17 Oct 2006, 11:26 am
Dorney
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Colony in Space 1:
There's plenty to like about this episode.
For a start, it's a refreshing change to see how much of the first five or six minutes deals with the shock of the show's own concept. We've got very used to Jo, and it's entertainingly jarring to see how surprised and shocked she is by the basics of TARDIS travel. Surely she should know all about it by now, you think, forgetting that there's been no travel in ages.
Whilst it's tempting to suggest that this does highlight how little wonder most companions since, what, Ian and Barbara have had, that's somewhat unfair. Realistically you can't replay the same scene over and over again without boring the audience (bear in mind that over the first six years there's quite a turnover of companions), and so sometimes it has to be treated as a given. Still, a proper restating of the premise is rather lovely, and Jo's reactions are fun. Of course, given what she's experienced over the past fourteen episodes, she's probably the least appropriate companion to give this sort of incredulity to, but that's being picky.
If you get past that, you've got a story that is equally refreshingly different. In an era that's a little too excited about being in colour, this is pleasing monochrome in style. The Pertwee years have, by and large, dealt in large characters, big name people. Top flight scientists, politicians, etc. It's kind of cool that this story is essentially about ordinary people, with ordinary problems. The main narrative drive the guest cast have is getting food on the table - not difficulties with some technobabble heavy made up piece of technology.
Of course, this does make people think the story is dull. Only one episode in it's hard to tell, but it does have unique charm to it so far that suggests it's only dull if you can't cope without monsters and laser fights.
It's a well constructed episode, which takes plenty of time to set up the location carefully and walk the viewers in (explaining the usage of Jo). There are a few dodgy elements in the set up (the Doctor knows the name of an uninhabited planet on sight of it's hardly idiosyncratic image? The rather contrived way he decides to examine a random rock just so he can be snuck up on) but the scale and simplicity of the world we're arriving on means that for once we get a sense of the entire place. In most alien planet stories, the story simply can't cope with getting a sense of scale across (which is why most of them might as well only be a single city).
And it features my usual favourite element of an opening episode - a slight mystery. If anything, this is where the episode falls down, as it seems determined to give you too many clues and possible answers too early. Jane Leeson's surprised look and question to camera when someone clearly human enters her hut would be deeply intriguing, if it wasn't for the fact that the opening of the episode has suggested that it's the Master (okay, so it isn't in the long run, but even giving the audience the impression that they know the answer can kill the power of the question). If you haven't thought of him, you're probably going to think of Norton, which is closer.
It's a shame, because this ain't a bad episode. It works hard to be realistic, and as a result is a little slow and grey - but it remains relatively smart.
Colony in Space 2:
There's a poll elsewhere on OG as I write this review where people are asked to name their least favourite story of season 2. It depresses me beyond measure that the current winner is the Web Planet.
Granted, it's a story that no-one is ever going to name classic of the year. Certainly, it's not top of my list from that season. But the general complaint seems to be that it's boring. Not that the script or the performances are bad, but that it's boring.
Now, I'll still advocate the suggestion that watching a serial for two and half hors in a row (as its makers never intended it to be viewed) makes anything boring. But surely the fact that it's got some nice ideas, and properly epic scope should count for something? It's up against the Chase, for crying out loud - a story that practically reeks of being knocked off in an afternoon, where the makers have clearly just knocked out any old crap and thought 'that'll do'. And clearly they were right.
Because what matters to a Who fan is excitement, it seems. It's not about smart scripts, or decent characters, or the faintest semblance of an imagination, oh no, it's about dumb fun. The Chase may crap, but it's entertaining crap. The Web Planet is worthy, but dull.
There are lots of stories throghout the history of Who that seemed to get slated as 'bad' or 'less interesting' when all they are is 'low key'. In my opinion, one of these is coming up very soon (and is for my money one of the top two Pertwee stories along with Inferno). Mysterious Planet strikes me as another . And, to justify in a roundabout way what I'm saying here, so is Colony in Space.
