Day 8 - The Reign of Terror

My first full weekend on my own, with little work to get on with to keep me occupied. At least with work during the week I have something to concentrate on. Thank goodness for the dog, who is snuggled up next to me; as close as he can get. I do need to finish writing up the last few days of the blog and turning my notes into sentences, however, which is the point of this after all. The first few comments were posted yesterday, so somebody is reading it.

I’ve started some re-organization as well. I need to clear out an awful lot of books that I know I will never read again. I also have to go through volumes of paperwork that have accumulated over the years and get rid of that as well. It will make any future moves less painful; especially if things change as I continue to hope; however unlikely that might be.

Episode 1 – A Land of Fear

Ian and Barbara can wrap the Doctor around their little finger now. They know how to appeal to his vanity and pride. It really was a manufactured cliffhanger last week, but it does make for a delightful opening TARDIS scene that highlights the chemistry between the regulars.

Of course they’re not back in 1960s England. I don’t think Ian’s that disappointed at all, based on the looks he is giving Barbara, and she is certainly very happy to continue being with Ian. That easy intimacy I talked about previously is back in that little scene, showing two people who seem to be a lot more than friends.

I love that the cast get to dress up again. This has happened in all the historicals to date (except for the caveman story, which doesn’t really count), and I appreciate that an effort is made to have the characters blend in with their surroundings, which doesn’t always happen in later years. The Doctor can always be excused, but not always the companions.

This story places our heroes in far greater peril than in their previous forays into history. They have no identity, everyone is suspicious of them, and so far they have found no allies, as they have before. I wonder if Susan ever got to read the book on The French Revolution that Barbara was lending her in the opening episode. It would have come in handy, even though she appeared to think that it was inaccurate.

Episode 2 – Guests of Madame Guillotine

There’s an effective use of woodcuttings to set the scene in Paris at the opening to this episode. It’s adds a sense of scale to the story and sets it firmly in a place that everyone should be familiar with; the Paris Conciergerie!

This being a Dennis Spooner story it’s not all doom and gloom of course. We have the lecherous comedy prison warden as our first figure of fun, and later in the episode the chain gang warden that the Doctor has a run in with.

Oooh! Our first location work of the series. Even if it’s just a few shots of Hartnell walking in the country, it’s still lovely to see.

It’s all go in the rest of the episode. Barbara takes charge of the situation again. Ian gets a quest to set him on his way for the rest of the story. The Doctor let’s his mouth run away with him and gets himself into trouble.

Barbara and Susan being marched off to the guillotine it might be the bleakest and darkest cliffhanger yet. Every viewer would know what was in store, and so the show doesn’t even need to stage the archetypal “off to the gallows” scene. It’s clear from the expression on William Russell’s face.

Episode 3 – A Change of Identity

The scene in the clothing store is hilarious! The shopkeeper is another of Spooner’s wonderful comic characters, and he and Hartnell play together very well, with the latter having quite a twinkle in his eye through the entire scene. This script is right up is alley, and is giving him plenty to enjoy, and that is reflected in his performance throughout.

The prison sets are very good in this, and provide ample rebuttal evidence all of the talk of wobbly sets that dogs the series (much to Toby Hadoke’s chagrin!). These look very solid indeed, even when the characters are knocking up again them.

Jules and Jean are clearly inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, and although they appear to be more cautious than that character, they have the same sense of derring-do and enjoy finer things in life in their spare time. Meanwhile, Barbara is betwitching all the men she meets as usual. This time she catches the eye of their associate Leon, who cannot ply her with enough wine it would seem!

I love the doctor’s hat, and indeed his entire outfit! He looks resplendent! Who is going to cosplay this one at Gallifrey 22?

Episode 4 – The Tyrant of France

The sets for Robespierre’s quarters look impressive, and are in great contrast to the dark solid prison sets where we have spent much of the story so far. The Doctor’s silver tongue has got him into trouble again. He manages to wriggle out of having to report to Robespierre on their first meeting, by changing the subject. It’s a trick that probably won’t work a second time.

This episode brings all sorts of coincidences together, as Ian is the one that Jean and Jules went to collect, and now three of the team are reunited.

Episode 5 – A Bargain of Necessity

And no the coincidences are complete; Lemaitre turns out to be on the side of the good guys all along. He’s the mysterious James Stirling. The Doctor’s reaction is most amusing when he finds out, though. He is almost speechless, and looks most put out that it’s not his plan that looks like it will save the day, but rather help from an unexpected source.

Despite Colbert’s duplicity, Barbara still sees the good in him. She knows that in revolution, as in most things in life, there are two sides to every story, and often no villains, just people doing what they think is right, for them, and for the situation. How well I understand. She is a fine woman indeed.

Episode 6 – Prisoners of the Conciergerie

In just 8 days I’ve reached the end of the first ever series of Doctor Who. How will the first finale stack up? Well, it’s got Napoleon in it, which is quite coup, and Tony Wall is very convincing as the future emperor. On top of that it also features the fall of the Robespierre. These are heady historical events indeed.

Ian and Barbara look great as would-be innkeepers. They work so well together in everything that they do. A real team.

It’s a lovely speech by the Doctor to end the series, over a backdrop of stars: “Our lives are important; at least to us. And as we see, so shall we learn”.  I’m learning all the time, and have learned so much over the past three years, that whatever happens, it will make me a better person, for having lived and loved them so much.