Series 7a Review: A Town Called Mercy

I have to admit that I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would.  The trailers and clips that I'd seen had initially seemed to suggest that we'd be in for a bit of a rootin' tootin' romp though the Old West with cyborg cowboys.  Then I saw the 'Next Episode' trailer at the end of 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' and realised that we'd be in for something a little more serious.

This episode is a definite change of pace from the two that precede it.  It's slower, more measured and perhaps a bit darker in tone - ironic really considering how much of the episode takes place in brilliant sunshine. I think that this sudden shift in tone is probably why I didn't enjoy the episode as much as I expected to.  Having something like this follow 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' comes as a bit of a shock.

Of course there is humour here, because even the darkest of Doctor Who episodes has had some humour in it, but in amongst the jokes about 'speaking horse' and Amy messing around with a pistol, we see the Doctor go to a very dark place indeed.  It's always a shock to see the Doctor holding a gun, not least because it's such a rare occurrence.  It's even rarer to see him actually pull the trigger but this was one occasion where I could honestly believe that he might actually go ahead and do it.  Of course he was never going to but such was Matt Smith's acting in the scene where he almost gives Khaler-Jex to the Gunslinger that I did have my doubts as to whether he would be able to hold back from squeezing the trigger.

He's saved from going over to the Dark Side by his companions, Amy and Rory who, other than being his moral compass, have frankly bugger all to do in this episode.  But their mere presence in this episode reinforces something that has been said over and over for the past few series: that the Doctor cannot travel without someone with him to keep him in check.  Yes, it seems like we're raking over old ground here but in light of what is to come in two episodes time, it seems appropriate to bring this up again.  I have no idea what will happen to Amy and Rory when they leave the series but I do wonder if the Doctor's actions in this episode as well as what he did to Solomon in 'Dinosaurs...' are just the tip of the iceberg.



Of course the Doctor's moral crisis isn't the only one here, there's also fellow Doctor Khaler-Jex.  Like Solomon he seems to be someone who, initially, has no real understanding or regard for the damage and suffering he has caused.  He's also very much a coward.  However, over the course of just a few short hours,  he seems to change his outlook completely and is prepared to end his like as punishment for his crimes.  His sudden decision to blow himself up is just a little too quick and convenient for my liking.

Overall I did quite enjoy this episode, just not as much as the previous two.  It was a little too slow in places and certain character weren't as well used as they could have been (the aforementioned Amy and Rory as well as Ben Browder's Marshal) but it looked stunning and certainly had a proper Western feel.  But, once again, for all that Steven Moffatt said that this series' episodes would be 'blockbuster movies' we have another story where the characters take precedence over the spectacle.  Like the Daleks and the Dinosaurs, the eye-catching Western setting is just a backdrop to the real drama.  

Series 7a Review: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

Somewhat later than I intended but what the heck, here's my review:

For only the second time in its long history Doctor Who has a proper go at doing dinosaurs.  Although given how they turned out last time it's perhaps not surprising that it's taken them so long to try again:

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and Invasion of the Dinosaurs (from which the above picture is taken) share little in common besides the inclusion of dinosaurs.  'Invasion...' is a more serious and, some might say, grittier story than it's spaceship-based successor - or at least as serious and gritty as a story featuring dinosaurs in the London Underground can be.  'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship' on the other hand is, by its author's own admission, a 'fun romp'.  That's what Steven Moffatt asked Chris Chibnall to write and, without a doubt, that's what he wrote.

I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it.  I'm not overly excited by dinosaurs, the trailers I'd seen didn't really enthuse me and, I'll be honest, I didn't really enjoy Chris Chibnall's last two episodes - the Silurian 2-parter from 2010.  So I went into this with some trepidation.  But, you know what, I really enjoyed it.

