COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS: A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE PLOT HOLES - PART TWO

Part One of this particular essay seemed to go over quite well so I thought it might be time to give it a second shot. A popular topic is a good idea after doing a detailed essay analysing one of the most despised episodes in the show's history!

(Not sure what I'm talking about? Check out this recent post, if you dare! https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/08/point-of-debate-will-orphan-55-be-our.html)


SOME MORE FUN WITH PLOT HOLES
In Part One, we had two main styles of inconsistencies that we looked at. There were a few more issues that I wanted to examine under these headings but the essay had gone on long enough. So I've saved a few for this second installment.  

Before we do anything, though, I'm going to re-post a slight disclaimer I made in Part One:

It's inevitable that any TV show will have plot holes in certain episodes or stories. The very nature of how television is written lends itself to it. A certain amount of content has to be created in a certain amount of time. This can easily lead to mistakes that just don't get caught. Or, in some cases, the creative team does recognize the problem, but just don't have the time to properly fix it

I do hope that this doesn't come across as me just complaining about the show and trying to point out how awful it is. As mentioned previously,plot holes in TV shows are inevitable. I'm just trying discuss them a bit and have a laugh over them. Hope you're amused by all this, too. 

Okay, with that out of the way. Let's look at a few more Recurring Plot Holes. These are trends that we've seen over and over again in the history of the show. Oftentimes they appear in both New and Old Who. Since I am, literally, picking up where I left off, I'll continue the numbering system I was using.

Recurring Plot Hole #5: Hiding in Terrible Places 
This would be one that's, pretty much, exclusive to Classic Who. It mainly occurred because of the awkward three-camera shooting system that they used throughout most of the show's run. It became difficult to still keep an actor in shot if they hid themselves too well on a set. But, of course, hiding from nasty monsters is a vital ingredient of any good Doctor Who story.

Sometimes, they would line up a shot so that the hiding characters are in the foreground. Placing themselves behind a convenient protrusion of some sort that allows them to watch action going on in the background without being noticed. But, other times, the shots don't line up so well. And the actors are in spots where the evil monster has to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see them. Particularly since the hiding characters have a discussion at, more-or-less, normal volume.

One of the best examples of this happens in Episode Three of Horns of Nimon when the Doctor, Romana and a few supporting characters are trying to hide from the Nimon as he operates his transmat controls. The whole scene is impossible to takes seriously. It looks like something out of a panto. 

Another really good one happens in Episode Six of The War Games (I think it's Six - there are so many episode of this story!). The Doctor and Zoe are hiding behind the controls of the console that dispatches the Time Travel capsules. There is an operator at the console who must have been massively engrossed in his job. Not noticing people hiding right beside him who are having an actual conversation would have been impossible if he wasn't. Guards are also rushing around looking for them in that scene. The hiding spot is so terrible that they should have found them in seconds.

Recurring Plot Hole #6: Plot Convenience Technology 

This one does happen a bit in both eras of Who, but the classic series has more obvious examples of it. 

This is an interesting phenomenon that happens with certain forms of advanced technology. There seems to be certain "rules" to how a device might work that suddenly get broken for the sake of plot convenience. 

One of the most infamous incidents of this nature happens in Day of the Daleks with the guerilla soldiers' time travel devices. In all scenes, bar one, you need to be within a certain range of the device to travel in time. But, in one sequence, we have a superfluous guerilla soldier character that needs to be removed from the plot. So the Doctor happens to just activate the guerilla's time travel equipment while the warrior is miles away from it. The extraneous character gets transported away because of this. If anyone should have dematerialized, here, it should have been the Doctor. He was within its gathering range. But the Doctor didn't need to be taken out of the story. So, suddenly, the way the device works changes radically. 

Eldrad's ring in Hand of Fear does a similar trick. When the ring comes into contact with a human, it can control their will. But Hand of Fear is horribly short in plot and needs any filler it can get. Dr. Carter gets shot by the energy the ring emits and is rendered unconscious from it. Suddenly, at a point in the plot where we need a few more minutes, Carter starts getting taken over by Eldrad and has a small skirmish with the Doctor which fills up the necessary time needed. Anyone else controlled by Eldrad has to touch the ring for that to happen to them. But, for this filler sequence, the rules change. 

Recurring Plot Hole #7: Things That Kill Supporting Characters But Not Leads

Both New and Old Who have clear examples of this. 

Every good adventure needs to have danger. And the danger needs to be demonstrated so that we can see how lethal it is. For the most part, you don't to take out a major character just to show how potent a peril is. Instead, a writer takes out a secondary character with the threat. If a Lead then has to deal with that same problem later, we know the situation is serious. 

Now, if that Principal Role finds a clever way to escape the danger they're in that the Support didn't, that's enjoyable story-telling. But that's not always the way things go in Doctor Who. Sometimes, the danger just, suddenly, doesn't work properly. Simply because we can't kill off a main character. 

The Rani's over-contrived bubble traps in Time and the Rani are a great example of this. They take out a a hapless Lakertyan in Part One to show how they work. A Tetrap gets killed later on, too. He doesn't even get a ricochet like the Lakertyan did. The monster is killed in one fell swoop. But then, we get Mel in one of them. It ricochets several times and then lands safely in a convenient body of water. No explanation is given of why the bubble trap didn't work on her. She's just allowed to live because she's a companion and, therefore, can't be taken out. That seems the only rational explanation. 

This happens in New Who, too. Smile uses this plot hole during a crucial moment. The Doctor and Bill visit a colony that got wiped out by emoji bots and the insect-like flesh-eating robots that they control. We see, quite clearly, that if you look too sad - you're dead. This happens with Bill and the Doctor but, somehow, they're allowed to leave the colony without getting killed. Again, the only explanation that seems to suit the situation: they're too important to the story to be executed!   

Recurring Plot Hole #8: Friction Doesn't Work

This is not just a plot hole that's exclusive to New Who - it really only seems to happen during the RTD era! 

Apparently, Russell T. Davis fails to understand that when two surfaces rub against each other really fast for an extended period of time - it can really cause some damage. Particularly if one of those surfaces is just a garment of clothing that is protecting some flesh.   

Both The Next Doctor and New Earth have a total disregard for this basic law of physics.  I believe I complained about the one in Next Doctor a bit during my ranking of Christmas Specials (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/11/book-of-lists-christmas-specials-from.html). It's that sequence where the very silly-looking Cyber Shade drags the Doctor and Jackson Lake at top speed  along the floor of a warehouse for what appears to be several long minutes. The two gentlemen laugh hysterically when the merry chase is over. They should have been in terrible pain. That level of friction against a splintery wooden floor should have ripped away their pants and stripped a considerable amount of flesh, too. But it doesn't happen, here.

New Earth abuses this law of physics even worse as the Doctor slides along an elevator cable at top speed for what seems to be an abundance of floors. Yes, he's hanging on to a pulley as he does this so his arms would be safe. But he's wrapped his legs around the cable to help steady himself. Even if he's trying not to hold his legs too close to the cable (which doesn't seem to be the case - they look to be clinging quite tightly), moving along a metal cable at that speed would do serious tissue damage even if there was just the slightest nick. Once more, pants and layers of skin should have been heavily stripped away by the time the Doctor reaches the bottom of the lift shaft. But, instead, he's just fine. 

Recurring Plot Hole #9: Silly Ways in Which a Villain is Defeated

I may go on for quite a bit with this one. As it does happen on quite a few occasions in both the New and Classic Series. I'll try to stick to some of the really obnoxious ones. 

The Dalek in Death to the Daleks that gets so upset over prisoners escaping that it self-destructs is definitely quite ludicrous. Especially if you start extrapolating the idea. If a Dalek always does this when its enemies get away, this could really change the tide of a war. Imagine a whole battlefield full of Daleks and humans about to square off. The humans suddenly just run away and hide. The entire Dalek army has a panic attack and then dies. Battle over. 

The Shakri in Power of Three almost manages to not come off as silly when he is defeated. The Doctor does some mysterious dialogue about how the one they meet near the end of the story was "never really there to begin with" when the strange being just suddenly disappears for no readily apparent reason. But why would you just leave your control centre completely unprotected like that? Especially when you seem to have weird box-faced attendants who could protect the place for you even though you were "never really there to begin with". Naturally enough, moments after the Shakri is gone, the Doctor foils his plans. 

But if we were to give out awards for the silliest way in which a villain is defeated, it would have to go to Azal the Daemon in The Daemons. Suddenly self-destructing because you don't understand the idea of one person being willing to sacrifice her life for someone else is, pretty much, the cheapest cop-out ending I've seen in the history of the show. Especially when you consider that Azal is meant to be an ancient being. He's never seen this demonstrated before?! I mean, I get that he's this proud arrogant creature who would have a hard time understanding such a gesture. But blowing up over the witnessing of such an act comes across as just a lazy way of getting out of the corner the writer painted himself into. Like he was just sitting in front of his typewriter thinking:  "We've got five minutes left to this story and I really don't know how to get the Doctor out of this. Let's just make up a ludicrous conclusion but mask it in something vaguely poetic and beautiful. Everyone should fall for it!"

There is a special section to this category, though. It takes place mainly during the Sylvester McCoy era. There were certain villains and/or monsters that were defeated in a somewhat silly manner but it's still done in such a cool way that we don't mind.

Fenric is a great example of this. Getting Evil Incarnate to seal itself inside a flask because it couldn't solve a chess problem seems as ludicrous as Azal destroying himself. But, somehow, we love the imagery of it all. We can totally see Doctor Seven carving out the chess pieces and placing the challenge in front of him. And we're okay with that. Did he challenge the Master to a game of tiddly winks, afterwards? And, because the evil Time Lord lost, he had to surrender himself to Daleks and be put on trial by them?! 

