomly
Currently under review - The Mutants
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#413 25 Feb 2006, 2:48 am
brandynigma
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Maidstone, Kent
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Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
Having said all that, there's the potential for something fab in the next couple of weeks - only now I'm dreading that, cos if it doesn't come off, I'll be incredibly low.
Big hugs for Dorney.
In a manly, Australian sort of way.
OK, so I can only manage the Australian part...
Quote:
Originally Posted by bingo99
Much apologies, never spotted that.
No worries Bingo, is all good. My main problem is that I'm halfway through reviewing The Daleks, but I just finished watching The Velvet Web!
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#414 1 Mar 2006, 6:15 am
Max K Wilkie
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Re: Day by Day
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brandynigma
Big hugs for Dorney.
In a manly, Australian sort of way.
OK, so I can only manage the Australian part...
Very much ditto!
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Mind the gap.
The Next Doctor - 9/10
Planet of the Dead - 7/10
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#415 1 Mar 2006, 12:45 pm
Dorney
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Bromley, Kent
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Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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By the way, I think when I've finished Inferno, I might change the format slightly until I get a new computer. My thinking is that I'd go back to the style of the latter reviews I did of Evil of the Daleks - overview plus individual episode notes.
In many ways this is a more interesting way to do it, as it means I don't end up repeating myself with the longer stories (and with plenty of six parters on the horizon that has to be a good thing...)
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#416 1 Mar 2006, 4:29 pm
The Secretive Bus
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Re: Day by Day
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Maybe it's just me but I rarely think that you ever repeat yourself.
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Ben grins out of the cockpit window:
“I am only borrowing this. I’m Ben Chatham” before expertly taking off into the clouds.
- "Face of Death" by Sparacus
"They laughed at Gallileo once."
- Sparacus
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#417 31 Mar 2006, 7:50 pm
Dorney
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 5:
Well, it's ironic that I've been repetitive with my Hitchcock references, as this time I'm going to use another one. A rather more famous Hitchcock film than Blackmail too.
This episode of Who is one of the most plotless ever written. The story only really progresses in two ways - firstly, the Doctor persuading the others to let him escape, and secondly, the transformation of Stahlman etc. into Primords.
Now, it's hard not to feel that that kind of progress would take less than ten minutes in most stories. Heck, I'm sure the new series would do it in about a minute and a half. So why is this still a gripping episode that flies by?
When you come to think about it, the entire story is fairly plotless. The Doctor has a few arguments in our world, gets transported to another world and has a few more. Or, even more simply, the Doctor tries to stop drilling twice. Once he fails, once he succeeds. Everything else is window dressing. Remember, there's no 'villain' per se in this script (despite their moral ambiguity, the previous two stories have the Young Silurian and Regan at least as villainous focuses, plotting and planning). The closest we get, Stahlman, doesn't have an 'evil plan', he's just a grumpy man, drilling - and we know he's drilling five minutes into episode one. That element of the story doesn't really go anywhere. The Primords are a sap to keep us excited and involved, but that's all. Even the transportation to a parallel world doesn't really change the direction the story is pointed in fairly early on. There are complications, but no real 'twists', in the strictest sense.
So how does it fill in the time. One word: detail. The characterisation is a facet of this, but the story is rooted in detail. The story fascinates us by covering every element of the storyline in extreme detail.
For example, Sutton and the Doctor's abortive attempt to stop the drill. Though you can tell that this would happen, it's not exactly vital to the storytelling and is the sort of detail that would be skipped in a faster version of the same storyline. Likewise, the Doctor's demonstration of the TARDIS' abilities is uneccesary but logical.
Everything is extrapolated logically from the central point. The story reminds me very much of some of the writing of Stephen King. On at least two occasions, King has written novella's that are basically apocalyptic (The Langoliers and the Mist), and the stories focus, not on the global catastrophe, but on the individual trying to survive. But the most obvious and famous comparison is the movie The Birds. All these stories are about survival. And they all work in the same way. It is established early on that the plot is not A to Z, via B, C, etc. It is simply A to B. Going from peril to (relative) safety.