The whole thing gets off to a flying start with the Doctor picking up his 'gang' from various points in time to investigate a dinosaur infested spaceship.  I have to sat that, at times certain members of the group seemed to be superfluous to requirements.  Certainly Nefertiti and Riddell the big game hunter had little to do in the first half of the episode other than to flirt and be Amy's 'companions' while the Doctor and Rory were elsewhere.  Fortunately, like in all good 'gang' movies (I'm thinking 'Ocean's 11') everyone has a reason to be there and everyone gets their chance to shine.

The same criticism can be said of Brian, Rory's dad.  However, his character is so much fun that's it's easy to forget that he serves little purpose in being there - at least until he gets his balls out.  I'm definitely looking forward to his return in 'The Power of Three' later in the series, although it's a shame that we'll (probably) not see him again once Amy and Rory leave.

Of course amongst all the fun and romping and jokes about balls there is a darker story being told.  Solomon the trader with a dark heart (but an appreciation for 21st Century comedy duos if his robot's voices are anything to go by) is a small-scale villain by the Doctor's standards but he also seems to be one of the most irredeemable.   Even the Master turned out not to be such a bad guy in the end.  Solomon is a mass-murderer who deals in endangered animals (amongst other things) and makes some very unsavoury threats towards Nefertiti.  And he's completely unrepentant about any of it.  He can't even use the excuse of being mad as he appears to be fully aware of everything that he does and even seems to enjoy it.

The fact that the Doctor effectively kills Solomon by leaving him to get blown up is shocking (and something that will be addressed in the next episode) but it's sort of understandable.  Earlier in the episode the Doctor gives Solomon the opportunity to leave and he chooses not to, preferring instead  to attack the Doctor's gang and kidnap one of them.  What alternative is there, then, when dealing with someone like Solomon who doesn't want the chance at redemption that's given to him?  Controversial though it was, I think the Doctor did the only thing that he could on this occasion.

 All of this and I've barely the mentioned the dinosaurs.  The fact is that, much like the dinos in 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs' - and indeed the Daleks in the last episode -  the dinosaurs here are not really that important to the overall story.  They bring the characters together on the spaceship but really the story's focus is on the humans and that's no bad thing in my book.

Overall then this is was a very positive episode for me.  I'm not sure that it quite got the balance right between the comedy and the more serious stuff but it came very close to it.  I'm now looking forward to Chris Chibnall's next episode, 'The Power of Three' much more than I was. 

Series 7a Review: Asylum of the Daleks

I know I'm a little late to the party (all the other reviews I've seen were posted within hours) but I wanted to share a few thoughts on Asylum of the Daleks. 

Overall I have to say that I really enjoyed it.  It seemed to fulfil all the criteria needed of a standard season opener.  It re-introduced us to the regular characters and allowed us to catch up with what had happened to them since we last saw them.  It told a relatively straightforward, yet engaging, story and, as a bonus, brought back the series' most iconic monsters.  Oh, and there was the big surprise guest star as well. 


Before the episode was shown, there were a number of complaints on the message boards from people who were bemoaning the fact that the Daleks were being brought back yet again.  The main complaint seemed to be that all Dalek stories were the same: the Daleks do something evil like invade Earth, the Doctor arrives and defeats them.  Again.

Fortunately Asylum of the Daleks bucks this trend somewhat.  In fact, the Daleks come out of it rather well overall.  They score a major coup in the early going by capturing, the Doctor his companions and the TARDIS in a manner so absurdly easy that one wonders why they haven't tried it before.  It's as if the Daleks realised they only had 45 minutes for the story so had to go for the simplest plan they could think of.

Once they've captured the TARDIS crew the new Dalek Parliament then manage to get the Doctor to do their dirty work for them and go down to the Asylum.  Incidentally, I'd love to know more about how the Parliament is set up.  Are there different political parties?  What are their policies?  And how do Daleks hold the little pencil when they're in the voting booth?

The Parliament of the Daleks looks very impressive, with literally thousands of Daleks surrounding the Doctor and his friends.  Coupled with the impressive opening shots of the the planet Skaro, you can see that money has been spent.  Sadly it looks as if a lot of the money ran out when it came time to film inside the Asylum itself.  The entire complex seemed to consist of a couple of rooms and a corridor as well as a dozen, mostly inert Daleks.  It all seemed a bit low-key after all the previous spectacle.