There's also the Seventh Doctor's unique ability to monologue his opponents into submission. He manages to talk a roof sniper into surrendering his gun to him during Happiness Patrol. In reality, the sniper seemed like a bit of a homicidal maniac. He should've just shot the Doctor down. But we're willing to suspend our disbelief because the Doctor's monologue is so well-written and well-delivered that we buy the whole scene. It might even be one of the best moments in the entire history of the show. "Throw away your gun." is certainly a simple-but-beautiful statement of his core ethics.

But that scene in  Happiness Patrol pales in comparison to what happens just one story before it. The Doctor confronting the Black Dalek in Remembrance of the Daleks is actually very similar to the scenario I just described a few paragraphs previously in Death to the Daleks. It is, essentially, a Dalek getting so upset over a development that it destroys itself. I should be mocking this sequence, too. But, again, it's about what's on the page and how McCoy speaks it. All of it just comes across as completely brilliant. When it could have so easily just been laughable.

SELDOM-MENTIONED PLOT HOLES

That's Recurring Plot Holes. The other topic we covered in Part One were Seldom-Mentioned Plot Holes. These are structural issues that seemed like blatant problems right from the first time I watched the story but few people ever seem to talk about. Again, I'm picking up from where I left off with the numbering during the first part.     

Seldom-Mentioned Plot Hole #9: Claws of Axos 

Bill Filer was a very fun character in this story. I wish he'd come back for a second appearance. Or, perhaps, even become a regular ongoing character. He was this great square-jawed hero who also was quite clever (square-jawed heroes are usually only good for brawn - not brains!). He was the one who figured out the Doctor was going to do a runner with the Master rather than try to save the Earth. Something no one else suspected in the slightest.   

Apparently, the writers of the script really adored Bill Filer, too. So much that, at a critical point in the story where he should have been killed, he's allowed to survive. 

Bill is abducted by Axos fairly early on in the story. He completely discovers the alien's sinister plans while in captivity. In a later episode, he manages to escape and get back to the nuclear power center to have an exciting battle with the Axon copy of himself. But then more Axons show up to kidnap the Doctor and Jo. And, oddly enough, allow Filer to live. Sure, he's unconscious. But he's eventually going to wake up and tell the rest of humanity the truth about Axos. In fact, he's so dedicated to discrediting Axos that he's actually muttering about it while he's still asleep! 

One would think that when they had Bill Filer at their mercy, the Axons would have killed him. They knew that he knew the truth about them and would spread the word.  And Axos can be quite ruthless when it needs to be. Look what it did to that poor hobo at the beginning of the tale. So the logical conclusion would be to take Filer out. Or, at the very least, take him back to the ship. But, instead, they just leave his unconscious form with UNIT. 

It's almost as if the strange phallic-shaped control node aboard the ship ordered: "Filer is too likeable of a character. He must be allowed to live."!    

Seldom-Mentioned Plot Hole #10: The Sea Devils 

I actually pointed out an inconsistency in this story the last time I wrote about plot holes. But I recently re-watched this adventure for my very first REVIEW OVERVIEW (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/09/review-overview-tales-of-homo-reptilia.html) and realized there was another one that I failed to mention. And it seems as equally-preposterous as leaving swords near the entrance of a high-security prison cell! 

At one point in the adventure, the Doctor has been incarcerated in the same prison as the Master. Jo comes along and busts him out. They then try to reach the nearby beach. Perhaps in hope to flag down a passing ship. To be honest, the whole escape plan is a bit of a plot hole in itself since they're meant to be on an island!   

But the issue I really want to tackle happens when the Doctor and Jo discover that they must descend a steep cliff-face to reach the beach. Fortunately for them, there is a nearby life preserver station with a long rope that they can use to assist them in their climb. 

My question is: why would anyone put such a thing at the top of a cliff?!  Shouldn't it be on the beach, itself? Think about it for a second: someone is drowning in the sea. In order to save them, you must spend several long minutes climbing a steep surface to get to the life preserver (if you can actually make the climb!). There's a good chance that, by the time you reach the necessary means to rescue them, the hapless drowning victim will be long dead. 

The life preserver station being placed where it was makes no real sense. It was put there as a sheer plot convenience. Which makes it all seem quite silly. As I said in the REVIEW OVERVIEWER, Malcolm Hulke really does seem off his game, here.    

Seldom-Mentioned Plot Hole #11: Planet of the Daleks 

It boggles my mind that people don't ever seem to talk about this one. You may have noticed that I do pick on Pertwee stories a lot in this. This is one more reason why I'm not all that fond of this era. No disrespect to the late Terrance Dicks, but he does seem to not care too much about plot holes. There are some doozies in this period. This might be one of the biggest ones. 

Terry Nation is trying to make Planet of the Daleks a story that is constantly full of peril. He actually does a fairly good job. But there is one danger that he creates that, pretty much, defies all sense of logic! 

It happens close to the beginning of Part One. The TARDIS gets covered in these nasty spores that, apparently, make it air-tight. Because oxygen can't get in from outside, the Doctor must rely on emergency internal air-pumps that are nearing empty. What a terrible plight! He will suffocate unless help can arrive in time. 

The question is: wouldn't the TARDIS be air-tight all the time?! It travels in space. If it wasn't air-tight, there would be some serious problems!   So suddenly cutting it off from the outside world by smothering it in spores shouldn't really have this effect. There should just be an internal oxygen supply of some sort, already, that wouldn't be dependent on air from beyond the TARDIS. 

Even if the time ship was, somehow, dependent on getting air from environments beyond it (perhaps it re-stocks on air when it lands?!), such tiny emergency air tanks are pretty damned silly. The TARDIS is meant to stretch on endlessly beyond the console room. There's no way such small tanks would be the slightest bit useful to provide air for such a large place. The whole sequence just doesn't really make any sense. It's there just because Nation wants a constant threat to be going on. Which is fine. But if you want to plot a story that way, the danger has to have some kind of actual logic to it!   

Seldom-Mentioned Plot Hole #12: Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon 

And now we'll take a gigantic leap from the Third Doctor Era to the Eleventh. Which is happening, mainly, because I made a similar jump in my viewing habits. I was watching some Second and Third Doctor stuff for a bit and now I've decided to enjoy Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen. 

Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon is an excellent story. I have the utmost respect for it. I even consider it an Unsung Classic (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/03/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-unsung.html). But there is one gigantic plot hole to it. 

The Doctor's method of dispatch for the Silence is utterly brilliant. A great example of using his own enemy's power against them. And the confrontation he has with them as he plants their subliminal suggestion into the moon landing footage is an utter delight to watch. 

Here's the problem: Rory and Amy have probably already seen that footage sometime in their lives. River Song probably did too - particularly since she's an archaeologist. But it's possible the conditioning she received from the Silence might work against the post-hypnotic suggestion. Rory and Amy, however, should already be trying to kill Silences any time they see them. Even though the Doctor doesn't put in the suggestion until the end of the story, they should still be seeing it there when they viewed the footage in their own personal past. 

This is not an example of the "needing to go around once" principle that sometimes occurs in time travel (Holy crap! Another Damned Link! But if you want further clarification, read about it, here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/11/analytical-crossing-time-streams-part-1.html). Such paradoxes only occur to people who are crucial to the various causes and effects that must occur to create the results of crossing time-streams (ie: Rose had to "go around once" before finally crossing her own timestream to save her Dad in Father's Day - she was central to the action). I wouldn't say Amy and Rory were that important to the implanting of the subliminal message. The Doctor was, yes. So he would understand that he needs to execute his plans and create the effect that he does. But his companions were not entirely necessary to this. The Doctor could have achieved it fairly easily without them. So they should have felt the effects of what the Doctor had done to the moon landing footage even before he does it. In fact, their reactions could have almost been a clue to the Doctor to tell him what he needed to do.   

I assume, of course, that Amy and Rory did see the footage at some point in their lives. As the Doctor so, rightfully, points out: it's something we all see. And yet, both Rory and Amy witness the Silence several times before the thrilling conclusion of the tale but they never react accordingly. They're scared by them and then forget when they look away. But they never seem to try to inflict any kind of violence against them. Which they should be doing. The footage they saw would have, already, had the message implanted in it. 

Seldom-Mentioned Plot Hole #13: Asylum of the Daleks

Admittedly, I have seen this one brought up once or twice by other people. But, in my opinion, not enough!   

There is a fun little attempt to name-check some past Dalek stories as the Doctor enters the Intensive Care Section of the Asylum. Oswin mentions that these Daleks hail from certain wars and then mentions a slew of planets, Superfans, of course, recognize the names of the planets as they are featured in certain stories from the Classic Series. 

The thing is: most of the references make little or no sense. Daleks from these various battles should not be in the intensive care unit. 

Spiridon is about the only planet that is all that feasible. There were some Daleks left alive at the end of the story that were stranded there. I would imagine a rescue ship eventually came for them. Perhaps being stuck on Spiridon for a while as they waited for the ship made them a bit crazy. It was a pretty hostile planet. It could even be possible that some of the Daleks that were buried in the ice volcano were dug up but ended up being severely damaged from the experience.  

Vulcan might also be possible. It's hinted that some Daleks may have survived their defeat at the Doctor's hands. Like the Daleks on Spiridon, they might have also been recovered. They could have experienced some pretty adverse effects from their experiences and needed to be sent to the Asylum because of them. 

