The Sopranos - Top 10 Favourite Scenes Part 2 - No's 5-1

So, now its time for part two of my look at the pick of my favourite scenes from The Sopranos and from here, this is where it get's really tough to decide as again there are too many choose from!  But anyway I will have to just do the best I can with this one and narrow it down to the final five, so here we go...

Oh and here a couple of warnings, first up....

SPOILERS ARE AHEAD

And....

Strong language will be also ahead!

5. Episode - Two Tonys  

Scene - A waiter get's in the way of Christopher and Paulie - "Go ahead, Paulie!  Your big fuckin moment!!"

Ok, so No.5 is this scene from the 1st episode of the 5th season (quite a few scenes from this season have made into this list!) "Two Tonys" and its a belter between Christopher and Paulie as their friendship hits a speed bump after they fall out when they were regailing the other New Jersey crew guys of the "Pine Barrens" incident.

And in the scene, Christopher has been left to pay a hefty tab at a restaurant for his fellow mobsters after having duked out of paying a previous one (which Paulie resentfully paid instead, so he's pissed off with Christopher for it).  So in the scene, Christopher walks huffily towards his car with Paulie not far behind, teasing him.

And Paulie says to Christopher "I'll tell you, after a meal like that, what I could use is a nice piece of ass.  Who knows, maybe I'll call down, have them send one up to the room!" and Christopher furiously says "Why don't you just fuck yourself?!  Save a little money!".  And as Paulie asks "What's your problem?!" Chris furiously says to him "Stop tryin to bait me, Paulie!  You wanna know the problem? Fine! Steaks, 3lb lobsters, the shrimp fucking cocktails you made everybody get!!! Then on top of everything else, you send those skanks a bottle of Cristal?!!!!" and Paulie angrily says "I was being a gentlemen!  You should try it sometime!".  And Christopher angrily shouts "Fuck you" and Paulie shocked says "Excuse me?!" and Christopher yells "You fucking heard me!" and Paulie furiously says "I'm telling you - I don't give a fuck who you're related to anymore!!" so Christopher shouts back "Go ahead, Paulie!  Go for it!  You're big fuckin moment!!".

And as the two of them are about to get into a physical fight, the waiter from the restaurant comes out and asks why they left such a small tip.  And as the waiter says "You think this job is easy?  I have kids!" and Chris warns him "Then go back inside before you get hurt!" but the waiter says "I have a goddamn family to support!" and Chris spits back "Fuck off!" and the waiter, disgusted says "Yeah, right!  Go piss it away on blackjack, you fucking assholes!!".

However as the waiter turns to go back into the restaurant, Chris picks up a rock and hits the waiter on the back of the head, who suddenly collapses and has a seizure, which carries on and Chris and Paulie look on, alarmed.  And Paulie looks down at the waiter saying "Chrissie, he's fucked up!" and Christopher says "Don't they have medication they're supposed to take, these assholes?!" and Paulie says "I don't know!".  And the waiter continues to convulse in front of them, so Paulie takes out his gun and shoots the waiter dead and he grabs the tab and they both do a runner with Christopher shouting out "That's my money, Paulie!!" before they drive off separately.

So its a great scene between Christopher and Paulie and one of their best in the show together that certainly rekindles the classic banter they had in the "Pine Barrens" episode.  Although the one thing that still bothers me about this scene is just how STUPID was that waiter for going outside and complaining to Christopher and Paulie about the meagre tab in the first place!!!  I mean these are mob guys!!  You think this douche would have figured that one out!  And its moments like that, that make the show a bit daft and absurd at times.

But despite that this is still a great scene and it deserves its place at No.5.

4. Episode - House arrest 

Scene - Junior is stuck at the sink - "You're flexing!!"

So, at No.4 is this hilarious scene from the 11th episode of the 2nd season "House arrest" where Junior has been stuck with his hand trapped down the sink for six hours but he is rescued when Janice and her fiance and New Jersey capo, Richie Aprile come in to visit him.