Another thing that was doing the rounds on the message boards after the episode aired, was the surprising lack of old-school Daleks.  Most of them are shrouded in darkness and/or cobwebs and any real action is performed by the more recent bronze Daleks of the Russell T Davies era.  I admit that I was a little disappointed myself at the time however, on reflection, I can see why the older Daleks were kept in the background.  The youngest of the classic era Dalek props that did appear was close to 25 years old with the oldest pushing 50.  It's a fair bet that most of those props were in no fit state to be operated and so, by necessity, had to be relagated to sitting in the background of various shots.  It's a shame but understandable.

Anyway, despite all the evidence, this episode isn't really about the Daleks.  It about the relationship between Amy and Rory and the relationship between the Doctor and Oswin Oswald (who may or may not be the new companion).  Amy and Rory's impending divorce seems to come out of the blue; even the 'Pond Life' mini story on the BBC Doctor Who website doesn't really hint at any serious relationship troubles until the final minute or two.  Their reunion, although touching, seems somewhat 'convenient' and I can't imagine that their problems are over as easily as that.  It'll be interesting to see how things develop for them over the next few weeks. 

The Doctor and Oswin's relationship is far more interesting as it feels as though we're getting a trial run of how things will be once Jenna Louise Coleman appears full-time.  Despite the fact that they don't get to act face to face (and considering that Oswin's scenes were probably filmed months after the rest of the episode was shot) there is a real spark between the two characters.  For what it's worth I was genuinely surprised when Jenna Louise Coleman appeared 4 months earlier than expected.  Even then I still didn't expect her to have such a prominent role.  And by the end of the episode I was left wondering how her appearance in this episode ties into the Christmas episode.  Is she going to be playing the same character?  And, if so, how does she end up as a Dalek (if indeed she does -  I have my own theories on that.)?

One of the things that I was concerned about when this series of 'stand-alone stories' was first announced was that ongoing storylines and story arcs would take a bit of a back seat this year.  But that's definitely not been the case.  We have the ongoing Amy and Rory saga, the mystery of the new companion and now the Daleks have no memory of the Doctor.  Their repeated chanting of "Doctor Who? Doctor Who?" brings us back to the very end of the last series and "the question that must never be answered."  There's no doubt that this is all building up to the 50th Anniversary next year where maybe, just maybe, that question will be answered.

So, all in all, a good opening episode.  Roll on 'Dinosaurs on a Spaceship'.   

 

Whotember Begins

As I write it's the 31st of August and we're just hours away from the start of the new Doctor Who season.  Or as I prefer to call it now: Whotember.  Because, for probably the first time ever, a new series of Doctor Who will begin and end in the same month. 

It does seem a little sad that, after previous years of getting 13 weeks of new episodes, we're now down to just 5 (and a Christmas Special).  But, speaking as someone who only got to watch one new episode in the 16 years between 1989 and 2005, I'm grateful for whatever I can get.  While I no longer get as excited for new Who as I did back in 2005, I'm still very much looking forward to what's coming up over the next few weeks.

In fact, based on the little information that I have, I think I'm looking forward to this series more than I was to the last series back in the Spring of 2011.  There are, I think, a few reasons for this:

- Daleks.   Or to be more precise: Every. Dalek. Ever!  At least according to Steven Moffatt.  Although I suspect that it'll be more a case of 'Whatever we could find hanging around in the BBC Prop Department'.  Nevertheless I'm really looking forward to seeing all the old Daleks on screen again.  As we get ready to enter the anniversary year, it's a nice acknowledgement of the show's history, not to mention the Daleks' history, which is almost as long as that of the show itself.  I think this will be one occasion when I really don't care whether the story is good or bad, I'll just be looking at the visuals.

