Episode #235 : Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"What sort of a man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list."

Episode #235:      Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               8th September 2012.

In 2367, the Indian Space Agency is on high alert as an unidentified spaceship hurtles towards the Earth. The Eleventh Doctor assembles a team to investigate, including the legendary Queen Nefertiti, a big game hunter named Riddell, Amy, Rory... and Rory's father, Brian. Materialising aboard the mystery ship, they're surprised to find it populated by dinosaurs. With time running out before the ship is blasted out of the sky, the Doctor must confront a vicious criminal named Solomon, as the lives of his companions and the dinosaurs hang in the balance.

Dinosaurs are a good staple of time travel stories and even better when put out of place, such as on board a starship. Add some strange comical robots, Rory's odd father, an Egyptian queen, a 19th century big game hunter and an insidious space pirate villain who quite frankly has no redeeming qualities, and you have quite a fun adventure for a Saturday night tea time. A perfect bit of modern Doctor Who.

We learn that the Silurians, with all their technology, had the ability to construct and pilot spaceships - something never previously mentioned or considered really. So, it makes me wonder how many more Silurian ships may still be out there or did they find a new home? Could there be Silurian colonies out in deep space on jungle worlds filled with dinosaurs? That could go a way to explain why we never see Silurians on Earth in the future despite repeated pointers that in the future both species cohabit.

I love the addition of Mark Williams, a star of the Harry Potter movies, as Rory's somewhat odd father Brian. The modern series, far more than classic, tends to give cameos to household name actors and actresses. When watching a classic story you would be surprised to well known names from the 70's and 80's mainly making the occasional appearance. New Who and their appearance is too commonplace to bother mentioning most of the time. However, Mark Williams stands out nicely and his talents really brighten the fun of the episode.

The role of the pirate trader Soloman is likewise played by a name from the Harry Potter movies, David Bradley. He would also go on to play William Hartnell in the 50th anniversary program An Adventure In Time and Space. In Dinosaurs on a Spaceship he plays a very unlikeable villain. Even the evil deeds of villains such as Daleks and Cybermen, you never feel a sense of actual dislike or unpleasantness about them. The deeds expressed by Soloman make him a very dark and unpleasant personality. I guess more for the adults watching than something to be picked up by the younger viewers.

So, if I like this adventure why do I only give it a basic 3 stars? It does what it says on the tine. It's fun but it doesn't raise the excitement level or give true squee moments. It doesn't push an ongoing plot forward or anything like that. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, while good, is a modern example of what I expect a modern Doctor Who adventure to be.

Episode #226: A Good Man Goes to War

"This was exactly you. All this, all of it. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name? Doctor: the word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word "doctor" means "mighty warrior". How far you've come. And now they've taken a child. The child of your best friends. And they're going to turn her into a weapon, just to bring you down. And all this, my love... in fear of you."

Episode #226:      A Good Man Goes To War.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, River Pond, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              4th June 2011.

On the asteroid Demon's Run, Amy Pond has given birth. But the villainous Madame Kovarian and the religious order of the silence are waiting to make a collection that tears Amy's world apart. Across the galaxy, the Eleventh Doctor and Rory Williams are assembling an army to fight the battle that lies ahead, whilst in Stormcage, River Song prepares to escape for what may be the last time. For this is the battle of Demon's Run. On this day, the Doctor will rise higher than ever and fall so much further, and finally, this is the day he discovers who River Song is.

Where do I start with this story? It is big. Each series of New Who has contained it's own plot line that builds and builds before reaching, hopefully, an awesome finale. A Good Man Goes to War is no different, other than it builds up to this mid-season break and ends on a real corker. A good few plot lines that have been building or hanging get resolved or at least opened up here. Mainly, who the mysterious eye patch lady is, who River Song is and who was the little girl from The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon? Even now I get goose bumps when the revelations come up at the end of this story.

We are introduced to three new characters in this story who become recurring allies of the Doctor. Madame Vastra (a Silurian), her lover/servant Jenny and a Sontaran nurse named Strax. Although not called such on screen, they are known as the  Paternoster Gang (Paternoster Row being the street in Victorian London where they reside). These characters have quickly become fan favourites.