And the scene begins with Junior nearly in tears with dispair at having his hand trapped in the sink but then we hear Janice and Richie come in.  And when they see Junior, Richie says "Where have you been?  I've been calling you all afternoon!" and Junior angrily tells him "My fucking hand is stuck down the drain. And i can't reach the fucking phone!!".  So, Richie asks Junior "How long have you been standing there?" and Junior yells "SIX HOURS!!  Now get the fucking detergent and lubricate my wrist!!".  Janice then asks "Why didn't you call a plumber?" and Junior furiously says "With what, my FUCKING TOES????!!".

So Richie get's the detergent and starts to rub it on Junior's arm and he says to him "Relax.  Let it go limp" but he then shouts at Junior "You're FLEXING!  Let it go limp.  Limp!" and after a second Richie gives Junior a glare and says quietly "You're flexing" and he finally manages to release Junior's hand from the sink.  And Junior staggers away clutching his wrist and he dispairs "Oh, Jesus Christ!  This fucking house!  I'm dying here!".

Afterward they sit down and Richie gives Junior an envelope containing Junior's cut of the money they made on the garbage delivery routes but Junior looks unimpressed by the amount inside. So, Junior says to Richie "Its light" and Richie says "You've got your nephew to thank for that" and Richie tells Junior "I ran into him the other day at the garbage man's ball, whatever the fuck it is!  He said we can't seel coke on the route anymore".  And Junior, annoyed asks "What?" and Richie agrees, saying "I guess no one should eat but him!" Richie grins then says "You should have seen him in the golf outfit.  He looked like Wallace Beery!".

However Junior is infuritated by the news and angrily asks "How does he get the effrontery???!" and Richie says "He's boss.  Whether he has grand mals or not" (grand mals refers to seizures by the way!).  Junior then asks "And this shit is ok with you?" and Richie bites his tongue and says "I know how much you love him, Junior.  I don't want to say anything disparaging" leaving Junior looking somewhat angry and helpless.

So for me this is a very funny scene and its worth putting on the list alone for David Proval's delivery of the Richie Aprile line "You're FLEXING!" alone, which I'm sure he must get quoted to him all the time and as such it takes its worthy place here at No.4.

3. I dream of Jeannie Cusamano 

Tony has it out with Dr Melfi - "See, we're finished!!"

At No.3 is this scene from the 1st season finale "I dream of Jeannie Cusamano" in which during one of Tony's sessions with Dr Jennifer Melfi she tells Tony that there is the possibility that Tony's mother was behind the attempt on his life and that she suffers from borderline personality disorder.  

So in the scene, as Dr Melfi tries to state her case that Livia could have been behind the attempted hit on Tony, Tony says to her "Why don't we put our fuckin' cards on the table here? Wh- what do you think, my mother tried to have me whacked'cause i put her in a nursing home?!".  And Dr Melfi reminds Tony "In your worst dreams, a duck flies off with your penis - castration" and Tony tells her "Hey, my mother never went after my basket!".  And Dr Melfi continues "Look, ordinarily a patient is helped to make his own breakthroughs.But your life is in danger, so okay, i'm willing to put the cards on the table.  I say what your mother has, at the very least, is what we call borderline personality disorder!".

And Dr Melfi starts to read from one of her pscyhology textbooks the definition of BPD "Definitions of the condition? "A pattern of unstable relationships. Affective instability.  "It means intense anxiety, a joylessness. These people's internal phobias are the only things that exist to them. The real world, real people are peripheral. These people have no love or compassion. Borderline personalities are very good at splitting behaviour, creating bitterness and conflict between others in their circle....."

And at this point, Tony looks in turmoil with what Dr Melfi is saying but then he suddenly loses it and smashes Melfi's coffee table top and he pins her down in her seat and shouts "You twisted fuckin bitch!!!  That's my mother you're talking about, not some fuck up in attica stabbed you in the shower!! See, we're finished!  And you're lucky if I don't smash your face into 50,000 pieces!!".  Tony then storms out leaving a terrified Melfi to lock the door and she pushes the seat Tony was sitting in right up to the door to block anyone coming in.

There are plenty of therapy scenes between Tony and Dr Melfi but this one certainly stands out as one of the best and Tony's explosive reaction to Dr Melfi's suggestion of Livia having BPD is almost worth it alone.  However its also a scene where you actually feel sorry for Tony despite his angry reaction to what Dr Melfi says, you do realise that his mother never really loved him and that really sinks later on in the episode.