 - No 2-part stories.  This may a little controversial to some but I'm generally not a fan of multi-part stories.  Modern Doctor Who seems to work better in the single episode format.  It has a pace to it that the original series was never able to have and this allows good, exciting stories to be told in 45 minutes.  This has become the norm now and at times the show seemed to struggle when it had to adapt to a two-part story structure.  Because of this we did end up with some rather slow and dull 2 parters over the years.  Of course we had some great 2-part stories too but, for me at least, the misses outweigh the hits.

 - Hardly any River Song.  Much as I like the character I'm rather glad that she's taken a bit of a back seat this year.  She appeared in almost half of last year's episodes and, even when she wasn't around, her presence was felt as the overall arc of the season revolved around her.  One has to wonder whether, with her parents leaving the series, will we be seeing a lot less of River in the future?

 - No pirates this year.  I don't like pirates and I really didn't like Curse of the Black Spot last year.  I do, on the other hand like cowboys and Westerns so this year's A Town Called Mercy should be good fun.  In fact, I don't think that there's a single episode this year that I'm not looking forward to in some way whereas I couldn't have said the same last year. 

So there we are: just a few reasons why I'm looking forward to Whotember.  Not long to go now...

     

Comic Strip Time Team : Are You Listening?

"They probably think I'm a city or something."

Writer: Warwick Gray
Artist: Colin Andrew
Published: DWM Summer Special. 1994

TARDIS crew: First Doctor, Steven and Vicki
Chronology: Between The Time Meddler and Galaxy 4
Time & Space: Time unknown; the 'city' of Xenith on an unnamed planet

Story: The TARDIS crew arrive in what appears to be an abandoned, futuristic.  Although the travellers don't realise it, the city is in fact a sentient machine-like being called Xenith.  Xenith attempts to communicate with them but, misunderstanding Xenith's intentions, the time-travellers rush back to the TARDIS and leave.  Xenith is alone again.

Mark's Remarks: If you think that the above synopsis sounds like just half a story then you'd be right.  The 1994 Summer Special had two 4-page comic strips: this one and Younger and Wiser, which picks up the story with the Seventh Doctor.  Yes, that's right, once again the Seventh Doctor returns to sort out a mistake made by the First Doctor.

Although there isn't a great deal of continuity between these First Doctor strips (mostly because they're all written at odd times during the early 90s), one thing I have noticed so far is that Doctor is always portrayed as someone who doesn't like to get involved with things but will do so when pushed into it. The very minor issue I have with this is that, whilst this is standard behaviour for Hartnell's Doctor in the earliest days of the series, by the time we get to Season 2/Season 3 era where this story is meant to be set the Doctor has become a lot more proactive.  By this point he's realised that his lot in life seems to be to help people and right wrongs.  In short, he doesn't just run away at the first sign of danger.  So it makes his actions here a little out of character.

Still, what the heck, it's just a short 4-page story that really does little more than set up the aforementioned Younger and Wiser so I feel I should cut it some slack.  Despite its slightness, there is some nice stuff here.  I particularly liked how Xenith seems to be quite taken with the TARDIS - the closest we may ever get to the TARDIS having a secret admirer.

What is also notable though, apart from the very nice artwork by Colin Andrew, is that this is the first appearance in this comic strip marathon of writer Warwick (later Scott) Gray.  He'll go on to play a major role in the shaping of the 8th Doctor's comic era in what is considered by many readers to be something of a high point in the comic strip's history.  But that is some way in the future. 

Next time: The final First Doctor strip - Food for Thought

Random Thoughts

Just a few things that I've been thinking about over the past couple of weeks:

The Series 7 (Part 1) Trailer

I know that I wasn't the only one waiting to see this.  And now that I have,  I have to say that I was...underwhelmed.


Don't get me wrong, I'm still looking forward to the series a lot (particularly the chance to see Every.  Dalek.  Ever!) but I didn't feel that the trailer really provided much more than the previous trailer shown a few months back.  There was some new stuff obviously, particularly the opening shot of the Doctor surrounded by Daleks, "dinosaurs on a spaceship!" and the almost-unexpected glimpse of River Song (I try to avoid spoilers so perhaps her return was common knowledge but I wasn't expecting it).  But otherwise it all seemed a bit flat.  Perhaps showing the trailer in the midst of all the real-life Olympic drama diminished its impact  somewhat. 

