The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: The Web Planet - The Centre
Doctor Who - The Web Planet (13/02/05)
What a very strange episode! After the recognisable history of the last story and the spaceship and the people of Vicki's first story (not to mention the London of the Dalek story) this one was very weird. The TARDIS has landed on a planet of crags and acid pools which also appears to have a lot of moons. The atmosphere is all blurry and echo-y and there are what can only be described as Pantomime Ants and Woodlice hiding about the place! Oh, and the Doctor and Ian found a big pyramid thing. The story also seems to have had a funny effect of the Doctor who, having donned his space anorak, seemed to have a giggling fit upon leaving the TARDIS.
Actually, he's not the only one acting weird: Barbara left the TARDIS seemingly led by the bracelet Nero gave her last week (oh, she's told Vicki what happened, but got distracted) and Vicki's been hearing high pitched noises. And Ian made a fuss about his pen and his tie!
No, this is a weird one - not necessarily in a bad way, but so far you've just seen the TARDIS crew and some very alien aliens who don't even speak English! They appear to speak Car Alarm, though. I'm interested to see where this is going as so far I haven't a fucking clue. Something dragged the TARDIS to the planet, but there's not even a tiny clue who, and everyone's been split up. And what's all this web stuff?
Doctor Who - The Zarbi (20/02/05)
Right then. Fey Butterfly People. Just when you thought this story was weird enough, the Fey Butterfly People turn up to debate killing Barbara. Okay, so they didn't do it - Babs scarpered while they were chatting. Then the Zarbi - those Panto Ants - caught her, stuck some gold around her neck which put her into a trance and tracked down the Butterflies.
The Doctor and Ian found Vicki in Zarbi HQ, and the Zarbi killed a Butterfly, tortured another and let the female one escape. The episode ended with the Doctor being interrogated by a hairdryer with a woman's voice.
God knows what's going on, but it's very intriguing. Oh, and one last thing - the Butterflies had a very cool crystalline communicator which they had to destroy.
I'm quite weirded out by this one.
Doctor Who - Escape To Danger (27/02/05)
Okay, so I'm really liking this one now!
There was finally a partial explanation to what the hell's going on towards the end of this episode: The Menoptera (Butterflies) lived on Vortis with the cattle-like Zarbi. Then the Animus (disembodied female voice) appeared with her web and took control of the Zarbi. The Menoptera were overwhelmed and fled to one of the moons that had appeared with the Animus, and are planning to attack to reclaim Vortis!
Ian escaped Zarbi HQ - the Doctor played a very dangerous game bluffing the Animus against the threat of death - Vicki prevented the TARDIS from being destroyed and found the Zarbi are scared of spider-like dead things - Ian encountered Vrestin (Menoptera lass) off screen and learnt the above exposition before the fell down a crevasse being persued by Zarbi!
Not bad for a Barbara-free episode! Oh, and there was a cool bit where a larvae thing zipped across the screen - looked like great fun!
Now we have some explanations it doesn't seem quite so weird, but it's very intriguing. I'm looking forward to Ian and Vrestin rescuing Barbara - hope it's next week!
Doctor Who - Crater Of Needles (06/03/05)
The Menoptera invasion force arrived this week, but the Animus has found out about their plans and the episode culminated with a battle on the plateau. Lots more Barbara this week, helping her three Menoptera co-captives escape after learning a bit more about Vortis - apparently, the plant life the prisoners are feeding into the acid pools is carried to the Carsenome where the Animus is holed up and used to spread the pyramid structure over the whole planet's surface.
Ian and Vrestin encountered some primitive subterranean locals; Optera (kin to the Menoptera who they have come to view as gods), who have taken them captive and may have killed them if Vrestin hadn't spread her wings.
The Animus, meanwhile, threatened to kill Vicki if the Doctor didn't give the location of the Menoptera invasion fleet. He stalled for time and figured out that the gold harnesses the Zarbi have used to control Vicki can be reversed, and he tried to do it so they could control a Zarbi. However, the Animus interrupted and, while being interrogated, a component the Doctor was holding received a transmission from the Menoptera giving away their plans.
It's all very good, and despite the entire guest cast being entirely costumed as aliens it's quite easy to follow and know who's who. All very thrilling.