So for me this scene definitely is worth its place on the list at No.3.

2. Episode - The Weight

Scene - Johnny Sack wants to defend his honour - "What's next, does he get to fuck her for a MILLION??!!"

In the runner-up spot is this really funny scene from one of my favourite episodes "The Weight" in which Johnny Sack is furious when hears of a crude joke being made about his obese wife, Ginny, by the troublesome wise-cracking New Jersey capo, Ralph Cifaretto.  So in the scene Johnny goes to his boss, the New York crime family boss, Carmine Lupertazzi and he requests that he can have Ralph killed.

So in the next, Johnny says to Carmine "I want you to sanction a hit on Ralph Cifaretto" and Carmine looks surprised and asks "What are you fuckin kidding me?!" and Johnny says "He violated my wife's honour".  And Carmine asks "Ralph slept with Ginny?" and Johnny says "He insulted her. He made a very insensitive joke about her body to some friends of ours".  So Carmine asks "So, what did he say?" and Johnny, bemused asks "I have to repeat it?  My word's not good enough?!" and Carmine tells him "Not if you want him clipped over it!".

So, Johnny takes a moment and says "He said she was having a 90 pound mole removed from her ass" but Carmine looks blankly at him and Johnny explains "The implication was that her ass was so big that she could have a mole that size removed from it".  So Carmine says "Its an off colour remark, it was highly inappropriate.  If you want I'll demand he's taxed.  But clip him?" Carmine shakes his head.  And Johnny angrily asks "Is it all just about money?!" and Carmine says "I'll crack him good.  I'll ask for $200,000" and Johnny who is outraged angrily says "$200,000 for my wife?  What's next, Carmine?  Does he get to fuck her for a MILLION???!".  And Carmine confused asks "He wants to fuck her?" and Johnny shouts "I'm making a point here!  I'm talking about my wife's honour here!  MY HONOUR!".

However Carmine refuses to budge on Johnny's request and tells him "There's millions of dollars at steak.  We can't afford it, John" and Johnny angrily says "A room full of guys making fun of my wife and you're not gonna let me deal with this?!" and Carmine tells him "Not that way.  My answer's gotta be no".  So, Johnny instead requests "I want a sit-down then, with Ralph the fucking thief.
Get this Fernandez Paving bullshit dealt with!" and he leaves angrily.

This is another priceless scene from the show that actually displayed just funny The Sopranos could actually be and how one crude joke could have such dire consequences yet its the way the scene is played is what makes it so good.  And Carmine's reactions to Johnny's rage alone make it worth putting on the list, so I think it deserves it place in the runner-up spot.

And so as for my No.1 favourite scene from The Sopranos, it is......

1. Episode - Whitecaps

Scene - Tony and Carmela have their finest row  - "This last year I have been dreaming and fantasising and in love with Furio!"

Yep at the No.1 spot it would be fitting that my favourite scene from The Sopranos would be this one from my favourite episode of the show, the season four finale "Whitecaps".  And the scene sees Tony and Carmela just beginning their separation as Carmela learns of Tony's infidelities with the cousin of his former mistress, Irina (the cousin being Svetlana, who has only one leg).

And in this scene we get to see James Gandolfini and Edie Falco at the top of their acting games as the two of them have it out in the epic row when Carmela admits to Tony that she was in love with Furio.   

So in the scene Carmela says to Tony "Can I tell you something, Tony?" and Tony bitterly says "Don't pretend like I've got a choice!".  So Carmela tells him "The last year I have been dreaming, and fantasizing, and in love with Furio" and this makes Tony turn around laugh with bemusement.

So Carmela tells Tony "Every morning, when he'd come to pick you up I would look forward to it all night long, in bed next to you. Those nights when you were actually in the bed.  And he would ring the doorbell I felt like my heart would come out of my chest.  He would smile, and we'd talk. And then you would come down the stairs. And I felt probably like someone who is terminally ill and, somehow, they manage to forget it for a minute.  And then it all comes back!".  And this enrages Tony and he charges up to Carmela with his fist raised to hit her but he stops and punches a hole in the wall instead as she manages to move away from him. 

