DOCTOR WHO-PLANET OF FIRE parts 2 and 3

 

DOCTOR WHO-PLANET OF FIRE parts 2 and 3

 

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. First, there’s a lot of boy shorts on display but for the hetero in us, we get a LOT of Peri, too. Peri, for her part, is given a lot of bravery, facing down the Master or rather the Master in Kamelion or something and the Master AND pushing him, threatening him, and shouting just as loud as he can and she does it in style to be honest, though the acting is a bit rough around the edges. I’ve really warmed to her in this serial over the years and given that she’s not Adric or Romana or even Tegan or Nyssa, she’s rather good in many ways here, proving her merit. What I do not understand is the Doctor leaving a total stranger in his TARDIS with another total stranger, Howard without at least checking that it’s not Kamelion but never mind.

 

Okay, the outfits on Sarn: on young guys like Ro…hand on (hand on? A slip? I meant hang on) a sec…

 

There’s a poor soul named Zuko (see AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER, the tv show as no one should see the M Night Movie ever again) who gets shot down saving the Doctor and dies. Malkon gets shot down in ep3 and wounded, nearly dies…the Doctor covers his face to make the Master and the evil Timanov (yes, he’s evil because he lets religion overcome his good nature and do stupid things in the name of religion) think he is dead. AND with that head covering off, Edward Highmore is quite handsome, even more so than his son (BATES MOTEL, GOOD DOCTOR). Davison tells a tale that Edward and actor Jonathan Kaplan (the very hot Roskal) took Wyngarde’s rental car, at his knowledge but then rode too fast on a cliff and it rolled over and was damaged. Davison’s estimation of Wyngarde went up when he wasn’t all that bovvered by it. Oh, and the ladies in Lanzarote were smitten with Jonathan (as am I!) especially in that garb.

 

Davison also relates a sad story of three turtles at the hotel in a small tank. The actor Dallas Adams (Howard) liberated the baby one and Nicola relates how, before that, it was crying. The commentators hope it lived and survived to this day. Sigh, that’s sad in a major way. Nicola relates how Mark invited her to a swimming party and as she’s near sighted, she didn’t realize everyone was swimming naked (really, Nicola?) and thought beige was the in color for swim wear that year.

 

Back to my original thought. What was it?  

 

Ahh, yes, the outfits on Sarn. While we do not get anywhere near what we saw in ep1 of Turlough, we do get to see him from behind in his tight shorts. Mark relates how JNT was trying to get him in shorts for his entire time in DW and for this story, he gave him his desire! On young guys like the hot Rokal, the outfits look great…btw he was wearing no shirt, a vest over it and tight shorts, too. The tight shorts show his entire package as they do also for Amyand, a more mid aged man, who looks good, too. The short cut shirts look a lot less…urm, flattering a fat hairy extra playing one of the Elders. Another extra Elder, a muscular guy looks a lot better showing his entire midriff.

 

I do not like that the Doctor has to let these dopey killer Elders with their religious nonsense into the TARDIS. He, like the Master, uses religion to fool them. ABOUT TIME gives us the full run down of other stories this is like about religion vs science and how religion uses people to gain for other people who are in control among these FACE OF EVIL but aside from the religion parts, this is also a bit like many other stories. It does feel fresh though because…the locations are totally used well and beautiful. When Peri is lost on the desert planet, it really looks like another planet.

 

Uhm, Edward looks…totally bored and/or waiting for a cue while the others are being pushed toward the fire in the cliffhanger to ep1 and the reprise to ep 2 and the recovery out of that. Fiona seems to think it was an acting choice but it sure looks like he wasn’t told they were running the film!

 

The cliffhanger to ep 3 has the resourceful Peri finding the Master in his dark TARDIS (it looks wonderful) in a small box…shrunken and only Ainley can pull off menacing even as he’s six inches tall …the gall!

 

I’m happy to say that this story really works so far and has a poor reputation coming before the exalted CAVES OF ANDROZANI but I actually prefer this and…uhm, THE TWIN DILEMMA to CAVES, though I acknowledge CAVES’ merits, too. This story has grown on me over the years and to be honest, it looks more and more like the NEW SERIES than ANY other story in the Classic Series. Resourceful Earth girl, check. Master return, check. Master acting weird, check. Random deaths, check. A Doctor who gives speeches about his outrage (even as Davison says, he’s not looking a bit concerned about Malkon being shot down and Davison says, “Can I go back and reshoot that, Fiona so I can do better acting?” or about the near burning of the others---where, as an aside Rokak seems to be taking on a companion role!), and more.

 

Davison, it must be said, is very funny on the commentary and so is Mark. I hardly missed Fielding which I normally do when she’s not commenting.

 

The light coming out of the volcano is …DW effects. The rest looks great to be honest, sets and effects, and it’s funny how the Kamelion Master gets hit on the head with a rock or piece of the building so Peri can get away. Davison comments with affection he says…how Ainley was a bit of a coward and would not go anywhere near the rocks. Sigh. Peter…

 

As the citizens look toward the volcano, which Irwin Allen would have done with more panache I must say, one of them…I don’t know if it is the lighting or what…seems to have a totally paper white face. WT?

 

Okay, all in all, this is a fun, good story and may be the first (and only) story where the Doctor warns a “good” friend and companion that if they are lying and siding with the Master or keeping things from him, that their friendship is at an end for good. You tell em, Doc!

 

Oh and btw, there was a Xena in the Dalek story who also dies horribly, too.

There's also name checks of other titles such as JOURNEY'S END and at least one other. 

 Time Space Visualiser: Planet of Fire Part Two