From: jasstev@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (stevens jason)
Subject: Re: Colin Baker poll
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:43:24 GMT

xoanon@vesta.unm.edu (timothy k istian soholt) writes:

>jasstev@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (stevens jason) writes:

>> (2) attack of the Cybermen. MMmm. On the one hand we have a good premise here
>> and the return of Lytton, which are good points, lovely Cyber violence.
>> But the Cybermen just die too easily, and the body count is a little sicken-
>  ing.

>KNME, bless their hearts (actually, bless Stephen R. Donaldson, whose
>books I have no intention of ever reading, but at least he knows good
>SF and is willing to sponsor it), has recently started showing _Who_
>again, and they appear to have gotten Lionheart's "Cyberstories" block.
>Seeing "Attack" again last week, it wasn't nearly as badly executed as
>I remember it. The Cybermen were far more true to their original con-
>cept than in any other serial I've seen (and no, I haven't seen "Tomb"
>yet); they actually seemed concerned about preserving their race,
>with mass destruction being a means to an end, rather than an end in
>and of itself. And they didn't gloat. And as for Cybermen dying too
>easily, the "easiest" kills were the undercover policeman shooting a
>Cyberman three times in the face at point blank and Griffiths pumping
>several rounds from a submachinegun into a Cyberman's chest unit. 
   
   Is the ending senetence spoilers or what?
   Consider the easy death of the Cyberman who\ just gets his head knocked off
   by a metal pole, very silly.

>> (3) Vengeance on Varos.  A highly intelligent script, gloomy, moody, and well
>> performed. This is excellent, but a little violent for some people.

>A _little_ violent? Personally, I loved it, but "Vengeance on Varos"
>makes "The Deadly Assassin" look like _Sesame Street_!

>> (6) The Two Doctors. Great to see Troughton again, lots of gore and violence
>> which is great. I like it.

>It's been a while, but I don't remember there being a whole lot of
>"gore and violence" in this one. Lots of gruesome things were hinted
>at, but none of them were ever shown except for the Sontaran leader
>losing his leg.

 Consider the stabbing of the restaurant owner, Shockeye eating the rat, the
 Doctor gassing Shockeye, sontarans spurting gunge....like me to go on?

>Spoilers for "Trial of a Time Lord" follow (remember that spoiler 
>protection, folks!)
 
 How do you do that? And why should you do it? is there a law?

>Oh, and, before I forget, keep it under seventy characters per line;
>not everyone has automatic wraparound.

 eh? from a non computer scientist 

>

>> (8) Trial of a Time Lord
>> some good ideas in here but it all fell very flat in episodes 4 to 8 and 11 
>  and 12. The plot is confusing as it unwinds but there are some classic 
>  moments
>> -episode 3 cliffhanger

>What would that be? (I saw the thing as four movies)
  
  This is when the doctor is running down the corridor and wassissname who
  was in City of Death as Duggan steps out. "what are you hunting?" the DR
  inquires, Thingy says "you Doctor"
  Switch to a side view of thingy raising his crossbow and firing, the crash
  of the mucic timed perfectlt with the presss of the trigger, we see the bolt
  leave the bow. marvellous cliffhanger.

>> -Peris death (BUT not subsequent ressurection)

>(This is a _BIG_ spoiler, friend. And there _are_ still people out
>there who haven't seen "ToaTL.")
 
 Tough, sorry.

>I've always thought that Peri's death was the second cheapest plot
>point in _Doctor Who_ history. The cheapest was Peri's non-death. I
>admit that the Doctor's reaction to Peri's death was wonderful.
 
 I actually thought it was moving and shocking. I certainly wasnt expecting it

>> -terror of the Vervoids, nice premise.

>Horrid, horrid execution, though.

>> -Sabalom Glitz

>Hear, hear!

>> -the Master appearing on the Matrix screen

>Rather cheesy, I thought. Why didn't he just show up like Mel and
>Glitz did? Unnecessary plot device, IMHO.

 Agreed. But the initial shock was there, and that was a fine moment.

>> As a season of dr Who though its naff. But we see colin in these 14 episodes
>> as a much different person, his character is toned down somewhat. The 
>> original idea tyo have the DR and the Valeyard stuck in the Matrix as a 
>  season
>> cliffhanger was good, but JNT fear of Grades axe stopped him..it could have
>> been seen as a good way to end the series.

>I hadn't heard about this. It would've been interesting, but they 
>probably would've been forced into some lame cop-out to save the Doc-
>tor.
  
  Who knows? but that ending was proposed, and it really seems a good one
  asweell. Perhaps Saward or JNT will tell all one day, but I doubt it.


>-- Tim Soholt (xoanon@carina.unm.edu)