And Tony suddenly full hate and bitterness mocks Carm shouting "He'd talk to you!!  Oh, poor you!!" and Carmela yells back "HE MADE ME FEEL LIKE I MATTERED!!".  Tony then says to her "You asked me the other day what Irina's cousin has that you don't have. And I thought about it, because it is a pretty fuckin good question. She is sexy, even with the one pin gone, but that's not it. I COULD CONVERSE WITH HER BECAUSE SHE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY!!!".

However Carm points to herself and shouts "I'M HERE!!! I HAVE THINGS TO SAY" and Tony shouts back "Besides "Bring the chairs down?!!" and "Did you sign the living trust??!!" SHE'S A GROWN WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN KICKED AROUND HER WHOLE LIFE AND SHE'S HAD TO FIGHT AND STRUGGLE!!!".  And Carm spits back "Unlike me, is that it? WHO THE FUCK WANTED IT LIKE THIS?!! Who the fuck pissed and moaned at just the idea of me with a real estate license?!!!".  And Tony shouts back at her "Free to sit back for 20 fucking years and fiddle with the air conditioning and FUCKING BITCH AND BITCH AND BITCH!  AND COMPLAIN TO ME! TO YOUR PRIEST!!! FUCK IT!!!".

And as Tony angrily walks away having said (or shouted) his piece, Carmela get's her final say and she angrily says to Tony "Who knew, all this time, you wanted Tracy and Hepburn?! What about the thousand other pigs you had your dick in over the years? The strippers, the cocktail waitresses! Were you best friends with all of them, too?!! You fucking hypocrite!".  Carmela then walks out, leaving Tony furious (or Furio!) and considering her strong words.

So for me this scene from "Whitecaps" is my favourite from the whole series and it more than deserves to take the top spot here.  

Right, phew!  So that's it for from me for now, so I will be back again next month with more posts but until then I hope you all enjoy your May day bank holiday weekend and I'll see you in May!

Till then bye fer now.  

Doctor Who - Logopolis "Its the end. But the moment has been prepared for...."

Right, time for a new post and one that will go between the first and second part of my list of my favourite scenes from The Sopranos (basically I'm stuck for ideas on which scenes to choose to finish it off!!).

Anyway back to the new post and this one is on yet another Doctor Who story only this time its a Tom Baker story, but not just any story, its his final story: Logopolis.  So how does Tom's swansong story fair after 36 years????  Well let's take a look and find out....

And yep the usual warning is coming......

SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!

STORY

So, the story begins with the Doctor deciding to try and fix the TARDIS's broken chameleon circuit, which he sets about doing by measuring the exact dimensions of a police telephone box, which the TARDIS is currently modelled on with the help of his companion and mathematic genius, Adric (Matthew Waterhouse). Once the Doctor has the measurements he plans to take them to the planet Logopolis, which is inhabited by a population of mathematicians who will be able to repair the Doctor's circuit with their calculations.

In the meantime, an airline stewardess named Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) stumbles along the TARDIS as her car breaks down she looks to try and call for help, however instead she enters the TARDIS and get's lost in its maze of corridors.  The Doctor and Adric also soon learn that the Master (Anthony Ainley) is on their case after escaping from Traken (in the previous story, The Keeper of Traken) as he has materialised his TARDIS inside the Doctor's.  This causes a strange loop where the Doctor and Adric keep entering inside the Master's TARDIS over and over and the Doctor soon decides the best way to banish the Master would be to flush him out as they land the TARDIS at the bottom of Thames.

However, the Doctor looks outside and sees the TARDIS has in fact just landed on a boat by the river but the Doctor soon sees a mysterious white figure, the Watcher, which the Doctor meets with up, who advises him to travel to Logopolis as soon as possible.  The Doctor and Adric then set the TARDIS for Logopolis (with the Master's TARDIS now having dematerialised from the Doctor's) but enroute they discover Tegan onboard and the Doctor decides she has to come with them.

Once the Doctor, Adric and Tegan arrive on Logopolis, they are met with by the Monitor (John Fraser) the chief mathematician to whom the Doctor gives his new dimension calculations for the TARDIS to.  However, it is soon apparent that the Master has arrived on Logopolis also as he kills several mathematicians, which ends up sabotaging the calculations for the Doctor's TARDIS, which begins to shrink as a result.  This leaves, Adric and the Monitor to frantically try and work out a solution to attempt to get the Doctor's TARDIS back to full size.

