The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: The Deadly Assassin
The Deadly Assassin: Part One (30/10/16)
Gosh! What a change in quality! Clever, witty, nicely paced - I guess I should've expected this when it said Robert Holmes wrote this episode.
Receiving a telepathic warning that the President of the Time Lords was to be assassinated, the Doctor headed back to Gallifrey to prevent it. First off, he avoided the guards by setting up a hookah in the console room - which we saw much more of in all its Jules Verne glory this week - but some grotesque, cadaverous bloke seems to be setting the Doctor up, lurking in the shadows and watching what he's doing. He's not the only one, either, as Castellan Spandrell and his sidekick, the very funny Coordinator Engin, are on the Doctor's trail aware that he's a convicted felon. Speaking of which, they appear to be working with a Chancellor Goth who I'm sure is one of the Time Lords who tried the Doctor in 'The War Games', and the Doctor has apparently been working for the Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA, heh!) since his exile, so Goth may be involved in that!
There was a lot of witty banter regarding Politics throughout the episode including some nice scenes with the local Political Commentator who once studied with the Doctor and asked if he'd had a 'face lift'. It all culminated with the Doctor apparently shooting the President as he was about to announce his successor, but I doubt it was actually the Doctor.
Also, the end credits kind of gave away who the cadaver may be: it's only the bloody Master! I know that Roger Delgado had a fatal accident not long after 'Frontier In Space', so his character's return was quite unexpected, but given we're on Gallifrey it's suitably epic.
It all looks very good and has so far been funny, satirical and well directed. Best episode this series and quite fresh thanks to the absence of Sarah Jane bloody Smith (who I've only just realised wasn't there!). A good start to a new era!
The Deadly Assassin: Part Two (06/11/16)
This is turning into quite an interesting story. It's a bit wordy, but clever and has some novel ideas. The Doctor was caught by the guards and put in detention. Meanwhile, Chancellor Goth (who looks like he's next in line to be President [ironic, since next Wednesday the new US President will be elected]) has rushed the Doctor to trial because he doesn't want to have to deal with it once he's sworn in.
However, the Doctor invoked Article 17 - which means he's put himself forward for election (this wouldn't be happening if the previous President hadn't been shot as he would have elected his successor). This has given the Doctor days (instead of hours) to find out whodunnit - and he's done so quite quickly since he realised he'd been stood by a video camera when he shot at the assassin (with a gun with fixed sights which is why he missed). However, the camera technician had gone missing, leaving the comic relief Runcible to go and fetch the film. Instead he found his technician - shrunken inside the camera! This, says the Doctor, is the Master's calling card - and I think it was in his first story.
Then, between them, the Doctor, Castellan Spandrell and Coordinator Engin worked out that the Doctor had been sent the prediction of the President's murder from the APC Net - a computer which contains every Time Lord's consciousness after they die in order to predict the future, or something. So they've hooked the Doctor up to it to see if he can find out who's helping the Master and what their plans are.
Turns out that the APC Net looks like a quarry full of Samurai, WWII soldiers and plastic crocodiles. The cliffhanger saw the Doctor about to be mown down by a small train driven by the Master's accomplice.
It's not bad, less humorous than last week, but clever. Not sure about the Master, though. He seems quite unlike the Delgado version, more an horrific contrast to the Doctor than his intellectual adversary. More a monster than a villain. But we'll see how it turns out.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Three (13/11/16)
Well, given that the majority of this week's episode took place in the fictional landscapes of the APC Net, that wasn't bad; especially considering it was all a game of cat and mouse between the Master's stooge - who turned out to be Chancellor Goth (obvious when you think about it) - and the Doctor.
There was great use of the locations and some of it almost evoked those Vietnam War movies (almost) and not some quarry in the Home Counties. This was all occasionally interrupted by the Master urging on the prone form of Goth in his APC Net machine or Spandrell and Engin commenting on the Doctor's physical condition. At one point, the Master sent one of the Chancellery Guards (who he'd hypnotised) to fuck with the machine and kill the Doctor, but Engin clocked what he was doing and Spandrell shot him. The guard, not Engin. That would've been silly.
It all came to a head after the Doctor had been shot twice and stumbled across some marsh gas by a river. Goth came along and the Doctor got him to reveal his face, then let himself be seen or something so that Goth fired his rifle and ignited the gas. Goth fell into the water, burning, and the Doctor went over to look for him. That's when Goth leapt up and two men that were very obviously stunt doubles in the long shots had a fight in the river. Goth won and held the Doctor's head underwater saying he was finished. Cue dramatic freeze-frame and end credits.
Not bad for an episode where bugger all happened starring 6 cast. Obviously, the Doctor will survive, but this story has left me completely unable to figure out what will happen next. So far the best story this series!
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four (20/11/16)
So, at the end of last week's episode Chancellor Goth was drowning the Doctor and claiming he was 'finished'. However, after the recap, Goth let go of the Doctor and it turned out he was far from finished cuz he stood up and twatted Goth with a big stick.