All stories are about the struggle for survival. But the tension is derived from the detail. In each, the destination is not as important as the journey. The plot is the journey. The focus narrows down because in a truly desperate struggle, getting from one side of the room to the other is just as difficult as blowing up a spaceship. Every little element, every tiniest piece, is dwelt on and dealt with to make the small journey into something bigger. Focus on the small and the simple journey becomes epic - making this story that rare thing, an epic in miniature.
Hence it's rivetting nature. It helps, of course, that there's still time to explore characters through their interaction - the increasing derangement of the Brigade-Leader reminds you of how good an actor Courtney can be, for example. In deed, with the Doctor carrying what little plot there is, being relatively straightforward, the dramatic showboating is left to the Brigade Leader and Sutton, exploring the moral dilemmas and the depths of their characters. It's possible to point to the strength of their characterisation as being more important to this story's success than Pertwee. He roots it, they drive it. Without an active villain figure, the tension of the story, the dramatic conflict is voiced by these two characters. You are involved in the struggle because of the other people, less so with the Doctor. And that makes sense - they're the one's in desperate peril. They're the one's taking risks.
Some good bits and bad bits feature in this episode. A couple of cracking shots (the reveal of primord Stahlman is gorgeous - shame the make up's so weak). There's a casual horror about Stahlman shoving technicians head first into goo. But in contrast, we have the weird step of the Doctor telling everyone to escape the monsters by nipping into a room with one door, as opposed to the more sensible 'going outside', the cross world flash to Keith Gold, which is the only part of this episode that isn't detailed and meticulous and as a result is the only part that genuinely feels like padding - and the bizarre sight of the third Doctor fighting ineptly, and getting an ass-whupping. But they can't distract from the whole.
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#418 1 Apr 2006, 12:37 am
The Secretive Bus
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Edinburgh
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Re: Day by Day
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Good grief, it's a Day-by-Month review!
Glad you're back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben grins out of the cockpit window:
“I am only borrowing this. I’m Ben Chatham” before expertly taking off into the clouds.
- "Face of Death" by Sparacus
"They laughed at Gallileo once."
- Sparacus
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#419 2 Apr 2006, 1:20 am
Xipuloxx
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Belfast, Northern Ireland
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Re: Day by Day
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Aha! He's back!
I haven't posted in this thread before, but I was following it and enjoying it, and it's good to see it's not dead. Welcome back, Dorney!
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Fear Me, for I am Quaadzelaan Xipuloxx! All hail Xipuloxx the Unsound!
(But you can call me Mark.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by sparacus
Of course I'm entirely serious. I teach History.
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#420 13 Apr 2006, 12:54 am
Dorney
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Bromley, Kent
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Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 6:
Well, if I thought part five didn't have much plot, it's War and Peace compared to part six.
With all the major plot decisions decided by the end of episode five (who's going to do what, etc.) this episode is just about them doing it. It's clear that the actual mechanics required are expanded/complicated until the episode's full rather than through any specific logic (Petra's initial abandonment of the wiring being a clear case in point). The plot of the episode is, by and large, a lot of people doing some wiring.
But it's still riveting. Things to remember here are that this remains probably one of only two Who stories without a villain. I've said this before, but I think it's worth reiterating here as Stahlman makes no real impact on this episode. The man is pig headed and bullish, but not evil, and not working to an evil end. Everyone talks about the shades of grey of Malcolm Hulke's villains - but it's not quite accurate. They're still villains, just properly motivated. Stahlman is unpleasant, but not bad.
The other story is The Empty Child. The second episode of that story shares some important features with this episode. There are 'monsters' (in reality, mutated humans), part of a more global threat, and the story follows one small band of people trying to save the day. And that explains why it works. The story is about the regular people desperately trying to cope. Not about good vs. evil. It's about ordinary people becoming good.
Once again, a long script uses it's extra time to explore character. But here, almost uniquely, the story is the character. Ironically for a story often voted as amongst the very best the series has to offer, Inferno isn't about the Doctor. His role through most of the last two episodes has been to push the occasional button. The heroes of this episode are clearly the humans, Sutton in particular. The story is an exploration of humanity under crisis. How some are pushed to staggering bravery, and others to monumental cowardice. About how crisis reveals our true selves.
