Time Stream #27 - The War Machines

          “The War Machines” has a TON going for it, in my book. Script, performances, direction – there is a lot to like about this story, and I do indeed like it greatly. It doesn’t hurt that it comes after the yawnfest that was “The Savages”. Just about anything would be more interesting after that one. But even apart from its predecessor, “The War Machines” is just flat out good. While watching it, I took more notes than I have for a while because there was so much I wanted to remember and point out. This could go on forever if I *don’t* do this entry in a list form, so here we go:

•          This is the first story to be set in modern day London since the very first episode, and there was a nice little touch that I absolutely think was coincidental. When the TARDIS takes off at the end of “An Unearthly Child” it’s a “vertical” take-off, zooming out from a map of London. The opening of “The War Machines” reverses this effect, zooming in until we see a street in London and watch the TARDIS materialize. It has to be a coincidence, doesn’t it? It’s such a nice subtle bookend.

•         From the beginning of the story, this feels a lot like a Pertwee episode, or even one that with little change could be made as part of the new series. The Doctor literally just wanders in to Professor Brett’s office and starts to examine WOTAN. No psychic paper in evidence, but it would explain a lot. The characterization of the Doctor isn’t dramatically different, but there are enough differences to make viewers wonder just what’s going on.

•          “Doctor Who is required.” Sigh. OK, the references to “Dr. Who” were jarring, absolutely. Considering that WOTAN is supposed to know everything, are we supposed to take it as given that “Who” is the Doctor’s surname? Nope. Explain it away thusly – the Doctor is so mysterious that even WOTAN can only guess at the Doctor’s true identity. And, scene.

•          Ben and Polly are adorable. Polly is the epitome of the Swingin’ 60’s, and Ben is a scrapper through and through. The two of them even have a “meet cute” like in every rom-com made today. Their actions really help carry this story, and they are obviously companion material from the very beginning. Speaking of companions…

•         Dodo! She spends most of her time in this story under the control of WOTAN and then unconscious. Our final look at who is surely my least favorite companion ever is her asleep in a chair. I don’t know what was going on behind the scenes regarding Jackie Lane, but wow. To just have Dodo disappear halfway through the story, never to return, smacks of some sort of conflict. But whatever the reasons, Dodo is no more. I’m really OK with that.

•         I mentioned the changes in the Doctor’s character a little earlier, with him seeming very Third Doctor-like. I don’t know if that different dynamic re-energized him, but William Hartnell is superb in this story. He is still identifiably “his” Doctor, but thinking about “An Unearthly Child” shows just how dramatically the character had changed over the years. It’s almost cliché at this point to make mention of the Doctor’s face off with a War Machine at the end of Episode Three. Good lord though, that’s a heroic Doctor pose if ever there was one.

 

•       Dodo isn’t the only one to get an anticlimactic ending. WOTAN himself just kind of explodes a little bit, and catches fire. For a super-computer who planned on controlling the whole of human population it was a bit lackluster. No blaze of glory, no ominous last words, but admittedly a lot of smoke.

          I hadn’t expected to like “The War Machines” as much as I did. Perhaps because I was so underwhelmed by the previous story, or maybe my awareness of how close to the end of the Hartnell years lowered my expectations. Either way I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was paced and shot well, especially considering how cumbersome the War Machines truly were. They weren’t necessarily fearsome, unless you were a stack of fruit crates, but they gave a good appearance of a massive, threatening robot. Mission accomplished. The change in tone for the story and the Doctor’s character would set the stage for what was to come, and absolutely changed it for the good. “The War Machines” is one of those stories that makes me glad I’m doing this rewatch. I have a new and renewed appreciation for what is truly an underrated gem.

NEXT EPISODE: The Smugglers

"The War Machines" novelization cover, courtesy The TARDIS Data Core at tardis.wikia.com

Whirlwind

          Here’s a non-Doctor Who entry for the first time in what is it, four months? Even longer than my last “personal” blog post interim. I don’t think I’ll go over in minute detail the past four months… life here is just being lived. Although I will note that when I last updated on a personal level, we were taking my son and his girlfriend to The Force Awakens. Well, loved the movie (which is now out on Blu-Ray, so use THAT as a way of measuring time LOL) the girlfriend though, apparently this past weekend was the end of that particular romance. I’ve got to say, 8-ish months is a pretty good run for 2 high school freshmen. C1 is doing OK as he can now spend time with some of his other friends.

          Speaking of C1, last weekend was his high school’s spring musical production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. What a fantastic production! These kids did a simply stunning job. The talent up on that stage, with kids from 9-12^th grades, was simply jaw-dropping. I’m glad that C1 has his niche in terms of what he likes to do, but seeing him express such a talent for it just makes me a proud poppa.

          My teaching career is currently non-existent, and I’m not quite sure where I’m going from here. I (briefly) had a position in an inner city school for kids who are behaviorally challenged. I was SO not the man for the job. It didn’t last long, and I’m still disappointed about it. I admittedly had high expectations for myself going in – not Dangerous Minds or anything – but a real hope that this would be “my place”. I have the utmost respect for teachers who do this kind of job day after day, because I’ve now seen firsthand what it takes. After leaving that job, and granted it’s the last quarter of the school year, the prospects for this year are kind of dried up and I’ve set my sights on the fall. I attended an educational job fair this past week, did some good one-on-one interviews with some school districts, and… we’ll see. Being out of work this long takes its toll – mentally, financially, physically. I want this career badly, but there are strong nagging suspicions that for the sake of my family and my own well-being, I’ll just need to move on. As the saying goes, watch this space.

