The E-Space Trilogy: Full Circle
Previous: Meglos
Part 1: Full Circle
Alright. Let's go to E-Space!
It's been a couple months since I've seen Tom's face in this opening. He doesn't look too happy.
Wow, starting off in the TARDIS right off the bat! And it seems they're off to Gallifrey, complete with a wondering about how Leela's doing.
"You're going to meet your twin, K-9!" WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THAT.
Four, Romana's about to cry and you sound concerned. The logical conclusion is to hug her. Please figure this out.
The TARDIS starts shaking and flies through a lot of GREEN. I can only assume they just entered E-Space.
That shade of yellow looks familiar...I'd say this is a tribe of Alzarians.
"Easy, Varsh! You said it would be easy!" Aha! You must be the big bro of a certain upcoming character I could name...
AAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCC!!! YOOOOOOOOUUUU'RRRRRRRE NOOOOOOT DEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!
Awwww, he wants to join his big brother's group!
"We said no elites. Unless you want to make special rules for your brother."
"We've BROKEN all family ties."
WHAT.
"THAT is for mathematical excellence."
"So the boy can count! Give it to me."
"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF IT."
Rule #1 of Adric: Do NOT touch his badge. He apparently has a special can of small-scale whoop-ass to unleash for just such occasions.
Yes. I just used "Adric" and "can of whoop-ass" in the same Tweet.
"Of COURSE I'm better than you! I'm an ELITE!" Ho boy...
Wait...that's the same belt he was holding at the end of Earthshock...
Mysterious Mists and bubbling swamps...that can't be a good combination.
"I must announce to you, the coming of Mistfall!" *collective dramatic gasp*
You see Adric, that's why when you're trying to steal something for an initiation, you only take ONE.
Woah...wait...with the struggling...and the grabbing...and Adric says no...and...what? Someone please explain what that was about?
So that must be the Starliner: Big Epic Crystalline Spaceship Thing.
COME ON, ADRIC! SAVE HIM! SAVE HIM FROM THE...im in ur swamp, nomming ur desidurs.
And his last words are a Title Drop? Seriously?
Answer the door, Romana. That's probably a future companion outside knocking.
Four's reaction to seeing Adric just now may very well have been the super-concentration of all of Tom Baker's shocked-faces in EVER.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: regardless of the self-centered things this kid says, he's got his heart in the right place.
I usually don't pay attention to the credits much, but why does Adric have such a low billing if he's such an important character?
SWAMP CREATURES RISING FROM THE SWAMP. This calls for ABOUT 5 SECONDS OF CRAPPY SLOW-MO.
Um, Four, are you SURE sending K-9 out into a swamp alone is really such a good idea?
Um, Varsh, are you SURE threatening Romana with a knife and trying to hijack the TARDIS is really such a good idea?
So the new Decider has discovered Obligatory Horrifying Secrets. What do you want to bet it has something to do with the swamp creatures?
Judging by the family relations I've seen so far, Alzarians don't seem to feel much concern for their younger relatives.
Huh. Romana and Adric might make a nice tag-team. And Romana, thanks for reminding me why you're awesome. "...Your knife."
Now this is odd and troubling: the TARDIS is gone AND the ground around where it was has mysteriously turned...purple. For serious.
Apparently it's not that difficult for Four to sonic his way onto the Starliner.
Also, I wouldn't leave that door open if I were you. Now one of the swamp creatures has a weapon.
"Citizens, we are not of this planet." So Adric still calls himself an Alzarian, because? (Well, other than the fact that he was born there)
"If the Doctor's theory's right, we'll need a local image translator to see what's out there."
"Or we could just look out through the door."
Looks like the Marshman's just as afraid of the Alzarians as they are of it. DOCTOR INTERVENTION TIME.
"Come on...come on...you're alright...come on...everything's going to be alright...you're quite safe with me..."
*TWACK*
Marshmen cannot open the TARDIS by slowly swinging sticks at it!
"Do not be afraid. I am non-hostile. Operating in date acquisition mode. Explain your..."
*DECAPITATE*
O___O FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKK
SERIOUSLY. GUYS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON THAT SOMETHING ADVERSE HAS HAPPENED TO K-9's HEAD. STOP THAT.
Well, Romana certainly seems to be taking it with a grain of salt. I guess I really was just overreacting.
"Why can't people be nice to one another, just for a change? I mean I'm an alien and you don't want to drag me into a swamp do you? You do."
If I may quote Garfield: "REEEEEEAAAAAALLY BIG SPIDER!"
"Romana set the coordinates, not me!" Romana, who is now covered in some of the most fake spiders I've ever seen in my life.
Warning you ahead of time, Four: none of the people coming out of the TARDIS will be Romana, no matter how many times you call her name.
"Would you cross your fingers?" Simple hand gestures: you're doing it wrong.
"Did you find K-9"s head?"
"No, it wasn't in the cave."
o____o
"Adric should be here."
"You're very loyal to him."
"I'm all he's got!"
Huh. Maybe I underestimated you, Varsh.
I just realized that, as firmly as Four talks sometimes, we rarely hear him actually SCREAMING at someone.
OH GOD I THINK ROMANA'S TURNING INTO ONE OF THE MARSHMEN.
LAB-SMASHING TIEMS. Also, awwww, it's trying to get back to Four.
Wow. I don't think I've seen Four this angry since The Pirate Planet when he sees the full extent of the Captain's plunder.
Put Romana's schoolgirl hat down, Adric. You're giving me weird ideas.
Converting!Romana is unleashing AN ARMY OF MARSHMEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
I guess everything will be revealed in due time, won't it?
Marshmen: Distracted by shiny things.
Oh that thing has a hammer WAIT A SEC THAT'S NOT A HAMMER THAT'S K-9'S HEAD WHAT THE HELL.
And now Four's using it as a mask to fend off the Marshmen. I cannot POSSIBLY describe how utterly creepy this image is.
I say, Adric, you appear to be switching out the visual converters. I wonder what effect that's going to wind up having on the plot...
This is the first time I've seen a companion CLAWING at the Doctor.
"But it's other people's property! Do you think it's alright to go around taking other people's property?"
"SOMETIMES."
So we've only got 10 minutes left and there's still a lot left to explain. And now, what do they mean by "we've never been to Terradon"?
This is also the first time I've ever seen an alien mob deterred with oxygen. No really. Also, hello Window Romana!
She's back to normal! And there's NO WAY it was a coincidence that the single shaft of light just HAPPENS to be falling on her smile.
Adric, I'm sorry about your brother, but I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to the idea of not being able to save people.
Well, now we've finally had the spiders/Marshmen/Alzarians conundrum explained.
"Doctor, what DID happen while I was unconscious?"
"Oh, Adric and I were too busy to think about you."
...come on, Four...
So apparently E-Space is green with negative coordinates. ...Yay science? #imgoingtohaveahardtimeunderstandingthisarenti
And K-9's back in action!
Next: The E-Space Trilogy Part 2: State of Decay