The opening scene of this episode would be quite unremarkable if it
wasn't set in Saxon times. The Monk is using a toaster to make crumpets,
he burns his hand and then smacks the toaster (oh Monk, you have no
idea how many times I've wanted to do that!). It's just a small thing,
but Peter Butterworth plays the comedy very well. He hums a little tune
to himself as he makes breakfast, which is a good acting choice on
Butterworth's part I think, it distracts us from the fact that the Monk
is actually the antagonist of this serial. We think, "aw, he seems like a
nice guy, doesn't he?". He makes a pretty good breakfast by the looks
of it as well, like dad said, I'd stay at Hotel Monk! The Doctor
throwing tea on him is a wonderful comedic moment as well.
Vicki and Steven's breakfast is a lot simpler than the Doctor's. In this
scene I particularly like Purves' delivery of the line "Would you like
some blackberries, or... some blackberries?" It really shows how Vicki
and Steven's friendship is developing. Also, *cough* Peter Purves was very attractive *cough*.
The Monk and Edith's interaction is great. We get to see more of what a nice person Edith is!
The set for this serial as just amazing. If I didn't know it was studio
filmed, I'd swear it was filmed on location. The projected sky,
realistic rocks and plants, plus a clever use of stock footage provides a
really immersive set. The Monk spotting the Viking longship and getting
excited makes you want to know what his plan is.
I like how Edith is the voice of reason in this next scene. There's a
definite gender divide in views. Edith and Vicki are amiable towards
each other; Steven is hostile towards the male Saxons, and they are
hostile back, particularly Eldred. I like Steven's hostility actually,
it's another reminder of how he was affected by his time with the
Mechanoids, but I also like Vicki correcting him, it shows how she's
helping him recover.
The Vikings are here! The first thing I notice is some fab work from the
costume department, I mean, completely historically inaccurate, but
very striking. Also, is it me, or does Sven look like Asterix?
Once again, we see Steven's social ineptitude when he's talking to the
Monk, I don't think I have to reiterate why I think this is good. As the
others have said, Steven's arrogance is shown by his confidence in his
own plan, and Vicki's intelligence is shown by her questioning of it.
Edith is shown to be resourceful. She knows to defend herself, and she
doesn't hesitate in it. She is overpowered, but I don't think that this
means she's weak, she was up against three Viking warriors! Her heavily
implied rape is an interesting plot point, definitely not one I would
have expected from Hartnell's era of Who! Rape is a very sensitive topic
to handle, and it has to be done well for it not to fall into sexist
tropes or 'torture porn'. However, it can't be ignored, as it's a
horrific thing that happens to many women (and men). Nowadays, I think
rape is used too much on television, just as a way to inject horror into
the show, and it's often not handled well; however, in the '60s, it was
a different case, not talked about much on TV or in day-to-day life. As
for how Doctor Who handled the rape of Edith, I'll talk about that more
in the next episode, because I really need to look at how the aftermath
of it is portrayed to formulate a proper opinion.
The episode is rather let down by the horrifically choreographed
fight scene. Oh, dear Lord, it's so awful. We've just had this really
important, serious scene, and it's followed by this atrocity! I could
cry.
Steven and Vicki going different ways in the monastery is a return to
the comedic nature of the episode, which is nice (I like that it's the
direction Vicki chooses that they go in!). I like the parallel to the
end of the last episode, with Vicki and Steven finding the gramophone as
well. The cliffhanger is kind of meh, but good enough that I wanted to
find out what happens next.
Next Time:
A Battle of Wits.
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label May. Show all posts
Monday, 25 May 2015
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Episode 78 (S1): The Watcher (May's view)
(And eventually, May also decided to do episode reviews! Over to her.)
I have to say I'm slightly daunted by writing this. I feel like I've got a lot to live up to. Particularly with this story actually, considering the monster review that my father has written. Really dad! You could have left at least a few points for your poor children to cover! Most of this will therefore be repeats of what dad's already said, just from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old girl.
Well, let's start at the beginning, with the very first scene. There's some good acting from Maureen O'Brien and William Hartnell. I feel like they got the grandfather/granddaughter dynamic really well (even though Vicki is not Susan, she's slotted into the hole she left quite neatly). There was also a definite air of suppressed sadness from both of them (particularly Vicki, she seemed like she was putting on a brave face for the Doctor), which seemed realistic, given Ian and Barbara's departure.
