Frazer Hines on the Doctor's Cloak
Frazer Hines and Deborah Watling are making videocommentary while Patrick is doing a good impression of a Humanoid Jumping Bean in a black wool opera cloak with a string tie. Well, to be fair, any human being, even the slow-motion despots, look like animated legumes compared to the classy, cool menace of the slow-motion Cyberjerks.
FH: "I think Job Pertwee got the idea of the Doctor and his cloak watching Patrick in this episode."
Because watching TOMB OF THE CYBERMAN is so much more interesting than the sink full of dishes...
I loved the comments the two old friends made. They brought up the fact that Patrick had a "dead tooth"--in the middle of his bottom jawline. It was rarely seen. Possibly a discoloration due to his heavy smoking. I know many smokers who, for some reason, have but one tooth to color dark from the habit. And also it should be noted that people with high stress levels are considered prime candidates for blackened teeth--considering Troughton took up fencing to ease the strain of his too-boundless energy...I can believe it! The tooth explains some of Troughton's interesting facial expressions--he can shout out of one side of his face or the other and still be scarey as all holy heck--I'm sure it's because when many people are genuinely worked up about something they don't flare all their rage up front, but push it out in cold, grit-toothed fume.
Best part of this was when Troughton was winding up Kleig with his "all powerful ruler of the universe speech" while Hines and Watling are going, Watling: "What's he doing??" Hines: "He's saying it to get the Cybermen aroused...!"
They fall into the anticipation so easily, and when Troughton gives his uber-famous speech: "Well, now I know you're mad...I just wanted to make sure," They say together, softly, "Marvelous. "He's lovely. Wasn't that good? Lovely change there." And when he gives Kleig the "tired" look, ("All right. Kill us"), Hines says, "Great character face." There were some touching underscores: Hines had convinced himself the Toberman had survived the show. Jamie and the Doctor were always treating Toberman as an equal and were the only ones trying to help him when he was wounded. I love how Hines and Watling are openly mourning Toberman's sacrifice and quietly tutting over the fact that parents protested at the Cyberman who had foam lungs coming out of his chest...but they never complained about Toberman's death to save the others. And yet, Toberman's death clinches it for Parry. "Another life." He says dully, as if he will spend the rest of his life in penance for the price for curiosity.
There are so many beautiful "open" moments in this film...followups that could have happened with:
* This is the first time the Doctor openly and proudly pledges his loyalty to the TARDIS and explains it as "his home." While he does tell his human companions that it is a time machine similar to what Victoria's father was working on, I don't think he was lying or obfuscating by saying he has perfected it. If you go by some of the more stubborn schools of Canon (all the way up to THE DOCTOR'S WIFE), the TARDIS has shaped him as much as he has shaped himself; let's face it. Once the TARDIS renewed him (50% of the fans still say that wasn't a regeneration but the TARDIS doing a jiggery-pokery to save him, and while she was saving him, why not tweek him a bit to make him more like what she needs?).
* The Brotherhood of Logicians
* The Doctor's family "sleeping in his mind."
* Victoria realizing her father is beginning to sleep within her mind
* Jamie noting that people are treating Toberman the way the English treating him (the scene where he is gently trying to brush ice out of the injured Toberman's hair even though he can't know or care what is going on is warm and human).
* The Doctor's reaction of utter holy ohmygodterror when the Cybermen have him by the leg and he's still telling them it's no use, trying to get them to shut the hatch even if it means trapping him with them or cutting him in half because that's better than their letting the things out--
* ---and Victoria grabbing a thermos and bashing that same Cybercretin in the joint to make it let go of the Doctor (as he said, she had a Classical education)
* Half a hundred moments that proved Victoria was NOT a screamer...
* The dangerously awesome theme of wonder the humans had in excavating Telos. They certainly had the archaeologists' disease, in which they were trying to plug into their past for some sense of self.
* Jamie's stubborn and full-fledged intention to protect the Doctor from himself. How very Scottish...and honestly, how very Scottish of the Doctor not to force that issue. This Doctor was especially reluctant to interfere with free will, something that Davidson's and Pertwee's were particularly conscious about!