Doctor Who - Invasion (13/03/05)
Things appear to be coming to a conclusion this week. Barbara and her two Menoptera friends escaped through a hidden door to one of the Ancients' Temples Of Light. Here they met up with the young female Menoptera (Hlynia) and the leader of the failed spearhead (Hilio), and Barbara started planning a way of defeating the Animus using the matter-destroying device Hilio had with him.
Ian and Vrestin convinced the Optera to help lead them to the Carsenome, but on the way, whilst digging, they broke through an acid stream and the small female, Nemini, saved them by plugging it with her head - really nasty when you think about it!
The Doctor and Vicki, meanwhile, took control of the Zarbi using the altered harness and the Doctor's ring and escaped, then found the Temple Of Light, reuniting with Barbara and the Menoptera, and working out a plan to defeat the Animus. While Barbara and the Menoptera carry out a diversionary attack, the Doctor and Vicki have re-entered the Carsenome with the Device to use it on the Animus. But on arrival they were caught and immobilised with web!
This story requires a lot of concentration due to the strangeness of the characters, but it's worth it. And the Optera in particular have a very poetic way of speaking. Really inventive and interesting.
Doctor Who - The Centre (20/03/05)
That's undoubtedly the weirdest story the series has had! Really bizarre! The Doctor and Vicki got taken to the Centre where the Animus dwelt; a strange, tentacley, spidery thing hovering over a glowing, bulbous mass - and huge too! But Vicki had hidden the Isop-Tope in the Doctor's Astral Map machine. While Ian, Vrestin and the Optera leader climbed up to the Centre from the caves below, Barbara and the other Menoptera raided the Carsenome, Hrostar dying in the process. They then all stormed the Centre (as Ian broke through the floor) and Barbara used the Isop-Tope (which she'd found whilst trying to get the Astral Map to work and contact the Menoptera fleet) which eventually killed the Animus. The Zarbi and their Larvae were freed and Vortis was left to return to normal, water running freely on the surface again.
It all ended with a very poetic speech from Prapillus and Vrestin calling the Mentoptera home. A bit anti-climactic re: the Animus as it was huge but static. Incidental music may have helped, but overall I think it was quite a weird and wonderful story. I don't think I could handle it every week, though. Understanding the aliens' speech patterns and body language took a lot of concentration.
What a very strange episode! After the recognisable history of the last story and the spaceship and the people of Vicki's first story (not to mention the London of the Dalek story) this one was very weird. The TARDIS has landed on a planet of crags and acid pools which also appears to have a lot of moons. The atmosphere is all blurry and echo-y and there are what can only be described as Pantomime Ants and Woodlice hiding about the place! Oh, and the Doctor and Ian found a big pyramid thing. The story also seems to have had a funny effect of the Doctor who, having donned his space anorak, seemed to have a giggling fit upon leaving the TARDIS.
Actually, he's not the only one acting weird: Barbara left the TARDIS seemingly led by the bracelet Nero gave her last week (oh, she's told Vicki what happened, but got distracted) and Vicki's been hearing high pitched noises. And Ian made a fuss about his pen and his tie!
No, this is a weird one - not necessarily in a bad way, but so far you've just seen the TARDIS crew and some very alien aliens who don't even speak English! They appear to speak Car Alarm, though. I'm interested to see where this is going as so far I haven't a fucking clue. Something dragged the TARDIS to the planet, but there's not even a tiny clue who, and everyone's been split up. And what's all this web stuff?
Doctor Who - The Zarbi (20/02/05)
Right then. Fey Butterfly People. Just when you thought this story was weird enough, the Fey Butterfly People turn up to debate killing Barbara. Okay, so they didn't do it - Babs scarpered while they were chatting. Then the Zarbi - those Panto Ants - caught her, stuck some gold around her neck which put her into a trance and tracked down the Butterflies.
The Doctor and Ian found Vicki in Zarbi HQ, and the Zarbi killed a Butterfly, tortured another and let the female one escape. The episode ended with the Doctor being interrogated by a hairdryer with a woman's voice.
God knows what's going on, but it's very intriguing. Oh, and one last thing - the Butterflies had a very cool crystalline communicator which they had to destroy.
I'm quite weirded out by this one.
Doctor Who - Escape To Danger (27/02/05)
Okay, so I'm really liking this one now!
There was finally a partial explanation to what the hell's going on towards the end of this episode: The Menoptera (Butterflies) lived on Vortis with the cattle-like Zarbi. Then the Animus (disembodied female voice) appeared with her web and took control of the Zarbi. The Menoptera were overwhelmed and fled to one of the moons that had appeared with the Animus, and are planning to attack to reclaim Vortis!