Then, of course, there's Steven's entrance. Which I think is marvellous. This scene just feels so Hartnell era, Vicki's cry of "oh, do be careful Doctor! It's obviously a dalek!", and their choice of weapons (shoe and coat). It's hard to put it into words, but it just seems like it belongs in that era of Who, and it wouldn't fit anywhere else.
In the next scene, Peter Purves' acting is really very good, he has the right balance of seriousness and comedy that is required for Doctor Who - I especially liked the bit where he calls the Doctor 'Doctor' for the first time (or, as he actually said it, 'Doc...tor!'). And, of course, there's the Doctor's 'chair with a panda on it' speech. Steven and Vicki's little conflab about acronyms is also golden!
The monk is instantly presented as someone we need to watch out for. He observes the TARDIS from the cliff without batting an eyelid, and he does not seem at all unsettled when he listens to the Doctor explaining about the TARDIS. When I first watched this episode, I remember thinking "this guy's not a monk!".
Skipping ahead a bit because, while I adored the scene on the beach, this piece of writing is going be bloody long even if I do cut ruthlessly. The Doctor's first scene with Edith is really quite sweet. Edith is such a kindly character, just a genuinely nice person! Plus, there's the Doctor giving an aside about history, which was the shows purpose, to educate the young viewers. A couple of times Hartnell slips up on his lines, which is quite sad to see.
It's very clear that Steven has kind of forgotten how to interact with people. His first interaction with a Saxon is a very clear contrast to the Doctor's, all the more so when the scenes are placed next to each other. Although the fight was crappily choreographed, it does give us a bit of an insight into how Steven has been affected by his time with the Mechanoids.
In the final scene, all the modern stuff scattered through the episode is made clear by the reveal of the gramophone. The monk is not what he seems! And he has captured the Doctor! Dun, dun, DUH!
Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.
I have to say I'm slightly daunted by writing this. I feel like I've got a lot to live up to. Particularly with this story actually, considering the monster review that my father has written. Really dad! You could have left at least a few points for your poor children to cover! Most of this will therefore be repeats of what dad's already said, just from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old girl.
Well, let's start at the beginning, with the very first scene. There's some good acting from Maureen O'Brien and William Hartnell. I feel like they got the grandfather/granddaughter dynamic really well (even though Vicki is not Susan, she's slotted into the hole she left quite neatly). There was also a definite air of suppressed sadness from both of them (particularly Vicki, she seemed like she was putting on a brave face for the Doctor), which seemed realistic, given Ian and Barbara's departure.
Then, of course, there's Steven's entrance. Which I think is marvellous. This scene just feels so Hartnell era, Vicki's cry of "oh, do be careful Doctor! It's obviously a dalek!", and their choice of weapons (shoe and coat). It's hard to put it into words, but it just seems like it belongs in that era of Who, and it wouldn't fit anywhere else.
In the next scene, Peter Purves' acting is really very good, he has the right balance of seriousness and comedy that is required for Doctor Who - I especially liked the bit where he calls the Doctor 'Doctor' for the first time (or, as he actually said it, 'Doc...tor!'). And, of course, there's the Doctor's 'chair with a panda on it' speech. Steven and Vicki's little conflab about acronyms is also golden!
The monk is instantly presented as someone we need to watch out for. He observes the TARDIS from the cliff without batting an eyelid, and he does not seem at all unsettled when he listens to the Doctor explaining about the TARDIS. When I first watched this episode, I remember thinking "this guy's not a monk!".
Skipping ahead a bit because, while I adored the scene on the beach, this piece of writing is going be bloody long even if I do cut ruthlessly. The Doctor's first scene with Edith is really quite sweet. Edith is such a kindly character, just a genuinely nice person! Plus, there's the Doctor giving an aside about history, which was the shows purpose, to educate the young viewers. A couple of times Hartnell slips up on his lines, which is quite sad to see.
It's very clear that Steven has kind of forgotten how to interact with people. His first interaction with a Saxon is a very clear contrast to the Doctor's, all the more so when the scenes are placed next to each other. Although the fight was crappily choreographed, it does give us a bit of an insight into how Steven has been affected by his time with the Mechanoids.
In the final scene, all the modern stuff scattered through the episode is made clear by the reveal of the gramophone. The monk is not what he seems! And he has captured the Doctor! Dun, dun, DUH!
Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.
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