Musings from Ep 5;
- "have you processed the pictures?" indeed! Seems Dalek Errand was sent down the Kodak shop to pick up their prisoner pics! Then they pretty much have a slide evening with another Dalek impatiently calling 'next'. You almost expect them to bust out the fondue set. They've certainly got the plungers for it.
- A few lovely lines from Billy H; "tempting providence Chesterman" and "well at least you're not vindictive" after they air their 'fluid link' dirty linen.
- Another nice line from The Doctor about triumph of brain over brawn "the mind will always triumph"...followed closely by a ideological stinker "no time for morals, they must fight for us". ???
- The whole tone of the first half of this episode, which is spent manipulating the Thals to help them, is just wrong. I've watched it a few times and I think I'm right. Ok, they are shitscared, they want to escape, but the only one who has real qualms about using the Thals as sheep to drive across the minefield (Ian) then manipulates them in a most calculating fashion after bowing to pressure. Why the hell should the Thals help? There is no sense that the Doctor or Barbara feel that the Thals' are themselves in any real danger from the Daleks at that point, or concern for the Thals' welfare. It's just "they have to help us because they have to help us, some of them might die but, they have to help us". Fuckers! Maybe I've never been there. Maybe I'm wrong that it's wrong. Maybe it's easy to say behind a computer in casual comfort.
- Basically, Barbara and the Doctor feel that the fluid link and their escape are more important than this ready army of quaint natives. I think it's nasty and I've never found Barbara particularly so unlikable. She comes over as dour, humourless, utterly self-interested and manipulative (pushing Ian to have the hard conversations indeed - from an independent and capable woman) callous even; words I thought I'd never say about Barbara. The way she says 'how you two can stand around having idle chit chat' or words to that effect to the Doctor and Ian, you just want to tell her to fuck off and go jump in the swamp. Oh Babs! how the lofty have displeased me.
- Susan gets its sort of right in saying the Thals need to want to fight for themsleves, as well as of course be the frontline fodder for the fucking fluid link retrieval. Even the way Ian disses and dismisses their history box smacks of superior colonials assuming superior intellect and superior ways.
- "Are they cowards or just against fighting on principle". There are lots of lines like that; things that make me go grrr!
- The first half of the episode is pretty awful tone wise and I feel very little for the principals in their plight, maybe Ian a bit and perhaps Susan who provides some balance. Some critics have called this impasse very realistic, maybe it is, maybe people are more moral and heroic in fiction and we get fooled by it all the time, maybe 'Terry Nay-Fiction' is more real. I know for sure that he has all the subtlety of a blunt sledgehammer.
- Enjoyed the scenes where the Daleks work out they now are dependent on radiation.
- Nice scene between Ganatus and Barbara in the caves. Ganatus is now waxing nobly heroic and gently sensitive and less simpering, petulant ponce. Nice change of gear from whoever he is. Barbara has her eye on him too.
- Ok, thinking about Barbara W again, is she out of character or does she grow into character in coming stories? They (our intrepids) haven't really had a break from white-knuckle danger and threat of death following straight through from 'An Unearthly Child'. Maybe it is through the next few stories she gets her 'terrifying travel' legs and is able to keep a greater sense of composure and her scruples. It is a revelation to watch Barbara 'in order'. Maybe I'll just shut up and let it (and her) unfold.
- The Cardboard Dalek crew! Their debut! Even worse than the ones in Power OTD. Had forgotten about these ones. Maybe less obvious on grainy VHS, now painfully obvious on DVD.
- Stretchy lake monster is very effective. Swamp effective full-stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment