The Romans is definitely the best historical so far and an undeniable classic. I said in the previous review that 60s Doctor Who can do some brilliant comedy and I'm glad to be right. I laughed so hard during these episodes and I am looking forward to the next comedy story(there WILL be one... right?).
The Doctor is an absolute laugh, doing various antics to the general irritation of everyone around him. This is the way I like William Hartnell... tricks and treats. Some people complain about his reaction to having caused the Great Fire Of Rome, but I think it's perfectly understandable. Since it's a predetermined historical event and one that was caused accidentally btw, he can't really be held responsible. Besides, what time-traveler doesn't get giddy when he is behind a historical event?
William Russell gave his best-ever performance this time, switching effortlessly between dramatic, happy and a pouting child. His revenge at Barbara at the end was a show of continuity I really appreciated(and it was very satisfactory). Honestly, by this point he has passed Rose Tyler as my favourite companion ever. Please don't get rid of him any time soon, Ian is such a multidimensional character. The only complaint that I'd have is that neither he nor Barbara really do what they're supposed to: explain all about history and chemistry(there's a scene with a poisoner, but Ian's not even in it) which is supposedly what they're best at.
Vicki is growing to be a relatively sweet companion and she definitely has chemistry with Hartnell at least. She's still taking time to get used to the other two though. It's a shame that for her first proper story, she doesn't get to do a lot but comment on Hartnell's big ruse at the end.
Speaking of Hartnell's ruse, the scene where the Doctor "played" the lyre is officially one of the best tricks this series has pulled. It's a Steven Moffat level of clever and time travel wasn't even involved. I'm noticing that Vicki spends the majority of her time asking questions from the Doctor. I guess this is the starting point of the Doctor's role as action hero.
Barbara spends almost the entirety of the serial separated from Ian, but she's grown on me enough that they get away with it by having Emperor Nero chase her around in a number of scenes that just needs the Benny Hill theme in it. I like her strong sense of morale and her sense of humor which add a big aspect to the TARDIS crew. Yes, she's definitely grown on me.
Overall, The Romans is a story that I'd heartily recommend to not just any Doctor Who fan, but any fan of comedy. Even if you're not fond of science fiction or time travel stories, The Romans will satisfy you with precisely timed puns and twists. It seems tremendously underrated to me.
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