Aridius, however, is a sillier planet to mention. About the only Dalek that suffered any legitimate trauma was the one that fell in the hole that Ian and the Doctor lured it into. Was the experience so brutal that it caused the need for intensive care?! 

Then there's Kembel and Exilon. Both stories involving these planets had absolutely no survivors. The Daleks on Kembel were aged to death by their own Time Destructor. The Daleks on Exilon were all blown up in their ship. So there could be no Daleks from these battles in Intensive Care because none of them survived the battle. 

So, at least, three of the five planets mentioned shouldn't have intensive care patients that were affected by their exploits on those worlds. 

Continuity references can be great fun. But they do need to make a bit of sense!    

There you go: a bunch more plot holes. Believe it or not, I still had a few more but I really do think I've rambled on long enough,. But it does look like there will be a Part Three sometime down the road....

Did you miss Part One? Here's the link: 

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/06/complete-and-utter-silliness-few-of-my.html

    

REVIEW OVERVIEW: THE TALES OF HOMO-REPTILIA

Well, well, well. Looky here! Another brand new style of essay. How exciting is this?! Well, exciting to me, at least. Maybe one or two others out there with lives as sedate as mine might also be ecstatic!   

Most of my older topics are nearing exhaustion (ie: I've chronicled the linear history of most multi-appearance characters/races in my CHRONOLOGIES AND TIMELINES essays) so it's good to come up with the occasional  new category. I hope you'll find this one intriguing. 

What is a REVIEW OVERVIEW? I'll give you a definition before I actually undertake one...    


DEFINITION:
A REVIEW OVERVIEW essay is, basically, a bit of an opinion piece. It will look at something that has run through several stories and/or episodes of the show and rate how effectively it's been portrayed. I use the term "Overview" because it's going to be quite comprehensive. It's not just looking at a single story. But, rather, a collection of stories that all deal with the same thing.

There will be two basic sections to the essay. The first part will be a story-by-story analysis  that looks at how well they handled the common theme among them. The overall quality of the adventure (how it was written, directed, performed etc..) does factor into that effectiveness so it will also be a bit of a "straight review" where I praise and criticise the quality of the story-telling.

The second section will resemble a BOOK OF LISTS essay. I will rank the stories according to how well they portrayed the recurring theme. I will also look at their overall quality. Not only will they be placed in a certain position on the list, but an explanation of why they are there will also be provided.

That's the general gist of a REVIEW OVERVIEW essay. Having established a very basic definition, let's get into it. 


OUR FIRST MISSION:
I'm going to start with something pretty simple and straightforward. I'd like to, eventually, get into more abstract concepts like how the show handles aborted timelines. Or even really complex stuff like stories that deal with racism. But, for now, I just want to review all the stories that have Silurians, Sea Devils or Homo-Reptilia, in general.

My analysis will look mainly at how well the stories offer insights into how their culture works. There is also, of course, a very common theme to many of these stories: the idea of how well we would do if we had to share our planet with another life form as sentient as we are. Those will be the two key factors that will determine my like or dislike of all the stories I will examine. As mentioned before, the overall quality of the tale will also have some bearing in the review so that will come into play a bit, too. 

It should be noted that cameo appearances will not be covered, here. Stories like The Pandorica Opens or Dinosaurs on a Spaceship only give us the briefest of glimpses of this species. It's really not much to go on. So they don't really merit a place in this essay.

It should also be noted that I have covered the linear order of Homo Reptilia in some CHRONOLOGY AND TIMELINE essays. (Part One: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/09/chronologies-and-timelines-probable.html, Part Two: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/10/chronologies-and-timelines-silurian.html). So, just to be different, I will do the story-by-story analysis  according to their chronological timeline rather than transmission order.


PART ONE: STORY-BY-STORY
With the establishment of "basic ground rules" now truly out of the way, we will begin our deep dive.

1) The Lady Vastra Stuff
While this does comprise a whole handful of stories, we're going to tackle them all in just one section. Just to be as clear as possible, however, here is a list of all stories that prominently feature her:

A Good Man Goes To War 
The Snowmen
The Crimson Horror
The Name of the Doctor 
Deep Breath

Like Strax, Lady Vastra works to both the advantage and detriment of the species she hails from. The Ultimate Good, here, is that we are getting a Silurian story. It's not much of one, but the species is still making an appearance in the show rather than being put on that vicious backburner status of "Creature That Might Return Someday...". This is a cold lonely place where aliens like the Ice Warriors lingered for countless years. The Silurians and Sea Devils were also kept there quite a bit during the classic series, too. But Vastra popping up as much as she does for a few seasons gives the Silurians regular, ongoing exposure. This, to me, is a happy thing.

The downside of Vastra is that her stories have very little to do with the themes and ideas that the Silurian stories usually explore. They're more about Vastra learning to prosper in Victorian society and, of course, helping the Doctor with whatever menace is threatening the world during the episode. We get the occasional glimpse into the nature of the society she came from in stories like The Crimson Horror. But we also get a bit of misdirection. I suspect Vastra is the only Silurian we've ever seen that has developed a taste for human flesh, but we're never entirely sure. To some extent, this almost bothers me. I know it's silly to feel this way, but it's almost like the Silurians are being misrepresented.

While I have always felt that the episodes she was featured in were quite enjoyable, I don't think they're particularly effective as actual Silurian stories. They're more like stories that just happen to feature a Silurian. They may have even obstructed us from getting "proper" adventures about her people. If we could get a story where, maybe, Vastra uncovers another hibernation chamber and has to help the Silurians within it to adjust to the world they awake in - that would give us some interesting content. But the Paternoster Gang tales never go in that sort of direction. We do, at least, get to know a single Silurian quite well. Which does enrich our knowledge of them, in some ways.

Still, overall, Vastra does not contribute a lot to the lore of her species. Neither do her stories tend to explore those themes we love so much in a good Silurian yarn.


2. Doctor Who and the Silurians
Even though my ranking list won't be til later, I will reveal now that this is the best of all the stories involving Homo Reptilia. It has so many gorgeous layers and nuances in it that all do a great job of introducing us to this species for the first time. I would go so far to say that the high quality of this story is what secured all the return appearances this particular "monster" has made.

It is quite fortunate that Season 7 was about trying to make the show feel as realistic and down-to-Earth (pun intended) as possible. It enabled Malcolm Hulke to create a very three dimensional "alien" for us. These were not just monsters out to plunder or destroy humanity. They had all kinds of different motivations. We were able to empathise with them even though they were a legitimate threat to us.

Probably the most important thing we need to see in any good Silurian story is that there are good and bad guys on both sides. Silurians are just like humans. Some are likeable and some are not. More importantly, we also need to see the justifications for why they act the way they do. We can't just have the "bad cowboys wear black hats and good cowboys wear white hats" motif. We need to see what got the characters to take the stances they do.

Doctor Who and the Silurians does this brilliantly. Even the extremism of the Young Silurian is rooted in a real motive rather than just blind hate. He seems to be using it as a platform to usurp the Old Silurian and become the new leader of his people. In that sense, he's almost a bit Hitleresque. But as the story nears its conclusion, Hulke adds another nice layer to the character to show that the Young Silurian isn't all about lust for power. As he returns his comrades to their hibernation chambers, he knows someone must stay behind to work the controls. That Silurian will die in an ensuing nuclear cataclysm.Young Silurian chooses to be the one to make the sacrifice. He accepts his fate because he is the leader and this is what leaders do for their people. Hardly the actions of a true despot. But, rather, something far more noble. A sincere effort is being made to make sure these creatures have real layers to them. It's beautiful stuff. It's also quite subtle. The layers to the Silurians are there - but they're not thrown in our face.

Probably the only thing working to the detriment of this story is its running time. It is a bit difficult, sometimes, to really care about the Silurians as the story does drag quite a bit, in places. The whole subplot with the wounded Silurian trying to find his way back, for instance, goes on way longer than needed in order to mark some time. It is interesting to note, however, that even in such a lengthy subplot, details are added  to further re-enforce the idea that these are not just malevolent monsters. The wounded Silurian does kill a farmer. But only because the man threatened him with a pitchfork. It was self-defense rather than just cruelty.

The story constantly makes sure to include these sorts of nuances. Which makes it the wonderful piece of art that it is.


3. The Sea Devils
The great work done in Doctor Who and the Silurians tends to unravel in this one. The creatures in this story go back to being, for the most part, a traditional Doctor Who Monster. They really just want to do bad things to humans. Even in the backstory, they've been attacking ships and sinking them. Even going to the extreme of  killing survivors in life boats because they're just that cruel.

As the episodes start rolling, their malevolence continues. For most of the story, the Sea Devils seem hell-bent on just killing everyone they meet. It probably doesn't help that only their leader is actually given any dialogue. Their lack of speech  makes them seem more like vicious beasts than intelligent beings. Whereas the Silurians had lengthy discussions that revealed their motivations for why they may want to harm humans, the Sea Devils just go out and do it. It really does seem to contradict all the efforts Hulke went to in his previous story.

Yes, we do finally get some discussions of trying to make peace with humanity in later episodes. But these talks are short-lived. Then it's back to just being mean 'ole Sea Devils. It's almost like Malcolm Hulke just slipped that scene in because he suddenly remembered he's supposed to be writing about three-dimensional characters - not evil monsters. And then, suddenly, he forgot again!

The fact that the overall story seems very troubled probably doesn't help. The Sea Devils lacks plot. It sustains itself with constantly changing set-pieces and introductions of new characters at regular intervals. In my view, this is an example of the show being legitimately pantomime. In the previous Homo Reptilia story, great lengths were taken to ensure all characters had real motivations. It's very much the opposite, here. Even the Master seems to be up to no good purely for the reason that he's a villain and that's what villains do. The general silliness of the story makes it difficult to see the Sea Devils as having any real substance to them.

