"We'll show them a thing or two."
Ten episodes in and it seems to me that we're finally witnessing the Doctor's engagement with what's going on around him. Previously, his adventures, first with the prehistoric Tribe of Gum and now the Thals and Daleks have forcibly shaken him out of the aloof and disinterested pose he'd assumed while at Totter's Lane which, no doubt, included a tendency to nip off in the TARDIS when he'd had enough. He's still talking to himself abstractedly and rolling his eyes but he's now happily getting involved. He's stuck on Skaro because Ian lost the "fluid link" and now leads a group of Thals in an attack on the Dalek city. The Doctor relishes being a military leader.
Unfortunately, this episode strikes me as not much more than plodding filler: it's another episode of travelling to the Dalek city. The Ordeal suggests something far more dramatic than what we actually see: Ian, Barbara and a group of Thals climbing about in underground tunnels (only we don't get to see much more than three or four tunnels close up which really diminishes the "ordeal" factor).
Hot on the tails of last week's episode, we have the remains of Elyon, the Thal, gurgling and swirling round in the lake. Just to make it clear, one of the other Thals asks "Did he fall in?" Obviously not. They have to get to the cliffs by night. I'm actually having a hard time telling the Thals apart and remembering their names. I'm sure one of these is Antodus, who turns out to be traumatised by the whole journey (so maybe "ordeal" refers to Antodus' ordeal).
Meanwhile Susan and the Doctor reconnoitre the Dalek city from behind a large rock with the aid of a pair of glasses . They are with two Thal's around a large rock where they are making a map.Foolishly, the Doctor stands up to get a better look (through glasses with telescopic lenses) and has to be reminded to get down by Susan. The Doctor advises that they must preven
Inside the Dalek city the Daleks prepare a neutron bomb with a 500 mile radius. It will take 23 days which is far too long for the impatient Daleks in charge and they decide to work out another way of spreading radiation. Other than fear of an attack by the peaceful Thals or the Doctor and his companions, I'm not sure why the Daleks need to act so quickly. These Daleks are a hypervigilant, frightened lot.
Next we have Barbara and a Thal called Ganatus inside a cave, searching it for a way through. It would have been helpful to have an establishing shot of the group going into the mouth of a cave (presumably somewhere on the cliffs) but perhaps the budget didn't stretch that far. Barbara hears the sound of water and they discover a small passageway. For some reason the Thal says he knows the Earth custom of Ladies first (maybe heard it through the journey) and climbs into the passage. Before he goes, the Thal playfully asks if Barbara always does what Ian says and she replies no. This is odd in the sense that we've already seen that Thal society is patriarchal and assume Ganatus would approve of Barbara following Ian's instructions. Unless he's subtly checking out the nature of Barbara and Ian's relationship.
Anyhow, Ganatus climbs into the passage and goes down a shaft on the end of a rope which Barbara is left to hold. Unfortunately, she lets go and Ganatus falls. Of course, manly Ian is on hand to take over and make sure all is well.
Back in the city, the Daleks realise that the surveillance cameras and microphones (which they call rangerscopes and vibrascopes) are being deliberately disrupted. Quick shot of three Thals holding large mirrors which reflect light at a faraway camera (?) on the top of a building in the Dalek city.
As the Doctor enters the Dalek city with Susan and another Thal, he stops and seems to speak to the camera, "We'll show them a thing or two." He's clearly enjoying what's happening.
Antodus wants to go back. He fears that they will die. Struggles but a rockfall forces them to go on. Antodus - the largest of the Thals - seems the youngest. He's got a large baby-face, two, which contrasts with the sharp, pointed faces of the other Thals.
The Daleks' vibrascope reveals that the Doctor, Susan and Thal have entered Section 15 at the city wall.
Doctor sabotages a videoscope. He enjoys breaking things. Uses Susan's key to TARDIS and says he can always make another one. Causes a short circuit that delights him - but also summons Daleks who surround him and Susan. Inexplicably, the Daleks don't kill them and a little later Doctor and Susan sat in the middle of a group of Daleks in the control room. Helpfully, Dalek 1 explains:
DALEK 1: The only interest we have in the Thals is their total extermination.
SUSAN: What do you mean?
DALEK 1: Tomorrow the atmosphere will be bombarded by the radiation from our nuclear reactors.
SUSAN: Why are you doing this?
DOCTOR: That's sheer murder.
DALEK 1: No, extermination.
DOCTOR: But you must listen to reason. Please, you must.
DALEK 1: Without radiation, the Dalek race is ended. We need it as you and the Thals need air.
Daleks go full-Nazi and take up the rallying cry of "Tomorrow we will be the masters of Skaro." I'm hoping that the Doctor allowed himself to be captured and this is why he was so excited when he told the camera earlier in the episode that he would show the Daleks a thing or two. The Doctor's altered from wanting to kill a wounded cave man with a rock in the first adventure to being outraged at the genocidal actions of the Daleks.
Back in the tunnels, the other Thal group are prevented from continuing by a cleft in the floor. Ian and the others jump across to a small ledge. It's an overly-long scene. Antodus is last and fearful of jumping. Build-up of thumping percussion. Of course, he falls and the cliffhanger shows Antodus hanging on the end of a rope connected to Ian who is losing his grip...
Next week: The Rescue
Hmmm... I've just noticed that all the episodes - except the first all start with the definite article - The Ambush, The Ordeal, The Rescue... it'll be interesting to note when this changes.
No comments:
Post a Comment