          I realized a little earlier that today is my sister and her husband’s 17^th wedding anniversary. I’m wishing them a Happy Anniversary here, although I KNOW that she’ll never see this. More as a way to mark it for posterity, I suppose. Life is SO different now than when they got married. Kids, divorce and remarriage for me, loss of old friends for a multitude of reasons, the gaining of new friends for a different multitude of reasons.

Hell, the world in general is such a different place now. My last personal entry was entitled “Where Does the Time Go?” and it feels truer every day. To say that these days speed by, that life is fleeting, isn’t especially profound. I think it’s the basis of every self-help book, talk show host, and self-improvement workshop out there. But I’m definitely more conscious of it now than I was say, seventeen years ago when I was in my sister’s wedding. 

Speaking of weddings, The Wif ™ and I will be celebrating our 5^th anniversary in about two weeks. It falls during the week, but the following weekend we are attending the wedding of some friends which requires an overnight stay, so we’re having a long weekend to celebrate. It’s been a wonderful five years (together for 7, in case you were wondering). It’s also another instance of time whizzing by. Those five years went by QUICKLY, believe you me. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. We’re like any couple, of course, with challenges we face, but you know you have your forever partner when you can be upfront and face them together. My wife is just the best, full stop.

Well, that’s all for me spilling my guts this time around. Time Stream entries are coming up on a milestone, so I’m kind of excited about that. Those get the most readers as well, so I’m pleased to continue them, and I’m glad people seem to like them. Entries like this will probably be always few and far between, but I’ll try to make them a little bit more regular than once a quarter. Thanks all for reading!

PS: They announced Pearl Mackie as the new companion this weekend. I think she looks great, and can't wait to see what she brings to the role of Bill. There's my Who content for this entry. :-)

Time Stream #26 - The Savages

          Well, that was a longer break between entries than I had anticipated. There are a number of reasons why which I *plan* to write about in the near future. But this is not a slice of life type of entry. This is a Time Stream entry and I am here to talk about “The Savages”. More or less. I say it that way because “The Savages” frankly doesn’t have much going for it. It is not flat out bad, and boring isn’t quite the word I want to use either. Maybe… pointless? Nothing of any consequence happens throughout the entire story, and then Steven up and leaves the show. THAT is the only plot point worth remembering. Everything else is inconsequential.

          Alright, alright, I really don’t like being negative about Doctor Who, and I honestly didn’t hate “The Savages”, so much as was left feeling unfulfilled. That said, there were indeed some other things I noted during the story that are worth mentioning. In roughly chronological order:

          1) This story has the feel of a sequel to an unseen adventure, without ever going into specifics. The Doctor seems to know where they are, and is familiar with the people of this planet. Even more strangely, particularly in this era of the show, the Doctor and company seem to have been expected. They’re not the mysterious travelers who suddenly arrive, they’re more of the dinner guests who are always late but eventually turn up. It’s a peculiar feel for a Hartnell episode.

          2) Dodo. It’s to the point in her tenure as part of the crew that there should be strong bonds between her and Steven and the Doctor. When she wanders off, Steven’s attitude is less concerned and more just aggravated by this kid. “Not even Dodo would be as stupid as that!” he says, barely able to hide his disdain.  With the possible exception of “The Gunfighters,” Dodo simply didn’t work as a companion and it seems as if the writers’ frustrations were coming out in the scripts. Fortunately for all involved, Dodo’s time in the TARDIS is wrapping up, and in just about a stupid way as it started (ooh, spoilers)!

          3) William Hartnell. Continuing a theme from the last few stories, “The Savages” was produced at a time when the production team was actively trying to remove William Hartnell from the show. Was he ill/forgetful/badly performing? Accounts vary and I don’t know that we’ll ever learn the entire history. But once again there was a stretch in this story, from about the end of Episode 2 through most of Episode 3 where there was little to no Hartnell. If my notes are to be believed, then even when he appeared in Episode 3, he had no lines. It’s sad to watch him go out with all of these possible ways to continue the show without him. Whatever his condition it just strikes me as disrespectful to Hartnell as an actor.

          4) Steven Taylor. OK, this is where the story got me. I’ve have really, really enjoyed Steven as a companion and Peter Purves’ portrayal. He has the square-jawed hero shtick down pat in a way that I don’t think Ian ever quite managed. I can almost believe him staying behind to help lead this planet, particularly after the Doctor’s confidence boosting speech. But that’s an *almost*. Steven Taylor, space pilot, who can travel in time, has escaped the Daleks, and is ready to buckle his swash with the best of them… agreeing to just settle down and be some sort of politician? I don’t doubt his acumen, more his desire. If he just waited a little while longer, Dodo would be gone and that right there could have convinced him to stay.

          “The Savages” is never going to be anyone’s favorite story, even in the event the episodes are one day recovered. It’s an inoffensive bit of fluff, and kind of a footnote in the show’s history, really only remarkable for Steven’s leaving. I don’t dislike it as much as I am unmoved by it. It’s harmless, but there are better things coming and I can’t WAIT for those…

NEXT EPISODE: The War Machines

"The Savages" novelization cover, courtesy The TARDIS Data Core at tardis.wikia.com