I have theorised that, at least, part of the reason why the Sea Devils are so cut-throat is because they are probably a warrior race. Warriors of the Deep helps to support this idea. But it might have helped if a snippet of dialogue had been put in somewhere in this six-parter to establish this. It would help us to forgive the many crimes this story commits against the themes and ideas of a good Homo Reptilian tale.


4. HungryEarth/Cold Blood
After a long absence from our screens, the Silurians finally return. Thankfully, the author of this two-parter is definitely drawing more from Hulke's first work with this species than his second.

Once more, it's about representing Homo Reptilia as three-dimensional intelligent beings with different motivations and ideals. It genuinely warmed my heart to see the New Series going to such lengths to ensure that the true spirit of a Silurian tale is properly displayed. Doctor Who needs its evil power-hungry monsters trying to overthrow the world and/or universe. But it also needs to take the occasional break from such a trope and give us something more sophisticated. That's, essentially, what we get whenever the Silurians are brought back (or, at least, it's what we should get). I'm glad that New Who made sure to maintain this tradition.

It is especially helpful that it takes two parts to tell this particular story so that the characters can be fleshed out as well as they are. The nature of the Silurians have been slightly re-interpreted along with the changes to their appearances. This particular breed seems to have clearer divisions between their military, scientific and political communities. Which makes it a bit easier to portray their mixed motives. Soldiers will be more likely to want to just kill the humans. Scientists and politicians might choose more peaceful tactics. This choice to show clearer social distinctions also makes it easier for us to empathise with Homo Reptilia. Like us, they have jobs and careers rather than just being nasty monsters up to no good.

This story also does the best job of answering that Core Question: "Are we capable of sharing our planet?" Some real negotiations do start to occur in the second part. While the makeshift peace conference is cut short, steps are taken to try things again in the future. Most Homo Reptilian adventures have pretty bleak endings. For once, things look a bit more hopeful.

One might almost think that Hungry Earth/Cold Blood did a better job of representing its species than Doctor Who and the Silurians. But I would still say the latter wins out just a little bit in this department. Not much, but a little. Earth/Blood lacks some of the subtlety that Silurians employs. It's almost like New Who Silurians and humans are trying just a bit too hard to show that they all have clear motivations for doing what they do. Classic Who Silurians let that whole process happen more organically.

It's also just a bit too difficult to believe that Ambrose would get angry with Alaya to the point of killing her. And it's almost silly that Alaya knows she's going to be killed. This whole dynamic was really created just to get some conflict to occur later in the story. Which was almost unnecessary. Silurians may have dragged a bit - but it wasn't due to lack of action sequences. We were plenty interested in the diplomatic relations between humans and reptiles. The author of Earth/Blood almost seems nervous that we won't enjoy the plot if there isn't enough action in it. We didn't need Alaya's death to spark gripping battles. We were pretty good with how it was all going. At the very least, we needed something a bit more believable to create that conflict if the writer really wanted so badly to have something exciting to play out.



5. Warriors of the Deep
This is a very grim tale. It shows both Silurians and Sea Devils acting quite aggressively against humans. They leave no real room for any attempts to settle things peacefully. They just want to commit full-on genocide. One might almost believe that this is The Sea Devils all over again.

The big difference between this story and Sea Devils is that we get some very nice dialogue in the final part that explains why the Silurians have reached this point. It seems there have been any number of attempts in the past to reach an understanding with humanity that will enable a healthy co-existence. But all of them have ended in bloodshed. Icthar has grown tired of the violence against his people and just wants to reach an ultimate conclusion where humanity can no longer hurt them. He is done with it all. So, yes, these are more like monsters who are just hell-bent on destroying us - but we can see how they got there. We even feel a bit of sympathy for them. It is impressive that, even in a heavily modulated voice, we get a strong sense of bitter disappointment from the Leader of the Silurian Triad as he proclaims: "The humans will die as they have lived: in a sea of their own blood."

It probably helps a bit that humanity doesn't seem all the particularly likeable in this story. This stops the whole "Black hat/White Hat" dynamic from happening because it's difficult to take a side in any of this. We really do seem to have evolved into pretty big jerks. To the point where we find it hard to disagree with the whole sea of their own blood quote!

I also think this story gives us one of the best looks into how Homo Reptilian society works. We see a lot of their political structure and technology. We even see how race-relations are between Silurian and Sea Devil. There's also another look at the weird pets they like to keep. Just like the dinosaur in Silurians, though, it's probably best not to dwell on this too much! 

Warriors of the Deep is not exactly a fan-favorite. There are issues with visuals and contradiction of established canon (although the fix for the continuity glitch is fairly simple). There's even some problems with plot structure (for a deeper look into this, you can read the WAS IT SO BAD? entry that I made on the subject - https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/09/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-was-it.html). But I don't think any of this truly detracts from the fact that it still does a really good job of representing the Silurians and Sea Devils. I quite like the progression that was taken with them. Even if it has led to a very dark place. It's quite cool how they really seem to have tried everything they can to settle things peacefully with us. They feel there's no choice left: we must be wiped out.

"There should have been another way." is also a kick-ass ending!





PART TWO: RANKING
So, we've taken care of the story-by-story business. Let's look at how well these adventures fit in the greater scheme of things. Which tale did the best job of teaching us about Silurians and Sea Devils and the morals that accompany them. And which one did the worst.

I've already made some very clear indications of who sits at the top. So we won't try to make any sort of suspenseful countdown. We'll begin with the best and work our way down.


First Place: Doctor Who and the Silurians 
As already mentioned, the story that first introduces us to the Silurians remains the best. It really does set the bar for what is needed to tell a story of this nature. It's thought-provoking and builds solid three-dimensional characters on both sides of the battle. I'd even go so far to say that this is Malcolm Hulke at the Top of his Game.


Yes, the seven part structure does work a bit to its detriment in terms of holding our interest (it is fascinating to see that each Seven Parter in this season handles the structure better and better. It makes me wish that the rest of the Pertwee era had continued in this manner). But having all that time to tell a story also gives Hulke an ample opportunity to create a pretty complete picture of Silurian society.

Second Place: Hungry Earth/Cold Blood
While it does come in second, it is most definitely a close second. This story continues the traditions laid down in the First Place Ranking. Its plot is rich with distinct characters who have all three dimensions prominently on display. It also does a great job of making the Doctor into a very inspiring character as he tries to create peace between the two races.

It has a few minor shortcomings that makes it ever-so-slightly inferior to Silurians. Otherwise, this is another adventure that does a great job of presenting the core ideas of an enjoyable Homo Reptilian story.

Admittedly, though, I do miss Silurians having three eyes! 

Third Place: Warriors of the Deep 
While they are certainly more savage in this story, their convictions are well-justified. This is a dark path that the species has taken but we can still see some valid layers to the characters. We aren't getting Stereotypical Evil Doctor Who Alien.

Yes, the story is troubled in places. But as I say right in my WAS IT SO BAD? essay, much of its flaws have been exaggerated. And even if you're not a fan of the actual story - it still does a good job of portraying the Silurians and Sea Devils. I especially like that we see them reach the point that they have in dealing with humanity. Societies can move in different directions as they evolve. I love that this is portrayed, here. It makes the Homo Reptilian race all-the-more realistic. 

Fourth Place: The Lady Vastra Stuff
This is where waters start becoming muddy and we begin to stray from the formulae a bit. Vastra is very fun and I'm glad she became a recurring character. But her adventures really don't deal much with issues we normally see in a strong Silurian tale.

It is still nice to have gotten to see a single Silurian in such a thorough manner. She does reveal how well her people can adapt. But, beyond this, there's not much that she offers in the way of teaching us about her race. Nor does she deal much with the usual issues we normally see in Homo Reptilian stories.

Fifth Place: The Sea Devils
It probably wasn't hard to guess that this would end up, here. I didn't have a lot of nice things to stay about it in Section One.

But for a brief period in Part Five, the Sea Devils are very two-dimensional. They just run around and hurt humans without ever really trying to offer any more to the plot than creating a sense of danger. In some ways, I almost can't believe this came from the pen of Malcolm Hulke. I actually find myself wondering if he was in a rush to get it done. The whole thing feels more like a rough draft.

The problems in the actual story definitely contribute to the overall lack of effectiveness in portraying Homo Reptilia. I know some fans have a fondness for this tale. Personally, I have a hard time sitting through it. Which definitely makes it difficult for me to appreciate any of the concepts it's trying to present.





There it is: very first REVIEW OVERVIEW is complete. Hope you like the concept of it all. I have ideas for others down the road. I wanted to start with a smaller theme that only takes up a handful of stories. Things could get pretty complex and comprehensive as we try more of these. But I'll build my way up in small steps. This is a trickier essay to write so it's probably good to handle it in bite-sized pieces.       

POINT OF DEBATE: WILL ORPHAN 55 BE OUR FUTURE?

I thought it might be nice tackle another POINT OF DEBATE essay. I've really enjoyed doing these since I came up with them around this time last year. Which is odd, really. Because, I don't state much of any kind of an opinion in them. I, pretty much, started this blog so that I could tell everyone what I thought about everything! 




ORPHAN 55 - A TOUCHY SUBJECT!
Admittedly, I'm taking a bit of a risk  by having any kind of an entry that discusses this episode. Seconds after it transmitted, most of fandom decided to hate it. It seems there are two principal reasons for why it has garnered such disdain:

Problem 1) Hyph3n looks too much like Barf from Space Balls

Problem 2) The ending of the episode is just a bit on the preachy side

While this entry isn't really meant to defend the episode, I'm going to take this first section to bother, anyway!