It generally has a poor reputation amongst fandom. Maybe not rated as a turkey, but not far off. And this seems, to me, to be massively unfair. Two episodes in, and I'm struggling to find anything vastly wrong with it. The acting is uniformly good, it has a neat little premise, and, most of all, a good script. How this can be rated below something more traditionally Who-esque, but dumber, I don't know.
You see, it's a rather richly written piece. This episode is a particularly good example. In the analysis, very little happens in this episode. The vast majority of it focuses on the Doctor visiting the IMC spacecraft and then returning to where he was at the start of the episode (to an almost literal degree as the new cliffhanger is only every so slightly different from the climax to part one). For about five minutes we rejoin Jo and her dome acquantainces, but the rest is simply the Doctor and three IMC blokes.
But it still doesn't manage to feel padded. OK, there's an utterly spurious fight with the primitives half way through that seems only to have been included in order to get a bit of action into the episode, but that's about it. In deed, looking even deeper, the Doctor spends most of the episode sat in a room (or, inexplicably, driving the IMC car), so the focus ends up on the baddies themselves. The majority of the episode is spent exploring the psyches of the villains, and the morality of their plans. We're being asked to look at these characters as real people, which I always like. Sure, it slows the story down, but I'd take the studied characterisation of Dent and Caldwell over the two dimensional approach of Rex Farrell or Mailer.
. And, to justify in a roundabout way what I'm saying here, so is Colony in Space.
It generally has a poor reputation amongst fandom. Maybe not rated as a turkey, but not far off. And this seems, to me, to be massively unfair. Two episodes in, and I'm struggling to find anything vastly wrong with it. The acting is uniformly good, it has a neat little premise, and, most of all, a good script. How this can be rated below something more traditionally Who-esque, but dumber, I don't know.
You see, it's a rather richly written piece. This episode is a particularly good example. In the analysis, very little happens in this episode. The vast majority of it focuses on the Doctor visiting the IMC spacecraft and then returning to where he was at the start of the episode (to an almost literal degree as the new cliffhanger is only every so slightly different from the climax to part one). For about five minutes we rejoin Jo and her dome acquantainces, but the rest is simply the Doctor and three IMC blokes.
But it still doesn't manage to feel padded. OK, there's an utterly spurious fight with the primitives half way through that seems only to have been included in order to get a bit of action into the episode, but that's about it. In deed, looking even deeper, the Doctor spends most of the episode sat in a room (or, inexplicably, driving the IMC car), so the focus ends up on the baddies themselves. The majority of the episode is spent exploring the psyches of the villains, and the morality of their plans. We're being asked to look at these characters as real people, which I always like. Sure, it slows the story down, but I'd take the studied characterisation of Dent and Caldwell over the two dimensional approach of Rex Farrell or Mailer. Both establish their respective personalities quickly, without feeling forced.
Similarly, even if we only get five minutes or so of it, the dome subplot does equally stirling work (though, mainly in episode one). There are always nice touches (the consistency of Norton's performance, for example, jumping at every primitive he meets)
Problems? Well, it's a shame that the gaffe is blown a little too early and we know who’s doing what almost straight away, but it would probably have needed to get a reveal at the end of the episode to advance the plot on anyway, and it isn't like it isn’t fairly guessable anyway. The episode being broken into long continuous chunks of the same locations does lead to an uneven feel, and as a result you do miss Jo quite a bit But it's properly interesting so far, so a qualified 'good' from me.
Colony in Space 3
There’s one moment in this episode that really sums up why I kind of like it. As Jo and Winton are wandering through the IMC spaceship we see a large, paper covered board behind them. Yep, IMC – the evil villains of the story – have a notice-board. Presumably this announces the next meeting of the amateur theatrical society, or the Fish and Chip quiz night.
You see, the villains here are gloriously banal. There are loads of lovely little touches emphasising this. When Dent wants to know who is guarding Jo later in the episode, Morgan doesn’t know straight off. He looks at his clipboard to check the rota.
