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| Polly's gown sure is short, ain't it? This is for all my male readers... and me. |
Patrick Troughton immediately won me over. He is perfect in visual gags(look at him hitting his head when claiming that Zaroff is mad as a hatter) and what I call "background humour" i.e. gags that don't take the centre of the scene.
Jamie's really nice. He's far from achieving his full potential, but he's sure on the way there. The suits he and Ben wear here kinda look like the stillsuits from Dune.
Ben and Polly continue to be a perfect little couple(if there's one thing Doctor Who sadly failed to take advantage of in the 20th century, it's romance).
I'm rather fond of the miners our companions team up with. They're very likeable and it's really nice having them around here. There's no performance or event that grates here.
But the Fish People... I'm sorry, but I just don't see the point of saving this episode for their Ballet. I mean, sure, we can chuck away Patrick Troughton's introduction and try to get rid of the first appearance of the Daleks, but a scene with people in freaky costumes just floating around is of utmost importance!
Now that we've dealt with the important characters, let's get to the story.
The TARDIS crew are kidnapped and taken to the undersea city of Atlantis(the setting is contemporary) where a mad Austrian scientist plots to blow up the planet because it's just such an awesome thing to do.
Ah, yes... professor Zaroff. From his name to his actor to his accent, he's just priceless all the way through. The energy and sheer enthusiasm Joseph Furst gives the role is simply irreplaceable. He's a walking old cliche and everyone(including him) loves him for it. Besides, it throws his similar, but more subdued character from James Bond out of the window(Furst was practically born to be a nut... rather like Jack Nicholson, but more hammy).
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| "NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN STOP ME NOW!!!!!!" |
*Radiation glows now? And it can be recognised by sight? And it affects no one?
*I love the scene where Ben cuts up the power lines connecting the generator and Zaroff's lab for the wrong reason. In New Who, there are far too many instances of circuits exploding and sparks flying around everywhere, but this is the one time where it's actually warranted and all we get is a "click!".
*Even more recorder antics! This time, the Doctor not only plays it, he also uses it to stun Zaroff by puffing gas into his face.
*Why did it take the Doctor so long to figure out the point of turning the Fish People against Atlantis. Took me a few seconds after they mentioned it, but I'm a human and he's a Time Lord.
*I've started to pick up Troughton's mannerisms and facial expressions, just like I did with Hartnell. Now I do hope someone's redecorated something!!
*This is the third story where the Doctor is canonically referred to as "Doctor Who" although only in initials.
*How does the Doctor know about Zaroff's work and is able to deduce that he's the one responsible for food-management in Atlantis?
*Number one line of the story goes to Troughton: "Professor, why are you trying to blow up the world?"
*The one time the Doctor actually tries to do more than dematerialize(i.e. actually drive) and it all goes wrong. I liked the way he immediately tried to prove to his companions that he does know how to do it though, it reminded me of Hartnell.
*And speaking of which, let's not forget The Rescue where we clearly see the Doctor doesn't really do anything other than push the Take Off button. It's all for the viewers.
*One Zaroff fail(or another success) is that at the start of Episode 4, his boisterous cliffhanger is delivered with speed and apathy, as if he just wants to get it done. I bet Furst wasn't used to recaps.
*Why does Zaroff drown? Only half the room is filled with water! Did he really care about his planet-buster button so much he couldn't bear to be above eye level of it?
CONCLUSION
It's annoying that this story is partially gone as it is one rollercoaster of awesome. A shining example of how to get camp right.
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