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Doctor Who: season 14
The Masque of Mandragora
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mraltariel: This starts off all "Sci" "Fi", but rapidly improves when we reach Renaissance Wales... er, Italy. altariel: Tim Pigott-Smith is so much better than anyone else in this. He's delivering the lines like he's at the RSC. He is completely and totally believable in this part. mraltariel: I agree. You have to give some credit to the guy playing Hieronymous, though. He's got quite a challenging role if your criteria for success include the word 'believable'. altariel: Emotional truth, darling. Emotional truth. That's all I'm asking for. mraltariel: I always want an orange after watching this. The Hand of Fear
mraltariel: What a smasher!altariel: Yes, I think it's a little cracker. mraltariel: I was talking about Lis. altariel: Well, it's your last chance, so I can't blame you. Go on, say nice things about Luvverly Lis. mraltariel: It is challenging to say nice things about the Andy-Pandy suit. altariel: Poor girl. mraltariel: There's no poor girl about it, I'm willing to bet she chose that herself. altariel: Get out of here!mraltariel: Absolutely!altariel: Thank god we're not living in the Seventies any more. Do you want to say anything about this story?mraltariel: I think we've said everything. Quick! Duck behind that sofa! A nuclear bomb is about to go off!altariel: Isn't that broadly the contents of "Protect and Survive"?mraltariel: I was quoting. altariel: Next story. The Deadly Assassin
mraltariel: Shall I shoot you and then myself, or shall we go together. altariel: The Yawnly Yawn. Why? Why? Why?mraltariel: Let me guess, this is another one of those bloody stupid stories like "Genesis of the Daleks" that may be as appallingly dull as watching TV static, but "build the mythos", and are therefore somehow "classic". altariel: The only good mythos is a dead mythos. mraltariel: What about "Highlander"?altariel: Methos, darling. Methos. The Face of Evil
mraltariel: Ooh! It's another studio jungle! Haven't they done a bang-up job of that?altariel: Lots of practice. But, another little cracker, I think.mraltariel: You're not talking about Leela, I presume?altariel: No. mraltariel: Even when you know the premise, I think this one works very well, because the two tribes are so well drawn. altariel: Lovely performances all round, and some smashing bits of design, like the broken-up space-suit that's become the priest's vestments. Nice little story. And quite "Sci" "Fi".mraltariel: And, as with Jo, I expected to hate Leela, but in fact she seems a much better foil for Tom than Sarah was. altariel: I agree. mraltariel: I'm still not warming to Tom Baker, though. altariel: I think it's because he was so horrible to Sarah. This partnership looks like it'll work better. The Robots of Death
mraltariel: Kill the humans!altariel: Let's finish this write-up first. Then flame on. What a brilliant, wonderful story.mraltariel: And it looks absolutely beautiful. altariel: Russell Hunter, Brian Croucher, David Collings, Pamela Salem. And, yes, it looks amazing. When do you think Chris Boucher gave a big sigh and said, "Oh, now, this is where it all started to go wrong..."?mraltariel: Judging by the commentary, I think that this - which is, what, his second commission - is the high spot of his career. altariel: There's "Blake" yet, matey. mraltariel: Ah yes! I heard that they were developing a new "Sci" "Fi" series to replace "Softly, Softly"! That'll never work out. altariel: I think it will be... watched. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
mraltariel: Oh corks. altariel: I was going to say that! And, indeed, what more is there to say?mraltariel: Even the giant rat was good. I don't know what people are complaining about. altariel: I agree. Let's hear it for the rat. mraltariel: Rattus Magnus. A great example of Bob's throwaway lines, adding colour and texture to a straightforward story: "I was with the Filipino army in the final advance on Rekjavik."altariel: Isn't that part of the mythos?mraltariel: No! It's just a throwaway line!Ranking
The Robots of Death
The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The Hand of Fear
The Face of Evil
The Masque of Mandragora
The Deadly Assassin
mraltariel: This was a much better season, only really let down by "The Deadly Assassin". altariel: Which at least has a couple of nice performances. mraltariel: Yes, but it did have an episode-and-a-half without dialogue, trudging around the matrix. altariel: You're not wrong. I agree that this was a much improved season, and I'm finding Tom more watchable - or, at least, the relationship with Leela more enjoyable.
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It was a pity that the male Kastrian Eldrad was so obviously just a man in a rubber suit. Even with their limited budget, I think that they could have done better and made the sharp dividing line between the suit and the man's face rather less obvious. That was the only real downside to what was otherwise a fine story. (Though I did wonder, if the toxin in the harpoon thingy was so deadly, why the Kastrians had bothered with the Obliterator rather than just using the toxin.)
It occurs to be that more of Eldrad's original body may still be buried somewhere in that quarry. Though presumably without the ring it can't do any harm, at least until such time as Steven Moffat decides that it would be a fun monster to revive and finds a way around the missing ring problem.
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Quite right too! Yes, she's terrific (and the male Eldrad nowhere near as striking). You're right it would be a fun monster to revive, and they could probably do better than a man in a rubber suit now!
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If by any chance you should make that the basis of your next Who book, then I shall expect a mention in the acknowledgements. :)
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