REVIEW OVERVIEW: BAD FIRST IMPRESSIONS - RATING THE FIRST APPEARANCES OF RECURRING FOES: THE SECOND DOCTOR ERA

The REVIEW OVERVIEW of first appearances of recurring foes continues. Just in case you're late in coming, here's an explanation of the Grading System: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-overview-bad-first-impressions.html

And, here's my review of recurring foes that make their first appearance in the First Doctor Era: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-overview-bad-first-impressions_18.html

THE SECOND DOCTOR ERA: 

While the Second Doctor reigns, the show starts settling into a proper formula. The Doctor is the Hero. The companions are really just meant to ask: "What is it, Doctor?!" And there's lots of scary monsters that really want to invade people's bases!  

Having said that, however, there's still quite a bit of experimentation going on. Sixties Doctor Who hasn't quite figured itself out. Which means the show also hasn't perfected the manufacturing of the Perfect Recurring Foe. There's a lot of hit-or-miss going on, here. We will witness monsters and/or villains that merited return appearances but didn't get one. At the same time, we will also see characters that, maybe, should have never come back. 

While the First Doctor Era always seemed to bring back the enemies they should have, it's a bit more of a mixed bag when Troughton takes the helm. 

THE MACRA TERROR 

Recurring Foe: The Macra 

Admittedly, this one scarcely bears looking at. It almost feels like a joke when they are brought back in New Who. But a recurring foe is a recurring foe. The pattern must be followed.  

Writing          ........................................          7

The way the Macra are written is interesting. It's another case of seeing a monster handled in such a manner for the first time so it does make them stand out a bit. For the most part, they are controlling things from behind the scenes. Getting certain humans to do the bulk of their dirty work for them. Which, as I said, is a new and interesting way to present a baddie. 

There's a considerable drawback, though. There should have been a moment where they were brought into the spotlight. A scene similar to what the Rills get in the latter half of Galaxy Four. But that never really happens. And, because it doesn't, the Macra never have all that firm of a foothold in the plot. They stick more to the shadows. Which is creepy in its own right and has some degree of merit to it. But the effect also works to the monsters' detriment. 

Performance     .........................................        4

There aren't really any performers playing the Macra. It's, moreso, a case of operators. Production did something very ambitious with the way they constructed them. But it was a tad too ambitious for a low-budget show being made in the 60s. Things, for the most part, just end up looking awkward and clunky. 

There's not much existing footage to go by, of course. But what does remain isn't particularly watchable. Lots of actors putting on horrified expressions as they are "menaced" by the slowest-moving mechanical monster you've ever seen. Or, in some cases, we get a single claw being extended into the edge of a shot and looking thoroughly unconvincing. It's all quite painful. 

The Actual Story  ......................................       6

I would say The Macra Terror is a tad sub-par. It's a bit more interesting in its first half when it's this sort of kitschy Orwellian Dystopia. But when it switches to being more about the Macra, it tends to just plod along. It takes forever, for instance, for Jamie to find his way out of a tunnel! 

The writer seems to expect that we'll find turning gas valves on and off to be a wild and exciting piece of action. It isn't, of course. Which makes the whole conclusion of the plot wildly anti-climactic. The story's biggest blessing is that it only needed to fill out four episodes. If this had been a six-parter, it might have killed me to sit through it!  

How the Doctor Interacts With Them   ......  2

He doesn't really interact with them. That's part of the problem. He, sort of, tries to talk to them through a vid-call while they're manipulating the colony's figurehead leader. And he sees them for a bit through a window! Hardly the great confrontations we usually get when he faces off with a villain. 

Long-Term Impact     .................................     2

I think when RTD brought the Macra back in Gridlock it was too show off how much of a super-fan he is. "Look Everyone! I can remember an obscure monster from the 1960s and write them into one of my scripts!" In that sense, it's a bit of a fun gesture. As a super-fan, myself, it amused me. But, really, they didn't need a second appearance. They barely deserved the first!    

FINAL SCORE: 21

In The Great Hall of Recurring Who Villains, the Macra Exhibition is found in a hidden service corridor next to the staff washroom! If you ask the Guide about them, he simply responds: "We don't talk about the Macra." and glares at you.     

TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN 

Recurring Foe: The Cyber-Controller

If we're being extremely technical, I shouldn't be writing anything up on this guy. The first appearance of the Cybermen was covered in the last entry. That should be it for anything Cyber-related. 