Still, roll on the start of the new series!  Whenever that is...

Mary Tamm RIP
Another companion gone and just weeks after Caroline John which just seems to make it worse somehow.  For those who don't know, Mary played the first incarnation of Romana for one series in 1978.  Although her time on the series was relatively short, she was still very popular with the fans and it's a great pity that she didn't stay with the series for longer as she and Tom Baker made a great double act.

Like Caroline John, Mary returned to the series and the character via the Big Finish audio plays, most recently alongside Tom Baker in the second series of the 4th Doctor audio adventures.  Her stories aren't available until next year which will make listening to them a sombre experience.  On the other hand, I'm extremely grateful for the fact that Big Finish has given us the opportunity to enjoy the 4th Doctor/Romana double act one last time.

The Olympic Opening Ceremony
With a show that included the Queen meeting James Bond and then jumping out of a helicopter, followed by Mr Bean doing Chariots of Fire and an army of Mary Poppinses (Mary Poppi?) fighting a giant Voldemort I was prepared to believe that maybe the Doctor really would turn up to light the flame.  Alas he didn't but we did hear the TARDIS at one point.  Maybe he got lost?

      

Comic Strip Time Team: A Religious Experience

"I think we're about to replace that worm as the locals' God."

Writer: Tim Quinn
Artist: John Freeman
Published: Doctor Who Yearbook 1994 (1993)

TARDIS Crew:  First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki (mentioned only), 7th Doctor (cameo)
Chronology: Takes place before 'The Chase'.  Or to be more precise it can only really take place between the first two scenes of 'The Chase'.
Time & Space: The planet Seetar, time unknown

Story: The Doctor and Ian are exploring a beach on the planet Seetar when they save a member of a native tribe from being eaten by a giant worm.  It turns out that the worm was a tribal god and the tribe now set about making the Doctor and Ian their new gods.  However, when the high priest prepares to make a human sacrifice in their honour, the Doctor and Ian decide to take their leave - not before Ian has knocked out the priest - and they leave in the TARDIS

Many years later, the Seventh Doctor returns to the planet to find the tribe still worshipping images of the First Doctor and Ian and making sacrifices.  He declares that it's time this came to an end...

Mark's Remarks: Another story written by a writer who I think is better known for his humorous work.  For those who don't know, Tim Quinn, amongst other things used to write a short humorous strip each month in DWM called 'Doctor Who?', which at the time used to be one of my favourite parts of the magazine.  This is a rather more serious affair but, if I'm honest, there's nothing much about the story that particularly stands out for me.

The regular characters are well characterised.  Ian and the Doctor get all of the action as Barbara only appears briefly at the end and Vicki is mentioned but not seen.  One nice touch I thought was Ian's wonder at the beauty of the alien world he was exploring.  At this point in time he would have been travelling with the Doctor for close to two years so it's nice to see that he can still be impressed by it all.  

The Seventh Doctor's cameo appearance at the end is a bit of a surprise although it fits with his character.  On TV he made a habit of sorting out long-standing issues from his past (Remembrance of the Daleks, Silver Nemesis and so on) so it makes sense that he would step in here to deal with repercussions of his earlier visit.  We never find out what he does to end the sacrifices but, as the Seventh Doctor by this time had been built up to almost god-like proportions through various novels and comic strips. one imagines that it involved more than giving the natives a stern talking to. 

In terms of artwork, I've always enjoyed John Ridgeway's work ever since I first encountered it during the tail-end of the Sixth Doctor's comic strip run.  There's some good stuff here although he tends to use a lot of photo references for the close ups of the Doctor and Ian.  Also the artwork is ruined slightly by the colour which just seems too garish for my tastes.  It would have benefited greatly by being toned down just a little.

Overall then, a nice little story marred slightly by some dodgy colouring.


Next up: Are You Listening?