For once, the humans are the one's braving everything to save the day. The Doctor really isn't. That's why this story affects us. It's absolutely about humanity, about us. Ordinary people trying to save the world, due to the Doctor's influence. It brings home the wisdom of RTD's thought processes in the latest season to have characters save the day because of the Doctor rather than him doing it himself (of course he can, he's an amazing alien - what's uplifting or affecting or dramatic about that?) Sutton and, to a lesser degree, Petra remain two of the most unsung support characters in the history of the show - simply due to their ordinariness.
It does help that they have an example of the undesirable to play off in Nicholas Courtney's wonderfully hystrionic, increasingly deranged Brig - a glorious tour de force performance that reminds you how good an actor he is (even if it clearly takes him some time to get into it - the Brigade Leader is clearly more in control in the location shots mid episode than the studio shots at the top and tail). The face off he has with Sutton is pure bully brought down to size, the small man losing his power, and is one of the most high pressure scenes we've scene (good enough that you forgive the slightly shoddy fight that follows). His cowardice is their mainly as a control to remind you just how selfless and heroic the others are.
Well, maybe not Liz. It's a shame that Liz sort of get's sidelined, only really still around because she's one of the regular's, rather than her having a role to play in this final episode. She wanders around being sardonic, but only really get's proactive with her killing the Brigade Leader. Whilst this all fits, she's a little redundant - the disabling of the Brig could have been done by Petra.
It's a shame, because earlier in the episode (in the real world scene with Greg) Caroline John does some of her finest work - there's a real underplayed sadness to her answers that's genuinely quite affecting. It's the only bit really worthwhile in the flash-sideways, which still seems like desperate padding, and only really serves to break down the claustrophobia and building tension in the other world (fortunately it's early enough in the episode for the momentum to be regained).
I'd made some notes for this episode, but they've vanished in an internet **** up, so I'll just finish by praising the music. I don't think I've ever noticed it before. Suddenly, the moment the plot goes into massive high stakes, the music drops down to a quiet menacing level, and it's hugely effective. The cliffhanger for part four and these last two episode in particular benefit. I think someone said it's all stock... somewhat ironic.
liz music
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#421 13 Apr 2006, 1:05 am
Max K Wilkie
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Sydney, Australia
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Re: Day by Day
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Hooray! He's back!
Again.
I really find it fascinating reading your reviews, Dorney - since I don't really think about much of the sorts of things you put into your reviews after watching a story (I'm not critical enough, really), so it really does interest me to see what other people think. And you're so good at it.
Keep up the good work!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mind the gap.
The Next Doctor - 9/10
Planet of the Dead - 7/10
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#422 14 Apr 2006, 4:55 pm
Dorney
Time Lord
Bromley, Kent
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Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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This will seem like glorious indulgence but...
Either nine or ten (can't remember) of my Hartnell reviews got wiped in the Ezboard hacking that happened ages ago. By pure chance, whilst spring cleaning my folks computer, I found one of those existed. Ironically, it's Tenth Planet 4, so I'm going to reprint it here.
When Inferno is finished (today, hopefully), to plug the gap until I get computered up (soon, hopefully), I'll repost some of the old Day by Day reviews too...
The Tenth Planet 4:
Much the same as last time really. The story I am reminded most of is the Crusade – another story that doesn’t actually have a story of it’s own as such. That continues here. Each episode of the Tenth Planet remains a separate individual, a series of riffs on a basic theme, rather than a plot. Hence, despite the Cybermen reappearing, they seem to have changed their plan completely (now they’re just going to blow up the Earth). The thoughts and concerns of episode 3 (the Doctor’s illness, Cutler’s mania) are all resolved terribly swiftly and brushed under the carpet.
