"It is too soon for a major battle."
TECHNICAL SPECS: First aired Jan.17 1970.
IN THIS ONE... The Autons seek their swarm leader's globe, which falls into the Doctor's hands.
REVIEW: In this episode, the Doctor manipulates Liz Shaw into getting the TARDIS key from the Brigadier so he can get at some advanced lab equipment, only to try and dematerialize the ship and run away. He fails, confirming his exile, but it doesn't really endear us to this new Doctor that he would leave before the situation was resolved. To be fair, it's all been plastic analysis up to now and no one's been killed that he knows of, but still. It's probably not so much about escaping from UNIT's clutches (getting the key but staying would be a better argument for his freedom), but to see if he can break the Time Lords' exile. It's one of the least objectionable bits in Part 3, however.
What do I mean? Well, it's definitely suffering from Part 3 Blues. Liz Shaw's mocking attitude seems a rehash of the last two episodes. The Brigadier is starting to get obtuse, and I'd rather he didn't. Suspension of disbelief is strained by geography (Ransom runs from the factory to the woods near the poacher's hut? how are all the locations within walking distance?) and other real world concerns (General Scobie must be a big deal if Madame Tussaud's wants a wax/plastic dummy of him). Ransom is a gibbering madman after a rather tame Auton attack. I thought doll makers were made of sterner stuff. The Autons have a neat gun hand that turns this into an acrid yellow smoke (everything screams WE'RE IN COLOR NOW!!!), but the effect for "total destruction" comes with a silly sound and even silly reverse motion. And there's the problem of Sam Seeley the poacher, an unfunny example of the comedy country bumpkin. There's a reason I haven't mentioned him before, nor hopefully, will again.
Martinus' flair for the visual is what redeems much of the episode. The Autons are effective monsters, taking shotgun blasts without complaining. Channing's remote control of them is shot with a fish-eyed lens, giving the whole thing a sense of unease well matched by the actor's anxious performance. There's that shot of Channing through a plastic window (above) that's literally alienating. And the meeting of the Scobie doubles is well handled, his Auton self looking very plastic indeed, as opposed to other impostor models that have just looked sweaty. Looks like UNIT is about to lose the army's support.
REWATCHABILITY: Medium - There's often a dip in quality and relevance in Part 3 of any four-parter. It seems a Doctor Who constant.
TECHNICAL SPECS: First aired Jan.17 1970.IN THIS ONE... The Autons seek their swarm leader's globe, which falls into the Doctor's hands.
REVIEW: In this episode, the Doctor manipulates Liz Shaw into getting the TARDIS key from the Brigadier so he can get at some advanced lab equipment, only to try and dematerialize the ship and run away. He fails, confirming his exile, but it doesn't really endear us to this new Doctor that he would leave before the situation was resolved. To be fair, it's all been plastic analysis up to now and no one's been killed that he knows of, but still. It's probably not so much about escaping from UNIT's clutches (getting the key but staying would be a better argument for his freedom), but to see if he can break the Time Lords' exile. It's one of the least objectionable bits in Part 3, however.
What do I mean? Well, it's definitely suffering from Part 3 Blues. Liz Shaw's mocking attitude seems a rehash of the last two episodes. The Brigadier is starting to get obtuse, and I'd rather he didn't. Suspension of disbelief is strained by geography (Ransom runs from the factory to the woods near the poacher's hut? how are all the locations within walking distance?) and other real world concerns (General Scobie must be a big deal if Madame Tussaud's wants a wax/plastic dummy of him). Ransom is a gibbering madman after a rather tame Auton attack. I thought doll makers were made of sterner stuff. The Autons have a neat gun hand that turns this into an acrid yellow smoke (everything screams WE'RE IN COLOR NOW!!!), but the effect for "total destruction" comes with a silly sound and even silly reverse motion. And there's the problem of Sam Seeley the poacher, an unfunny example of the comedy country bumpkin. There's a reason I haven't mentioned him before, nor hopefully, will again.
Martinus' flair for the visual is what redeems much of the episode. The Autons are effective monsters, taking shotgun blasts without complaining. Channing's remote control of them is shot with a fish-eyed lens, giving the whole thing a sense of unease well matched by the actor's anxious performance. There's that shot of Channing through a plastic window (above) that's literally alienating. And the meeting of the Scobie doubles is well handled, his Auton self looking very plastic indeed, as opposed to other impostor models that have just looked sweaty. Looks like UNIT is about to lose the army's support.
REWATCHABILITY: Medium - There's often a dip in quality and relevance in Part 3 of any four-parter. It seems a Doctor Who constant.
Comments
I can't even get too mad at the Doctor for trying to bolt, though. Testing his freedom is not the same as taking off and not returning.
The Autons are lame; we'll never see THEM again, that's for sure. (I say this in the same voice I used when, after the first new "Doctor Who" episode aired, I insisted the show was a rip-off of Bill and Ted.)
@Siskoid - I'm with you on this story so far, except I like Sam Seeley. I've never seen him as purely a comedy character. He's a cunning little rat who gets more and more nervous as he realizes he's in over his head.
-Jason
Sam Seeley: I won't take that away from you. He's not that bad. The show in this era does make too great a use of such figures however, though that's hardly the fault of the one that came first.