The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: The Expedition - The Edge Of Destruction
Doctor Who - The Expedition (18/01/04)
Some very dubious ethics on show this week! Unable (or unwilling) to go back to the Dalek city and get the fluid link themselves, the Doctor and Barbara wanted to convince the Thals to help them, but as Ian pointed out, once they've got it what are they going to say to the Thals - "Thank you very much! This bit of machinery is what you've fought and died for."? The Thals are pacifists and refuse to fight. Nonetheless, Ian decided to get Alydon to fight by threatening to take Token Speaking Girl Dyoni to the Daleks in exchange.
Alydon punched him.
I can see the reasoning - that if the Thals aren't willing to fight and the Daleks leave the city to kill them they'll all be slaughtered, but it's a bit of a stretch! Anyhow, the Thals were convinced and a small task force including Ian, Barbara, Ganatus (who's getting on very well with Barbara) and Ganatus' brother have headed off to break into the city from an unprotected side - unprotected apart from a huge toxic lake full of mutations! Meanwhile, in two days, the Doctor will lead an attack from the front. Hmmm...
In the Dalek city, the Daleks have tested the anti-radiation drugs and found they're poisonous to them - the Daleks have evolved to require radiation. So now they plan to explode another neutron bomb which will both wipe out the Thals and the time travellers, and provide the Daleks with another huge dose of radiation. Sounds fair enough. Just as well they've turned out to be evil, though, otherwise Ian would've just persuaded a bunch of Thals to risk their lives unnecessarily, and it looks like one has already been eaten by something in the lake. Dodgy.
Doctor Who - The Ordeal (25/01/04)
'Ordeal' is definitely the right word! While Ian, Barbara and the three remaining Thals spent the ENTIRE episode following caves through a mountain, the Doctor, Susan and Alydon went to the Dalek city, sneaking through the gate with the help of a bunch of Thals with mirrors to shine the sun at the Daleks' CCTV cameras. However, having blown something up, the Doctor and Susan hung around too long and were caught. Fortunately, the Daleks decided not to kill them there and then, but take them into their control room and tell them about their plans to open their nuclear reactors and poison the planet, exterminating the Thals. Er... Like you do...
Meanwhile, Ganatus refused to let his brother, who is clearly terrified, turn back (a choice voided by a rockfall). Then, reaching a chasm, everyone jumped across (attached by a rope to Ian) and made their way along the opposing ledge and round a corner. Antodus, Ganatus' brother, who was last and shitting himself, landed badly and fell backwards into the chasm. Attached to him by the rope, Ian has been left clinging to a cliff face while Antodus swings below him. Very dull and quite stupid in places, and spending far, far too long documenting the leaps over the chasm, this wasn't the greatest episode. Hope next week is better!
Doctor Who - The Rescue (01/02/04)
Well, that was an interesting adventure with a dubious ending. Antodus cut the rope and plummeted to his death allowing the others to carry on, lose hope, then find a way into the Dalek city. The Thals raided the city and met up with Ian's party (making you wonder what the point of Ian's expedition actually was) while the Daleks started their countdown to irradiating the planet. Everyone attacked the control room, freed the Doctor and Susan, and blew something up which closed down the power supply that kept the Daleks alive. Or something. Anyway, they all died allowing the Doctor et al to leave with their fluid link and the Thals to live in safety and peace.
Ganatus had the best line - "If only there had been some other way"! I think I agree with him. I don't think killing off the entire race of Daleks was the best conclusion. That said, we saw that the Dalek Ian took out of its casing survived, at least for a time, so maybe they aren't all dead!
Anyhow, the Doctor got his samples, Susan got a cloak and Barbara got to snog Ganatus (can't say I blame her!) before they all got knocked out in a cliffhanging explosion in the control room of the TARDIS!
There were some great ideas here, the Daleks and especially their city (inside and out) were wonderfully designed, but some of the dialogue and plotting was a bit clunky, and I'm really not sure about the way it was all wound up. Nevertheless, it was a brilliant piece of Science Fiction and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Doctor Who - The Edge Of Destruction (08/02/04)
A really weird but very engaging episode this week. Entirely set inside the spaceship, it was atmospheric and very creepy. Everyone came to with amnesia, but slowly got their memories back. However, the Doctor and Susan woke with severe pain in the back of the neck and the Doctor thinks Ian and Barbara attacked them so as to get him to return to England 1963. Susan and Barbara suspect something has entered the TARDIS as the doors were opening and closing themselves. Susan went absolutely schitz with a huge pair of scissors and the Doctor is being a proper nasty bastard! Barbara tore a shred off him at one point and all the clock faces seem to have melted. The Doctor gave everyone a sedative so he could look at the console while they slept, but now it looks like Ian (probably) has grabbed him by the neck!
I have absolutely no idea what's going on but it's all very good! It was nice to see other parts of the TARDIS, too. There are a couple of bedrooms with pull-down beds (which seem more like curvy sunbeds) and a sedan by the food machine. And the scanner showed a planet called Quinnis which the Doctor and Susan visited before they got to Earth. It would have been nice to have something like this directly after the first episode, but we got Cavemen instead. Still, brilliant stuff!
Some very dubious ethics on show this week! Unable (or unwilling) to go back to the Dalek city and get the fluid link themselves, the Doctor and Barbara wanted to convince the Thals to help them, but as Ian pointed out, once they've got it what are they going to say to the Thals - "Thank you very much! This bit of machinery is what you've fought and died for."? The Thals are pacifists and refuse to fight. Nonetheless, Ian decided to get Alydon to fight by threatening to take Token Speaking Girl Dyoni to the Daleks in exchange.
Alydon punched him.