I won't spoil the plot here as I think this is a great episode to watch and learn rather than be told. However, watching it did reveal to me why I think certain stories in New Who work better than most. Part of it is the plot and the excitement they generate but more specifically I think it is the perfect dialogue. Some writers seem to just coast through it sometimes getting those moments of exposition just right, but then you get some who seem to strike the right cord. The quote above is one that gets me every time. We learn so much from that short speech and it opens up our understanding of our beloved Time Lord. River's speech above mirrors, for me, Davros' speech about the Doctor from The Stolen Earth / Journey's End. We all look to the Doctor as a hero or even anti-hero and we see what he does. We give him the big thumbs up but really throughout time and space he has become the cause of so much bloodshed and destruction in order to achieve the desirable outcome. Does the final outcome outweigh the deed that brings them about? For the Doctor we say yes but is that right? These sort of questions make for me the better episodes.

So why then is this a 4 star story not a 5? Well, I'm being resistant I think. The 11th Doctor's adventures, as I have said many many times, has a certain strange fairy tale quality that doesn't always sit well with me. A Good Man Goes to War has those elements and pushes my personal enjoyment down slightly. Had it not featured strange headless monks and space worthy spitfire planes, for example, I might have given it a 5 star rating.

Episode #219 : The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang

"The universe is big, it's vast and complicated, and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles. And that's the theory. Nine hundred years, never seen one yet, but this would do me."

Episode #219:      The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              19th to 26th June 2010.

A Van Gogh painting ferried across thousands of years offering a terrifying prophecy, a message on the oldest cliff-face in the universe and a love that lasts a thousand years: in 102 AD England, Romans receive a surprise visit from Cleopatra. Nearby, Stonehenge hides a legendary prison-box. As it slowly unlocks from the inside, terrible forces gather in the heavens. The fates are closing around the TARDIS. The Pandorica, which contains the most dangerous threat in the Universe, is opening. Only one thing is certain: "The Pandorica will open... Silence will fall".

The season ends with a fantastic culmination. We learn that everything we have experienced since the start of this season has been orchestrated by an alien coalition who fear the Doctor and blame him for the destruction of the universe. The full explanation won't become apparent for some time though. This two parter is a complete edge of your seat type entertainment with surprises and enough cool moments to be hugely memorable.

We have the unexpected return of Rory William although at this stage as a plastic Auton facsimile of a Roman soldier. He somehow manages to retain his personality even as the other Auton's revert to their "evil" selves. Rory always struck me as a bit of an odd character but has grown on me as his time on the show went along. Strange how that happens.

The first half of the story focuses on the Doctor's discovery and investigation of Stonehenge and the Pandorica. Once entrapped and the universe changes we have our companions struggling in a shrinking universe to reset things, hence the title The Big Bang. Now is this new big bang the thing that alters history to erase events such as the giant Cyber King?

The end of the adventure is rather cool as well. The Doctor slides back along his own timeline through his adventures with Amy before he ceases to exist, and we see certain scenes from previous stories this season which now make more sense. A well written and ingenuous plot element. The final scene of Amy and Rory's wedding where Amy restores the Doctor's existence sends a chill up my spin.

All in all a fantastic piece of Doctor Who in the modern era.

Episode #216 : The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

"Bringing things to order, the first meeting of the representatives of the human race and homo reptilia is now in session. Never said that before. That's fab."

Episode #216:      The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              22nd to 29th May 2010.

It’s 2020, and the most ambitious drilling project in history has reached deeper beneath the Earth's crust than man has ever gone before — but now the ground itself is fighting back. The Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a tiny mining village, and find themselves plunged into a battle against a deadly danger from a bygone age.

Yay! At last we have the long awaited return of the Silurians and they have had a 21st century make over. The episode explains it as a different species of Silurian (or Homo Reptilia as the Doctor annoyingly keeps referring to them). The re-imagining has them much more human looking and without the strange third eye in the foreheads. No reference to the Sea Devils unfortunately. Still, it is good to see them back.

