War Games and Autons
Wednesday, 24 June 2009 21:46![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
usuallyhats
More Classic Who! I spent Monday and Tuesday evenings watching The War Games, which I absolutely loved (I've already ordered the DVD...).
- I didn't think it dragged at all, which over ten episodes is rather amazing. It captured and held my attention all the way through, and, even knowing roughly what was coming next, it was amazing watching the plot gradually unfold and get stranger and stranger. The feeling of events closing in on the Doctor was done very well.
- It wasn't perfect, of course: there was some brazen (well, not quite - today I learnt that brazen is an old Latin term meaning five at the same time) recycling of footage and the idea that the SIDRATs were controlled by moving fridge magnets around was rather silly, despite the actors' best efforts. On a more serious note, of the two non-white characters, one was killed off and the other was both massively stereotyped and the cause of lots of hitches in our heroes' plans, sigh.
- Why yes, I did cry my eyes out at the leaving scenes, especially at how understated and dignified they were. And for some reason the fact that when they arrive on Gallifrey the Doctor leaves the TARDIS door standing open also got to me - it was a real sign that he'd given up. I am choosing to believe in the season 6b theory (and that sometime after The Two Doctors they go back for Zoe too) because a) Terrance Dicks himself put it into the PDAs, and I've accepted things as canon on flimsier evidence; and b) the alternative is too awful to contemplate.
- So many lovely companion moments, which made the ending even harder to bear: Zoe sneaking around and stealing the keys to the Doctor's cell, Jamie's pride at being put in charge and his ability to put aside his enmity towards the Redcoat at the beginning, the way they teamed up to convince Villar to join them, and lots more.
- It was really funny in places, too, though the only moment I can remember off hand is the bit where the German soldiers open up the back of the van to find Zoe and Lady Jennifer ostentatiously pretending to nurse Carstairs. I really liked both those characters, too, and was a bit disappointed that Lady Jennifer disappeared halfway through.
- I loved the moment in episode one where the Doctor says goodbye to Zoe and kisses her on the forehead. Very sweet and sad.
And this evening I've been watching Spearhead from Space, which has gone up in my estimation since I last saw it.
- I've never been the biggest fan of Three but he did rather win me over here, zooming off in his wheelchair and shooting round the corner with a debonair spin of the wheel. And the gratuitous shower scene! Hee.
- The TARDIS prop looks a little tatty in colour, I must say. The tortured, broken version of the dematerialisation noise made me a little sad. Poor grounded ship.
- The Brigadier is very sexy. I just felt I needed to mention that.
- Liz Shaw is ALSO very sexy, and coolly competent, hilariously sarcastic, confident and strong-willed - I love her.
- It is rather violent, I was surprised by that. Blood on the window and everything. (Really obviously fake blood, but still.) I liked that Mrs Seely went for the shotgun and knew how to use it.
- I really took against Dr Hibbert for his treatment of Talfryn Thomas's character. Many years of working in public services = an intense dislike of people clicking their fingers to get attention.
- Three starts off as rather Troughton-esque, doesn't he? I liked seeing him establish himself throughout the story.
- Given it's only four episodes, it does seem to go on rather, though not as badly as I remember, and I did really enjoy it overall.
- I didn't think it dragged at all, which over ten episodes is rather amazing. It captured and held my attention all the way through, and, even knowing roughly what was coming next, it was amazing watching the plot gradually unfold and get stranger and stranger. The feeling of events closing in on the Doctor was done very well.
- It wasn't perfect, of course: there was some brazen (well, not quite - today I learnt that brazen is an old Latin term meaning five at the same time) recycling of footage and the idea that the SIDRATs were controlled by moving fridge magnets around was rather silly, despite the actors' best efforts. On a more serious note, of the two non-white characters, one was killed off and the other was both massively stereotyped and the cause of lots of hitches in our heroes' plans, sigh.
- Why yes, I did cry my eyes out at the leaving scenes, especially at how understated and dignified they were. And for some reason the fact that when they arrive on Gallifrey the Doctor leaves the TARDIS door standing open also got to me - it was a real sign that he'd given up. I am choosing to believe in the season 6b theory (and that sometime after The Two Doctors they go back for Zoe too) because a) Terrance Dicks himself put it into the PDAs, and I've accepted things as canon on flimsier evidence; and b) the alternative is too awful to contemplate.
- So many lovely companion moments, which made the ending even harder to bear: Zoe sneaking around and stealing the keys to the Doctor's cell, Jamie's pride at being put in charge and his ability to put aside his enmity towards the Redcoat at the beginning, the way they teamed up to convince Villar to join them, and lots more.
