Day 555: Castrovalva Part 2

I mentioned before about how the other main characters are dealt with in this story, however I neglected to mention Adric and the Master. This is because they are on the other side of the story, with the Master generally spending much of his time trying to kill the Doctor, whilst having Adric trapped in a bizzare web, forcing him to be his unwilling henchman. It's nice to have these two characters together, as it increases our investment in the Master's scheme, now that we know that Adric is trapped and is being forced to work for him, so we're somewhat hoping that Adric will survive this dilemma. We're also intrigued by this, as the script has the Master as a main part of the story, and yet we know little of his full plan to destroy the Doctor. There's a new tension that develops, then, as we wonder as to what the Master's final plan is, and whether this new Doctor will be able to escape this trap before it's too late, which makes us, as the audience, more invested within this story, and whether we, too, can solve the puzzle before it's too late.

Day 554: Castrovalva Part 1

And so we begin. We've got a new Doctor, new companions, a new Master and a new era for the series. It's interesting to see how this serial reacts to these changes then, and how they introduce them to the audience.

Castrovalva's approach to this change is to start somewhere near the deep end. Most of the episode is spent with Nyssa and Tegan, the two newest companions, as they try to make sense of the TARDIS and help the Doctor, who is going through some sort of post-regeneration crisis. Oddly enough, this actually works. Part of this is due to Bidmead's strong writing as he helps us feel more comfortable with the characters as they try to make sense of everything. There's also credit to be given to the acting between Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) who obviously have a strong enough chemistry with each other that they can help the audience feel more comfortable with them as a result.

But it's not just with the companions that we get thrown into the deep end. The Doctor, as mentioned previously, is undergoing a post-regeneration crisis. We see a more erratic and worried Doctor than we're used to which creates a feeling of unease within the audience. But this is contrasted with moments of clarity as he calms down, which helps us to get to trust and like the character a lot more. It's another interesting way to introduce us to the new Doctor, but it works, and certainly means that we can begin to look forward to Peter Davison's time as the Doctor.

Day 553: Logopolis Part 4

Everything comes to an end, and everything dies.

That's the essence of the implications of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, as looked at yesterday. It's also the essence of this story, as we see things die and decay all around us, whether it be the planet of Logopolis, or the very nature of the series itself. On the physical side, we have the fact that entropy is now eating up vast chunks of the Universe. This comes to a head as Nyssa looks on a screen and quietly remarks that her planet has just been destroyed. She remarks on the fact that the Master has killed everything that she has ever loved and cared about, creating an emotional attachment to the mass destruction that is being done in this serial, and making things seem more serious. The serious nature continues as the Doctor is forced into an alliance with the Master, in order to save the Universe from this seemingly unstoppable threat.

But it's a different sort of Doctor that makes the deal with the Master. Tom Baker, as the Doctor, has been somewhat less jovial over the past series. There are less jokes, less moments to have fun, even his hair is less curly than it was when the series started. It's a more serious Doctor that makes the deal then, one who has had some weight hanging over him since the beginning of the series, in particular since the beginning of Logopolis, where a ghostly figure known as The Watcher has been haunting the Doctor across these four episodes, having quiet conversations with him that seem to make him slightly more resigned as a result. It's an interesting change to notice in the Doctor, an end to the laugh giving man who we first saw burst onto our screens in Robot, now a man approaching some unknown fate.

But this is one of several changes that have been occurring within this series. We've lost Romana and K9, replaced with Adric, Nyssa and Tegan, characters with whom we don't have the same emotional connection. They're a different breed of companion, with a woman who doesn't necessarily want to be on an adventure, a young boy eager to learn about the Universe, and a quiet young girl with a keen scientific intellect. But it's not just their basic character that differentiates them from everyone else, it's their relationship with the Doctor. Because the Doctor is more serious, we don't have the sparkling wit and strong chemistry with the Doctor that went into every companion before them, from Sarah Jane to Romana, instead we just have a selection of supporting characters that happen to travel on the TARDIS with the Doctor.

But the Doctor's found himself in trouble. Attempting to stop the Master from carrying out one last scheme, he finds himself hanging by a thread on a radio telescope. Haunted by his past foes, he loses grip and falls. We next see him lying on the ground, surrounded by his companions. But it's not just his new companions, all of them are there, as we see clips of his old friends, helping him hang onto life for one last moment. It suddenly hits home how important this one character has been to the series, and just how much fun and excitement we've had together, and how much more we hope to have. But it's not enough.

