When I started watching the show, the idea of the Daleks as an intimidating entity didn't work for me. I think that has a lot to do with Eccleston being my first Doctor. He turned in a great performance but Davies really dropped the ball with that whole Emo-Dalek fiasco. At least he didn't try to make a Dalek human hybri... oh wait. Maybe this generation of producers "cheated" by bringing in Terry Nation but Genesis . . . was simply a more effective and engaging way of introducing someone the signature villains to someone relatively new to the role. Hell, I love Tennant but his debate with the clone for genocide had much less tension than Baker standing there holding two wires. Something tells me I'll get sick of Davros rather quickly as I'm not really sure he's necessary outside of an origin story but it was interesting to formally meet him.
Story 081 Planet of Evil
All in all, a fairly decent episode. Set design deserves mention. The jungle looked endless and had some downright orgranic-appearing structures that had to be foam. Also dug the red-line crackly things as villains right up until they were revealed to be anti-matter. Could've done without the cliche know-it-all commander who struck me as an offshoot of the Dominators at times. Plus revealing the aforementioned etheral lines were cavemen was bad form. Not the best episode ever, but far from bad.
Story 083 The Android Invasion
This one starts off okay. There's some major suspense built by the Stig-like figures with the shooty hands the the re-appearance of a UNIT soldier who dove off a cliff. What is happening in this village? I must know! OMG OMG oh wait. Kraals? Look like over-cooked/exploded Sontarans? Can't so much move? Chew scenery and spout the usual remorseless baddie cliches at the typical pace? Okay. Tension killed. Baker is fun. Sarah Jane is awesome. Amazing chemistry here. Still miss Pertwee. Ouch. Ending on this is just shit. Gardner believes in the power of the exploded potato heads so much he forgets his eye works? All the androids except The Doctor's are shutdown? Even distracted by an Oberon belly, my mind screams "BULLSHIT." Decent try at spicing up the oft-recycled invasion storyline with some chilling moments but all in all it needed better baddies and an ending which didn't require multiple severe leaps of faith.
Story 084 The Brain of Morbius
Fun story. Sisters of Karn are a nice take on the whole "archaic cult" motif. Solon chews the right amount of scenery for a mad scientist. Condo is a decent Igor. They showed a downright parade of faces in that Mind Test scene. Didn't seem like they were supposed to be Morbius at the time but seeing as they introduce the 12 regenerations "rule" shortly afterward, I'm guessing they became such? Who knows? I had fun watching this.
Story 085 The Seeds of Doom
When trying to terrify people, making everyday objects we instinctively trust into baddies is perfectly logical. A problem with doing that on a show like Doctor Who which I never realized is they apparently need a spokes-being to ensure proper levels of scenery munching. Silly me thinking that a gigantic Krynoid with telepathic powers should consume a leather gloved cliche like Mr. Chase just because that was exactly the sort of creature the species was introduced as. Maybe it was cunning to have an agent inside the house but just crushing the place seemed more in keeping with the nature of the beast. Of course, a big booming voice just wouldn't have done for those great soloquies on how vegetarians needed to die. Momentum-derailing cheese aside, a pretty effective story with a moderate level of creepiness.
Story 87 The Hand of Fear
Eldrad fast became one of my favorite villains. Firstly, it possessed Sarah Jane and got some great "creepy doll" line delivery of "Eldrad must live." That line is my new catchphrase for social situations where an answer to an unanswerable query simply must be given and "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD" just seems dickish. Then there's the dichtomy between the female and male regenerations. The former is sly, manipulative, and remarkably subtle for this era of the show. Then in comes the latter striking every cliche pose, doing every predictable bit of sinister lumbering due to awkward costuming the other missed and screaming "MUHUHAHAHAHAHA." Sometimes, I love how damned clumsy Doctor Who gets.
Story 088 The Deadly Assassin
The Time Lords think they are so vastly superior to us with their fancy robes of office, caste system, and ability to travel through time with subsequent rules. Yet here they are squabbling for power like they do in Washington D. C. and getting manipulated by Dick Cheney without the mask oh. That's the Master. Gotcha. Shit. These social metaphor stories can be a bit forced sometimes. However, at least this one provides some insight as to why The Doctor would leave his life here behind. The ideals of the Time Lords may well sound nice but it's ultimately a decayed, corrupted society which would cast him out largely for living up to what they claim to be. Or that's how it looks to me, not having scene War Games where the race made its debut. I'm pretty okay with demystifying Gallifrey like this. Don't need them to be more alien as the fallability honestly makes The Doctor more relatable, understable, and worthy of some cuddles. Well okay that last one has to do with the awesome pug sleeping next to me more than the show but who cares about anything when you've got pug belly?
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