Episode Review: Arc 65, The Three Doctors
I really enjoyed this arc, which surprised me considering that when I tried to watch it with
blinkidybah last December finals I found myself falling asleep, and assumed it was Slow Serial Syndrome rather than Exhausted Erin Effect.
Costuming is interesting in this episode. More than a lot of Doctors, Three's look is a theme (Edwardian Dandy) rather than set outfit (Cricketing Getup) or a limited Variations on One Outfit (Nine gets to change his jumper--ignoring for a moment that Five gets one jumper change as well, Ten gets to switch between suits). I really like the red jacket, and did not notice until the Womg!Wrestling! scenes that Three has what appear to be knee high leather boots on under those trousers? I mentioned to
blinkidybah that was odd on a guy. She accused me of actually meaning hot. ...I kind of have to cop to that. ...and occasionally Three's hips are criminally jaunty.
What IS Jo's jacket? No. Seriously. I have put up with a lot of crap from Jo's outfits before, but the Exploded Periwinkle Yetti look does nothing for Katy Manning.
Two's puff-paint bow tie and flower-pattern suspenders... I don't want to talk about it.
I really like the organic look of Omega's monsters and fortress--hard shiny bubble things on the monsters, v. wet and gleaming (and the old Who-aesthetic of vaguely vaginal-looking interior door entrances on alien structures is back) , great use of a low budget to take the typical Lumpy Who Monster #82 and make it both visually appealing and a little squicky.
Omega's costume I quite like as well, but it ties fundamentally into the central conceit of the character, who has withered into nothingness and only exists in the anti-matter universe because his will continues to dictate that he does, which I love entirely. This episode is kind of boosting Omega from the "...oh" of his appearance in Five's oddly drug-free Amsterdam trip (Five on shrooms: it would have been fun, production team. Though that still of him on a bicycle is probably cute enough to melt a puppy).
Brig gets some fan-frigging-tastic bits in this serial. His whole "keep away the holiday makers!" is fabulous. I like his nonplussed refusal to accept what's going on--Brig will not have this bullshit. It strikes me as something I might find annoying/unbelievable for the character if I were watching at the time, but I've been thinking lately about how the perspective of someone looking back and watching eps rather than progressing through a season blindly is so different. I wonder, for example, if I would have been harsher on the first three series of New Who if I hadn't been thoroughly spoiled, and if I'd had to progress through them at the intended rather of one a week. It would have achieved a different level of critical distance for me, I think.
Brig's reference to 'Liberty Hall' went entirely over my head. I wiki'd it--it still doesn't really make a ton of sense to me due to missed cultural context. Brig saluting the Doctor as he goes is BEST THING EVER.
I find Benton pretty charming in this, which is odd because I've thought Benton was fine before but not really cared much about him. He and Jo cuddling in Omega's Lair is win. Jo is adorable all ep, with her 'twice around the park' and her dogged loyalty to the Doctor. I kind of like the Extra-Of-The-Week, Doctor Tyler, esp. Three's kind of chummy Scientist Friend! vibe with him. The Game Keeper is kinda weird, but meh.
It appears that Omega picked the Doctor to assume his position because he was an exiled, vulnerable Time Lord stuck in one spot, but I wish the ep had given me a line or so more to that effect rather than leaving me as watcher to infer that. Not that it's a far reach, but it wouldn't have burdened the story to bone itself with a little more information of that nature, really. Incidentally, if Omega wanted a TL who would help him pwn the High Council just for shits, who could be tricked into assuming Omega's position because he just loves power that much, and who wasn't shy about risking the destruction of the universe, he kinda called the wrong renegade: the Master's like, one down on the rollodex, Omega. Speaking of doing his research, though, how does Omega know where the Doctor is? How is he monitoring things in the mater universe from where he is?
Two's flute as BEST LEITMOTIF EVAHR. Three offering to buy Two new flutes ftw.
'Knobble' is a weird word. Thanks for it, Britain. The phrase 'Brother Time Lords' just makes me think of a Malcom X-esque movement. Black Panthers they're not.
Why did they decide to stick One in a bubble for most of this? Just no room in the script, or a lack of interest in a larger commitment from Aging!Hartnell?
And wtf is contact in terms of telepathy? I mean, there's no touching, no eye contact--can it only happen between you and yourself? On that note, wtf slow mo mind-wrassling with weird-face Omega? On one hand there was something a little visually interesting about it, on the other it was pretty ridiculous. I guess I don't know how I would have chosen to convey telepathic dueling either, though.
Awwwww. Omega just wants friends. ...or something else. In a variation of Rule 34, I'm sure there's a
sizeofthatthing prompt about it getting written even as I type. I like that Three feels shitty about Omega at the ends, and that they didn't just write it off into the aether of 'necessary plot things I have done which have no personal or moral implications for me.'
BUT THE POINT OF THE EPISODE: TWO AND THREE ARE UST LORDS. I'm sorry, they'e just really, really cute, and I was really smitten with Two all ep-- and the leaning in and talking behind Omega's back the second Two shows up in the fortress, and the bitching--oh guys, just do it. Oh wait, you had Contact like three times. I'm pretty sure that counts.
EDITED TO ADD: If you know where the Two/Three fic is, feel free to indicate that.
Three's realization that his knowledge has all come back is rather blase and sudden. Huh. Also the dematerialization circuit just gets unceremoniously dumped in his TARDIS. I would have thought the TLs would have made more of a deal out of it.