It's the end...

 

In one final moment, the Doctor who stopped the Jagaroth while remarking on the historical nature of chairs, the Doctor who had the power of the Key to Time, the Doctor who saved Gallifrey from an invasion of tin foil, the Doctor who fought in the land of nightmares, the Doctor who prevented an invasion of obscene vegetable matter, the Doctor who wondered whether he could kill a child to save the Universe, the Doctor who did all of those things and so much more, dies.

But the moment has been prepared for.

The Watcher moves to the Doctor, and merges with him, changing the Doctor's features. We see a regeneration, not an end, but a renewal, revealing a new Doctor for us, in the form of Peter Davison. And although we may not know who this Doctor is, and whether we'll like him or not, we know that it's still the Doctor, and so we wait with expectation, to see how everything will pan out, as he's got work to do.

Day 552: Logopolis Part 3

There's actually an awful lot to talk about that occurs in this episode. There are key character developments for Nyssa and Tegan, as well as a strong moment at the end of the episode for the Doctor and the Master. But one thing keeps cropping up: Entropy.

Doctor Who has become more scientific as a result of the new script editor, Christopher H Bidmead, and as such he has been introducing more scientific concepts into the series. Entropy is a concept in thermodynamics, referring to the nature of decay within systems. It is related to the second law of thermodynamics, being that energy will always increase in a closed system until thermal equilibrium is achieved. In other words, everything decays. The way in which this is used in this story is that the Logopolitans who live on Logopolis have quietly been working away to prevent the decay of the Universe, by opening up portals to other universes such that the Universe as we know it is no longer a closed system and entropy will no longer be as much of a problem. This fails when the Master meddles with it, meaning that the Doctor now has to prevent the heat death of the Universe. Which would be bad.

So why do I mention all of this? Well, as has perhaps been mentioned previously on this blog, I study Physics. And today, I had a test on Statistical Mechanics, a particular branch of thermodynamics that's possibly a bit too complicated for me to go in right now. But it does mean that I get an extra level of enjoyment from this story, as I can now look at various explanations of the thermodynamical concepts and smile as I see stuff that I study in class in Doctor Who, making both the story and my studies just a little bit more exciting.

Day 551: Logopolis Part 2

We need to talk about the next new companion. Her name is Tegan Jovanka, an Australian air stewardess, and my family has an interesting relationship with her. It's difficult to quantify what our relationship is with the character, but it generally consists of us walking around, putting on strong Australian accents, and proclaiming the words "Tegan Jeblanka!". Tegan Jeblanka is quite forthright in her opinions, expressing such proclamations as "Pharos is Greek for Lighthouse!", as well as various ruminations on Brisbane High and their knowledge of handcuffs. It doesn't bear too much relationship to the character though, which makes things awkward for me when I watch her stories, as I struggle to reconcile the two Tegans in my head. But it makes for a lot of fun with engaging with the character, and I strongly recommend that you find it in your hearts to let Tegan Jeblanka in.

Day 550: Logopolis Part 1

There's a short lived relationship, for reasons that soon become apparent, between the Fourth Doctor and Adric that's quite interesting to watch. The Doctor takes Adric on as a student, almost, teaching him about how various concepts work and operate. An example is when he talks about entropy, quickly and elegantly describing the concept such that Adric can understand it. It works because Adric is naturally curious, seeking to discover more about the world of maths and science, at least when the current script editor, Christopher H Bidmead, is writing for him, and this extends to a certain proportion of the audience, allowing us to become the Doctor's students as well. But, as entropy states, everything decays, and things are going to change awfully soon.

Day 549: The Keeper of Traken Part 4

The Melkur's true identity is revealed, showing him to be the Master. It's recognisably the Master, not so much from the look where he's a variation on the husk that we saw in The Deadly Assassin, but in the manner, as we see the more charming side of the character. He seeks power, and uses it for terrible things, yes, but he goes about it in such a way that you can't help but admire the man behind the actions. There's also a deperation at the heart of this Master, as he seeks a new body to replace his now cripplled one. It's an interesting motive for him to have, not to take over the Universe, but instead to just live. He fails in this venture though, as Adric somehow manages to save the day with the help of Nyssa and science. Left to die as his TARDIS burns around him, we are left wondering if the Master escapes.