I just think this is all rather fun. It’s a cracking idea to have the bad guys be capitalists rather than fascists for a change. You see, it defines the personalities as much as the plot. Dent in particular is a gloriously selfish individual (when he lands the spaceship almost on top of the colony his justification is the beautifully funny ‘I’ve never liked walking’). These aren’t power mad nutters – they’re just deeply unscrupulous greedy individuals. That’s simultaneously funnier and nastier than the norm. Killing someone in order to make yourself a bit of money just seems so much unpleasant than killing them in order to take over the universe to me, simply because it’s such a small reason to take a life. It’s all summed up by the moment when Dent is asked if he wants Winton back alive, and he doesn’t need to say a word.
The plot does keep developing nicely here as well. The sudden attack by the primitives (albeit one with an attempted justification from Ashe) shifts the balance and hints that there’s more to this plot than we’ve seen so far - as does the rather wonderfully ignored prologue of the whole story. Whilst some may argue that all the Timelord scene simply blows the surprise of the Master’s appearance (surely not that much of a shock this season?) I think it actually intrigues and obfuscates more than it reveals. If you remember it two weeks down the line, the thought going through your mind has to be ‘hold on, what has the Master got to do with this? And what was this ‘Doomsday weapon?’ All the time you are left with an extra hook of mystery, that this episode is the first to hint towards.
There are some flawed elements. The capture of Jo and Winton is resolved a touch too quickly, giving the impression of padding. However, as with the rest of the episode it’s written and directed with enough conviction for this not to matter (the chase through the dunes in particular is rather good). It also works well developing Winton, who changes noticeably across the episode.
The other problem is that it’s hard to see how the subplot of Norton works. Whilst it’s true enough that he’s basically just done the same thing as the Doctor – turning up out of nowhere with a faintly dodgy story – it’s impossible to see how his position is tenable after the Doctor’s revelation at the top of the episode. He’s kept insisting that he’s been chased by the creatures, but he’s got no proof beyond his word. Whilst it might be a bit of a stretch to imagine him being completely distrusted on no more than the say so of the Doctor, it does seem fairly clear that one of them (at least) has to be lying, and the Doctor has (at least) done things to help the colony, and stated a story that fits the evidence better than Norton’s, which would seem to favour him. How on Earth does he manage to remain completely trusted?
But all in all, there’s at least the feeling that we’re three episodes in and this is still going somewhere. Sure, it ain’t all spaceships and laser guns, but it’s interesting. I know that’s damning with faint praise to some people, but it’s true.
#482 17 Oct 2006, 7:44 pm
The Secretive Bus
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Great to see you back, though you're on dodgy territory by going out of your way to insult those who reckon The Web Planet is one of the worst stories ever. I'm one of those who would put it in their bottom 10 stories, you see; and, yes, I do so because it's boring. It has Hartnell in it, so it can't be all bad, but just because a script has a couple of nice themes doesn't make it inherently intelligent, nor are characters interesting because they're a little bit different. The Web Planet might have an ambition to present us with a truly alien society but then so did countless B movies from 1930 to the present day. I just don't like The Web Planet.
For the record, the only stories I can think of off the top of my head as definite "I hate the bloody thing," material are The Edge of Destruction, Battlefield, Ghost Light, World War Three and Love & Monsters. Attack of the Cybermen comes close, too.
But, on a nicer topic, I've always had a sneaking fondness for Colony in Space. A gunfight does tend to break out twice per episode but I still enjoy it overall. Dent and Morgan are fantastic.
