rewatched some Classic Who recently
Sep. 3rd, 2019 06:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grassangelKinda was good but given that I live in New Zealand, the way the Kinda were dressed but portrayed by mostly white actors was not a good feel. Especially with the general 'colonialism bad' message I got from the story.
Also not a good feel with how they portrayed Hindle's mental instability.
But like. Still a good story, if a little formulaic in regards to the structure and the guest characters, but with interesting elements and ideas that made me eager to watch Snakedance.
Earthshock, a very very good story, especially the last part. Not just because it sees the end of Adric, but because Five does something hasn't done before: attack someone.
Like he tackles a Cyberman, grates gold into its lungs and shoots it. He's not supposed to do that.
But he does.
Both Tegan and Nyssa also shoot a gun as well, and to this fan who started with Modern Who, it has the same air as what Martha/Davros/Rory said about making companions into soldiers. Which is only reinforced by what happens later in Arc of Infinity, where Nyssa is very eager with a staser.
(I do wish there weren't such a divide between Classic and Modern Who, because that would be such an interesting concept to explore between the companions of from the two eras. Actually in general I'd like to see more companions meet others, but Tegan and Martha talking about the terrible things their Doctors have done! Rose and Romana comparing their lives in other universes! (Albeit on a very temporary basis in Romana's case.) Nyssa and Clara complaining about the Master and what they've done to their loved ones! Turlough and Martha and comparing notes about when it's time to leave. Charley and Bill about how they should've left before they did. Amy and Rory and Leela about love and leaving the Doctor for it.)
The Cybermen backstory about their grudge against the Doctor was also very well done, and makes me want these Cybermen in Modern Who, complete with their backstory and grudge against the Doctor.
Earthshock is also noticeable for the fab casting of the freighter's crew, with two older women on the bridge, one of the being the captain.
It's also where I can see why some people ship Tegan and Five, and not just because they're the only two adults on the TARDIS. The way he puts himself in front of Tegan feels different from the other times he's done similar things, and it felt 'shippy'.
Snakedance! Not quite as good as Kinda but still solid. Fills out the world building a bit and lays out the origin of the Mara. Which is a nice thematic origin, and thus ripe for reuse.
Evil in human minds given form through psychic resonance? Scary snakes? Sounds perfect. I want to see it in Modern Who, maybe given the Cybermen convergent creation treatment - how some things keep popping up because they're one solution to a problem that's present everywhere.
The latter instance is probably not intended as continuity, but when Dojjen 'dies', the three present make a gesture a bit like what the Thijarians made. And it just makes me happy to think that maybe there's something like a universal gesture of mourning/acknowledgement of a person's passing in the universe of Doctor Who. Like how 'thank you' is similar if not the same in BANZSL and ASL.
Also, from the way Nyssa gets a new outfit and shows it off to the Doctor and has put on some makeup for this story, I get the impression that Nyssa is trying to impress upon the Doctor she's an adult. I'm not sure exactly why, but at least partly I could see it being because she's sick of being treated like a kid. Especially when she's just shot people for him on Gallifrey. (And maybe she has a teensy little bit of a crush?)
I'm not sure if I want to listen to the audios that do more about the Mara, as I feel they might ruin my wishes for it in Modern Who, but I do also what to know if they did anything interesting with it.
Also not a good feel with how they portrayed Hindle's mental instability.
But like. Still a good story, if a little formulaic in regards to the structure and the guest characters, but with interesting elements and ideas that made me eager to watch Snakedance.
Earthshock, a very very good story, especially the last part. Not just because it sees the end of Adric, but because Five does something hasn't done before: attack someone.
Like he tackles a Cyberman, grates gold into its lungs and shoots it. He's not supposed to do that.
But he does.
Both Tegan and Nyssa also shoot a gun as well, and to this fan who started with Modern Who, it has the same air as what Martha/Davros/Rory said about making companions into soldiers. Which is only reinforced by what happens later in Arc of Infinity, where Nyssa is very eager with a staser.
(I do wish there weren't such a divide between Classic and Modern Who, because that would be such an interesting concept to explore between the companions of from the two eras. Actually in general I'd like to see more companions meet others, but Tegan and Martha talking about the terrible things their Doctors have done! Rose and Romana comparing their lives in other universes! (Albeit on a very temporary basis in Romana's case.) Nyssa and Clara complaining about the Master and what they've done to their loved ones! Turlough and Martha and comparing notes about when it's time to leave. Charley and Bill about how they should've left before they did. Amy and Rory and Leela about love and leaving the Doctor for it.)
The Cybermen backstory about their grudge against the Doctor was also very well done, and makes me want these Cybermen in Modern Who, complete with their backstory and grudge against the Doctor.
Earthshock is also noticeable for the fab casting of the freighter's crew, with two older women on the bridge, one of the being the captain.
It's also where I can see why some people ship Tegan and Five, and not just because they're the only two adults on the TARDIS. The way he puts himself in front of Tegan feels different from the other times he's done similar things, and it felt 'shippy'.
Snakedance! Not quite as good as Kinda but still solid. Fills out the world building a bit and lays out the origin of the Mara. Which is a nice thematic origin, and thus ripe for reuse.
Evil in human minds given form through psychic resonance? Scary snakes? Sounds perfect. I want to see it in Modern Who, maybe given the Cybermen convergent creation treatment - how some things keep popping up because they're one solution to a problem that's present everywhere.
The latter instance is probably not intended as continuity, but when Dojjen 'dies', the three present make a gesture a bit like what the Thijarians made. And it just makes me happy to think that maybe there's something like a universal gesture of mourning/acknowledgement of a person's passing in the universe of Doctor Who. Like how 'thank you' is similar if not the same in BANZSL and ASL.
Also, from the way Nyssa gets a new outfit and shows it off to the Doctor and has put on some makeup for this story, I get the impression that Nyssa is trying to impress upon the Doctor she's an adult. I'm not sure exactly why, but at least partly I could see it being because she's sick of being treated like a kid. Especially when she's just shot people for him on Gallifrey. (And maybe she has a teensy little bit of a crush?)
I'm not sure if I want to listen to the audios that do more about the Mara, as I feel they might ruin my wishes for it in Modern Who, but I do also what to know if they did anything interesting with it.