But not for long. We get a small scene at the end where the Master kidnaps Tremas, one of the major characters in this story and a man who has shown himself to be generally kind and wise, and then takes over his body. Tremas is no more, killed by the Master such that he might live. It's uncomfortable to see, particularly as we have grown rather fond of Tremas over the past few episodes. But it's also uncomfortable as we see what he leaves behind. As the Master's TARDIS dematerialises, Nyssa wanders into shot, wondering where her father is. It's a moment that reminds the audience of how cruel the Master is, because he has now not only killed Tremas, he has deprived his daughter of ever seeing him as he truly is again, only his face with a new mind behind it.

Day 548: The Keeper of Traken Part 3

Another new companion is introduced in this story. Her name's Nyssa, and the incredibly obvious question that comes up as we look at her character is 'why does she become a companion?'. Her role in the story is relatively minor. She spends much of the time running around with the Doctor, Adric and and her father Tremas in order to prevent the plans of the Melkur from bearing fruit, with most of the story going towards the work of the Doctor and Tremas, with Adric fulfilling an assistant's role. Nyssa is worth pretty much nothing in this story, only existing to be nice and help everyone else.

And here's the interesting thing. Nyssa wasn't originally going to be a companion. She was brought back into the series, because the production team felt that she was a good enough character to work well enough to become a regular, even though she's had virtually nothing to do in the entire episode. It's like if Princess Astra from The Armageddon Factor became a companion. They may have worked well as a side character in their own story, but you wonder whether they'd be suited to run off with the Doctor at the end of the episode.

But still, we mustn't pre-judge, and maybe the character will work well in the future. Only time will tell though, as the serial draws to a close.

Day 547: The Keeper of Traken Part 2

The Melkur is the villain in this story, a statue of pure evil that has landed on Traken and has slowly been injecting impurities into their otherwise pure society. It's interesting to see this character, mainly because of the way in which it's portrayed between Part 1 and Part 2. In Part 1 it is a silent menace, remaining perfectly still and only moving towards the latter half of the episode. Up until that point, the only indication that life was inside it were some ominous red eyes that glowed at various intervals. Part 2, on the other hand, gives the creature voice through the actor Geoffrey Beevers. Beevers has a smooth, rich voice that gives the Melkur a slightly sinister quality, and one that adds an extra dimension to the character. And yet, the portrayal of it being silent works better in my opinion, as it makes it far more of an unknowable and worrying quantity, which creates a better villain. But, the Melkur may not be as it seems as we delve deeper into the story of The Keeper of Traken.

Day 546: The Keeper of Traken Part 1

There's a certain quality to this story as we begin it. It's set on a world that has transcended all forms of evil, a place were everyone "held together by...people being terribly nice to one another", to quote the Doctor at the beginning of the story. This transcends to the way in which the story plays itself out. Everything feels slightly more relaxed than what's come before, with the threats not being too imminent at the moment. This is done by slowing the pace of the story down, so that we're allowed to breathe and enjoy the story, by exploring the back stories of some of the supporting cast members or the planet itself. We also get a more natural set, filled with well maintained plant life that gives an air of serenity to the proceedings. All in all, it's just a lovely beginning to the story, but this is subject to change as the story slowly progresses. The Doctor has entered the story now, and brought with him a dangerous amount of chaos...

Day 545: Warriors' Gate Part 4

As it turns out, I was left nowhere with regards to understanding much of what happened in Part 3 of this story. But I do understand a good deal of the rest of it, oddly enough. The story concerns an alien race called Tharils. They are time sensitives, able to use their powers as god-like abilities in a variety of scenarios. They created an entire empire, and were rulers over it for a considerable period of time. But they were cruel gods, and enslaved both humans and robots to serve them. Naturally, an uprising occurred, and they were left helpless as the humans took control of them as their slaves, torturing them to use their time-sensitive abilities to traverse the universe. Their story is one of reversals, that they were once kings and now they are slaves, doomed throughout the cosmos, which is symbolised in the fact that the Doctor and Romana travel through a mirror to reach the point in history when they were rulers, as mirrors not only reflect incoming light, they present an image which is the reverse of the one which the mirror reflects. So they enlist the Doctor and Romana to help set themselves free, and in doing so create a better future.

This works as a story, mostly because of the way in which the story is revealed to us, through having us figure out their entire history and so we get that sense of satisfaction of figuring everything out. It would be a much less satisfying story if we were presented with a generic 'free the slaves' plotline, instead we get a story about helping someone, and we have to figure out both how they need to be helped and the motive for which we should give them help.