I can see the reasoning - that if the Thals aren't willing to fight and the Daleks leave the city to kill them they'll all be slaughtered, but it's a bit of a stretch! Anyhow, the Thals were convinced and a small task force including Ian, Barbara, Ganatus (who's getting on very well with Barbara) and Ganatus' brother have headed off to break into the city from an unprotected side - unprotected apart from a huge toxic lake full of mutations! Meanwhile, in two days, the Doctor will lead an attack from the front. Hmmm...
In the Dalek city, the Daleks have tested the anti-radiation drugs and found they're poisonous to them - the Daleks have evolved to require radiation. So now they plan to explode another neutron bomb which will both wipe out the Thals and the time travellers, and provide the Daleks with another huge dose of radiation. Sounds fair enough. Just as well they've turned out to be evil, though, otherwise Ian would've just persuaded a bunch of Thals to risk their lives unnecessarily, and it looks like one has already been eaten by something in the lake. Dodgy.
Doctor Who - The Ordeal (25/01/04)
'Ordeal' is definitely the right word! While Ian, Barbara and the three remaining Thals spent the ENTIRE episode following caves through a mountain, the Doctor, Susan and Alydon went to the Dalek city, sneaking through the gate with the help of a bunch of Thals with mirrors to shine the sun at the Daleks' CCTV cameras. However, having blown something up, the Doctor and Susan hung around too long and were caught. Fortunately, the Daleks decided not to kill them there and then, but take them into their control room and tell them about their plans to open their nuclear reactors and poison the planet, exterminating the Thals. Er... Like you do...
Meanwhile, Ganatus refused to let his brother, who is clearly terrified, turn back (a choice voided by a rockfall). Then, reaching a chasm, everyone jumped across (attached by a rope to Ian) and made their way along the opposing ledge and round a corner. Antodus, Ganatus' brother, who was last and shitting himself, landed badly and fell backwards into the chasm. Attached to him by the rope, Ian has been left clinging to a cliff face while Antodus swings below him. Very dull and quite stupid in places, and spending far, far too long documenting the leaps over the chasm, this wasn't the greatest episode. Hope next week is better!
Doctor Who - The Rescue (01/02/04)
Well, that was an interesting adventure with a dubious ending. Antodus cut the rope and plummeted to his death allowing the others to carry on, lose hope, then find a way into the Dalek city. The Thals raided the city and met up with Ian's party (making you wonder what the point of Ian's expedition actually was) while the Daleks started their countdown to irradiating the planet. Everyone attacked the control room, freed the Doctor and Susan, and blew something up which closed down the power supply that kept the Daleks alive. Or something. Anyway, they all died allowing the Doctor et al to leave with their fluid link and the Thals to live in safety and peace.
Ganatus had the best line - "If only there had been some other way"! I think I agree with him. I don't think killing off the entire race of Daleks was the best conclusion. That said, we saw that the Dalek Ian took out of its casing survived, at least for a time, so maybe they aren't all dead!
Anyhow, the Doctor got his samples, Susan got a cloak and Barbara got to snog Ganatus (can't say I blame her!) before they all got knocked out in a cliffhanging explosion in the control room of the TARDIS!
There were some great ideas here, the Daleks and especially their city (inside and out) were wonderfully designed, but some of the dialogue and plotting was a bit clunky, and I'm really not sure about the way it was all wound up. Nevertheless, it was a brilliant piece of Science Fiction and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Doctor Who - The Edge Of Destruction (08/02/04)
A really weird but very engaging episode this week. Entirely set inside the spaceship, it was atmospheric and very creepy. Everyone came to with amnesia, but slowly got their memories back. However, the Doctor and Susan woke with severe pain in the back of the neck and the Doctor thinks Ian and Barbara attacked them so as to get him to return to England 1963. Susan and Barbara suspect something has entered the TARDIS as the doors were opening and closing themselves. Susan went absolutely schitz with a huge pair of scissors and the Doctor is being a proper nasty bastard! Barbara tore a shred off him at one point and all the clock faces seem to have melted. The Doctor gave everyone a sedative so he could look at the console while they slept, but now it looks like Ian (probably) has grabbed him by the neck!
I have absolutely no idea what's going on but it's all very good! It was nice to see other parts of the TARDIS, too. There are a couple of bedrooms with pull-down beds (which seem more like curvy sunbeds) and a sedan by the food machine. And the scanner showed a planet called Quinnis which the Doctor and Susan visited before they got to Earth. It would have been nice to have something like this directly after the first episode, but we got Cavemen instead. Still, brilliant stuff!
Weird and wonderful and unlike anything else in the series, ever. Again, another very brave choice to fill a gap that will be book-ended by B-movie sci-fi and a lush period drama with this spooky, unpredictable, at times awkward chamber piece. It's also one of the series' most adult stories, or at least certainly one of the least which is 'for children' per se. Serves as a useful coda to the early character arc as well, for all of the characters, and deliberately but also quite effortlessly anthropomorphises the TARDIS as the fifth character in the show. It doesn't always/ultimately make sense, but compared to some stories that's far less of an issue here.
ReplyDeleteA hell of a lot of character detail was invested in the Hartnell era which many completely overlook 'because it's 60s black and white and they didn't do that back then'. Utter bollocks! Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Steven - all had a hell of a lot more character development and nuances than a lot of later fan favourites. Ian and Barbara's journey was often the point of many episodes in the first two seasons and Vicki, as I'll note, is a brilliant character who really comes into her own during the year she's there. The events Inside The Spaceship really delve into the four main characters and take major steps towards smoothing out their differences and paving the way for their significantly long journey with Marco Polo. I know the two episodes were foisted upon the production team for financial reasons rather than narrative, but without them I think that the first season would be decidedly less rich and interesting.
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