50dw50@50dw50 i confess to being a Who heretic, i rather like Power of Kroll!
Lee Mahon@Lee_JM75 Can't join in today but just wanted to register my love for Power of Kroll. Much better than reputation suggests I feel!
It's not the best story, probably suffers from others in the season standing out more, but far better than fan wisdom says, yes!
The Armageddon Factor's big problem is it's 6 part length, it's a 4 part story as stretched to breaking point as the time loop used to pad it out!!
You can't tell Phillip Madoc's sulking. *whistles innocently*
Woah! Green man! Like, really really green. Terrance Dicks would be proud.
Odd seeing the voice of K9 too!
On the 3rd moon of Delta Magna, returning refinery boss Thawn has been followed...
Thawn and the other refinery men fret about rumours that an organisation called "the sons of earth" may be arming the indigenous "Swampies". Chief gunrunner is Rohm-Dutt.
The 4th Doctor & Romana arrive on their quest for the latest segment of the Key to Time - the 5th of 6.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H convenient really... two years later they'd be looking for seven of the blooming things... 
K9 has to stay behind in the TARDIS due to the swampy terrain. Just as well, he'd only end up talking to himself.
Seems like Romana's got the hang of the sensible footwear since The Stones of Blood.
Thawn patrols the waterways, looking for Swampies to gun down.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H As you do...The Doctor makes himself a reed flute and plays a little ditty.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H could have been worse... could have made himself a flipping fiddleThe refinery men shoot him down. Harsh.
50dw50@50dw50 everyones a critic! 
Romana is kayaked to safety by Rhom-Dutt and a Swampie, though.
50dw50@50dw50 love the location and the "not right in the head" lineHow does Thawn know that the Doctor isn't Rhom-Dutt?
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Looked at the title sequence...?Romana is a bit tied up, so Rohm-Dutt makes the most of the opportunity to get information out of her.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H before shipping her off to Cygnus Alpha, no doubt... 
It's only a model! In a water tank!
Back at the refinery, the Doctor figures out that they're refining the marsh gas. Rather you than me.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Oops! Pardon! 
Tom actually manages to pull off those ducks on his lapel. Not quite question marks on a jumper, to be fair.
Seems Rohm-Dutt wants Romana kept out of his way so he can get on with his gun-running...
...which suits Ranquin, who needs a sacrifice for local god "Kroll". Sounds like a powerful chap.
50dw50@50dw50 he wants to hang out with near naked men and does not want her cramping his style! 
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Literally every single guest character is miscast. All good actors, but in the wrong parts. 
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris We might have the right cast Mr Preview, just not necessarily in the right order...
John Abineri is total class of course, standout performance in this probably, and he's playing a generic native.
50dw50@50dw50 its hard to look moody when your painted green and only in your pants
Bruce Banner manages alright.
Where are the one liners? The double act? Yet it's been pointed out how he retreads this in Androzani which is unquestionally a bajillion times better!
Some quality Tom-foolery here as he puts the glass of water he's offered in his pocket for later.
Nick Mellish@nickmellish Kroll! Kroll! Kroll! Kroll! These guys invented dubstep years in advance.
50dw50@50dw50 one of the green men is The Shape from Sapphire and Steel, I keep trying to spot him!The Doctor goes for a mooch around the refinery...
...then decides to go for a night time kayak. As you do.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H he does have a history with canoes...
50dw50@50dw50 its hard to look moody when your painted green and only in your pantsBruce Banner manages alright.
Where are the one liners? The double act? Yet it's been pointed out how he retreads this in Androzani which is unquestionally a bajillion times better!
Some quality Tom-foolery here as he puts the glass of water he's offered in his pocket for later.
Nick Mellish@nickmellish Kroll! Kroll! Kroll! Kroll! These guys invented dubstep years in advance. 
50dw50@50dw50 one of the green men is The Shape from Sapphire and Steel, I keep trying to spot him!The Doctor goes for a mooch around the refinery... ...then decides to go for a night time kayak. As you do.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H he does have a history with canoes... 
Is he going to fake his own regeneration for the insurance money, do you think?