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#483 17 Oct 2006, 11:45 pm
Dorney
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Secretive Bus
"Great to see you back, though you're on dodgy territory by going out of your way to insult those who reckon The Web Planet is one of the worst stories ever. I'm one of those who would put it in their bottom 10 stories, you see; and, yes, I do so because it's boring. It has Hartnell in it, so it can't be all bad, but just because a script has a couple of nice themes doesn't make it inherently intelligent, nor are characters interesting because they're a little bit different. The Web Planet might have an ambition to present us with a truly alien society but then so did countless B movies from 1930 to the present day. I just don't like The Web Planet. "
I think that's fair enough. Certainly, I'm not suggesting it's a classic... just that it at least tries. The Chase really is much much worse for not even attempting that, but it is, I suppose, a bit more watchable. The main annoyance I have is that I really wish people hated the Chase more than they hated Web Planet.
But heck, it's always fun being on dodgy territory. Who wants to tow the party line?
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#484 18 Oct 2006, 1:00 am
codywillis1
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The Web Planet is f*****g awful. Colony in Space is very good. No resemblance whatsoever!
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#485 18 Oct 2006, 10:20 am
The Secretive Bus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorney
"I think that's fair enough. Certainly, I'm not suggesting it's a classic... just that it at least tries. The Chase really is much much worse for not even attempting that, but it is, I suppose, a bit more watchable. The main annoyance I have is that I really wish people hated the Chase more than they hated Web Planet. "
And, to irritate you further, I've always rather like The Chase. In fact it was one of my favourites for some time. The last few times I've seen it it'd lost much of its sparkle (episode 1 is godawful whichever way you look at it) and it's nowhere near as enjoyable as it was before. But, well, it just generally entertains me more than The Web Planet.
Of course, why bother thinking about them when we can praise The Time Meddler, The Myth Makers, Marco Polo, The Gunfighters, The Sensorites (yes, you heard me)...
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#486 19 Oct 2006, 1:29 am
codywillis1
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I rather like The Chase, too...
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#487 20 Oct 2006, 10:51 am
Dorney
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Quote:
Originally Posted by codywillis1
"The Web Planet is f*****g awful. Colony in Space is very good. No resemblance whatsoever! "
Absolutely.
I suppose the point to emphasise is the difference between 'favourite' and 'best' (and similarly 'least favourite' and 'worst').
It's possible for a piece to be objectively well made and written and for it to be rubbish. I'm currently reading 'Gould's Book of Fish' which is probably extremely well written, but deathly dull.
So I have no problem at all with people having Web Planet as a lest favourite, due to it being boring. I do feel that people shouldn't confuse that with it being the worst made story of the season. Similarly, I have no problem with people having The Chase as a favourite. As long as they don't try to suggest it's well made.
#488 26 Oct 2006, 1:32 am
Dorney
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Colony in Space 4:
I think I said this with Axos, maybe even Mind, but it bears repeating. The best thing the Master does is kick a story in the arse.
There's a real sense of heightened stakes when he turns up. Having him in the thick of things from the start (a la Terror of the Autons) does nothing. The best thing to do with him is place him in the middle of a story that's already got a bit of momentum. It takes the story to a new level. Just when you think you know where it's going - the Master turns up.
Colony is a perfect example of this. His arrival's not exactly unexpected, obviously, but it basically gives the whole story a new bunch of mysteries to tide us over. Just as the Colony storyline appears to be closing up shop, we've suddenly got a whole new batch of questions. What the hell is going on?
Now, there's a degree to which this doesn't entirely work. It was made more obvious for me by coming back to the second three parts of this story after a week off. It really does feel like a completely different story for the first half of the episode. The primitive stuff comes a little too much out of nowhere to not be slightly jarring when combined with the sudden appearance of the Master. It might perhaps have been a better idea to stagger the reveals so there's less of a sudden lurch, but never mind.
Generally, however, it does work. The Master joining in on the IMC vs Colonists debate is fun (if massively contrived - he's done a heck of a lot of homework), and it's this tying together of the old and new threads that make it work. The important question is not wondering what the Master's up to - anyone with long memories can remember the opening scene of the story - but how is the already established set up going to affect and be affected by that? Four episodes in, and we're hooked already. As I say, the Master has raised the stakes of the story. It goes from a small local legal dispute to something with wider implications. Suddenly this minor little skirmish seems important, and we want to know the next twist.
