OldSchool catchup: Four
May. 5th, 2009 12:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizbeeLately I've been watching a lot of Fourth Doctor stories. Still couldn't finish "Robot", though -- I was going to try, but I seem to have misplaced my copy. Anyway, because I know you all care, here are my thoughts:
"Revenge of the Cybermen"
I saw this when I was about eleven, and didn't think much of it. Sixteen years later, it still doesn't thrill me. The Cybermen are weak, standing about declaiming about their revenge, and their entrance was as good an example of anti-tension as I've ever seen. I like the idea of the Cybermats in theory, but the execution doesn't quite work. I don't often say this, but they're a monster crying out for CGI. But first, you have to explain to me why the Cybermen need pets, and why they're going around poisoning people, when they could just electrocute everyone and have done with it.
Speaking of poison: you don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes afficionado to take one look at a victim and say, "Aha! Poison!" But the future!humans are all, "IT'S A DISEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!" Fail, Nerva Beacon staff, fail.
Oh, and the aliens were basically a less-interesting retread of the Sensorites.
What I did like: all the bits where it's obvious that Sarah and Harry are secretly married. They're the Ron/Hermione of DW. *loves*
"Terror of the Zygons"
I can't believe no one told me to watch this ages ago! It's OldSchool gold! The Brig! Benton! The Loch Ness Monster! UNIT dating! It's made of 100% pure squee.
It's especially good because it's one of those stories where Sarah Jane is awesome, instead of just turning up and shrieking a bit. It's one of my Unpopular Opinions: I like Sarah Jane now, but as a companion she was generic-bordering-on-rubbish. If she has more stories like this, though, I shall reconsider my position.
And UNIT are win, even if they have become dislodged in time, and Harry leaves very suddenly (but I like to think they talked it over on the trip back up to Scotland) which is sad. And the Loch Ness Monster is quite silly, even though there's a whole cliffhanger where it wants to mate with the Doctor. COME ON, they talk about the signal-thingie sending out a mating call to attract Nessie -- and then the Doctor's running around with the signal-thingie stuck to him!
Let me just say: I SHIP IT.
"Image of the Fendahl"
This was okay, but a bit lacklustre, so I'm puzzled as to why it's getting a DVD release ahead of, say, "Terror of the Zygons". But it has some good bits: a well-rounded team of scientists andyokels locals, a mad old woman named Martha Tyler who is (of course) right about everything, good interaction between the Doctor and Leela. People spend a lot of time waving guns around (including Leela, who says something to the effect of, there's nothing lucky about good aim), which I suppose the Tenth Doctor and RTD disapprove of.
The reason I think it's a bit lacklustre: a creature of Gallifreyan nightmares should probably be interesting, if not scary. Is anyone surprised that a lot of Gallifreyan nightmares seem to involve unkillable female figures? No, I thought not. One day the Time Lords will get over their Pythia-envy. Also, there's a bit where a guy has looked into the eyes of the Fendahl and is going mad, and the Doctor's like, "Here, have a gun! All the better to shoot yourself with!" Which is heavy stuff for tea-time family entertainment, and I almost went all Mary Whitehouse about it.
Anyway, that was an enjoyable set, and I think I'm going to keep going with season 13. I have a new system: I can sit in my armchair and watch stuff on the monitor in comfort, and work on a quilt. Good times. Good, nerdy, crafty times.
"Revenge of the Cybermen"
I saw this when I was about eleven, and didn't think much of it. Sixteen years later, it still doesn't thrill me. The Cybermen are weak, standing about declaiming about their revenge, and their entrance was as good an example of anti-tension as I've ever seen. I like the idea of the Cybermats in theory, but the execution doesn't quite work. I don't often say this, but they're a monster crying out for CGI. But first, you have to explain to me why the Cybermen need pets, and why they're going around poisoning people, when they could just electrocute everyone and have done with it.
Speaking of poison: you don't have to be a Sherlock Holmes afficionado to take one look at a victim and say, "Aha! Poison!" But the future!humans are all, "IT'S A DISEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!" Fail, Nerva Beacon staff, fail.
Oh, and the aliens were basically a less-interesting retread of the Sensorites.
What I did like: all the bits where it's obvious that Sarah and Harry are secretly married. They're the Ron/Hermione of DW. *loves*
"Terror of the Zygons"
I can't believe no one told me to watch this ages ago! It's OldSchool gold! The Brig! Benton! The Loch Ness Monster! UNIT dating! It's made of 100% pure squee.
It's especially good because it's one of those stories where Sarah Jane is awesome, instead of just turning up and shrieking a bit. It's one of my Unpopular Opinions: I like Sarah Jane now, but as a companion she was generic-bordering-on-rubbish. If she has more stories like this, though, I shall reconsider my position.
And UNIT are win, even if they have become dislodged in time, and Harry leaves very suddenly (but I like to think they talked it over on the trip back up to Scotland) which is sad. And the Loch Ness Monster is quite silly, even though there's a whole cliffhanger where it wants to mate with the Doctor. COME ON, they talk about the signal-thingie sending out a mating call to attract Nessie -- and then the Doctor's running around with the signal-thingie stuck to him!
Let me just say: I SHIP IT.
"Image of the Fendahl"
This was okay, but a bit lacklustre, so I'm puzzled as to why it's getting a DVD release ahead of, say, "Terror of the Zygons". But it has some good bits: a well-rounded team of scientists and
The reason I think it's a bit lacklustre: a creature of Gallifreyan nightmares should probably be interesting, if not scary. Is anyone surprised that a lot of Gallifreyan nightmares seem to involve unkillable female figures? No, I thought not. One day the Time Lords will get over their Pythia-envy. Also, there's a bit where a guy has looked into the eyes of the Fendahl and is going mad, and the Doctor's like, "Here, have a gun! All the better to shoot yourself with!" Which is heavy stuff for tea-time family entertainment, and I almost went all Mary Whitehouse about it.
Anyway, that was an enjoyable set, and I think I'm going to keep going with season 13. I have a new system: I can sit in my armchair and watch stuff on the monitor in comfort, and work on a quilt. Good times. Good, nerdy, crafty times.