- It was really funny in places, too, though the only moment I can remember off hand is the bit where the German soldiers open up the back of the van to find Zoe and Lady Jennifer ostentatiously pretending to nurse Carstairs. I really liked both those characters, too, and was a bit disappointed that Lady Jennifer disappeared halfway through.
- I loved the moment in episode one where the Doctor says goodbye to Zoe and kisses her on the forehead. Very sweet and sad.
And this evening I've been watching Spearhead from Space, which has gone up in my estimation since I last saw it.
- I've never been the biggest fan of Three but he did rather win me over here, zooming off in his wheelchair and shooting round the corner with a debonair spin of the wheel. And the gratuitous shower scene! Hee.
- The TARDIS prop looks a little tatty in colour, I must say. The tortured, broken version of the dematerialisation noise made me a little sad. Poor grounded ship.
- The Brigadier is very sexy. I just felt I needed to mention that.
- Liz Shaw is ALSO very sexy, and coolly competent, hilariously sarcastic, confident and strong-willed - I love her.
- It is rather violent, I was surprised by that. Blood on the window and everything. (Really obviously fake blood, but still.) I liked that Mrs Seely went for the shotgun and knew how to use it.
- I really took against Dr Hibbert for his treatment of Talfryn Thomas's character. Many years of working in public services = an intense dislike of people clicking their fingers to get attention.
- Three starts off as rather Troughton-esque, doesn't he? I liked seeing him establish himself throughout the story.
- Given it's only four episodes, it does seem to go on rather, though not as badly as I remember, and I did really enjoy it overall.
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no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2009 21:44 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2009 23:00 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:25 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:32 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:41 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:44 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:49 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 13:08 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:19 (UTC)(And thank you :D)
no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2009 23:01 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:28 (UTC)no subject
Date: 24 Jun 2009 23:19 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:32 (UTC)apologies, but I'm going to squee a bit here
Date: 24 Jun 2009 23:19 (UTC)Honestly, War Games is one of my favorite episodes of all time, because it's big and epic and doesn't drag with its ten parts (like you said) and it just... floors me. I mean, I came in completely spoiled for how it was going to end, and it still floored me, and I always consider that to be the mark of a good story.
I'm in awe of the way it begins so simply, like you'd expect a Doctor Who serial to begin--"oh look, our time machine has landed in World War One"--and then as they add more war zones and more alien interference it becomes bigger and more complex, and a story about war and power and the human condition. And it's stories like that which make me want to go to the people who think science fiction is a trashy cash cow genre and go, "Look. See. This is what you can do with science fiction. Learn."
It's also an episode I want to shove in the faces of those who insist NuWho is the only Who with character development, because Jamie and Zoe have been learning over the course of the season and clearly have an official coming of age in War Games.
I, too, was vaguely skeeved by the treatment of characters of color. On the other hand, I also watched War Games right after Tomb of the Cybermen and felt somewhat reassured that even if the black soldier dies, he seems to at least die heroically (at least, I remember it that way, but I may be wrong) and, when alive, be articulate and a character with a heck of a lot more agency than the character of color in Tomb. Which was, I think, good for 1969.
Augh. Why did I not bring my burned CDs with War Games to grad school? Stupid, stupid Erika. You say it's coming out on DVD soon? When?
Also, I wish that I could remember to say about Spearhead from Space, but I can say that I spent a lot of time watching it hoping that Liz and the Brig would make out. (And then later pondering if the Doctor subconsciously latched on to them as Jamie and Zoe replacements.)
EDITED BECAUSE I ALMOST FORGOT TO ADD: Lady Jennifer and Carstairs freaking rock and I want someone to write fic wherein they get back to their own time safely and have time-traveling, adventurer children. Or maybe not. Or... IT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN MY HEAD OKAY.
No need to apologise for squee!
Date: 25 Jun 2009 16:45 (UTC)And it's stories like that which make me want to go to the people who think science fiction is a trashy cash cow genre and go, "Look. See. This is what you can do with science fiction. Learn."
It's such a brilliant idea, and it's done so fantastically: developing and unfolding and completely carrying you along with it.
Which was, I think, good for 1969.
I agree. Harper is definitely treated better than Toberman (or Kemel, from The Evil of the Daleks) and I really appreciated that (meant to mention it in my original post!).
The DVD's out on the 6th of July - over here, anyway!
Re you ETA: yes, that would be brilliant! I would love to see that.
no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 04:40 (UTC)I still haven't brought myself to watch The War Games because I know how it ends.
no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:50 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 12:53 (UTC)no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 15:41 (UTC)That is exactly the reason I go for season 6b. The alternative makes me want to cry, just thinking about it. D:
And yes, Liz Shaw is very sexy. ♥
no subject
Date: 25 Jun 2009 16:33 (UTC)