Are we sure this isn't a 70s story - there's a power cut in the TARDIS.
Wow, look at Davison's hair! The white guardian's done him a favour draining energy from those hot studio lights. Otherwise he'd be sweating like a pig, and then he wouldn't be able to look aloft and all that. Maybe he's wearing all that guyliner to deflect any glare.
Why does the White Guardian need power to get a message through to the TARDIS? He had no such problem when recruiting the Doctor to collect the segments of the Key to Time, did he?
He's also picked up the Black Guardian's nasty habit of wearing a dead bird on his head.
The Black Guardian turns up to give it a bit of panto evil laughing. Nyer-her-her-herrrrr!
Turlough's pulled the plug, though, claiming to think the TARDIS was going to blow up.
The Doctor openly tells Turlough he doesn't trust him to be left alone in the TARDIS. He *must* know.
They appear to have landed on a sailing ship...
The implication of Marriner's arrival on the viewscreen is that the light atop the TARDIS has a camera in it.
The Doctor and Turlough arrive in the crew's quarters.
Why does Tegan think Marriner is the White Guardian? Just looks like a normal(ish) bloke.
Pat Gorman! Woo!
The crew think "the Doctor" is the cook; they've been living off rats and seagulls till now.
The crew have been below decks for 2 whole days, having to find ways to pass the time...
Poor sods are still waiting for Davison to rustle up some grub. Tom would've given them a jelly baby, at least. Didn't even offer them a nibble of his celery.
The ship is in a race. Jackson warns the others against going on deck half cut.
"Know why a pig can't be a sailor? Because he can't look aloft!" 2 days below decks has done this to them.
The Doctor's peeved that Tegan didn't stay in the TARDIS. "Well, you did your best." Ouch.
The Doctor & Tegan meet the officers...
...while Turlough's busy wearing a hat.
Tegan feels seasick; the Doctor spills some wine.
When dinner is interrupted, the Doctor carries on scoffing.
The crew go for their rum rations before going aloft. Turlough ducks out & bumps into the Doctor.
Tegan is puzzled to spot wetsuits on the way to the wheelhouse...
The Doctor suddenly realises everything is not as they first thought: they're not on the ocean, they're in space!
Great cliffhanger of course, but don't think I've ever felt the impact of it as I read the book before seeing it.
"Yet."
Marriner's trying to get Tegan drunk. He's so creepy already, but now this.
The Eternals seem to know what people are going to do before they do it.
First period Greek stuff since the Myth Makers, I reckon. Not counting Bigon.
Can they tell the future, or read minds? They claim to exist outside of time... “A lord of time? Are there lords in such a small domain?”
The Eternals exploit mortals to use as the crews on their theme ships, Striker & co. have their Edwardian yacht.
The ships travel on the solar winds.
Jackson seemed okay at first, but now he's slagging off booze. Throw him overboard.
The Doctor suspects the Greek ship was sabotaged, which is not strictly against the rules but frowned upon.
The Eternals are returned to their own realm but the human crew were killed. The Doctor is outraged.
He discovers a flaw in their powers; when he got angry they couldn't read his mind. Sounds like a job for the Hulk.
The Doctor calls them parasites; they're not much better than the War Lords, abducting groups of humans to die in their game.
Keith Barron's bloody brilliant in this. Hard to imagine Peter Sallis in the part as originally cast.
The Black Guardian trolls Turlough again.
They've mocked up a room for Tegan that's a weird mish mash of her memories.
Not so keen on the fact that the Doctor asks Tegan to put up with Marriner's pestering.
Some lovely shimmery ethereal stuff from Malcolm Clarke for the Eternals but the sailor's hornpipe stuff isn't much cop.
Striker has the TARDIS...
...and Turlough sells Jackson out like the weasel he is.
They go on deck, and as the Guardian taunts Turlough he throws himself overboard...
The Black Guardian seems 10x more panto than he's been in any previous story. Is this the director's fault?
Still not sold on this being the classic a lot of people say it is. Prefer Mawdryn Undead, myself.
Whacking great recap at the start of part 3.
Marriner writes Turlough off. "It will be over for him quickly."
But the Buccaneer heaves to and catches Turlough in a big rope net.
And it's Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee John!
Nurse Gladys invites Striker's lot aboard to come and collect their Turlough.
Now that Tegan's changed into that dress, keep an extra close eye on any 'hands in pockets' acting from Davison.
The Grid Room is supposed to be "dimly lit", so of course it's shot like a light in your face interrogation.
Gladys locks Turlough out while she has a confab with her boss, the Black Guardian.
Even Turlough's allowed to the party.
Great bit of music, this, at the party.
The Doctor refreshes his celery. Is that imaginary celery from Castrovalva replaced with more imaginary celery?
Turlough is locked in the grid room with the vacuum shield switched off and the Black Guardian taunting him.
Nurse Gladys freezes Tegan...
...while Turlough shouts at his glow cube till the Doctor rescues him.
Next Gladys treads in her boss's footsteps and gives it some panto gloating.
I'd totally misremembered that cliffhanger! Thought it was the bit with multiple Wrack faces from later in part 4
Nurse Gladys unleashes her ticking Tegan bomb.
"I wasn't spying!" Turlough's delivery here is hilarious.
Check out Turlough's wedding ring when Gladys takes his wine, by the way. What's that all about?
It's a 2 ship race now; Striker vs. Nurse Gladys.
Nurse Gladys moves in for the kill; Striker ignores the Doctor's warnings.
Gladys prepares her death ray...
Smashing the focus isn't enough...
...Gladys can still focus on the fragments!
So the Doctor has to wrap it up and throw all the bits overboard...
Striker returns the TARDIS when it looks like Gladys might win.
"Will the Tardis still function? The console blew up."
"Oh, probably did it the world of good."
Gladys has the upper hand and it looks like Turlough's finally going to make good on his deal with the Black Guardian...
...and it's man overboard! Tegan fears the worst.
The Guardians prepare to impart Enlightenment, which seems to be a shining bright white crystal. Is that made from the same material as the Key to Time?
The Black Guardian gloats over Gladys' win - except it was her and Leeeeeeeeee that went overboard and the real winners are... the Doctor and Turlough!?
"I leave the lies and deception to you... but I did shove Nurse Gladys & Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee John overboard."
Marriner wants to stay but Tegan blanks him so hard he fades away.
The White Guardian offers Turlough shares in Enlightenment or something.
But Turlough passes the test and is freed from the Black Guardian's hold by giving him the diamond in exchange for the Doctor's life.
...and the Black Guardian is defeated, burning in the fire of Turlough's Enlightenment.
Turlough asks to go home to his own planet; so naturally the next story takes place on... Earth.
They really don't seem to have made their minds up what Turlough's background was when he asks to go back to his planet.
No comments:
Post a Comment