On the whole the episode was enjoyable, although I can't say I'm entirely sure what happened. Somehow, the Doctor turned out to be stronger than Goth and escaped, regaining consciousness. The Master tried to stop him, burning out Goth's mind in the process, then poisoned himself to make it look like he was dead. The Doctor, Spandrell and Engin located the Master's lair in time for Goth to explain he'd helped the Master for power, then their bodies were taken to the morgue (the Master and Goth's, not the others - that would've been silly) while the Doctor worked out that the Master was still alive (some guards found the Master's syringe) and had intended to go to the morgue as that's where the President was, still wearing the Sash of Rassilon which, along with the Rod of Rassilon, would raise a monolith in the Panopticon which was the Eye of Harmony which had something to do with Rassilon and power and the Time Lords and Black Holes, which would rejuvenate the Master as he'd reached the end of his Twelfth regeneration (hence the cadaverous visage) and was trying to avoid dying.
He failed.
He and the Doctor had a fight - a lot less eloquent and stylish than if it had been Pertwee and Delgado, I'm afraid - and the Doctor put the Eye back together while the Master fell down a crevasse. There were a couple of scenes between the Doctor, Borusa, Spandrell and Engin which included some witty banter about politics, and the Doctor left - only for Spandrell and Engin to see the Master bugger off after him in his Grandfather Clock TARDIS.
I quite liked Spandrell and Engin and hope we meet them again. It was a very odd story, though, and there's no more until New Year's Day now! All in all, the best story yet this series, and as good as 'The Seeds Of Doom' if not the Zygon story last series.
I wonder what the New Year will bring!
Gosh! What a change in quality! Clever, witty, nicely paced - I guess I should've expected this when it said Robert Holmes wrote this episode.
Receiving a telepathic warning that the President of the Time Lords was to be assassinated, the Doctor headed back to Gallifrey to prevent it. First off, he avoided the guards by setting up a hookah in the console room - which we saw much more of in all its Jules Verne glory this week - but some grotesque, cadaverous bloke seems to be setting the Doctor up, lurking in the shadows and watching what he's doing. He's not the only one, either, as Castellan Spandrell and his sidekick, the very funny Coordinator Engin, are on the Doctor's trail aware that he's a convicted felon. Speaking of which, they appear to be working with a Chancellor Goth who I'm sure is one of the Time Lords who tried the Doctor in 'The War Games', and the Doctor has apparently been working for the Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA, heh!) since his exile, so Goth may be involved in that!
There was a lot of witty banter regarding Politics throughout the episode including some nice scenes with the local Political Commentator who once studied with the Doctor and asked if he'd had a 'face lift'. It all culminated with the Doctor apparently shooting the President as he was about to announce his successor, but I doubt it was actually the Doctor.
Also, the end credits kind of gave away who the cadaver may be: it's only the bloody Master! I know that Roger Delgado had a fatal accident not long after 'Frontier In Space', so his character's return was quite unexpected, but given we're on Gallifrey it's suitably epic.
It all looks very good and has so far been funny, satirical and well directed. Best episode this series and quite fresh thanks to the absence of Sarah Jane bloody Smith (who I've only just realised wasn't there!). A good start to a new era!
The Deadly Assassin: Part Two (06/11/16)
This is turning into quite an interesting story. It's a bit wordy, but clever and has some novel ideas. The Doctor was caught by the guards and put in detention. Meanwhile, Chancellor Goth (who looks like he's next in line to be President [ironic, since next Wednesday the new US President will be elected]) has rushed the Doctor to trial because he doesn't want to have to deal with it once he's sworn in.
However, the Doctor invoked Article 17 - which means he's put himself forward for election (this wouldn't be happening if the previous President hadn't been shot as he would have elected his successor). This has given the Doctor days (instead of hours) to find out whodunnit - and he's done so quite quickly since he realised he'd been stood by a video camera when he shot at the assassin (with a gun with fixed sights which is why he missed). However, the camera technician had gone missing, leaving the comic relief Runcible to go and fetch the film. Instead he found his technician - shrunken inside the camera! This, says the Doctor, is the Master's calling card - and I think it was in his first story.
Then, between them, the Doctor, Castellan Spandrell and Coordinator Engin worked out that the Doctor had been sent the prediction of the President's murder from the APC Net - a computer which contains every Time Lord's consciousness after they die in order to predict the future, or something. So they've hooked the Doctor up to it to see if he can find out who's helping the Master and what their plans are.
Turns out that the APC Net looks like a quarry full of Samurai, WWII soldiers and plastic crocodiles. The cliffhanger saw the Doctor about to be mown down by a small train driven by the Master's accomplice.
It's not bad, less humorous than last week, but clever. Not sure about the Master, though. He seems quite unlike the Delgado version, more an horrific contrast to the Doctor than his intellectual adversary. More a monster than a villain. But we'll see how it turns out.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Three (13/11/16)
Well, given that the majority of this week's episode took place in the fictional landscapes of the APC Net, that wasn't bad; especially considering it was all a game of cat and mouse between the Master's stooge - who turned out to be Chancellor Goth (obvious when you think about it) - and the Doctor.