MAW Holmes@MAW_H I was remembering the 2nd Doctor and Jamie breaking into the Guinness factory... ;-)
MAW Holmes@MAW_H I was remembering the 2nd Doctor and Jamie breaking into the Guinness factory... ;-)
Good job they had the cameras running and were able to incorporate it into the script, really... ;-P
One of the Swampies signals into the dark...
50dw50@50dw50 location work and night filming, they spent some money on this, must be why Armageddon Factor looks so cheap!
End of part 1 as a screaming Romana is sacrificed to Kroll. Her character's gone downhill so quickly. Poor Mary Tamm.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris She would have been much better giving a disdainful nod to the camera! Mary Tamm was too good for screaming!
MAW Holmes@MAW_H but she's basically playing Fay Wray here...
How long's this recap! Longer than Tom's season 16 sewn-together double-length scarf!
The Doctor arrives to rescue Romana, but it turns out this is just a naff Kroll tribute act.
50dw50@50dw50 not the most convincing knife throw in Who history
Rohm-Dutt & Ranquin aren't seeing eye to eye over the plan of attack.
Uh-oh, Romana's dropped the tracer! No problem, the Doctor picked it up. Next question...
K9 Man is tracking some strange movements in the swamp; Thawn's more concerned with stitching the Doctor up as a gunrunner.
50dw50@50dw50 he dont like dem dare swampie lovers he dont
Thawn's racism is oddly underplayed, isn't it? It's there, has the odd outburst, but it's oddly fudged.
50dw50@50dw50 i suppose its more sinister if horrible people are calm rather than a ranter
True, though he's not *that* calm! I guess he does get his comeuppance eventually, to be fair
50dw50@50dw50 where as in real life he would probably end up as a UKIP MEP
The Doctor and Romana find the Swampie bible down a well, where all religious texts belong.
There's some nice drawings though; one of Kroll growing giant after swallowing a holy relic. Bet that totally wasn't the Key to Time segment.
Flippin' 'eck! A giant octopus-like creature rises from the swamp to slap Terry Walsh with a rubbery tentacle!
The brave men from the refinery bravely retreat in their hovercraft. At top speed.
I keep forgetting about this hapless spare part that isn't Calibos, Solon or K9. Tough luck, Grahame Mallard.
Madoc's *still* sulking.
Kroll's on the move...
Now the Doctor and Romana have been seized by the Swampies! Ouch.
Fenner proposes poisoning the swamp but Thawn favours depth charges. In a gas-filled swamp.
Ranquin knows when he's being stitched up and has Rohm-Dutt tied up with the Doctor and Romana.
Kroll's had enough of the refinery men and shoves a tentacle up their pipes to attack Harg.
50dw50@50dw50 the cliffhanger to part 2 is joyous, it always makes me laugh!
Another giant octopus sized recap here.
"Harg has just been sucked out by the monster!" No comment.
Some underplayed Holmes drollery from Varlick, here...
"I tried to persuade Ranquin that only Rohm-Dutt deserved to be punished by the 7th ritual & you should die by the 1st..."
"That's very easy. They just throw you down the pit and drop rocks on you."
50dw50@50dw50 i wonder when the Movellans will want their wigs back?
As soon as they've been washed and all those nasty green stains are out.
Ranquin suddenly develops an interest in what the Doctor has to say when he mentions the powerful ancient relic from the holy joke book...
One of the Swampies signals into the dark...
50dw50@50dw50 location work and night filming, they spent some money on this, must be why Armageddon Factor looks so cheap! 
End of part 1 as a screaming Romana is sacrificed to Kroll. Her character's gone downhill so quickly. Poor Mary Tamm.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris She would have been much better giving a disdainful nod to the camera! Mary Tamm was too good for screaming!MAW Holmes@MAW_H but she's basically playing Fay Wray here...
How long's this recap! Longer than Tom's season 16 sewn-together double-length scarf!
The Doctor arrives to rescue Romana, but it turns out this is just a naff Kroll tribute act.
50dw50@50dw50 not the most convincing knife throw in Who history Rohm-Dutt & Ranquin aren't seeing eye to eye over the plan of attack.
Uh-oh, Romana's dropped the tracer! No problem, the Doctor picked it up. Next question...
K9 Man is tracking some strange movements in the swamp; Thawn's more concerned with stitching the Doctor up as a gunrunner.