But, sometimes, a new and interesting recurring foe evolves from an already-established recurring foe. They deserve an analysis of their own when that happens. This, I believe, is one of those cases. In a few years' time, someone similar will grow out of Dalek lore. Way down the road, the Cybermen will do this one more time (No, I'm not talking about the Cyber-Leader. He's really just a sort of watered-down version of the Cyber-Controller. David Banks did do an awesome job of playing him in Earthshock but we're still not gonna cover him).

Writing:        ........................................          10

The Cyber-Controller is magnificently-crafted. He is, essentially, the voice of the Cyber-People. His dialogue, for the most part, is a direct manifestation of the Cyber-Philosophy of Life. With the Need to Procreate ("You will become like us") and the Need to Continue ("We will survive") always at the forefront. Giving voice to the thoughts inside the heads of all Cybermen makes these monsters that much creepier. It's an absolutely gorgeous effect. I love that a writer took the time to create such a character. It made the race the Controller hails from all-the-more menacing. 

Performance:  ......................................          9

Michael Kilgariff totally rocks at bringing the Cyber-Controller to life. His movements have just the right level of dramatic intensity as he storms about the set. He's a big man with a big presence. And was, therefore, perfect for the role. 

The portrayal loses a point, however, because of the voice-work. Something odd happens between Parts Two and Three. At the end of the second episode, the ever-chilling "You will become like us" line gets delivered with its weird electronically-synthesized tone. It sounds great. When they reprise the cliffhanger next week, you can clearly tell that they've forgotten the setting they had the vocoder at. They go for something at a higher pitch that is frequently hard to make out. You have to, pretty much, watch the story a couple of times before you truly understand everything the Cyber-Controller says. 

The Actual Story:   .................................       8

I've given Tomb of the Cybermen a pretty thorough Review elsewhere in this blog (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-of-lists-top-five-cybermen-stories.html) so I won't dwell on it long. Parts One and Two are amazing. Some of the best stuff I've ever seen in 60s Who. The second half of the story, however, does get a little wonky in places. Never does it descend into being completely horrible - but there are some problems. However, the strength of the first half, somehow, makes up for a lot of these issues. In the final analysis, it's still a great story. A few problems (which causes it to get the score it's gotten), but not enough to mar my admiration of it too much. 

How the Doctor Interacts With Them:   ....  9 

Always wanting to give us something different from One, Troughton confronts foes in a very unique manner. Rather than being full of bluster as his predecessor frequently was, he actually seems more timid. Even a bit comical (the "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to" line in Part Three cracks me up every time!). But, as is always the case with Troughton's performance, he gets it to work. While this version of the Doctor doesn't, necessarily, stand up to the bully, we still get a clear impression that he also won't yield to them. Which makes for some very engaging drama. 

Long-Term Impact:      .................................   6

This one gets a significantly lower score. The Cyber-Controller is great in his first appearance but really lacks presence any time he returns. He almost doesn't fit into the plot of Attack of the Cybermen. We would have been just fine if the Cyber-Leader had run the show. Bringing back Kilgariff to play the role all those years later was also a difficult decision to stomach (God, I'm just so hilarious!). 

And then there's those last few minutes of  Age of Steel where a converted John Lumic is claiming to be the Cyber-Controller. Quite simply, he's not. He's still got his side-handles and doesn't even have an elongated forehead!      

FINAL SCORE: 42

Oh, what a wonderful first appearance. I wish New Who would finally bring him back and properly restore him to his glory. 

THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMEN 

Recurring Foe: The Great Intelligence 

The Great Intelligence: that evil villain who we thought we'd only ever see during the Second Doctor Era. What a delight it is when he makes a super-triumphant return during Series Seven of New Who.  

Writing:          ................................................       10

A very unique and intensely-fascinating villain. The Great Intelligence really captures our imagination. He's this mysterious figure in the earlier episodes of the story who turns into something quite terrifying as we do start getting his origins in the latter parts. On paper, he's absolutely terrifying. He's also quite different from most of the monsters we've seen thus far in the show.  

Performance:   .............................................        10 

The performance is absolutely terrifying, too. For most of the story, it's mainly about voice-work. But the tone his dialogue is delivered in is downright bone-chilling. Simply through vocalization, it feels like there are two personalities fighting to dominate the Abbot. It's all being performed in an extremely effective manner. 

Finally meeting Padmasambhava at the end can only be experienced through reconstructions. But it still looks like a totally awesome scene that was magnificently-acted by Wolfe Morris (again, the dialogue sounds like it was delivered perfectly). If only we could properly see it! 

The Actual Story:  ........................................      9 

I really am trying to find some flaws, here. But it's hard. I think everyone involved in this production did some excellent work. The plot, perhaps, didn't quite need a full six episodes to be told. But it doesn't really drag much, either. So I still find myself giving it a great score. 