And there's one other thing about Warriors' Gate. At the end of it, Romana leaves. She makes a simple decision that she'd much rather be helping the Tharils than return to Gallifrey. The Doctor gives her K9, bids her farewell and leaves E-Space with Adric. It's a quick exit for two characters who have meant so much to the programme, K9 bringing humour as well as appeal for children, whilst Romana was a character who proved to be an equal to the Doctor in every way, shape and form, something that we often don't see with companions. It's a shame to see them leave, and more than that, to see them leave quickly, but that reflects the new period that we're in, production-wise. It's a period of 'out with the old, in with the new'. Or at least, out with some of the old...

Day 544: Warriors' Gate Part 3

When setting up this blog, I gave myself a few rules to follow. One such rule was no skips ahead. Aside from brand new episodes, I said to myself that I could not watch any episode until the day upon which I have it scheduled to appear on my blog. This has mostly worked well, but there are one or two hiccups that get in the way. One such hiccup is Warriors' Gate Part 3.

I've seen this story at least once before, maybe twice. I've read reviews of it and listened to analyses in the past as well, so I'm readily familiar with the basic beats of the story. I know, for instance, the journey of the Tharils, which we may perhaps talk about tomorrow. But in all that viewing, I can never really claim to fully understand what happens from about halfway through Part 3. Basically, Romana meets one of the Tharils, they hold hands and start glowing, then they walk off and disappear, re-appearing near the titular gate. At no point is any explanation given for how this occurs. It's all a bit confusing, and left me somewhat lost for words that didn't begin with a W, T, or F.

Another instance is the cliffhanger, where the Doctor would appear to be magically teleported from one position to another, because an axe hit the table in front of him. Or it may be that he travelled from one time period to another. It's the sort of thing that gives the idea that the production staff had a perfectly good idea of what was going on, but they failed to effectively communicate that on screen, leaving the viewers with very little idea as to what was going on.

But we get back to the hiccup at the introduction. As the episode concluded, I felt the need to put on Part 4. I needed to see whether an explanation would be made as to what everything means, with full discussions of the various concepts and their importance to the story. And the fact that I wanted to watch the rest of this must say something about the story, and how it somehow manages to draw viewers in, even if it's only to find out what the hell is going on.

Day 543: Warriors' Gate Part 2

An impressive thing about Warriors' Gate is how it deals with its supporting cast. We have a crew who have been similarly marooned at the zero point of the Universe, and through a combination of writing, directing, design and performance, we get to feel that this crew is easily one that is comfortable with one another and their surrounds. Take, for instance, a scene where Packard, a crew-member, gives some gobbledygook order to someone under his command. They respond quizzically, to which he responds by saying that it means to close the door. They promptly do, and so we get a shot of the door closing on his disappointed face, as he relays the information that he'd like it to be closed after he's gone through it. It's a simple character moment, but nice, and adds depth to the story, making it a more enjoyable experience on the whole.

Day 542: Warriors' Gate Part 1

When looking at Doctor Who stories en masse, it's easy to categorise them. There are those that are on alien worlds, those that have alien invasions, those that are less about a group of monsters and are more about just one villain, and those that are all about visiting history and meeting famous figures from the past. But there's another type, one that hasn't been shown very much in the 1970's and is about to make a return in the 1980's. We are about to witness the return of the trippy story.

Trippy stories are weird. Normally high concept, they look and feel different to everything else around it. They can be difficult to understand, but can be incredibly rewarding due to the intricate way in which the story has been constructed. But the main point to make here is that they're a bit weird. Take Warriors' Gate for instance. Part 1 features the Doctor and co. landing nowhere, the zero point that connects normal, or N-Space, with E-Space. We meet Biroc, who moves in such a way that he leaves a shadow in time behind of his past position. It's all very curious, and sparks the beginning of a story that's a bit different from everything else around it.

Day 541: State of Decay Part 4

It's easy to dislike Adric in this episode. It's as if the episode goes out of its way to make us dislike him intensely. Romana and one of the villagers have just been on a rescue mission to try and save him, but they failed with Romana about to be sacrificed and the villager already dead. So you'd expect Adric to be a little bit grateful for what everyone has gone through for him. But instead, he's quite annoyed because he was looking forward to becoming a vampire, and Romana has gotten in the way of his defection to the bad guys. And it's not as if he doesn't know that they're evil, he just wants to give up on the whole notion of being on the side of good and instead be on the winning side. Granted, he does attempt to save Romana later, but this fails terribly and is dealt with too swiftly for us to even notice the character's change of heart.