The primitive city is less successful, mainly because it's hard to connect to it. WIth the best will in the world, they're a lot of odd looking people wandering around an odd looking place with little to connect it to us, and little real tension, or mystery (the faint oddness of the artwork being closest, but that's overshadowed by the Master's presence).
There are a few plotting problems with this episode - Caldwell has blatantly betrayed his crew (even faking the murder of someone they've seen alive) and yet is still well regarded by the IMC staff. Equally, Norton's entire story has been discredited - yet he's not been kicked out of the dome (almost as if the writer's forgotten how he was introduced into the dome and thinks he's a straight plant). And why is the Master so swift to threaten the Doctor and Jo with murder at the end of the episode? It's barely ten minutes since he promised that he wouldn't have the Doctor arrested if he didn't interfere. Make your mind up.
Generally, however, a good episode that keeps you interested.
#489 1 Nov 2006, 12:32 am
Dorney
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Colony in Space 5
Well, it had to run out of steam eventually.
Even with the additional subplot of the Master and the Doomsday Weapon, the story gives in to its length in this episode. For the first time in the story, you get the sense that there isn't enough plot.
Now to be fair, this process started in part four, as the plot had roughly hit crisis point, with everyone knowing what everyone else is up to, and some sort of reckoning required. Unfortunately, the demands of the format mean that the climax has to be postponed, and as a result we have an episode and a half of fights as the colonists and the miners alternate control. It wouldn't be so obvious if it wasn't always sneak attacks, and if the battles weren't always turned by one person on one side holding a gun on the other leader (obviously, these characters aren't yet expendable). By the time we reach the end of the episode, the colonist plotline is allowed to progress - but it is in almost the exact situation we left them in about an episode ago.
It doesn't help that the plot has to swing over to the Master. And, if I'm honest, it's not the most comfortable fit. His plotline has barely any connection to the main one, in both actual content and tone. The primitive plotline doesn't really need the IMC war, and it seems more fantastical in tone than the character based storyline we've been following. It's a shame, because it certainly isn't as dumb as, say, Terror of the Autons - but the contrast makes it look dumber. Putting a cartoony sci-fantasy plotline into the middle of a relatively gritty and straightforward drama of personal politics does neither any favours. Poison gases and booby traps just seem so out of place.
Also, with all the regulars tied into this plotline, it means that we shift focus - the colony aspect seems to shift into subplot in this episode, as the leads are all off on an away day. This is jarring, as for four episodes this is the storyline we've been asked to invest in, so sidelining it is discomforting. And even then, it's hard to see that it's progressed that much since the end of part four.
There doesn't feel like there's much else to say really. Something of a nothing episode, really. A few nice moments (Dent's reaction when Caldwell explains the rocket may explode on the ground is priceless, deft humour). But generally treading water for the final episode.
#490 1 Nov 2006, 10:12 am
The Secretive Bus
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A typical episode 5, then?
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#491 1 Nov 2006, 11:39 am
Dorney
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Secretive Bus
"A typical episode 5, then? "
Gaargh! The Bus manages to say in five words what I took five paragraphs to say!
#492 2 Nov 2006, 1:05 am
Dorney
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Colony in Space 6
Everyone always talks about the word 'Time' in a title making the story rubbish. It strikes me that titles featuring the word 'Space' are invariably rubbish titles. I mean: 'The Wheel in Space'. It's a wheel. It's in space. Is that supposed to excite anyone?
It's telling that it's used a lot in the Pertwee era, yet the novelisations change it every time to something a bit more exciting.
But, with this story at least, it misses the point - in the same way that this final episode sort of does too. The story really isn't about a 'Doomsday Weapon'. It's about a 'Colony in Space'. That's the interesting part. That's the different thing.
You see, Doomsday Weapons aren't that interesting as of themselves. Now, I'm going to contradict that straight away, because I remember that one makes up a very fine episode of Star Trek (not a phrase I often use). But even then, that's entirely due to a bit of thought and excellent character work.