50dw50@50dw50 he dont like dem dare swampie lovers he dont 
Thawn's racism is oddly underplayed, isn't it? It's there, has the odd outburst, but it's oddly fudged.
50dw50@50dw50 i suppose its more sinister if horrible people are calm rather than a ranterTrue, though he's not *that* calm! I guess he does get his comeuppance eventually, to be fair
50dw50@50dw50 where as in real life he would probably end up as a UKIP MEPThe Doctor and Romana find the Swampie bible down a well, where all religious texts belong.
There's some nice drawings though; one of Kroll growing giant after swallowing a holy relic. Bet that totally wasn't the Key to Time segment.
Flippin' 'eck! A giant octopus-like creature rises from the swamp to slap Terry Walsh with a rubbery tentacle!
The brave men from the refinery bravely retreat in their hovercraft. At top speed.
I keep forgetting about this hapless spare part that isn't Calibos, Solon or K9. Tough luck, Grahame Mallard.
Kroll's on the move...
Now the Doctor and Romana have been seized by the Swampies! Ouch.
Fenner proposes poisoning the swamp but Thawn favours depth charges. In a gas-filled swamp.
Ranquin knows when he's being stitched up and has Rohm-Dutt tied up with the Doctor and Romana.
Kroll's had enough of the refinery men and shoves a tentacle up their pipes to attack Harg.
50dw50@50dw50 the cliffhanger to part 2 is joyous, it always makes me laugh!
Another giant octopus sized recap here.
"Harg has just been sucked out by the monster!" No comment.
Some underplayed Holmes drollery from Varlick, here...
"I tried to persuade Ranquin that only Rohm-Dutt deserved to be punished by the 7th ritual & you should die by the 1st..."
"That's very easy. They just throw you down the pit and drop rocks on you."
50dw50@50dw50 i wonder when the Movellans will want their wigs back? 
As soon as they've been washed and all those nasty green stains are out.
Ranquin suddenly develops an interest in what the Doctor has to say when he mentions the powerful ancient relic from the holy joke book...
"Your mind is bent, dry-foot; it is well that you die." Ranquin's a bit 'set in his ways', shall we say.
As the creepers dry, the Doctor, Romana and Rohm-Dutt are stretched out as if on a rack.
K9 man detects a storm brewing. "By the speed this one's forming, it's going to be a daddy!"
50dw50@50dw50 cue the famous BBC thunder sound effect
This storm isn't such a bad thing for the Doctor - remember that the creepers drying out is the problem here...
The Doctor does a bizarre Pinky & Perky impersonation to shatter the window and let the rain in to loosen the creepers.
Ranquin suspects Varlick of helping the sacrifices to escape...
Thawn claims that he doesn't hate the Swampies, just wants them removed. From life.
As they escape through the swamps...
...the Doctor and Romana watch on...
...as Rohm-Dutt is dragged beneath the surface by the Power of Kroll!
"I told him not to move," is the Doctor's helpful observation.
The Doctor and Romana kayak away, but have to freeze...
...as the gigantic Kroll rises to slaughter his Swampie worshippers.
50dw50@50dw50 why is Kroll impersonating a Kaled mutant?
Yes! Good spot! Same sound effect from Genesis of the Daleks when the Doctor's in the incubation chamber near the end of part 5!
50dw50@50dw50 it must be a tape marked "nasty tentacle sound effect"
While Kroll chows down on Swampie soup, the Doctor and Romana kayak to safety.
Thawn is hell-bent on killing Kroll and wiping out the Swampies in one fell swoop...
K9 man backchats Thawn and gets a thump for his trouble; Super-sulking Solon knows his place.
Ranquin thinks Kroll is angry that they let the Doctor escape...
50dw50@50dw50 i think he is going a bit crackers, he spends the next few years with a deer on his head.
All this dressing up in green was good practice; though Sherwood's a bit firmer underfoot I reckon! :-D
50dw50@50dw50 not much warmer i would imagine
Seemed to have taken along a lot of the marsh gas whenever he appeared, though!
50dw50@50dw50 that was natural but Robin was too polite to mention it
The Doctor & Romana return to the refinery to sabotage Thawn's rocket.