This is Adric's second story, and we're being inclined to dislike him already, before we get a full impression of the character. This does not bode well for the character, and it may be some time before we can be willing to look at him with fresher eyes and see his positives for what they are. But for now, we end this story on a low note and hope that this companion will be better treated in the future.

Day 540: State of Decay Part 3

The story has taken an interesting turn, minutes into Part 3. The Doctor off-handedly mentions that he and Romana are Time Lords and the vampires get quite excited about this, proclaiming that they are the great enemies. Further investigation reveals that these vampires were created by one of the Great Vampires, an ancient race that was fought and, until now, presumed destroyed by the Time Lords in their infancy, led by the President Rassilon.

This makes the story feel far more interesting as a result, mainly because it means that we get a sense of the real peril that the Doctor and Romana are up against, given that these are old foes of the Time Lords, a race that we have seen to be all-powerful and mighty. This is compounded by Tom Baker's performance, where he displays fear and a sense of worry over everything that is taking place, something which we're not really used to with this incarnation of the Doctor, who has been far more relaxed in his fights with various creatures. By seeing him in such a position, we know that things have become far more serious, as we eagerly await the conclusion of State of Decay.

Day 539: State of Decay Part 2

This story features vampires. Slowly, over the course of this episode, we begin to notice that various tropes of the vampire mythos are appearing, such as a fascination with blood, control over bats, and a general gothic demeanour. It's all reasonably effective stuff, and may send a chill down the spine of some young children. But there's still an interest in making this feel different. The key mystery surrounding this story is not the nature of the vampires, but who created them, given that the vampires were originally humans before being converted by some unknown power. It gives the story a driving force that is able to engage the viewer, and make for a more interesting story as a result.

Day 538: State of Decay Part 1

This story feels very traditional as a Doctor Who story. We have the Doctor and Romana landing on a planet and setting off to explore it, and they encounter the locals, who range from people living in fear of the villains who are subjugating this planet, to those who are keen to form a resistance and take back what is rightfully theirs. The villains are clearly defined as well, wandering about their castle sending plagues of bats to attack the Doctor and Romana, whilst taking people from the village for nefarious purposes. It's a far cry from Full Circle, which was more a story about exploring and learning about the surroundings. But this isn't that bad though, as it's still an engaging story, mostly due to the fact that it is written by Terrance Dicks, long time writer for the series. He's a writer that knows how to tell good, simple, entertaining adventure stories, and he certainly delivers on that front, providing a story that is simple, yet engaging. And at the end of the day, sometimes all you want from a story is for it to be a nice fun adventure.

Day 537: Full Circle Part 4

I suppose that we should talk about Adric. Adric, although this story doesn't confirm it, is the new companion aboard the TARDIS. He's an interesting character, in that a lot of writers have different ideas about how he should be written. Andrew Smith, for one, writes him as a normal teenage boy (albeit one that has grown up around a spaceship). He's a little bit cheeky, a little bit clever, and he has a need to rebel against his surroundings. He's aspires for something greater, as he speaks of travelling beyond his home planet to other worlds and other stars. He looks up to his brother, Varsh, as well, and seeks his approval. This comes to a head when his brother is surrounded by Marshmen. Adric goes to help him, but he's too late and the Marshemen overpower Varsh and kill him, leaving Adric with only his belt in memory of him. It's a scene that allows us to empathise with his character, given that we have seen him fail, and now we want him to succeed. So we'll come to follow him and know him better as part of the TARDIS crew.

But he's not going to be joining them on any voyages to Earth or Gallifrey any time soon though. The TARDIS remains stuck in another universe at the end of this story, which sparks a feeling of renewal within the programme. Now, everything that they will encounter will be new and different, and we can join with the Doctor, Romana, K9 and Adric as they explore E-Space together, trying to find a way back to their own universe.

Day 536: Full Circle Part 3

Another thing to enjoy about Full Circle is the way in which it deals with the monsters, the Marshmen. Their design is instantly memorable, being a simple swamp creature building upon a light brown colour palette that works well with the lush greens that are seen on location, and is also able to feel slightly out of place and unwelcome in the dull greys of the spaceship, making them stand out in the scenes aboard the spaceship.

