Episode One
Blimey. The Savages was strange, but this is a whole new level of weirdness. A modern day setting, a nightclub, a figure in authority knowing the Doctor. What on earth is going on? It's really jarring. It's moments like this that really make you appreciate watching the series in order, because it's so much more interesting for the strangeness. This story is much more interesting at this point than it may have been because of this succession of bizarre and unexpected things happening. And the Doctor keeps babbling about Daleks, for some reason. This is Ian Stuart Black's second story in a row, and it seems a strange decision, considering he doesn't seem to know the show's format! I like the use of the out of order sign on the TARDIS, though.
So, the Doctor is known? That's quite a shock. I mean, I know we had his fan club in the previous story, but somebody on Earth knowing who he is, that's just amazing. There's never been even the slightest indication he knows anyone, let alone anyone in a position of power. It is terribly convenient, though. It saves a lot of explanations and the Doctor proving his worth if those in authority already know about him (which of course UNIT will save a lot of time with in future). There's a computer that will be linked to all the other computers in the world. Interesting concept, I wonder if it would work. I like the fact it's stated that machines that can think for themselves are only ten years away. Luckily that never came true.
Polly's not very good at cheering people up. She pulls a funny face, says, "go on, cheer up!" and then gives up. It's a terrible attempt. The Doctor is rather unfair on Dodo. A couple of stories ago he criticised her English because she said "okay". Here Polly tells him that she digs his fab gear and he has a giggle about it! Major double standards! And we get another Doctor Who? joke, bizarrely used as a cliffhanger, as WOTAN says that "Doctor Who is required". A computer that takes the piss, now we know we're in trouble. 7/10
Episode Two
Okay, I criticised Steven's departure for being a bit sudden. Poor old Dodo isn't even allowed a leaving scene. One minute she's there, then in a couple of episodes we find out this is the last we've seen of her! This production team is dreadful when it comes to companions leaving. Possessed Dodo is terrible at pretending she isn't possessed, too. WOTAN tries to possess the Doctor over the phone (which involves some great Hartnell acting!), but fails miserably, and Dodo gives herself away by not realising that he hasn't been possessed. So the Doctor puts her to sleep and sends her off to Sir Charles Summer's wife in the country for some rest. Poor Dodo. I know she's not popular, but as I've said before, at least she had fun, and didn't spend her time screaming or crying, which is mostly likely why she was got rid of. She was great, but whatever you think of her, no companion deserves their exit to be such a non-event that the audience don't even know she's left the show until an hour after her final scene! I guess it also adds to the strangeness of the story that so recently we were having fun with the Doctor, Steven and Dodo in the wild west, and this team felt at home together, and in the space of about an hour of air time Steven and Dodo have both gone. With Hartnell following quite soon after. It's quite a melancholy thought. Thank you Dodo Chaplet, and thank you Jackie Lane. You were both great.
A Hartnell fluff! I thought they were going out of fashion, but he storms back here by talking of a "new and dangerly danger coming". Polly's pretty useless at being possessed, too. She's given simple orders, but lets the Doctor and Dodo get away in a taxi anyway. Ben gets a bit to do here, which is nice. He seems promising, and is terrorised by a War Machine at the cliffhanger, which is good after the joke cliffhanger to the first episode. The story still holds interest for the moment due to its oddness, and the interest in Ben and Polly, but something's going to actually have to start happening soon. 6/10.
Episode Three
Nope, nothing going on here. Two Ian Stuart Black stories in a row, and both of them have absolutely nothing happen in the third episode. The fight scenes here go on for ages and are very dull. The best part of this episode is possessed Polly helping Ben, by saying "let him work and destroy him later". It's not quite clear if that's Polly coming through and saving him, or if she is just concerned about efficiency. Either way, Ben manages to escape and he and the Doctor spend some time making fun of Sir Charles, who, the Doctor says, as an official mind, "can only take in so much at one time". That is really all that happens here. The cliffhanger is okay, but not as great as it's made out to be. It's not bad as such, and there are moments to prevent it being lifeless, it's more uneventful than dull. 3/10.
Episode Four
How come Polly's conditioning is broken so easily when Dodo's was such a struggle? Aside from the story needing it to be the case, that is? The Doctor tames a War Machine and uses it against WOTAN. It's not a bad conclusion, I suppose, I've just lost interest in the story by this stage, and the War Machines make an irritating noise.
The way the Doctor stands around outside the TARDIS waiting for Dodo is ever so sweet. No matter what he says at the start of the Smugglers, the thought of being alone is not one he likes, and he hates the thought of losing Dodo so soon after Steven. At least she sends her love, although that seems to make him even sadder. It's lucky he takes ages to dematerialise this time. Usually he does pretty much as soon as he enters the TARDIS. This time he takes ages, allowing Ben and Polly to force their way in. 3/10.
Conclusion
I find the War Machines to be fairly dull and average on the most part. Its strangeness makes it interesting for the first half, but very little actually happens in the second half. There's been such a huge change over the last two stories, not just with losing two companions, but in the whole structure and style of the series. The Doctor fights evil now! It's sad to see Dodo leave, as I did like her, and she enjoyed her adventures, but Ben and Polly seem fairly promising, even if this production team appear to think women should cry and scream a lot. A largely forgettable story for me, though, after such a promising start.
Average rating: 4.75
Old Rating: 6
New Rating: 5
Season Three
Season Three has been an interesting one. The quality is all over the place, with my two least favourite stories so far (Galaxy 4 and the Celestial Toymaker) and my favourite and third favourite stories so far (the Massacre and the Gunfighters, respectively). Factor in a mostly-good twelve part epic, another Cotton historical, a silly story with silly aliens that exploits time travel as a storytelling device, and two very experimental stories to finish off the season, not to mention four companions leaving and four arriving, it's been a rather busy year! Dear Vicki leaving feels like an absolute age ago. It's hard to believe she was actually in this season! Poor old Katarina is barely remembered at all. The season ends on a slightly strange note, with the Doctor's disappointment at Dodo not appearing, and then Ben and Polly forcing their way into the TARDIS, with no hint of the dramatic events to come very soon. Farewell Vicki, Steven, Katarina and Dodo!
I've enjoyed the season thoroughly, barring the two disasters. The only trouble is those two are so disastrous, and so lowly rated, that this season has received my lowest rating of the three so far at 6.47, although that's only 0.11 less than the first season. Low rated stories drag the score down very badly, but there have been some corkers, and there has been plenty of experimentation, which is good to see. The Hartnell era never settles down into a "style," it's always going off in different directions, trying different things. These first three seasons just never rest on their laurels, and are all the better for it. I can't wait to find out if this is kept up in the fourth season, or to see how consistent the season is. This new team of Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis seem a bit up and down, but I'll give them time and I'm sure they'll be fine.
Average: 6.47
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