K9 man tries to abort the missile, so Thawn shoots him down, like a (metal) dog.
Thawn realizes that the Doctor's sabotage scuppered his rocket & goes to confront him...
...which allows the Swampies to invade the refinery, though there's trouble in the ranks of Ranquin.
The giant broccoli, sorry Octopus, arrives at the refinery.
Sulky Solon helps them ward off Kroll with good vibrations.
Ranquin's really gone round the bend now...
"I've had a happy life. Can't complain. Nearly 760. Not a bad age."
After a "homage" to The Great Pertwee Tentacle Strangulation Gurn...
...the Doctor shrinks Kroll by converting the segment...
...the squid had swallowed the holy relic and grown giant.
The Doctor reverses the polarity to stop the refinery machinery from blowing them all up, and the day is saved. Hurrah!
With the relic back in Key Segment form, Kroll's a tiddler again.
Tatty bye to the 3rd moon of Delta Magna, and that's 5 out of 6 segments in the bag!
TTFN! K.
Coming Soon... Battlefield
As the creepers dry, the Doctor, Romana and Rohm-Dutt are stretched out as if on a rack.
K9 man detects a storm brewing. "By the speed this one's forming, it's going to be a daddy!"
50dw50@50dw50 cue the famous BBC thunder sound effectThis storm isn't such a bad thing for the Doctor - remember that the creepers drying out is the problem here...
The Doctor does a bizarre Pinky & Perky impersonation to shatter the window and let the rain in to loosen the creepers.
Ranquin suspects Varlick of helping the sacrifices to escape...
Thawn claims that he doesn't hate the Swampies, just wants them removed. From life.
As they escape through the swamps...
...the Doctor and Romana watch on...
...as Rohm-Dutt is dragged beneath the surface by the Power of Kroll!
"I told him not to move," is the Doctor's helpful observation.
The Doctor and Romana kayak away, but have to freeze...
...as the gigantic Kroll rises to slaughter his Swampie worshippers.
50dw50@50dw50 why is Kroll impersonating a Kaled mutant?Yes! Good spot! Same sound effect from Genesis of the Daleks when the Doctor's in the incubation chamber near the end of part 5!
50dw50@50dw50 it must be a tape marked "nasty tentacle sound effect"
While Kroll chows down on Swampie soup, the Doctor and Romana kayak to safety.
Thawn is hell-bent on killing Kroll and wiping out the Swampies in one fell swoop...
Ranquin thinks Kroll is angry that they let the Doctor escape...
50dw50@50dw50 i think he is going a bit crackers, he spends the next few years with a deer on his head. 
All this dressing up in green was good practice; though Sherwood's a bit firmer underfoot I reckon! :-D
50dw50@50dw50 not much warmer i would imagineSeemed to have taken along a lot of the marsh gas whenever he appeared, though!
50dw50@50dw50 that was natural but Robin was too polite to mention it 
The Doctor & Romana return to the refinery to sabotage Thawn's rocket.
K9 man tries to abort the missile, so Thawn shoots him down, like a (metal) dog.
Thawn realizes that the Doctor's sabotage scuppered his rocket & goes to confront him...
...which allows the Swampies to invade the refinery, though there's trouble in the ranks of Ranquin.
The giant broccoli, sorry Octopus, arrives at the refinery.
Now that Ranquin knows it was Thawn setting them up with Rohm-Dutt's duff guns, he makes sure the refinery man gets his point.
With Ranquin gone for some tentacle time with Kroll, the Doctor's able to deal with the more moderate Varlick and get sulky Solon to co-operate.
Sulky Solon helps them ward off Kroll with good vibrations.
Ranquin's really gone round the bend now...
"I've had a happy life. Can't complain. Nearly 760. Not a bad age."
After a "homage" to The Great Pertwee Tentacle Strangulation Gurn...
...the Doctor shrinks Kroll by converting the segment...
...the squid had swallowed the holy relic and grown giant.
The Doctor reverses the polarity to stop the refinery machinery from blowing them all up, and the day is saved. Hurrah!
With the relic back in Key Segment form, Kroll's a tiddler again.
Tatty bye to the 3rd moon of Delta Magna, and that's 5 out of 6 segments in the bag!
TTFN! K.
Coming Soon... Battlefield
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