This is another episode where William Hartnell doesn’t appear apart from the reprise. The fact that he doesn’t appear is filmed in quite a clever way so that all we see are the backs of David, Susan and the Doctor. We finally get to Bedfordshire and see a proper sense of the scale of destruction that the Daleks have caused. The location footage is something that I have commented on before but it’s surprising to me how much energy it seems to have put into the story. It’s one thing to have studio sets that convey the destruction but location filming makes it seem more real. Filming outside is still relatively new to the show by its using effectively.
Susan and David go travelling through the sewers. The first scene of them in it is ended with a brilliant shot of someone holding a gun at David and Susan. It turns out to be Tyler. Quite why they didn’t notice it was him or vice versa sooner is a bit of a mystery but it doesn’t ruin the effectiveness of the scene. We get a scene between Susan and David which is another indication about Susan’s impending departure as she loves the idea of building a new city. It’s been at least two episodes since Susan was used as a source to introduce some drama. This time she is hanging from a broken ladder and it falls to David and Tyler to rescue her from being eaten by an alligator.
The scene of Barbara driving the truck through the Daleks is perhaps less dramatic than the film version but it’s a great scene. I think that the partnership of Barbara and Jenny is a good one. They are very much like chalk and cheese and that’s why I enjoy it when they are on screen together. The scene with Ian isn’t quite as exciting as Susan or Barbara’s stuff. It’s just Ian trying to negotiate with a smuggler. The Smuggler is called Aston and I thought that Philip Madoc was better in the movie. This is probably the weakest part of the episode and its not a regular think to attach the word weak with William Russell or Ian Chesterton. The only time that he has something good happen to him is at the end and that lasts about ten seconds. The absence (if unscripted) of William Hartnell means that the regulars get more to do and its certainly the case that they benefit from this.
Richard Martin has directed a wonderful episode and there are several shots that are very good (though there are one or two that are a bit iffy). Terry Nation should be praised for writing a story that doesn’t feel like it’s a holding pattern for something bigger that’s happening in a later episode. The story is moving forward and its helped by stronger and weary characters. On the whole the episode was another good one. The characters are all ones that you can care about and despite Jenny being slightly annoying, its all shaping up to be a good story.
Susan and David go travelling through the sewers. The first scene of them in it is ended with a brilliant shot of someone holding a gun at David and Susan. It turns out to be Tyler. Quite why they didn’t notice it was him or vice versa sooner is a bit of a mystery but it doesn’t ruin the effectiveness of the scene. We get a scene between Susan and David which is another indication about Susan’s impending departure as she loves the idea of building a new city. It’s been at least two episodes since Susan was used as a source to introduce some drama. This time she is hanging from a broken ladder and it falls to David and Tyler to rescue her from being eaten by an alligator.
The scene of Barbara driving the truck through the Daleks is perhaps less dramatic than the film version but it’s a great scene. I think that the partnership of Barbara and Jenny is a good one. They are very much like chalk and cheese and that’s why I enjoy it when they are on screen together. The scene with Ian isn’t quite as exciting as Susan or Barbara’s stuff. It’s just Ian trying to negotiate with a smuggler. The Smuggler is called Aston and I thought that Philip Madoc was better in the movie. This is probably the weakest part of the episode and its not a regular think to attach the word weak with William Russell or Ian Chesterton. The only time that he has something good happen to him is at the end and that lasts about ten seconds. The absence (if unscripted) of William Hartnell means that the regulars get more to do and its certainly the case that they benefit from this.
Richard Martin has directed a wonderful episode and there are several shots that are very good (though there are one or two that are a bit iffy). Terry Nation should be praised for writing a story that doesn’t feel like it’s a holding pattern for something bigger that’s happening in a later episode. The story is moving forward and its helped by stronger and weary characters. On the whole the episode was another good one. The characters are all ones that you can care about and despite Jenny being slightly annoying, its all shaping up to be a good story.
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