There was great use of the locations and some of it almost evoked those Vietnam War movies (almost) and not some quarry in the Home Counties. This was all occasionally interrupted by the Master urging on the prone form of Goth in his APC Net machine or Spandrell and Engin commenting on the Doctor's physical condition. At one point, the Master sent one of the Chancellery Guards (who he'd hypnotised) to fuck with the machine and kill the Doctor, but Engin clocked what he was doing and Spandrell shot him. The guard, not Engin. That would've been silly.
It all came to a head after the Doctor had been shot twice and stumbled across some marsh gas by a river. Goth came along and the Doctor got him to reveal his face, then let himself be seen or something so that Goth fired his rifle and ignited the gas. Goth fell into the water, burning, and the Doctor went over to look for him. That's when Goth leapt up and two men that were very obviously stunt doubles in the long shots had a fight in the river. Goth won and held the Doctor's head underwater saying he was finished. Cue dramatic freeze-frame and end credits.
Not bad for an episode where bugger all happened starring 6 cast. Obviously, the Doctor will survive, but this story has left me completely unable to figure out what will happen next. So far the best story this series!
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four (20/11/16)
So, at the end of last week's episode Chancellor Goth was drowning the Doctor and claiming he was 'finished'. However, after the recap, Goth let go of the Doctor and it turned out he was far from finished cuz he stood up and twatted Goth with a big stick.
On the whole the episode was enjoyable, although I can't say I'm entirely sure what happened. Somehow, the Doctor turned out to be stronger than Goth and escaped, regaining consciousness. The Master tried to stop him, burning out Goth's mind in the process, then poisoned himself to make it look like he was dead. The Doctor, Spandrell and Engin located the Master's lair in time for Goth to explain he'd helped the Master for power, then their bodies were taken to the morgue (the Master and Goth's, not the others - that would've been silly) while the Doctor worked out that the Master was still alive (some guards found the Master's syringe) and had intended to go to the morgue as that's where the President was, still wearing the Sash of Rassilon which, along with the Rod of Rassilon, would raise a monolith in the Panopticon which was the Eye of Harmony which had something to do with Rassilon and power and the Time Lords and Black Holes, which would rejuvenate the Master as he'd reached the end of his Twelfth regeneration (hence the cadaverous visage) and was trying to avoid dying.
He failed.
He and the Doctor had a fight - a lot less eloquent and stylish than if it had been Pertwee and Delgado, I'm afraid - and the Doctor put the Eye back together while the Master fell down a crevasse. There were a couple of scenes between the Doctor, Borusa, Spandrell and Engin which included some witty banter about politics, and the Doctor left - only for Spandrell and Engin to see the Master bugger off after him in his Grandfather Clock TARDIS.
I quite liked Spandrell and Engin and hope we meet them again. It was a very odd story, though, and there's no more until New Year's Day now! All in all, the best story yet this series, and as good as 'The Seeds Of Doom' if not the Zygon story last series.
I wonder what the New Year will bring!
LEELA!
ReplyDeleteIt's an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Robert Holmes' back catalogue (with a few less rewarding options in there as well, to be fair), but this is one of his zingiest scripts going, full of knowing dialogue and more arch than the roof of the Panopticon. It's wonderful. The stuff in the Matrix goes on too long - there's a reason Terrance Dicks condensed it into a chapter-and-a-half in the novelisation - but it also makes the story what it is, which is a fascinating oddity the only exists, and could only have existed, at this particular point in the show's run. There's a lot about it that shouldn't work but just does, because everything's slightly twisted - not least of which the cliffhanger to the first episode, which we've already seen happen but are given again from a different perspective, and which, with the freeze-frame and the way the incidental music reaches such a crescendo, is one of the best the series has ever given us. It's also interesting that even for those of us who otherwise might have missed Sarah, the lack of a companion here isn't really felt. You can understand why Tom Baker got ideas into his head around this period about the Doctor not needing a companion at all.
I'll be honest. I never really liked this story.
DeleteI first saw it when it came out on VHS and I borrowed it off my mate Jon (he who got me into the series in the first place). I thought it was clever, but didn't really know who the Master was and thought all the political stuff was a bit silly. The third episode bored me and I just wasn't interested. This probably stems from the fact that at the time I found both politics and Time Lords pretty dull.
When it came out on DVD it wasn't one I bought immediately on release and I think I ended up buying it second hand, probably from CeX. I had a copy recorded off UK Gold, so it wasn't at the top of my list. I remember quite enjoying it, though, when I got round to watching the DVD, but it still wasn't one which I watched very often. Subsequently, I'd not seen it in a very long time - maybe a couple of years or more - when I reached it in my marathon, and I was a little apprehensive about what I'd think.
It was a very nice surprise to find how funny and satirical it is, as I'd developed the opinion it was quite a dry and humourless story. In the first couple of episodes there were a number of laugh-out-loud moments, so I came away from it quite impressed and (much like with my experience of the Pertwee era) surprised to find I'd really enjoyed it. I now think it's one of Tom's best serials, certainly in the Top 10, and I'm glad I got the chance to reappraise it. And I'm definitely going to have to track down the novelisation!