It is pretty much this lack of coherence that’s the only major flaw of the story. This is, as far as I recall, the first proper base under siege story, a Troughton story in all but Doctor. They’ve just forgotten to give an overarching scheme to the story. The goodies aren’t trying to defeat the Cybermen, they’re just trying to stay alive til the Cybermen defeat themselves. Survival as a theme works quite well, but without a clear overall intention, it just seems to be a series of set pieces, individually resolved, then followed by another, without any build or logic. And ultimately, that’s all this episode is – setting up a few new plots, then switching them off one by one - and giving lip service to some of them too – the sudden arrival in about a minute of a new Cyberman spacecraft allowing them to get into the base is daft, and the suggestion that the Cybermen are all over the world is laughable. We never really feel this, there’s just one hanging around an office in Geneva (what exactly is this Cyberman up to there? How is whatever their plans are require someone to hang around and deal with the bureaucracy?). The story never feels like a global threat (The War Machines at least made it feel like a national emergency). The new Z-Bomb plot is all right, but it’s still just marking time. The characters never really affect the story in any way (they interact with the time wasting set-pieces, Cutler most obviously, but they never affect the overall plot, i.e: the arrival of Mondas). This is especially true of the Doctor, Ben and Polly. It’s sort of legit to have supporting roles fail to affect the outcome of a plot, but to have no character at all affect it, not even the leads is appalling.
The Cutler thread is polished off nicely – he’s really gone into barking madman mode, the good man pushed to the brink and over by circumstance. His threatening to kill the Doctor, a threat from a character who is not inherently evil in the series tradition remember, is deeply disturbing. You get the sense that this is echoing themes of the Cybermen – that good intentions do not necessarily equal good results. That we are all just a specific set of circumstances away from being dangerous, or evil, or cruel. What makes it all the more sad is the fact that his son, the threat to whom is the root cause of his increasing fanaticism, survives the story. Had he listened to the Doctor, he’d be alive.
The Cybermen of this episode make less impact than in the second. They seem so much easier to defeat now, less intimidating and strong. Now they can’t enter a room because they know it’ll damage them, and they drain away the second Mondas goes up in smoke. They retain interest in their emotionless manner (though Hawkins is not as good at the voices as Skelton), but now they are actively in ‘destroy the world’ mode, they have become something more like a standard baddy, than the amoral figures unaware of how unacceptable their ideas were in part two.
The ending eventually turns up – and you can’t help but feel that it’s just there because Davis wrote himself into a hole, or he ran out of filler material – and just decides to switch the story off. In exactly the way the script suggested at the beginning of part three. It’s a terrible climax, to a moderately entertaining, if never great script.
Finally, we get to the regeneration. Foreshadowed, seemingly at random, in episode three, it’s a surprise to see the Doctor up and active right at the start of this one – alert as ever (with psychic awareness of the plans that have been made whilst he’s unconscious too!) But he’s drifted again by the time he’s in the Cybership, and he doesn’t really get all the much to do for the last few minutes except stagger around and look tired.
It’s weird though. The cliffhanger doesn’t quite have the sudden shock aspect you might expect. OK, it makes you want to see what happens next – but in an era when the Doctor can be seen in danger at the end of any given story, this still could be a regular cliffhanger, mainly due to the lack of weight attached to the moment. For such a seismic shift, it’s treated casually, and comes out of left field. The 1st Doctor’s gone before you know it. As with any such paradigm shift, I doubt I’ll be surprised til a few episodes down the line – the moment when it really will feel like he’s not coming back.
So there we are. Hartnell, done and dusted. I don’t think I’d really appreciated his Doctor before, and that’s tragic. He’s one of the most effortlessly likeable leads the series has had. There’s also no clearly definable ‘1st Doctor’ character, with him veering schizophrenically from one extreme to another – the grumpy loner, the wise sage, the giggling nutter, the playful child. It’s all there. But at the same time, somehow, he manages to make them all work (for all my talk, they always co-exist, this is a Doctor of contradictions – watch the grumpy angry Doctor at the start of Edge 2, watch him go to calm thoughtful human by the end of that episode, to giggling away like a maniac at the end of Marco Polo 1, the very next episode). You warm to the character easily, because he’s always in the right, or understandably wrong. He is us as we would want to be, with all our quirks and eccentricities. It’s a multi-layered performance, a fully rounded individual capable of all the extremes that we are. A character that is alive, reacting to the surroundings, rather than being definable by one word. Sweet, lovable, authoratitive… I could go on. Any quality you could want in any lead at all he has. He’s like every great hero rolled into one.