Defense 1) I have seen far sillier-looking aliens on Doctor Who over the years. Not just in the Classic Series, either. Right in the very second episode of  Series 1, there's quite a bit of alien silly-lookingness (totally a word) going on.

Defense 2) If you thought the closing speech was preachy, go watch some Pertwee stuff. You'll stop complaining pretty fast. He delivered monologues like Jodie's all over the place. And they were far more sanctimonious. Jodie, at least, talks about humanity's potential to be better. Jon's just told us what to do. Sit through the painful Invasion of the Dinosaurs and watch what he spews out in its last few minutes. Jodie's got nothin' on that speech! 

I can still agree that those two problems make it a bit more difficult to take certain aspects of the episode seriously. By no means, however, do I think they spoil the story. Aside from those two elements, I actually find the whole story quite enjoyable. So, in my mind, it is hardly the travesty Fandom makes it out to be.

There. That's off my chest.  Let's get to the real debate! 



IS ORPHAN 55 OUR FUTURE?
It's entirely possible that, because this episode doesn't send me into mouth-foaming rage, it has enabled me to contemplate some of its deeper implications. In a sequence that ever-so-slightly resembles the "Marble Arch Revelation" from Mysterious Planet, the Doctor, Yaz and Graham realize they're on Earth in the future. They discover that the planet seems to be destined to become a pollution-addled wasteland. Of course, a short while later, Ryan learns the same hideous truth when he sees a Made in China plaque on the side of a vending machine (admittedly, this might also be a slightly silly moment that can hamper one's enjoyment of an episode).

The Doctor briefly mind melds with a sleeping Dreg and there's a very quick montage of scenes that indicates that the devastation of Earth is soon to come. Perhaps only in a matter of decades. A dream that Ryan has in Can You Hear Me? seems to re-enforce this. His friend is now an old man as Dregs prowl around him. Which also implies that the environmental apocalypse is soon to come. It happens within that friend's lifetime.

The Doctor, however, tries to offer hope at the end of the story with her preachiness. The three faithful companions have just dipped into their own future. But the Time Lord alludes to the idea that this might only be a possible future. That, if humanity gets its ass in gear, they can prevent the Earth from becoming the 55th Orphan Planet.

That whole speech, to me, opens up quite the can of worms. Let's take a look at the various concepts that it explores.


GENERAL IMPLICATIONS
What the Doctor says at the end of Orphan 55 is not, necessarily, a new idea the show has never explored before. She is, basically, saying that time is in a state of flux. Aside from the occasional Fixed Point, nothing is written in stone. We can change things.

Oddly enough, this sort of concept is usually only brought up in reference to adventures in the past. During such New Who stories as Unquiet Dead or The Shakespeare Code, the Doctor explains to Rose and Martha, respectively, that the future they come from can be undone. He does an even more detailed explanation of this to Sarah Jane Smith during Pyramids of Mars by actually showing her what Earth will look like if they don't stop Sutehk in 1911.

The concept is, generally, explored in such a fashion to create genuine stakes for the peril the TARDIS crew is facing in Earth's history. Companions caught up in these sort of stories will so, rightfully, point out: "What difference does it make? I'm from the future so we know the Earth will be okay!" The Doctor then responds with his Time is in a State of Flux explanation and the companion (and also audience) must take the danger seriously again.If they don't, the future they come from can be destroyed.

In this sense, the concept presented in Orphan 55 is significantly different from how we usually see it. This time, the Doctor is claiming that the companions can choose a different future from the one they just saw. One might almost say that it resembles more of the Time can be Re-Written notion that Moff so often brought up during the Eleventh Doctor Era. But, even then, the message of Orphan 55 differs quite a bit from this. Stories Stephen Moffat did that dealt with this idea frequently involved characters seeing a certain outcome and then using time travel to change those results. A Christmas Carol is a good example of this. The Doctor needs Kazran to be a different man from the one he's currently dealing with in order to save a nearby passenger ship that is in danger of crashing. He does this by travelling back in time with the TARDIS and giving the old miser a happier childhood. He consciously uses crossing through the fourth dimension to accomplish the task.

The central conceit in the Orphan 55 speech is considerably more abstract than the stuff Moff did. The Doctor is trying to tell Yaz, Ryan and Graham that the future they just saw is just one possible version. When they return to their own time and leave the TARDIS, they must try to invoke an attitude in their own people that will change this outcome. There's no time travel trickery going on, here. They must just be better people and encourage others to do the same. Hopefully, the change in attitude creates a brighter future than the one they just saw. 


THE BIG PROBLEM
The message the Doctor delivers during her preachiness has some fairly complicated implications. Some might even say that this particular interpretation of Time is in a State of Flux can have some legitimately negative consequences.

The biggest issue is something that is probably quite fannish. Basically, such an idea really messes with continuity. It implies that any excursion the TARDIS takes into the future can be erased. Which a silly little completist like me can take great offense to. I don't want to believe that certain adventures that we've seen various Doctors have over the years that take place any time after a Contemporary Earth Setting can wink out of existence. Yes, stories have already been done that whole-heartedly claim that this has actually happened (and we'll get into them in a bit) but I'm reluctant to believe that this occurred even more often than I'd care to know. I want to think that a story like The Sensorites - which is, pretty much, the first time we see the TARDIS crew explore the future of humanity - always has and always will happen. But what the Doctor is saying in her speech at the end of Orphan 55 would lead us to believe that The Sensorites - or any other story that is meant to take place in Earth's future, for that matter - may never happen. If certain attitudes are adopted by certain people at just the right time, stories of this nature become glimpses into aborted timelines. The nitpicky fan that rages within my soul does not like the idea of this.

To further aggravate things, we do have any number of stories taking place in the later 21st Century that Orphan 55 would greatly refute. Tales like The Moonbase, Seeds of Death, Warriors of the Deep and Kill the Moon. All of these seem to show a version of Earth that seems to be in half-decent shape. It certainly isn't a barren wasteland devastated by pollution. So how does Orphan 55 fit into this? Could it be that the glimpse Yaz, Ryan and Graham get of their future has already influenced them and caused the necessary changes that were required to save the Earth? That the events of Orphan 55 are, already, an aborted timeline? But that this particular TARDIS crew needed to see it happen to ensure that it wouldn't? This theory further re-enforces the idea that any visit into the future is merely a potential future. That, yes, The Sensorites and other stories like it may never have happened.

Admittedly, the issue is already starting to get cloudy and confusing. So let's try to break things down a bit.


THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION
Before we get into something too convoluted, there is a simple way to solve this. We could just say that Orphan 55 really does happen. This would certainly make it canon and allow us not to get too over-concerned about how excursions into the future work. Unless it's specifically stated that characters in a story have experienced an aborted timeline, the future is set in stone. Any trip the TARDIS makes beyond this current time period is a solid experience that, as a rule, can't be altered.

"But Rob!" some of you might be saying (I can't believe how often some of you say this!), "What about those Late 21st Century stories you just sited in the last section? How do they still happen if Orphan 55 is proper continuity? How Rob?!"

The answer to this problem is also quite simple. Orphan 55 happens, but it doesn't take long. The Earth very quickly goes into a vicious cycle of decline that, maybe, takes about a year. The Rich flee the world and leave it to whoever are stuck there. The strongest survivors quickly evolve into Dregs within another year or two. The heavy radiation causes them to mutate quickly. A resort then sets itself up there to finance mass terraforming. The events of Orphan 55 happen shortly thereafter.

After that particular disaster, however, other affluent eyes take an interest in the planet. It's entirely possible that Earth is in a very prime location in the galaxy and it could be quite profitable to revitalize it. A silent benefactor steps in and gets the planet back on its feet. The Dregs are wiped out, the planet receives a new environment and a whole new civilisation of humans is established. All of this could also be accomplished in a few short years. The entire process of decline to restoration could, if pressed, take less than a decade. It would not be hard to say that all those other stories I mentioned take place either before or after this series of events.

Perhaps the mysterious conglomerate behind the re-establishing of Earth does not even allow its new denizens to remember the Orphan 55 period. Everyone is led to believe that the hiccup in human history never even happened. A return on this investment into humanity will be exacted at some point further down the road. Or something to that effect. It could even be possible that the beings who fix Earth back up are very benevolent and just want to see the planet doing better. Or perhaps they're a highly advanced species similar to Time Lords who understand humanity has a significant role to play in the affairs of the Universe and must be restored.

It could be any number of factors that motivate someone to get Earth back to normal. But it's entirely possible that the Orphan 55 period does happen and is then nullified a short while later. The whole thing is a mere handful of years and we can get back to the sort of civilisation we see in those other Late 21st Century stories with relative ease. This way, the visit the TARDIS makes to this era does actually happen.

There is one fundamental problem with this idea. If a point in the future is always going to happen, why does the Doctor make the speech that she does at the end of the episode? Why does she offer hope to her companions that they can change things? Well, what would you do if you were her? Just say: "Sorry guys, your future is going to suck for, at least, a bit."? Or, tell them a lie?

Just getting Orphan 55 to reconcile with other elements of continuity is the simplest solution to this problem. But, as you know, this is a POINT OF DEBATE essay. So we need to explore other theories.