Ian escaped Zarbi HQ - the Doctor played a very dangerous game bluffing the Animus against the threat of death - Vicki prevented the TARDIS from being destroyed and found the Zarbi are scared of spider-like dead things - Ian encountered Vrestin (Menoptera lass) off screen and learnt the above exposition before the fell down a crevasse being persued by Zarbi!
Not bad for a Barbara-free episode! Oh, and there was a cool bit where a larvae thing zipped across the screen - looked like great fun!
Now we have some explanations it doesn't seem quite so weird, but it's very intriguing. I'm looking forward to Ian and Vrestin rescuing Barbara - hope it's next week!
Doctor Who - Crater Of Needles (06/03/05)
The Menoptera invasion force arrived this week, but the Animus has found out about their plans and the episode culminated with a battle on the plateau. Lots more Barbara this week, helping her three Menoptera co-captives escape after learning a bit more about Vortis - apparently, the plant life the prisoners are feeding into the acid pools is carried to the Carsenome where the Animus is holed up and used to spread the pyramid structure over the whole planet's surface.
Ian and Vrestin encountered some primitive subterranean locals; Optera (kin to the Menoptera who they have come to view as gods), who have taken them captive and may have killed them if Vrestin hadn't spread her wings.
The Animus, meanwhile, threatened to kill Vicki if the Doctor didn't give the location of the Menoptera invasion fleet. He stalled for time and figured out that the gold harnesses the Zarbi have used to control Vicki can be reversed, and he tried to do it so they could control a Zarbi. However, the Animus interrupted and, while being interrogated, a component the Doctor was holding received a transmission from the Menoptera giving away their plans.
It's all very good, and despite the entire guest cast being entirely costumed as aliens it's quite easy to follow and know who's who. All very thrilling.
Doctor Who - Invasion (13/03/05)
Things appear to be coming to a conclusion this week. Barbara and her two Menoptera friends escaped through a hidden door to one of the Ancients' Temples Of Light. Here they met up with the young female Menoptera (Hlynia) and the leader of the failed spearhead (Hilio), and Barbara started planning a way of defeating the Animus using the matter-destroying device Hilio had with him.
Ian and Vrestin convinced the Optera to help lead them to the Carsenome, but on the way, whilst digging, they broke through an acid stream and the small female, Nemini, saved them by plugging it with her head - really nasty when you think about it!
The Doctor and Vicki, meanwhile, took control of the Zarbi using the altered harness and the Doctor's ring and escaped, then found the Temple Of Light, reuniting with Barbara and the Menoptera, and working out a plan to defeat the Animus. While Barbara and the Menoptera carry out a diversionary attack, the Doctor and Vicki have re-entered the Carsenome with the Device to use it on the Animus. But on arrival they were caught and immobilised with web!
This story requires a lot of concentration due to the strangeness of the characters, but it's worth it. And the Optera in particular have a very poetic way of speaking. Really inventive and interesting.
Doctor Who - The Centre (20/03/05)
That's undoubtedly the weirdest story the series has had! Really bizarre! The Doctor and Vicki got taken to the Centre where the Animus dwelt; a strange, tentacley, spidery thing hovering over a glowing, bulbous mass - and huge too! But Vicki had hidden the Isop-Tope in the Doctor's Astral Map machine. While Ian, Vrestin and the Optera leader climbed up to the Centre from the caves below, Barbara and the other Menoptera raided the Carsenome, Hrostar dying in the process. They then all stormed the Centre (as Ian broke through the floor) and Barbara used the Isop-Tope (which she'd found whilst trying to get the Astral Map to work and contact the Menoptera fleet) which eventually killed the Animus. The Zarbi and their Larvae were freed and Vortis was left to return to normal, water running freely on the surface again.
It all ended with a very poetic speech from Prapillus and Vrestin calling the Mentoptera home. A bit anti-climactic re: the Animus as it was huge but static. Incidental music may have helped, but overall I think it was quite a weird and wonderful story. I don't think I could handle it every week, though. Understanding the aliens' speech patterns and body language took a lot of concentration.
Hugely undervalued, this, if for no other reason than the ambition of it given the limitations it had to work within. But it also has some nice writing and very effective world-building. It's telling that not even the new series would attempt this, and I've always loved it for its bravery. It's by no means perfect, but it's a lot better than it's given credit for.
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