I had to run some errands tonight, so I get started a little later than expected. But these errands were extremely productive. I joined a gym. It’s something that I never expected to do. But it felt right, and it felt good. Working out is proving to be very valuable; in the same way that this journey is. But whereas watching “Doctor Who” is comforting, working out is invigorating. Both are important to me, as I try to find out, or even rediscover, what else I want to have in my life, and what else makes me who I am.
Episode 1 – The Watcher
This will be strange. The first story I watch without Ian and Barbara. The Doctor and Vicki are feeling the same sense of melancholy. They seem to start feeling better when they get to see Steven though, and realize that they are not alone. Of course, the Doctor feeling the need to put in his usual airs and graces when someone uninvited enters the TARDIS, and ensure that they know their place in the pecking order.
That monk is very mysterious. I wonder what he wonders about! He seems extremely interested in the TARDIS.
Steven certainly takes some convincing that he has traveled in time, doesn’t he? Hopefully running into the natives will help him believe them. Vicki is very frustrated by the whole thing, and seems to be almost embarrassed at the “technical glitches” that she and the Doctor keep having to confess to.
The Doctor shows off that charming side of his personality again; which always seems to come to the fore with the women he encounters. Far more so than with the men he meets. Anyone who says that the Doctor never flirted before the New Series, has either never watched the 1st Doctor, or just wasn’t paying attention. He gets all the information, along with a nice meal, he needs from Edith, with his sweet talking! And then we get a little history lesson, so the show continues to fulfill its educational remit!
Oh how funny. The monks seem to be getting a little tired, as their chanting slows down all of a sudden. It’s a great audio joke, and the change in the Doctor’s demeanor is immediate! He smells something is up, and cannot wait to find out what it is!
Vicki and Steven have found their own mystery – a 20th century wristwatch. It’s an interesting device, having a doubting companion in the first story that merges the historical with the good vs. evil type of story, and plants some nice doubts in the mind of the viewer.
Well that was a silly trap the Doctor fell into. Just as he thought he was finding something out. Peter Butterworth has a great laugh, though. It’s mischievous rather than evil, and has a delightfully hard edge to it.
Episode 2 – The Meddling Monk
The monk really doesn’t seem to be all that malicious. He even shows the Doctor quite a lot of hospitality, despite the accommodation being rather harsh. Some of the locals on the other hand seem rather more dangerous. Once Vicki gives them a piece of her mind, however, they become a lot more peaceful. The Doctor really made an impression on Edith when he was charming her in the previous episode, and it’s just as well. It’s what provides Steven and Vicki with enough clues to know where to go next.
This episode builds the tension nicely about the forthcoming invasion, as the Viking advance guard creep around the forest, and the Saxons are expecting invaders so they are creeping round the forest as well. You expect them to meet, but it’s too early in the story for that.
The monk is definitely cunning, and Peter Butterworth is obviously having a ball playing the character.
Episode 3 – A Battle of Wits
The Doctor seems very free with his future knowledge with the young woman in the village. I’m sure it’s because she will likely not have the influence to affect the future, but in a story that is about foiling an adversary who is trying to change history, it seems peculiar to talk openly about his knowledge of the future.
The Monk’s progress chart is a great gag. What kind of evil genius writes a checklist telling everyone about his plans? It demonstrates that the Monk isn’t really evil, just mischievous. I am also surprised that he does all his calculations with maps and compasses and other similar devices, rather than having computers do all the work for him. Even though these devices are ahead of the time in which the story is set, they are not so outlandish they would be suspicious. Alternatively, the Monk is just old school and likes to go “hands-free”!
The fear and sadness on Vicki’s face as she considers the possibility that the Doctor has left them behind is very touching. She should know him better than that right now, and Maureen O’Brien’s expressions convey that as well. It just goes to show that once the thought of something wrong hits you, even with someone you know well, it can be very difficult to shake until you have it proved otherwise.
Hartnell and Butterworth are fantastic together and spar wonderfully. The dialog is not as rich or sparkling as some previous stories, even the previous historical stories written by Spooner himself, but these two actors make it jump of the screen nonetheless.
I wonder what Edit and Wulnoth were up to when the monk called on them so early in the morning. They both look rather disheveled! How risqué for Saturday teatime viewing! They also show themselves to be far smarter than the Monk considers them to be! They have good instincts, helped by what the Doctor has told them, and those suspicions will end up helping the resolution of the story.
Here’s a big revelation. The TARDIS is not unique. The Monk has one as well! That is a really good cliffhanger, and one that is different from what we usually get. For once it’s not about any danger that the characters might be in, but instead we get a reveal that we had never expected, about our main character.
Episode 4 - Checkmate
It’s interesting how the Monk’s TARDIS is shot from different angles than we are used to when we see the Doctor’s ship. It makes it feel different, even though it is the same set.
The Monk is such a fun character, with all sorts of fun motivation; he has collecting interests, he helped build Stonehenge; he delights in putting ideas in people’s head, and just meddling. His justification for doing so is quite compelling as well. Certainly it’s wrong, but it is hard to dislike him.
Once again, showing people kindness and doing the right thing for them once again saves the day. Even in his absence the Doctor and his friends have inspired the villagers to do the right thing and not help the Monk complete his plan. Their actions also lead them to rescuing the Doctor, Vicki and Steven.
Doctor’s trap for the monk is rather clever and takes full advantage of what we know about what a TARDIS can do. It’s cruel in a way, but I get the impression that the Doctor doesn’t want to destroy, the Monk, but simply prevent him from doing any damage to the timeline. If he’s honest, he has rather enjoyed their meeting and their battle of wits and would quite like there to be a rematch!
Butterworth looks so disheveled after his escape from the Saxon villagers. His despair as he looks inside his TARDIS is quite genuine – that’s a very impressive shot actually. It looks good! It won’t do him any good ranting at the sky though!
So I’ve reached the end of the second series of Doctor Who. It’s been a year of change, much as I feel I have made a lot of changes in the week since I finished the first series. We started with the original crew, and by the end of the year we have two new companions for the Doctor, and we know that the TARDIS is not unique, and that there are other people out there like the Doctor. As if to emphasize this change, we get the faces of our new crew over a star-scape, looking onwards to their new adventures. Roll on year three.
No comments:
Post a Comment