EVERY FUTURE STORY IS JUST A POSSIBILITY
The Earth Was Just in a Bad Place for a Bit storyline is nothing new to the show. We have seen other tales that have talked about the planet being devastated for a period of time. Adventures like Ark in Space, The Sontaran Experiment and The Beast Below all deal with an Earth that has been devastated by solar flares. In the far-flung future, our planet will be scorched for quite some time by the Andromedans in an effort to conceal themselves after they have stolen secrets from the Matrix on Gallifrey. This is the backstory that fuels Trial of a Time Lord. There even seems to be a period where Earth is ruined by the exploits of the Usurians and they move humanity over to Mars and then Pluto. Which eventually gives us The Sunmakers. There are other more obscure references too. The story Smile implies that the colonists that were having trouble with their emoji-bots were leaving a ruined Earth. We even get told that the Ancient One from Curse of Fenric comes from a future where Earth has been spoiled by chemical pollution. In many of these disasters, Earth does eventually seem to get restored.  So the scenario I described in my first theory is more-than-feasible. It's just another rough period for Earth.

But now, we will go to the other extreme. Let's say that every time the TARDIS arrives in the future, it is only a possible future. That, just as the Doctor implies, Yaz, Ryan and Graham have the potential to return to their era and ensure that this cruel destiny doesn't happen. Let's say this actually occurs and Earth is spared from its horrid fate. Is there evidence in the show that such a thing could actually transpire? Can a future that has been experienced by the TARDIS crew then be altered?

I have written two other posts that imply this sort of thing must happen from time-to-time. One is Clara meeting her own descendant in Listen (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/05/fixing-continuity-glitches-quick-fixes.html - it's the first Quick Fix) even though both her and Danny are doomed to die before they can procreate. The other is about how our world in 2017/18 did not resemble the world depicted in Enemy of the World (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/10/fixing-continuity-glitches-quick-fixes-5.html - it's also the first Quick Fix). So this does seem possible. But is that concrete enough evidence? These are just the postulations of a somewhat sad fan. Are there stronger examples within the show, itself?

Stories like The Space Museum certainly help to support this. Through a technical quirk of the TARDIS, its crew sees that they will end up as exhibits in a futuristic museum. With that foreknowledge, they manage to prevent that future from happening. In New Who, we see the Doctor visit his own grave on Trenzalore during Name of the Doctor. But the Time Lords giving him a new regeneration cycle in Time of the Doctor prevents this future. So this does seem like a workable premise.

One might point out, however, that both these instances are about time travellers altering a very specific point in their own future. The prevention of a single event that affects them specifically. The premise in Orphan 55 is a much broader notion. Here, the fate of an entire civilisation must be changed. Are there examples of that?

Last of the Time Lords illustrates this idea quite nicely. An entire year of hard times for the planet Earth suddenly gets erased when the Paradox Machine that the Master fashioned out of the Doctor's TARDIS is destroyed. In this instance, a society becomes radically altered. That's more in line with what is implied in Orphan 55 but it's still not quite the same thing. In the case of Last of Time Lords, it's a specific use of time travel mechanics that fixes things. Not an overall change in the attitudes of humans.

The story that comes closest to displaying the ideas of Orphan 55 would probably be Day of the Daleks. We see a future where Earth is destroyed in a nuclear war and the Daleks have enslaved the survivors. The exact event that causes this terrible future is pinpointed and the outcome is altered. Ironically, of course, we discover that the attempts made by time travellers to change the event for the better causes the nasty result in the first place. That the people trying to create a new version of reality should have just let things be and allowed history to take its natural course.

This is the closest approximation to the process described during the Doctor's moment of preachiness. An entire society does get changed for the better. And it is done, moreso, through a change in peoples' thinking than a conscious attempt to alter time.

Again, there might be some arguing of this notion. Some might be quick to point out that Day of the Daleks involves a lot of specific time travel mechanics like Last of the Time Lords. But the fact that all those excursions back into the past prove to be useless nullifies this idea. It is the Third Doctor having a similar moment of high-handedness with Reginald Styles that really prevents the horrid future we see from ever happening. It is more about improving a society's attitude than messing with time that creates this new outcome. And, if you want to get technical, Orphan 55 also uses some time travel to initiate a change. Yaz, Ryan and Graham need to be transported into the future to see what needs to be prevented. In the same way that Doctor Three needs to see what the Daleks are up to in the aborted timeline before he can go back and preach to Reginald Styles.

So the notion that a nasty future can be prevented just by trying hard to save the world from itself is something we have seen done in the show, before. It hasn't happened often. Usually it's more a case of time travel trickery that accomplishes this. But it's not entirely unheard-of. The notion presented at the end of Orphan 55 is not completely foreign to the history of the show.


TWO SIDES - ONE COIN
As is the case with these sort of posts, I am trying to present all sides of the argument rather than form a pet theory. With this particular case, however, there are really only two ideas that seem all that workable. Either Orphan 55 happens or it doesn't. I do feel that there is enough evidence to support either argument.

Even if this horrible future is, somehow, prevented - the story is still canon. From a certain point of view. We have seen any number of other stories where certain key characters still remember the events of an aborted timeline. Even in really small-scale incidents like the soldiers in Flesh and Stone that get deleted out of existence when they investigate the Crack in Time. Amy and the Doctor still remember them after they're gone because of the unique relationship they have with time now that they travel in the TARDIS. The Eleventh Doctor Era has several other examples of this. Amy forgets Rory only a few episodes later when he suffers a similar fate to those soldiers. But the Doctor still remembers. Clara forgets her adventure in Journey to the Center of the TARDIS when the Doctor presses the Big Red Button. But, again, the Time Lord retains his memories of it. So, in essence, if we are seeing a potential aborted timeline whenever the TARDIS dips into the future, it is still a real experience to some. So that precious continuity is still preserved.

It is usually at this point that I bother to offer, at the very least, a hint of which theory I subscribe to. But, this time, I truly am neutral on the matter. I really can't form a solid opinion on which way things go for the future this story reveals. I really don't know how things will turn out.

The one thing I do know, however, is that this is a far better story than most fans would have you think.




Well, it's done. Let's see if anyone will actually bother to read it. After all, it's a post about Orphan 55! 




If, like me, you are tired of all the Chib-bashing, here's a few other entries that I've written that tend to praise the era rather than put it down: 

An overall review of Series 11: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/12/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-female.html

Was Tsuranga Conundrum so bad?: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/05/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-was-it-so.html

A look at all the mysteries Series 12 has built:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/03/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-series.html

How some of the negative reactions to the Timeless Child don't really make sense: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/05/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-silliness.html

BOOK OF LISTS - 5 THINGS FROM THE CLASSIC SERIES THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN NEW WHO

After a nice solid month of deep analysis, I thought it might be nice to go back to an opinion piece. I've noticed you all seem to be enjoying my lists, of late. Any time I post one, it seems to get a high number of hits. I always like to give my audience what they enjoy, so here's a new one: 




It's a popular topic in discussion forums with fans who are familiar with New and Old Who: "What's something from the Classic Series that you'd like to see come back in the modern version of the show?" We've gotten a lot of the great stuff back, already, of course. Baddies like: Daleks, Cybermen and the Master. Or old friends like Sarah Jane Smith and K9.  Hell, we've even gotten the Macra! Whoever expected them?!  But with a range of twenty six seasons, there's still plenty more stuff to draw from if the New Series wanted to. 

I don't usually participate in these discussions. I can never settle on just one thing. There's always, at least, four or five elements from Old Who that I'd like to see come back. And I don't want to just itemise briefly what it is I want to see. I want to take some time to explain why I want to see it. But most people on these Fan Pages get turned off by long answers (myself, included). So I don't usually jump into the comments section with my feedback on such a topic.

The nice thing about a blog, of course, is that people that go to them are expecting a bit of wordiness. You're meant to be digging a bit deeper and going into heavier detail. So, rather than blather on in a Fan Group, I'll discuss my feelings on the matter, here:




5: Chancellery Guards In Their Old Uniforms
I totally get why New Who changed the uniforms of the Gallifreyan military. They needed to look bad-ass for the Time Wars. Those bright red uniforms with flowing white capes and ornate helmets just weren't going to cut it.

But the Time Wars are over, now. I would have loved if episodes like Hell Bent had gone back to the old look that we saw all the way through the Classic Series. A bit of an update might have been nice, of course. Nor do they have to go with the ridiculous hat that they made Colin Baker lug around in Arc of Infinity. But it would have been really cool to see that particular style of uniform make a return now that Gallifrey is back in a time of relative peace.

Of course, Gallifrey currently lies in ruins. So we're probably never going to see that. But, as some fans have pointed out, Rassilon and various members of the High Council were banished when the Doctor escaped the torment he went through in his Confession Dial. They could be out in the Universe, somewhere, and could make a return appearance, someday. Might they have taken a few guards with them? And might those guards be decked out in traditional garb?

It would be nice to see...




4. Neomorph Cybermen
Just in case you're not sure what that is, it's a term that was created in a special book that was written about Cybermen way back in the day. It refers to the model we saw in Earthshock, The Five Doctors, Attack of the Cybermen and a slightly "more silvery" version in Silver Nemesis. Essentially, it's my favorite costume they've used for them.

We've seen stories like Asylum of the Daleks and Magician's Apprentice/Witch's Familiar use models of Daleks from the Classic Series. We've even seen Mondasian Cybermen in World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. So it's not unheard-of to bring back these older versions with a slightly updated look so they don't appear too laughable by modern-day standards. Although, I do think those 80s Cybermen looked pretty damned good and would still stand up well. So let's bring those babies back for a story.

A return appearance of Neomorphic Cybermen could be easily justified. They do seem to be the version of the species that are most adept at time travel. They stole a time machine in Attack of the Cybermen and tried to use it to prevent the destruction of Mondas. While it's not explicitly stated in Earthshock and Silver Nemesis, it's my theory that these were also Cybermen from the future who travelled back into the past to tamper some more with history (I explain this in greater detail in one of my "History of the Cybermen" entries.  https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/02/chronologies-and-timelines-history-of_27.html).