But there's also more to it than just that. Consider the scene where the Marsh-child is about to be dissected by the scientist aboard the spaceship, Dexeter. The director, Peter Grimwade, makes the clear decision to have its eyes present throughout the entire scene. This works in particular as we see the human behind the rubber mask, and so we empathise with the creature. When the Marsh-child breaks free from its bonds, we are on the side of the creature, however this changes when the Marsh-child kills Dexeter. Now we see it for something that is dangerous, although still child-like in manner. It makes the monsters feel more threatening, but also gives them enough depth that we can empathise with them and thus we are interested in their plight. It all makes for a good story as we near the conclusion of Full Circle.

Day 535: Full Circle Part 2

There's a scene in this story where the First Decider, the leader of the Alzarians, discovers the truth about Alzarius through reading of the system files. The truth is kept a secret from the other characters and the audience, but it's interesting to watch the character after this point grapple with the truth that he has uncovered.

Take, for instance, a scene where the Doctor is interrogated by the three Deciders. The Doctor provides them with some information that proves contradictory to what they have been brought up with. Two of them bicker, and point out that he is clearly wrong, but the First Decider remains silent, before telling them authoritatively that the information (relating to whether the atmosphere on Alzarius is breathable during the season known as Mistfall) is indeed correct as given to them by the Doctor. But through the performance we get a sense that he is telling them this little truth, which is part of a bigger truth that they are yet to learn.

And this is a moment that is best viewed in retrospect, after the story reveals the truth that the First Decider knows. It's odd that the story would do this, given that it was broadcast at a time where home video was virtually non-existent, and repeats were few and far between, but it's mightily appreciated as it certainly makes the story more interesting for repeat viewing, and this is something that will be mentioned several more times over the coming months.

Day 534: Full Circle Part 1

When we begin Full Circle, there's something a little bit different. The Doctor and Romana have been recalled to Gallifrey. Romana's quite sad about this, because she's realised that it means that the Time Lords want her back, and for her to stop travelling with the Doctor. It's a little odd to see this happen because it hints at another life for the main characters beyond their travels in the TARDIS, something which we haven't really encountered since around the time of Sarah Jane. Obviously things go wrong, and we'll look at how that all works in a future entry, but for now we can appreciate the fact that the production team are clearly making an effort for our main characters to have lives outside of the 25 minutes that we see of them each episode, making them more rounded and interesting as a result.

Day 533: Meglos Part 4

This episode comes in at around 19 minutes in length. The reason that I mention this is because it means that this story comes across as wanting to get the story done in as quick a time as possible without any need for depth of what the story is actually about or who the characters are. I'll give a quick example. Meglos has set up a scheme to destroy Tigella. The Doctor, Romana, K9 and two other characters from Tigella get in the TARDIS to pursue him. The reason I didn't name the other two characters is because I actually don't know their names. They have possibly been mentioned, but we aren't given any reason to remember them, because we don't remember them as characters. More than that, there is literally no reason for them to be with the Doctor and co. at the conclusion of the story. The Doctor, Romana and K9 are the only characters to make any discernable difference to the conclusion of the story, and all they do is stand around and watch. It's essentially the heart of why this story is not very good: we're given absolutely no reason to care for any of the characters, and so we forget them almost immediately. It's a disappointing note to end on, but hopefully things will pick up again tomorrow.

Day 532: Meglos Part 3

It's difficult to talk about this episode. Not because of anything controversial that happens within it, but more because nothing actually happens within it. Essentially, the villain retains his prize of the Tigellan energy source, and begins the final stage of his escape with it. Aside from that, the Doctor gets put to death (something that we had been suspecting since Part 2) and Romana begins an effort to try and rescue him. This sounds like a lot, but none of it really works, in part because we aren't given any opportunities to fully invest in the story which leaves us with no real ability to talk about the characters and what they feel, beyond being devices that allow the plot to continue. It's little wonder, then, that this is the sole script from the writing duo of John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch if they aren't able to take a story where Tom Baker dresses up as a cactus and make it feel utterly forgettable.

Day 531: Meglos Part 2

The most striking part of this story is the use of Tom Baker. He plays a dual role in this story, being both the Doctor and the villain, who is currently able to impersonate other people to near perfection. This villain also happens to be a cactus, and as the impersonation goes on, the image of the person being impersonated becomes more and more cactus-like. But that's not the key point that I want to mention. Instead, I want to touch briefly on the way in which Tom Baker plays the role of the villain. It's a very muted and underplayed performance, hinting that there's something not right with this character, but not pointing it out for the audience completely. It's not what we'd expect from Tom Baker, who we'd expect to overplay it dramatically and have a great deal of fun with the part (cf Soldeed in The Horns of Nimon). So this serves as an indicator that things are perhaps slowing down on the Tom Baker front, and that his departure from the serie may be imminent...