* Am I the ONLY IDIOT who thinks there might be something about Time Lord vibes that makes people trust him...or is he just the person you instinctively trust? They let him in, they let him near the machines, and next thing anyone knows, he's running the show. I swear, he's like a tribble. You fall in love with them, and you bring them into the house...hopefully, you aren't evil.
FH: "I think Job Pertwee got the idea of the Doctor and his cloak watching Patrick in this episode."
Because watching TOMB OF THE CYBERMAN is so much more interesting than the sink full of dishes...
I loved the comments the two old friends made. They brought up the fact that Patrick had a "dead tooth"--in the middle of his bottom jawline. It was rarely seen. Possibly a discoloration due to his heavy smoking. I know many smokers who, for some reason, have but one tooth to color dark from the habit. And also it should be noted that people with high stress levels are considered prime candidates for blackened teeth--considering Troughton took up fencing to ease the strain of his too-boundless energy...I can believe it! The tooth explains some of Troughton's interesting facial expressions--he can shout out of one side of his face or the other and still be scarey as all holy heck--I'm sure it's because when many people are genuinely worked up about something they don't flare all their rage up front, but push it out in cold, grit-toothed fume.
Best part of this was when Troughton was winding up Kleig with his "all powerful ruler of the universe speech" while Hines and Watling are going, Watling: "What's he doing??" Hines: "He's saying it to get the Cybermen aroused...!"
They fall into the anticipation so easily, and when Troughton gives his uber-famous speech: "Well, now I know you're mad...I just wanted to make sure," They say together, softly, "Marvelous. "He's lovely. Wasn't that good? Lovely change there." And when he gives Kleig the "tired" look, ("All right. Kill us"), Hines says, "Great character face." There were some touching underscores: Hines had convinced himself the Toberman had survived the show. Jamie and the Doctor were always treating Toberman as an equal and were the only ones trying to help him when he was wounded. I love how Hines and Watling are openly mourning Toberman's sacrifice and quietly tutting over the fact that parents protested at the Cyberman who had foam lungs coming out of his chest...but they never complained about Toberman's death to save the others. And yet, Toberman's death clinches it for Parry. "Another life." He says dully, as if he will spend the rest of his life in penance for the price for curiosity.
There are so many beautiful "open" moments in this film...followups that could have happened with:
* This is the first time the Doctor openly and proudly pledges his loyalty to the TARDIS and explains it as "his home." While he does tell his human companions that it is a time machine similar to what Victoria's father was working on, I don't think he was lying or obfuscating by saying he has perfected it. If you go by some of the more stubborn schools of Canon (all the way up to THE DOCTOR'S WIFE), the TARDIS has shaped him as much as he has shaped himself; let's face it. Once the TARDIS renewed him (50% of the fans still say that wasn't a regeneration but the TARDIS doing a jiggery-pokery to save him, and while she was saving him, why not tweek him a bit to make him more like what she needs?).
* The Brotherhood of Logicians
* The Doctor's family "sleeping in his mind."
* Victoria realizing her father is beginning to sleep within her mind
* Jamie noting that people are treating Toberman the way the English treating him (the scene where he is gently trying to brush ice out of the injured Toberman's hair even though he can't know or care what is going on is warm and human).
* The Doctor's reaction of utter holy ohmygodterror when the Cybermen have him by the leg and he's still telling them it's no use, trying to get them to shut the hatch even if it means trapping him with them or cutting him in half because that's better than their letting the things out--
* ---and Victoria grabbing a thermos and bashing that same Cybercretin in the joint to make it let go of the Doctor (as he said, she had a Classical education)
* Half a hundred moments that proved Victoria was NOT a screamer...
* The dangerously awesome theme of wonder the humans had in excavating Telos. They certainly had the archaeologists' disease, in which they were trying to plug into their past for some sense of self.
* Jamie's stubborn and full-fledged intention to protect the Doctor from himself. How very Scottish...and honestly, how very Scottish of the Doctor not to force that issue. This Doctor was especially reluctant to interfere with free will, something that Davidson's and Pertwee's were particularly conscious about!
* Am I the ONLY IDIOT who thinks there might be something about Time Lord vibes that makes people trust him...or is he just the person you instinctively trust? They let him in, they let him near the machines, and next thing anyone knows, he's running the show. I swear, he's like a tribble. You fall in love with them, and you bring them into the house...hopefully, you aren't evil.