So it would be quite easy for the Doctor to detect some sort of temporal disturbance and go investigate it. And up pop those nasty Neomoprhs - out to make more trouble. Maybe she even finds a glitter gun for Yaz and she kicks some Cyber-ass the same way Ace did with her slingshot and gold coins! 



3. Ogrons
While we only ever saw them in the Pertwee Era, by no means were the Ogrons an obscure one-time-only monster. They appeared in three different stories (only very briefly in Carnival of Monsters - but it still counts!). Whenever they were included in a story, they were always very interesting. I particularly like that they looked ape-like but the creative team didn't go for something really obvious by getting the artistes to imitate primates in their movements. They were squat and brutish - more like thugs than gorillas. Even when one is given a banana in Frontier In Space he doesn't know what to do with it!

They are another great example of a costume that has stood the test of time. Little would need to be done to upgrade their look. In fact, it would be a shame to change them much. They really are a very convincing-looking alien.

Since they function as "guard dogs" for Daleks, it would not be hard to bring them back. Just re-introduce them in a Dalek story. Having to deal with Daleks and Ogrons in the same story would certainly increase the sense of peril in an adventure. Although, really, the Ogrons are meant to be grunts-for-hire. So they could show up alongside any militant race. Or they could have even evolved to a point where they can fight for themselves and be featured independently. The possibilities are endless.

The Ogrons are more than just scary alien monsters. We do learn a bit about their social order when their homeworld is visited in Frontier In Space. We even see that they seem to have a sort of religion. So there is a three-dimensional quality to them. I think it's especially interesting that they are meant to be very slow-witted but can still accomplish highly technological tasks like flying a spaceship. It's an interesting social dynamic that we need to explore more deeply.



2. Question Marks? 
Admittedly, we have gotten this a bit in the New Series. Osgood has been wonderful enough to put question marks on her collar and wear the notorious McCoy Sweater (and/or Jumper) on certain occasions. When she engaged in a discussion with Doctor Twelve about this particular fashion accessory, he claimed that he does still wear them on his underwear. Somehow, I doubt we will ever get this properly validated!

Tom Baker first started wearing question marks on his funky lapel-like shirt collar during Season 18. Davison wore a more traditional dress shirt that also featured them on the collar. As did Colin Baker. Sylvester McCoy, of course, went even crazier with the look. Not only was his torso, more or less, covered with the punctuation mark, but the handle of his umbrella was made to look like one too. The joke was sometimes made that if the progression had been allowed to continue, Doctor Eight would have dressed like the Riddler!

At the time that all of this was going on, many fans complained about this particular fashion choice. They felt that it made things too obvious that the Doctor was meant to be a mysterious character. Or some sort of nonsense like that. I'm not sure. I actually just thought it was cool that he wore question marks. Even in his seventh incarnation when the motif was, pretty much, taken to its ultimate extreme - I still really liked the look. As did other friends who were into the show with me. But this is one of those instances during the ultra-criticism of the 80s where a lot of us just elected to keep our mouths shut about it rather than state an opinion that contradicted the highly-vocal negative fans that were out there. Even now, with quite a bit of water under the bridge, you still tend to get fans calling you stupid for liking the question marks.

But it would seem that quite a few of us did enjoy them. I, for one, would love to see them make a comeback of some sort. Perhaps it could be really understated. Maybe just one question mark pinned to a lapel. It could be quite small and dark in color so that you don't even notice it all that well in most shots.  That would be a nice compromise for all those question mark haters. They would only have to acknowledge it if they looked really hard.



1. Ace!!
Admittedly, the return of any Classic Who companion is more-than-welcome. Even Jackie Lane reprising Dodo would be a delight! And we have gotten a few, now, when you think about it. Not just Sarah Jane Smith and K9 (if you consider robots to be an actual companion - that's a debate in itself! https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/05/point-of-debate-should-we-consider.html). We got a really cool flashback sequence in Twice Upon a Time that brought back Ben and Polly, too. It's even heavily implied that Ian Chesterton was still around Coal Hill School during Day of the Doctor. And, of course, the Brigadier does come back - but only as a Cyberman!

For various reasons, I'd love to see Ace come back more than any other companion. Probably the biggest would be that she's an excellent character. She did really cool stuff like blow things up with Nitro-9 and kick the asses of some of the most fearsome aliens in the Universe. On top of that, though, she was magnificently-written. They gave her all kinds of interesting layers and even moved her through a growth process of sorts. Sophie Aldred also did a great job of portraying the character. Making her a tough street kid who still possessed a certain degree of naivete and earnestness. In many ways, she was a perfect storm. They just "got everything right" about her.

But there are other companions who I am deeply fond of for similar reasons. Jamie, Leela and both versions of Romana also received similar treatment by the production teams that created them. I even have some eccentric tastes that go against Popular Fan Opinion (Surprise! Surprise!). I absolutely adore Turlough, for instance. I do actually think he's put through a very good redemption arc throughout the course of his era. Not just in the Guardian Trilogy, but I also like how he finally faces up to his past in Planet of Fire. And, although he's - pretty much - just a generic 60s male companion, I really like Steven, too. Not even entirely sure why. I just think Peter Purves does a really good job with what he's given.

So, there are a lot of other companions that I'm in love with - why does Ace triumph over all of them? Why do I want her to return more than these other ones? Well, that's where my second major reason comes into play. All the other companions I've mentioned were all given decent farewell scenes (well, maybe not the First Romana - but that's the way regeneration goes, sometimes!), but Ace just disappeared into the woodwork during the Wilderness Years. Even Sylvester McCoy got to return briefly in the 96 Telemovie to get a proper send-off. But we never got to know what happened to Ace.

A return appearance for Ace would just be wonderful cause she's an awesome character and it would be great to see her again. But we would also assume that Ace coming back would involve an explanation of what happened to her between Survival and Doctor Who - The Movie. And that inner completist that is always screaming from the back of my head wants to know so badly why she left the TARDIS.

So, between Ace's incredibleness (totally a word) and my insistent need to know her fate, she is the one thing from the Classic Series that I want to see the most in New Who. Which is why she's placed at Number One. Nothing would warm my Hardcore Fan Heart(s) more than for the Doctor to somehow stumble into her and pick things up where they left off for an episode or two. Maybe Ace was returned to Earth where she went on to live a very happy life. Or maybe she's out among the stars, exploring the Universe and righting wrongs when she finds them. Or maybe it's something between these two extremes. Either way, I'd like to know...

Are you reading this, Chibbers? If so, make a fanboy's pipe dream come true.

Bring back Ace.





Another quick easy list complete. Do you like shorter ones like these? Here's a few others: 

Five Unpopular Opinions I have about Doctor Who: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/03/book-of-lists-five-unpopular-opinions-i.html

Traits you need to become a Recurring Villainess in Doctor Who 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/08/book-of-lists-traits-you-need-to-become.html

Five "Not as Bad as They Say They Are" stories
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-of-lists-5-not-as-bad-as-everyone.html

ANALYTICAL: DOCTOR WHO - THE DELICATE YEARS: EPISODE THREE - REBORN

And so we reach Part Three of my analysis of "The Delicate Years" of Doctor Who. The show makes a proper return in 2005 that continues to this day. It's off to a great start. But then it stumbles for just a little bit....




"NO SECOND CHANCES" ONLY RINGS TRUE FOR SYCORAX
As we enter the 21st Century, fans are resigned to the fact that there will never be new episodes of  Doctor Who. But, quite honestly, we're happy with what we are getting. Even Doctor Who Magazine is still going strong. For a show that has been, pretty much, off the air for over fifteen years (with only the briefest return in 1996). that's pretty damned amazing.

And then, in 2004, the announcement is almost casually released. Russell T. Davis, creator of the popular Queer as Folk series will be the Head Writer for a revival of Doctor Who. No "backdoor pilot", this time, either. A full season of thirteen 46-minute episodes and a one-hour Christmas Special. Fans can barely believe what they're hearing. Is Doctor Who really coming back?!

The Big News is ever-so-slightly bittersweet, however. There is no mention of Paul McGann being involved with this new series. He won't be allowed the same privilege McCoy received to give his Doctor a proper send-off. Things will just begin with the Ninth Doctor already in action (although the slightest hint is given that he has freshly regenerated).

While many bizarre choices were made in the creation of The 96 Telemovie, it's clear that RTD has put a lot of thought into how he will present a version of Doctor Who that suits 2005. The very first episode shows all sorts of new and modern conventions for the show. But it also includes the Autons. A beautiful nod to the past. As a total nitpick: I love that they even went to the trouble of finding the same sound effect that was used in the Classic Series when the Auton hand drops away to reveal its gun.This is the sort of dedication you get when fans are making the show! Immediately, we are re-assured that this is not a re-boot - but a continuation. The first twenty-six seasons of the series are not about to be ignored.

By the end of Rose, many fans are already thinking this new version of Doctor Who looks very promising.


SERIES ONE - PRETTY MUCH, A MASTERPIECE
As the season continues, we see a few major differences between this new series and the one that came before. Most stories will be resolved within one episode with only the occasional two-parter. Cliffhangers and multi-part adventures will no longer be commonplace.  There will also be a season-long arc that will involve the words "Bad Wolf" appearing over and over. By no means is this going to be as tight of an ongoing story as Trial of a Time Lord, but it will be a thematic link throughout the season.