The story itself is a little too similar to the original Silurian story from the time of the 3rd Doctor for my tastes. I'd have liked something more original but I guess this is a good way to introduce the Silurians to a new audience without having to do a lot of backwards explaining. The problem is that the story deals with human drilling awakening the Silurians and then a group being aggressive towards mankind for being intruding apes. A peace is started only to fall apart because of that self same aggression. All in all it is too much like the original story.

The Silurians for their anti-human stance are portrayed as highly civilized and yet mankind is once again shown to be uncompromising and aggressive in return. We humans have our issues but I don't think we are quite as bad as we are shown to be in the Doctor's eyes. Recent incarnations seem to see us in a negative light and it is a bit much.

This episode features the first proper death of Rory Williams. A running joke throughout the show now is how many times can Rory die? In this instance Rory is killed by a Silurian and his body and history erased by the mysterious crack in the skin of the universe. As part of that incident the Doctor discovers a shard of the TARDIS inside the crack indicating that at some point the TARDIS will be destroyed. All together it plays nicely into the overarching story for this season.

The Hungry Earth and the Cold Blood together make a good Doctor Who adventure if a little long and drawn out even for a two parter. The return of the Silurians is really good to see as is some expansion on their culture that we didn't have before. More classic monsters are definitely needed. Well worth a watch as a refresher or as an introduction to the Silurians.

Episode #130 : Warriors of the Deep

"What is it about Earth people that makes them think a futile gesture is a noble one?"

Episode 130:    Warriors of the Deep.
Companions:    5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough.
Air Date:          5th to 13th January 1984.

The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough arrive at an underwater Sea Base on Earth, where a scientific and military team led by Commander Vorshak are monitoring a rival power bloc. The team undergo regular missile launch test sequences to ensure that they are ready at all times to combat an attack. Three Silurians revive a colony of Sea Devil warriors in order to invade the base and use its weapons to attack the opposing power bloc, thus provoking a global war that will allow the reptiles to conquer the Earth.

Warriors of the Deep is an excellent story let down only by poor production values. The Silurian and Sea Devil costumes are well done but the human costumes, the pantomime horse-like Myrka (which isn't too bad really) and the bland white plastic set dressing let it down in that regards. Some of the acting from the extras isn't great either but so long as you can ignore that and just enjoy the adventure you don't notice.

While talking to the Silurians, the Doctor makes mention of the events from his encounter with them in his third incarnation. He also makes mention of other events that while probably just script errors, hint that somewhere there is an unscreened adventure for the 3rd or 4th Doctor with the Silurians.

It is an unusual story because at the climax, the only survivors are the Doctor and his companions. Everyone else, including the invading Silurians and Sea Devils are all killed.

Warriors of the Deep is an entertaining story providing you ignore the production issues, but even then, there is nothing to really dislike in this one.

Episode #52 : The Silurians

 

"My dear Miss Shaw, I never report myself anywhere, particularly not forthwith."

 

Episode 52:   The Silurians.
Companions: The 3rd Doctor and Liz Shaw.
Air Date:       Seven episodes. 31st January to 14th March 1970.

 

At Wenley Moor nuclear research facility, they're experiencing technical difficulties. The source is something old, the former rulers of the Earth, and they have awoken.

 

This story introduces a new villainous species, the former inhabitants of the Earth, a species that we call the Silurians. Not an accurate name but it fits for the purposes of the story. Fearful of a global catastrophe, the Silurian race entered hibernation along with some dinosaurs awaiting a time when the Earth would have been restored to being able to support life. Unfortunately the catastrophe never happened and their technology has broken down, preventing their awakening. When this group awakens they find that mankind has arisen in their place.

 

We are also introduced Bessie, the Doctors new car while he is exiled to the Earth. Throughout his time, the third Doctor upgrades the car to be something more suitable to him, and the start of that can be seen towards the end of this story.

 

I find the end of the story a little blunt however. The Doctor wants mankind and the Silurians to live together in peace. Throughout the story this seems to be his primary objective and at the end he thinks he may have started that. Unfortunately the Brigadier, under orders from the British government, blows up the hibernation compound, which upsets the Doctor greatly. Although he was following orders, I think it strips the Brigadier of something and he comes across as callous.

 

The Silurians is a very good story and I fully recommend it.