Day 530: Meglos Part 1

What's curious about this story is its beginning. When Part 1 comes to a conclusion, the Doctor, Romana and K9 have still not left the confines of the TARDIS control room. Events have still been occurring without them, as people argue and plot various schemes without the presence of the main characters. The plot also makes up for this by making the main thrust of Part 1 be about trying to get the Doctor to visit a certain planet, Tigella, but the story still feels conspicuous by the absence of the TARDIS crew, as we realise just how important the process of the Doctor and co. interacting with other characters in the story is to our level of engagement. But this little experiment does provide a nice change in the way we expect stories to run for the series, and some days we just need a little bit of change to spice things up in our lives.

Day 529: The Leisure Hive Part 4

So the story has come to an end. The ending feels a little rushed, to be honest. There's an impressive scene where Pangol creates his army of clones, and a strong sense of dread created as we slowly realise that nothing can possibly save us now, topped off by the fact that he immediately kills some friendly Foamasi thus provoking war between the two species. But, the day has already been saved, as we learn that the clones are of the Doctor and that they're disintegrating rapidly. It feels a bit of a cheat to have everything sort itself out from that point onwards, not least because we cut from Pangol being impressed with his achievements to being stressed that his plan has failed.

But on the whole, this has been a remarkably enjoyable story, and I can say with certainty that, on the basis of The Leisure Hive, we look as if we're in safe hands for the forseeable future.

Day 528: The Leisure Hive Part 3

I've seen this story before. Well, sort of. It was repeated when I was around the age of 10 or 11, and I distinctly remember watching it at that time. Unfortunately, I had a school excursion to go on during the week in which it was broadcast, and so I missed around half of the story, so my recollections of it are vague. But, there were a few things that I recalled, such as the villain, the Doctor becoming ancient due to a mishap with a temporal experiment, and the basic design of the monsters, known as the Foamasi. So I sat down to this story expecting everything to play out as I thought it would.

I expected, for instance, that the major revelation that would take place in this story revolved around the villain's plan, which we later learnt is to do with cloning. My projection for the rest of the episode revolved around the Foamasi beginning their attack and the cliffhanger in particular would be the revelation of the Foamasi in full costume (they have been spending the rest of the story hiding from full view). So when we discover that the Foamasi don't seem to be that nasty, my interest was piqued. I'd seriously not expected this development, and I now had to re-think my thoughts about how the rest of the story would play out.

This was not the only surprise, however, as the cliffhanger proved. The Foamasi begin to advance on one of the humans on the planet Argolis, Brock, and begin to menace him. As a viewer, I expected him to be killed, and for the Foamasi to move on to another target. What I wasn't expecting, however, was for the Foamasi to reveal that Brock was in fact wearing a disguise and that he was actually a Foamasi. I was mightily confused, mainly through the swift editing used by Lovett Bickford in order to create more action, as well as the fact that the Foamasi head is quite clearly larger than a human's head, raising the question of how he was able to fit inside the costume. But these things fall by the wayside for what is, in fact, an absolutely brilliant cliffhanger. It's purpose is to provide enough new information as to change the direction of the story, something it clearly succeeds in doing. It also succeeds in terms of shock, as this is clearly not something that the viewer would necessarily expect to happen, and thus it sticks in the mind as a defining moment of this story.

So I'm actually kind of glad that I missed the last half of this when I first watched this. Because it meant that I was more inclined to let my guard down, and actually be completely thrown for a loop by a cliffhanger, that makes me want to watch the conclusion more than ever.

Day 527: The Leisure Hive Part 2

Another short blog today, as I'm busy staring at a series of laboratory results desperately trying to figure out how Physics works. But funnily enough science is key to my entry today. The new script editor is a chap called Christopher H Bidmead, a writer with a keen scientific eye, having previously contributed articles to New Scientist. As such, various scenes over the next year or so will be more scientific than usual, such as a scene in this episode where we do an experiment in tachyonics. This consist mainly of Romana working with another scientist as they try to make the sand in an hourglass flow backwards. The main flow of the scene is them staring at the glass, turning the power up, staring at the glass again, and so on. It's actually rather gripping, half because it's well put together by Lovett Bickford, but also because it's all about science, and the thrill of trying something new in order to achieve results. So as I stare at my relfection coefficients and try various techniques in order to get an answer that is scientifically viable, I'll think of The Leisure Hive and how they were able to, for a moment, turn back time.