And, of course, the biggest development since Classic Who: the Time Lords have been wiped out and the Doctor is the last of his race. This bit of news has all kinds of consequences. It puts a very different spin on how the protagonist is presented. It also gives the show a sort of new starting point that is less cluttered by the continuity of the original series. We don't have to spend too much time explaining Time Lord culture,now, because they don't actually exist anymore.

There are a few other minor alterations to the formula of the show but those are the big ones. The core spirit of Classic Who is still there - but this is a very different beast, now. RTD has definitely modernised things and made the central premise something workable for 21st Century television.

I think it's safe to say that Series 1 is still one of the best seasons of New Who. Even the weaker stuff involving the Slitheen has its merit. As much as some were annoyed by the fart humor, it established quite clearly that Doctor Who was not a show that took itself too seriously and was going to have a bit of fun now and again. In general, the emotional resonance of the program had become quite astounding, too. Who can forget Pete Tyler's final decision to willfully let a car run him over in order to save the Web of Time? Or the beautiful holographic message the Doctor leaves for Rose after he's tricked her into returning home in Parting of the Ways? Or Rose reducing her mother to tears when she reveals to her that she was the mysterious woman who kept her husband company as he died? No one expected Doctor Who to ever "hit us in the feels" like that.

Overall, these were some very solidly put-together episodes. In the end, however, Series 1 gave all of us way more than we expected. The show was an absolute hit. And it deserved to be.

Even the fact that Christopher Eccleston decided to leave after only one season worked to everyone's advantage. It introduced, very quickly, the concept of regeneration to a new audience so that everyone would understand this was a vital ingredient to the formula of the program. Thematically, it also moved the Ninth Doctor through a beautiful character arc that had him healing from his survivor's guilt before going on to his next incarnation.

There really is almost nothing wrong with New Who's first season. It is truly a triumphant return.


SERIES TWO - ONE LAST LITTLE BIT OF DELICACY
There is a metaphor that is, sometimes, attached to Series 1 of New Who. Some fans compare it to the first album a popular band releases that gives them their big break. In many ways, the band has put years of experience and effort into that album. Their entire career has been building up to this moment and this creates a magnificently-crafted piece of music. Which is why the album ends up having such a huge impact on the public and earns fantastic sales.

Because of the success of that initial album, a band is then pushed very hard by their record executives to make them more money. Quite often, they are rushed into making a second album that isn't as strong as the first. The musicians weren't given enough time to "incubate" some more and create equally-strong material. Essentially, they recorded that second album before they were truly ready to.

Much the same can be said for Series 2. Russell T Davis even admits that he wasn't ever expecting there to be a second season. That he would just get those first set of episodes and then Doctor Who would be over with again. So he hadn't made the most concrete of plans for the show's future beyond that first commission.

This creates a very uneven second season. Really, the only thing outstanding in Series 2 is Girl in the Fireplace. A lot of the other stories are pretty sub-par (in my opinion, at least). And some are even genuinely bad. Most would site Love and Monsters and Fear Her as being the big culprits in this department (and I wouldn't argue much with that opinion), but I actually think Idiot's Lantern is the biggest stinker of the bunch. After giving us a brilliant episode like Unquiet Dead, Mark Gatiss delivers the exact opposite, this time.

Probably the biggest sin of Series 2, however, is its attempt at another season-long arc. Whereas the insertion of the term "Bad Wolf" seems quite fluid in Series 1, "Torchwood" comes across as painfully shoe-horned. It feels most ludicrous because the Doctor should have had a moment like he did in Boomtown, where he remarks on the fact that the word seems to be following him all over the place. But it never happens. Which comes across as somewhat odd.

Of all the seasons of New Who, I definitely consider Series 2 to be the worst. If we lined it up against Old Who too, I'd even say this is another time where I would prefer Season 24. I feel most sorry for more recent fans that are trying to binge watch the new series from its very beginning. Many complain about how hard it is to get through Series 2. I just tell them to hang in there. It gets better.

Unlike Season 24, this dip in quality doesn't seem to put the program's future in jeopardy. A third season is commissioned with barely a flinch from the BBC. But it does give us a show that appears very unsteady on its feet. At this point, the overall direction of the program seems very unclear. We're really not sure of the formula, anymore as the styles of the stories seem to be going all over the place There also seems to be a poor use of budget. Fear Her is required to take place, principally, on a street because they've run out of money. Even the character of the Doctor is a bit inconsistent. It seemed right for Eccleston's Doctor to have all that angst since he was recovering from what he did in the Time Wars. His journey through Series 1 causes him to heal those emotional scars by the time he regenerates. Tennant, however, is all about angst again. It makes all of Nine's character growth seem irrelevant.

These numerous problems are the reason why I consider this season to still be part of "The Delicate Years" of the show. RTD really needed to sit down and get a clearer idea of what he wished to do with his creation. It does not appear that he did that between his first and second seasons. The result is a show that still seems very uncertain of itself.


FULL RECOVERY
As the somewhat-painful Runaway Bride Christmas Special wraps up, RTD seems to get the downtime he needs to re-evaluate his vision for the program. Series 3 reaches our screens with a quiet confidence of a show with a firm direction. From this point, onward, Doctor Who really seems to have a clear idea of what it's about, again.

Is Series 3 perfect? Of course not. The Dalek story it offers is quite shaky. And some are a bit disappointed by the "Tinkerbell Ending" that the season has when the positive mindset of the entire population of Earth suddenly gives the Doctor super powers. Series 4 has a few problems, too. It has my least favorite season finale, ever. I'm not particularly fond of "The Specials" that we get over the next year, either. Waters of Mars is brilliant. The rest of them are mediocre, at best. Some of them are genuinely bad (Next Doctor is my least favorite New Who episode ever).

Overall, however, the show is performing consistently again. Moff takes the reigns from RTD and keeps the calibre of story-telling high. The show goes back to being the massive success it once was. Everything is right with the world, again. 

But Series 3 really does mark the beginning of the full turnaround. It is at this point that the show is finally running smoothly again. There might still be the occasional "hiccup" here and there. But, overall, Doctor Who is back in all its glory.

And so, the Delicate Years have reached their end. The fans have got their show back. Joy has returned to our lives!

It should be noted, however, just how long those Delicate Years lasted: Six entire seasons and a feature-length Special. This speaks volumes of the uniqueness of Doctor Who. No other show would be allowed that long of a period of time to sort itself out. Anything else would have been abandoned ages ago. But there is such a unique magic to this program that its audience is willing to let it go through whatever transformations it needs to make.

Doctor Who really is the most incredible of TV shows. Chronicling its Delicate Years was a great way to highlight that.



AFTERTHOUGHT: ARE WE AT ANOTHER FRAGILE PERIOD?
At the time of writing this, we are twelve seasons into the new series. In fact, it was just pointed out the other day that Doctor Who has now been back on the air for as long as it was off. These are things we should be grateful for. The show has returned to being an institution.

And yet, I'm starting to see negative indications, again. Perhaps, even, Signs of Doom! 

Probably the biggest red flag I've seen, of late, is the strong desire in fandom to demonise the current Head Writer. Some folks do take the same stance I do with Chris Chibnall. We actually like a lot of what he's doing and think the show is very good. It's most distressing, however, how fans who dislike him will actually berate us for our tastes. This doesn't happen every time I express a pro-Chibnall opinion - but it happens frequently enough. I have even gotten flack for some of the entries I have written of late concerning my stance on his work. 

Now, I have read some very well-formulated opinions by fans who do not appreciate his vision for the show. Those sort of dissertations are out there. And the ones who make effective cases are often happy to just "agree to disagree" with me rather than turn things into attacks. But a whole lot more of what I'm seeing comes across as fairly mindless vitriol. In some cases, it's legitimate blind hate. 

This sort of attitude strongly resembles the sort of contemptible behavior we saw directed towards John Nathan Turner back in the late 80s. When fans started becoming impossible-to-please and the show started getting shorter seasons and negative attention from BBC Executives. All of which, eventually, led to its demise.

Could we be seeing the first signs of a return to another fragile period? If some of these other factors start coming into play. If a few key figures in the upper echelons of the BBC decide the show needs another rest, then this could spell out some serious trouble for the show.

Does this mean we should just like the show, regardless? Because, if we don't, it could get cancelled! Of course not. But, maybe, we could reserve our opinions until we've given them some serious consideration. So many fans need to verbalise how they feel so quickly. Particularly now that we have the internet. And they also understand that if they're inflammatory in their remarks, they will probably get more attention.

Perhaps we should care more about the show than we do about being noticed. Have a negative opinion if you really do feel that way. But creative teams will probably pay better attention to what you're expressing if the criticism is constructive rather than rude. I know if I were a showrunner and all I was seeing was: "Rob Tymec sucks at making Doctor Who!" I would pay little heed to what you have to say. Because, in the end, that sort of language is just abuse. And who would actively seek that sort of treatment?

BBC executives, however, might start getting just a little too distressed about such strong opinions and wonder if harsher changes need to be made. And we've seen what becomes of the show when something like this happens.

I hope I'm not coming across as too preachy, here. But I also just felt this might be a good place to state my feelings on the matter. Quite honestly, I'm only saying this because I really don't want to have write another essay, someday, on a second wave of Delicate Years....







And so, the three-parter ends. Again, I hope I didn't get up on too much of a high-horse in my closing paragraphs. I also hope you enjoyed my own insights into what the show went through during its most difficult transition. Perhaps I will look into behind-the-scenes subjects more often. 

Missed Part One? Here you go: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/07/analytical-doctor-who-delicate-years.html

Part Two: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/07/analytical-doctor-who-delicate-years_20.html