Ultimately, favourite or not, Hartnell is the Doctor. What we perceive that character to be is down to him. The sense of fun, the sense of madness, weirdness, the alien-ness. All Hartnell. God bless him. Sir, I salute you. Rest in peace
Dorney
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#423 14 Apr 2006, 7:29 pm
Dorney
Time Lord
Bromley, Kent
Joined April 22, 2004
Last On: Today 9:53 pm
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Re: Day by Day
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Inferno 7:
After my previous comparisons to The Empty Child, there are further ones to be had here. They can be summed up in one word. Hope. Simply put, they are two of the most optimistic and hopeful Doctor Who stories we've seen (I know that must sound odd considering it's one of the few stories to kill off a planet full of people, but read on). Both have no real villains, just misguided men , so are celebrating the basic goodness of humanity (or at least, have no belief in evil per se) and both feature the Doctor witnessing the 'deaths' of many, and then being able to take it all back (note the air of sadness about Stahlman's death at the end - the one significant character from our world who doesn't make it to the end - even he's granted a moment of sympathy from the audience, both here, and his brilliantly anguished expression as he is about to paw himself with green slime, where it's clear he's horrified at what he's doing. No one dimensional bad guy, he).
The key line of this episode is the Doctors: 'So free will is not an illusion after all.' It's an odd line for the Doctor to say, if we're being honest, as the alternative to free will (fate) seems to be a little non-scientific for him. If anything, it's the author summing up the message of the piece.
Again, somewhat noticeably, the Doctor is in the background of the episode, and the focus is on the humans. This isn't just because the Doctor is unconscious for the first eleven minutes, it's more to do with the fact that he actually does very little. For all his grandstanding in part six, saying that 'the probably wouldn't have listened to me', he doesn't actually put up that good a case. He just turns up with a big spanner and starts smashing things. Rather than trying to explain the situation to the Brigadier and Liz (who in this world would believe him implicitly), he decides that the best route is to act like a demented madman. For goodness sake, he doesn't even go that berserk in the other reality!
As it is, he gives just enough information that the humans are able to solve the problem for themselves, Liz fixing the computer, Petra interpreting it, Sir Keith authorising the shutdown. The only part of the process the Doctor is actually needed for (when he saunters in, casually) is to cut out the slowed brakes, and that feels like a tag on just for him - and even then, it's emphasised that he does it with Greg (incidentally, if there's one flaw in this episode, it's that there's none of part fours air of build up to the countdown's conclusion - there's none of the desperate panice, and you only realise how tight it is when there's a minute to go - the last you're aware, it's three hours away!). The Doctor goes off on his own to deal with the one lingering plotline of the infected Bromley (quite a nice shock, because you do forget he's around) but beyond that all the action in this episode is about the human's saving themselves (albeit prompted by the Doctor). And that's the message of hope. We don't need an alien to rescue us, we can do it ourselves. We just need to be pointed the right way.
Generally, this air of a theme reaching it's conclusion means that the potentially anti-climactic lurch back to our world doesn't jar. The hope and sacrifice in the previous two episodes leads into it perfectly, and the ten or so Doctor-less minutes merely emphasise this. The simple scenes between Greg and Petra, for example, are light of touch and make it one of the most satisfying romances in the series.
There's also a nice sprinkling of humour - the Doctor's comment to the Brigadier about looking better with his moustache is a lovely call back to the first episode and subsequent events, some indication of the level of thought gone into the script. And the comedy final scene manages to be genuinely pleasing and amusing - maybe not as hilarious as Liz finds it, but still, at least it makes you smile. Although, noticeably, in the punchline we are, if anything, on the side of the Brigadier.
All over then, a cracking piece of telly. Sure, pretty much nothing happens throughout, but for wit, tension and subtle optimism (andas RTD has said himself, optimism is so much harder to write than pessimism - but pessimism is so schoolyard), this mature story is pretty hard to beat. A glorious bit of Who.
There now follows a short interval.
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