Day 526: The Leisure Hive Part 1

The Leisure Hive is the start of a new era. New producer, new script editor, new director, new music, new title sequence, everything feels new. And it certainly shows on camera. The director, Lovett Bickford, instantly sets himself apart from virtually every single director before him, mainly through his innovative use of scene transitions. We have one corridor scene that is spiced up by having the characters walk towards the camera, before their bodies obstruct the camera's view, such that when we can see again, the camera has switched positions and we are now seeing them walk away from the camera. It's a simple camera trick, but effective. Similarly effective is the cliffhanger, where the Doctor appears to have been dismembered. We watch this on a screen, and as the cliffhanger approaches, the screen zooms in on the Doctor's face. This is all fairly normal, however what makes it interesting is the fact that the camera also zooms in on the screen at the same time, making the zoom appear quicker and more violent as we zoom in on the Doctor's face. We then immediately cut to the credits, with a harshness that leaves the viewer shocked and slightly disoriented. It's one of a number of things that feels new about the series, now that a breath of fresh air has been blown into it, giving us something truly memorable as a result.

Day 525: The Horns of Nimon Part 4

This story always feels a bit bittersweet. For all the fun and enjoyment that it represents, it's also the end of an era. This is the last story to be produced by Graham Williams, producer for the series since Horror of Fang Rock. It's also the last story to be script edited by Douglas Adams, the last contribution to the series by the previous script editor, Anthony Read, and is the last story to have the music composed by Dudley Simpson, who's been doing the music for the series regularly since the start of the 70's, and before then composed the music irregularly from around Planet of Giants onwards.

The reason why I feel the need to mention all of this is that their work has been fantastic, and I've loved every moment of it. They've created so many wonderful worlds, and stories, but the time has come to leave and new blood will enter the series as we enter a new decade: the 1980's. This new blood will demand that the slate be wiped entirely clean, and so only a very small handful of writers and directors who had worked on the series previously will work for it again. So I view this story as the last hurrah for the era of the 1970's. The one where we look back at the past and enjoy what has happened before as we stand on the cusp of a new decade awaiting the future.

And what we get is oddly serious. The Nimon costumes may be laughable, as is the fact that the actors within them decide to gesticulate wildly when they talk, so as to reveal which one of them is talking, but their plan to take over the Universe is actually quite depressing. They feed off other planets, choosing someone to be their herald, setting themselves up as gods, only to get their herald to unwittingly create a gateway for the Nimons to attack in force. We see this in the character of Sezom, an old man who wanders about the previous planet that the Nimons occupied, helpless to stop them. Suddenly, the story seems a bit depressing. This is the way that we're leaving the Graham Williams era of Doctor Who. Not with a great high, but with a slight low.

Enter Graham Crowden. The actor who plays the villainous Soldeed, he has made the decision to overact massively throughout the entire story, and when he comes to die, he makes it into the most memorable death scene in Doctor Who history. Shouting and screaming, with accompanying hand movements (and a far too good performance from Lalla Ward as Romana, who is perhaps the only person on set who has decided to take this seriously), Crowden makes this story fun again.

Because the Williams era of Doctor Who is all about having fun. Whether it's Leela slapping Adelaide, a giant prawn menacing a robot dog, witches fighting archaeologists, overthrowing societies ruled by tax, updating the old classic Greek myths or defeating the attempted invasion of Gallifrey by tin foil. We've met Binro the Heretic, a Pirate Captain (with Mr Fibuli!), Amelia Rumford, Kroll, Drax and of course, the Taran Wood Beast. There are robots caught in stalemate, spaghetti monsters caught in time, a phallus trapped in a pit, cuddly yet deadly creatures with drugs hidden inside their genetic makeup, and the world's hammiest Doctor Who villain.

And I love this era with all my heart, in particular this story. And this story inspired me for one afternoon, late in 2013. I was looking for a title for my new blog, but I wasn't sure what to call it. At first, it was going to be We've Got Work To Do, but then I got another idea. That idea was scrapped the next day, after everyone that I talked to said that my first idea was better, but I still hold a soft spot for that temporary title. So as far as I'm concerned, for today only, I'll choose to think of this blog not as We've Got Work to Do, but as something more celebratory, as we continue on THE GREAT JOURNEY OF LIFE!