The Happiness Patrol
Previous: Remembrance of the Daleks
The Happiness Patrol
Seven's titles! Haven't seen these in context for a while...
Now let me get something out of the way right now: a world where unhappiness is illegal and the TARDIS gets painted pink. This show.
I know that's unusually preemptive of me, but I've been wanting to see this story for quite a while.
Huh, pretty gloomy opening. Wait, WHAT'S THIS? A SAD-LOOKING person? We can't have THAT, now, can we?!?
"There's a place, a secret place, where some of us go to indulge our depressions." You mean like a speak-easy for sadness?
The way they're playing such a frankly silly concept COMPLETELY straight is really cracking me up right now, actually.
Can I please re-dub the Happiness Patrol "the 80's Police"? I mean...have you SEEN their outfits? And more importantly, their HAIR? #the80s
Seven! Ace! Hello again! My my, it's been a while. Having a nice chat about dinosaurs, are we?
They want to give Ace a write-up for having a nickname? "But it IS my real name!"
Oh cool, we actually get to SEE the TARDIS being painted pink!
"Isn't this gonna be dangerous?"
"Yes."
"Right, how do we start?"
"First, we try and get ourselves arrrrrrrested."
Is is just me, or is McCoy rolling his R's more than usual?
You know, officer, for a killer of people who aren't happy, you look pretty angry yourself.
"Remember the Happiness Patrol, Ace."
"Bunch of rat-bags."
"Rrrrat-bags with GUNS."
"What else does he do, this...Kandyman?"
"He makes sweets."
So I wonder how soon we'll learn what that ACTUALLY means.
And there he is! And how appropriate that the colors in the video should COMPLETELY FLIP OUT right after he appears.
Judging by the music, I'd thought that guy was bring drained of blood, but instead it looks like he was...drowned in red vomit? Eww...
Aww crud, and now the audio's out of synch. Oh well, at least I'm over halfway through the episode.
"I want to nail those scumbags. I want to make them VERY VERY unhappy!" Don't worry, Ace, we want to punch them for the bad puns too.
Regardless of the fact that it's obviously a trap or something, I'd REALLY love to see them escape in a go-cart.
"Hey, let me have a go."
"Stop it."
"It's a bomb, isn't it?"
"I'm trying to defuse it."
"Let me have a go!"
"I'm trying not to get us blown to pieces!"
"I never get to have any fun."
YAY GO-CART ESCAPE! Really...really...slow...go-cart escape.
If that mysterious sewer creature that kinda looks like an Alzarian Marshman attacks the black guy playing the blues, I will be disappoint.
"I arrest you for the evasion of the Happiness Patrol auditions!"
"Where are they? I'm ready for them. Question is, are they read for me?"
Ace, thank you for reminding me why you're so frigging awesome.
Hey, are those Sophie Aldred's Blue Peter badges on her jacket? Why yes, I do believe they might be!
I think it's cool whenever actors get to wear a special article of their own clothing or accessories, like Lis Sladen's watch.
I blame the writers of Chicks Dig Time Lords for making me more aware of when this show passes the Bechdel Test. #fuckyeahladypower
Okay, I never think of eyelashes as "shiny" but...that woman's lashes glisten like a crimson sun.
Oh, so the black guy playing the blues is going to be an actual character! Awesomesauce.
Guys, I'm not sure hiding under that particular table is going to give you much cover.
Wow. The Kandyman kinda sounds like a higher-pitched robot version of Sil from Vengeance on Varos.
"Gordon Bennett" still doesn't quite make sense to me as an exclamation. Maybe it's just because I'm not British...
Seven and Earl Sigma look like they're about to visit the most evil barber ever.
Seven just facilitated his escape by making a giant candy robot angry and accidentally gluing itself to the floor with lemonade. This. Show.
"Remember this, Kandyman: symbiosis. You need me and I need me."
Giant Sewer Bat People!
The Doctor: Always the master of turning any situation on its head just by out-awesoming the other guy.
I don't know what that creature is, but it's not a dog and it's CREEPY.
I just noticed that the walls in Helen A's office are covered with commas. Or are those apostrophes?
Off to save the world with a fire extinguisher and some lemonade, Seven?
Ah, the famous sniper scene...
Seven is quite the word-master. Is there ANYTHING he can't talk someone into doing? Or not doing?
I know that this story was allegedly taking a crack at the Margret Thatcher era, but could any of my Brit-watchers explain how that worked?
I still can't place Earl Sigma's accent. It sounds like a mixture of British and American.
Finally I get to see Seven playing the spoons!
And the dead people in the posters get "RIP" painted over their picture in big red letters? ...Ack.
"She makes things disappear."
"Magic."
"Nothing magical about the way SHE does it..."
Trevor Sigma's going to Earth next to take a census? Boy is he going to have a time of that...
A microphone! Going to put on a little show for us, are you, Seven?
Sylvester McCoy has an interesting singing voice. I actually wouldn't mind hearing him do a whole musical number.
Holy crap. Crazy!Seven really has to be seen to be believed. It's kinda creepy, but also awesome. He's the Doctor. He can do that.
So this is the second time Seven mentions that "only certain loud noises" could cause a syrup avalanche. I bet I know where this is going...
(and yes, I do mean "syrup avalanche" as in "an avalanche of crystallized syrup")
Wait, that patroller was named Suzie Q? Isn't that a brand of packaged pastries?
AVALANCHE'D. Oh wait, sorry...SYRUP'D.
Giant candy robot. Answering the phone. #reallyweirdshitthathappensonthisshow
"Kandyman! I don't believe you've met my young friend Ace! An expert in calorification, incineration, carbonization, and inflammation."
I sense Helen A. is gradually creeping towards the verge of a Villainous Breakdown.
Or it could be that she's about to be betrayed by her Henpecked Husband.
Wow. That's 2 TV Tropes references in a row. When did that start happening?
Ah, so it wasn't Suzie Q, it was Susan Q.
"Happiness is nothing unless it exists side by side with sadness!" Why is this sounding like something from a Saturday morning kid's show?
Oh wait...Fifi dies and then Helen A actually cries and gets to show some humanity. That's...actually quite touching.
The blues have returned! Including the TARDIS!
So I wonder how many other stories besides this one end with the redemption of the main villain instead of their death/destruction?
Next: Silver Nemesis