How the Doctor Interacts With Them:  .....      9

Again, things are being done here in Patrick Troughton Style. He doesn't get up in his enemy's face much. He, instead, just has pointed conversations with them where he is assessing weaknesses and figuring out a strategy to beat them. I probably would have liked the confrontation between him and the Great Intelligence to go on longer than it did. We certainly could have used a more protracted discussion to explain this mysterious being just a bit better. 

Long-Term Impact:     ................................     8

For decades, it looked like we were only ever going to get one sequel. Fortunately it was magnificent. As high-scoring as Abominable Snowmen is, I like Web of Fear even better. 

But then Moffat decides to bring the nasty old jerk back in New Who. And, for the most part, he does a great job with it. It's especially cool that he gives us a prequel to Abominable Snowmen first. The Surprise Reveals that he hands us in the first two stories are also quite wonderful ("GI" - it was right in front of us the whole time!). The final demise of the Great Intelligence works a bit strangely. But, otherwise, there's much to love in the legacy this first appearance creates. 

FINAL SCORE: 46 

While it's difficult to truly pass judgement on just one episode and then a bunch of re-construction, the brilliance of Abominable Snowmen shines through. The Great Intelligence completely deserves all the attention he gets. In both New and Classic Who, the character is handled magnificently. Especially since they got Richard E. Grant to play him in Series Seven!   

THE ICE WARRIORS 

Recurring Foe: The Ice Warriors

When it comes to returning villains, one could almost say that the Ice Warriors are a bit lucky. It's quite amazing that they ever come back since they do not make the best of first impressions.    

Writing        ................................................        4

The Ice Warriors are meant to be these vicious warriors that still adhere to a rigid set of codes and try to remain noble in their pursuits. Most of the time, their brutal tendencies put them on the wrong side of a battle with the Doctor. But, because they are still highly-principled, he has a measure of respect for them. 

The Ice Warriors we get in this story, however, are nothing like that. They are a bunch of bullies who don't seem to give a rat's ass about honor. They're just out for themselves and will brutally murder anyone that looks at them the wrong way. In this tale, they're merely a generic "monster of the week". 

Performance:   ............................................       6 

Let me say upfront that I do not fault the artistes in the slightest for this low mark. They are doing their damnedest with what's been handed to them. But, essentially, the costumes are far too restrictive. Even the mouthpieces make it difficult for them to do any kind of proper lip-synch with the voice artists that are doing their dialogue. We're kind of getting Tenth Planet Cybermen again. Except this time, the effect doesn't work. 

Later Classic Who Ice Warrior tales would give us an Ice Lord to be the main speaking part. The actual warriors just lumber around menacingly. The bulky suits didn't get much in their way for that sort of acting. But in Ice Warriors, they have our full attention. And much of their awkward mannerisms are difficult to watch. 

The Actual Story  ........................................      6

The plot to Ice Warriors is a bit of a mess. It just seems to meander all over the place and does a miserable job of properly filling the six episodes it's been allotted. Several complications are created just to buy a bunch of time. By having Jamie badly wounded, for instance, it makes getting him back to the Ice Base a much lengthier process (that's meant to be exciting, of course, but really amounts to Peter Sallis firing a toy gun at some stock footage of a wolf). Victoria dashing about madly in ice caverns, pretty much, amounts to the same thing. There is a ton of stalling as everyone proclaims over and over "We can't do anything 'til we know what sort of engines they have!" 

It all gets a bit tiresome pretty quickly.   

How the Doctor Interacts With Them  ......      9

Troughton is quite interesting, here. For much of the time that he confronts the Ice Warriors, he is acting more like Hartnell did during these situations. He, very much, stands up to them and even taunts them a bit. He still puts some comical touches to the whole thing. Two really only can do so good of a job at throwing his weight around. But his telling off of the Martian warriors is one of the better points of the whole story. 

Long-Term Impact:    ..................................       9 

While they don't clock in quite as many stories as Daleks or Cybermen, this is still a greatly-used monster that merits the many return appearances  they've gotten. Especially since they are much better fleshed-out each time they come back. 

One could almost disqualify them as recurring foes as there is one story where they are genuinely "good". Also, the Ice Warriors we get in New Who are mildly ill-intentioned, at best. But, really, that's good enough for me. They deserve to be here. Even if their first tale is somewhat lackluster. 

FINAL SCORE: 34 

Not very great here. But the Ice Warriors will go on to do much better things. May they continue to flourish in future eps of New Who.... 

And that covers all the recurring foes for Two. Things are much more hit-or-miss during this era. But there's still quite a few of them from this period that end up having a pretty long reach.