Here, however, you can't help but feel that it's been tacked on in an attempt to justify the Master's presence. It certainly doesn't help that it arrives practically out of nowhere, but a bit more explanation of what it does and how it does it wouldn't go amiss. As it is, the Master just says 'it destroys suns!', without really exploring anything about it. The minimum possible amount of thought has gone into it. It keeps telling us it's a big and important thing, but we never actually see that. The very name of the device is show not tell. It's so cartoony and lacking in any real drama.
And that's such a shame because there is interesting stuff going on in the story, just a bit further away, and it's the plotline we've been following for five episodes. The colony plotline deals in proper drama derived from the interaction of character in a quasi-realistic way (this must be the only Who story that doesn't kill a single villain!) and is so much more absorbing than the Master storyline (that it ultimately doesn't really connect with). As with the last episode, taking the Doctor and Jo away from this plotline doesn't exactly help the story. That's where the story has been going, that's where the climax should take place. The script expects us to find the destruction of a city and people we barely know more dramatically exciting than the end of the story that we've actually been involved with. Removing the Doctor gives the ending of the colony plot a distance that isn't good. Not having the Doctor involved makes it feel like it's somehow less important - the Doctor doesn't have to trouble himself with that, it's small fry, no he needs to deal with the primitives and the Master. That short changes the audience. He effectively stops bothering about the colonists in episode five, and that does unconsciously suggest to us that we should stop bothering about them too.
The colony ending does work though. The sacrifice of Ashe is surprisingly affecting for a series used to people making the noble gesture. I think it's down to him coming across as quite a real person throughout - and the clear effect it has after his death. And Winton has a fight scene that I can't quite figure out if I like or not. It's surprisingly well choreographed for this period, and as a result quite exciting - but it does feel a little like padding. I think I'm going to go down on the side of it being 'good'. The padding thing is probably only a result of the sidelining of this plotline. So, yep, it does work. Another sneak attack ambush is a bit unfortunate, but generally, it does.
So overall? An enjoyable, adult tale for the most part. Very character driven and lacking in sci-fi thrills, but the only people who can complain about that are those who want every episode the same. Generally an interesting mature piece. Shame they kind of forget what makes it unique and interesting in the last few episodes though.
#493 2 Nov 2006, 9:23 pm
The Secretive Bus
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It helps that Ashe is played by John "Tlotoxl" Ringham, a rather great actor.
Surprised you didn't mention the questionable two-burly-chaps-rolling-over-in-the-mud bit.
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#494 3 Nov 2006, 12:33 pm
fortmap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Secretive Bus
"It helps that Ashe is played by John "Tlotoxl" Ringham, a rather great actor.
Surprised you didn't mention the questionable two-burly-chaps-rolling-over-in-the-mud bit. "
Er. He did mention it though.
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#495 3 Nov 2006, 4:51 pm
The Secretive Bus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fortmap
"Er. He did mention it though. 2
OK, Mr Pedantic, he mentioned Winton having a fight. But I was expecting a Dorneyish satirical raising of the eyebrow at the rather saucy content of the fight itself.
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#496 3 Nov 2006, 5:03 pm
Dorney
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Fair point. It did leap out as odd, but I forgot to mention it. In my defence, I was more than a little tired when I was writing the review (I was trying to get it done before leaving my folks place).
And, yep, it is a little obviously dodgy. The way they seem to deliberately pick the marshiest bit of ground. Though the question has to be asked: who's it supposed to be turning on? Terry Walsh and a bloke with a killer tache aren't exactly the most attractive sorts.
#497 4 Nov 2006, 1:50 am
The Secretive Bus
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You took what you could get back then, one supposes. Flashes up Jo Grant's skirt, two burly chaps dry-humping in mud etc. etc.
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#498 5 Nov 2006, 1:36 pm
Llama Roddy
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Nice to see a more balanced review of CiS than most.
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