Classic Doctor Who "The Bride of Sacrifice"/"The Day of Darkness" full reaction
Added 2021-08-10 02:13:19 +0000 UTC"Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged. Don't giggle, my boy, it's neither here nor there."
What's up next? Here's this list of First Doctor episodes I'm reacting to ❤️
Comments
MIne too, and a great example of how the show can commit to a historical without the need for a monster of the week, sometmes the setting, culture and situation can be enough of a threat. Though I also enjoy through Barbara especially, but also the Doctor's relationship with Cameca how the show is not afraid to offer some balance too, not everyone is nasty or horrible, not all facets of the society are presented as barabaric and cruel. It never just takes the cheap and easy option in the telling but prefers a bit of nuance.
BobBob
2021-08-31 01:21:05 +0000 UTCWhat an excellent summary. The Aztecs is one of my favourite stories of all-time.
Mark Ward
2021-08-30 00:43:07 +0000 UTCThe scenes of the episode 2 & 3 sub-plot featuring Susan were filmed first (and edited in later),in order to give the actress two weeks holiday. It actually worked out really well,and gave Carol Ann Ford some really nice character moments to play.
Ian Smith
2021-08-10 12:30:18 +0000 UTCOne of the things I like about this story is that the only winner is the bad guy. And that's very rare. Barbara's story is one of the futility of trying to change the course of history and an entire culture and civilisation. She is trying to do the right and good thing, but she fails completely in the effort. Ian's story is one of simply survive the culture he finds himself thrown into, his main job throughout is not to get killed at various points. Susan's story is one of servitude and being mandated and threatened into how she should lead her life. And they really drive this home by removing all possible agency from her- she has no choice in where she has to go, in what she has to learn or the choices made for her, and when she does get away from the situation it always requires someone else to get her out of it, she is put in a position where she has not just limited actions, but none whatsoever to drive home the harshness and unfairness of the inequality. This was all very relevant in the 60's when the woman's movement was pushing for far more equality in work and life, it was reminding their audience of young girls why it was important and giving hope by showing how far the struggle had moved things already- this is how bad it can be if you don't struggle for change. And it was educating the young boys watching about why equality was something people talked about and protested for. The Doctor becomes attached to a woman whose sentiment he was manipulating to his own ends, and at the end its clear he feels some guilt for having done so. The Doctor might lie, but its often not without consequences to himself. The Priest of Knowledge loses his faith in light of Barbara's influence and leaves his own people forever to walk into the wilderness. But the bad guy, the Head of Sacrifices, he is triumphant in the end getting to continue his religion of sacrifice as the eclipse occurs. Its the perfect example of what 12 says “Winning? Do you think that's what this is about? I'm not trying to win.” In this story the Doctor is not trying to win, he knows they have to lose from the very start, its for him just about leaving to begin with and convincing Barbara what she is trying to do is futile. But by the end as his words to Barbara show he is also starting to learn something he will go on to embrace, that sometimes even when you cant save everyone you can save someone. Its an idea I think was well followed up in NuWho, alongside first meeting the Daleks being with hindsight the moment the Doctor realises that he understood that you cant just observe and be curious, some things you have to oppose, as he reveals in Into the Dalek, the idea that you can save someone is one of the first fundamental lessons learned through experience by the Doctor. The events of the Time War cause the Doctor to harden and lose that ideal, Donna reminds him again of it in Fires of Pompey, and its so fundamental and important to him that 12 takes on the face of the Roman saved as a reminder of it, to never forget it again. In all starts here in these early episodes with the 1st Doctor travelling with humans and being influenced by them and coming to understand what being the Doctor means as he does so. All those little things later writers will take, pivotal moments in the Doctors character development, little quirks or reactions to situations future writers and actor who play the Doctors will draw upon, they all start right here with the performance of William Hartnell. Its also of note that again the romance storyline doesn't go to the obvious candidates. In the Thall's episodes they gave it to Barbara and this one they give it to the Doctor, the old man of the group and not the first thought for romantic lead when you've got brave, strong, loyal dependable and handsome Ian standing right there. These are quite unorthodox choices, even today. And welcome to the first and certainly not the last time the Doctor will get himself accidentality engaged or married to someone, we've had Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth the 1st in NuWho, and possibly Stephen Fry and Cleopatra. But this episode just shows, it didn't all start with NuWho.
BobBob
2021-08-10 08:30:52 +0000 UTC