Meanwhile, the mysterious Watcher figure has brought Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) to Logopolis, who is an aristocrat from the planet Traken (who appeared in the previous story TKOT) and she is reunited with Adric and meets Tegan.  The Doctor's TARDIS is eventually restored to full size, however at this point, the Master reveals himself and he uses a device to temporarily disable the Logopolitan mathematicians from their calculations, which soon causes them to erode and turn to dust.

This now has catastrophic consequences for the universe as the Logopolitans were using their calculations to excise off entropy in the universe into other universes through the use of charged vaccum emboitments (CVEs).  This now means that the universe could be in danger of being wiped out unless the Doctor and the Master can find a way to restore one of the CVEs.

And from here, the Doctor now must pull resources with the Master and form an uneasy alliance, so they can try and save the universe from certain destruction.......

THOUGHTS

As a swansong for the Tom Baker era, Logopolis remains a pretty good story and a very respectable send-off for the fourth doctor, although it has to be said its not a classic story by any means, however it still has plenty going for it.  The story also sees the introduction of a new companion in Tegan Jovanka, who makes for a pretty feisty and entertaining character, who although she starts off a bit brazen and annoying at first, she soon mellows a little becomes one of the more memorable companions of the 1980s.    

The plot of the story is pretty dense and complex but it remains a very intelligent script written by Christopher Bidmead, who himself was a former actor, who turned to being a writer and journalist and he wrote several articles for science journals.  Bidmead at the time of this story was also the show's script editor and in Tom Baker's last season he certainly helped bring back a bit more credibility to the show after the fantastical excessive humour we had seen during the Graham Williams producer era of the show.  So overall this is a good story from Bidmead.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)

As for the performances, well they are mostly good here.

Starting off with Tom Baker, who is great in his final performance as the fourth doctor and by now he had grown so well into playing the role that he seemed to have wound himself well and truly up in the Doctor's own eccentric personality.  Although in this story we do get a more serious Doctor from Tom as he plays him with perhaps a sense of a man who is aware that the time of his incarnation might be numbered. 

Tom has plenty of good moments in the story that include his first when he talks to Adric in the cloister room (which is the room containing the bell that sounds in the event of impending danger) about how the TARDIS is starting to decay.  And the Doctor says to Adric "The second law of thermodynamics is taking its toll on the old thing. Entropy increases".  And as Adric asks "Entropy increases" the Doctor rambles in reply "Yes, daily. The more you put things together, the more they keep falling apart, and that's the essence of the second law of thermodynamics and I never heard a truer word spoken!  Come on".

Then there is the scene where the Doctor tries to flush the Master out the TARDIS by landing it at the bottom of the Thames river, however they end up materialising on Cadogan pier in Chelsea (London).  And as the Doctor and Adric step out, the Doc says "Ah. I thought there's be a perfectly simple explanation!" and Adric offers "Nearly got it right" but the Doctor says "Nearly, but not quite right. There's something not quite right about all of this".  Then the Doctor sees the Watcher in the distance on Albert bridge and waves at the Doctor to come up and the Doctor looks on rather worried saying "Nothing like this has ever happened before" then he goes off to speak to the Watcher.

Another good scene is when the Master reveals himself on Logopolis and Nyssa, who has mistaken him for her father (as the Master used Nyssa's father's body to regenerate) shouts out "Father" only for the Doctor to tell her "That's not your father. Tremas is dead, murdered by him, the Master!".  And Nyssa looks at the Master coldly and says "You killed my father??" and the Master tells her "But his body remains useful.  Without it I could not have conquered Logopolis!".  However the Doctor angrily tells the Master "This is not conquest, its devastation!" and the Master says "Its nothing more than a blanket of silence" and the Doctor tells him "Which is killing the Logopolitans and turning them to dust!" and the Master scoffs "You expect me to believe that?" and the Doctor shouts "YES!!".

Then there is the moment where the Doctor decides to pool resources with the Master in order to try and save the universe from its possible destruction at the hands of the entropy caused by the death of the Logopolitans.  And the Doctor tells the Master "We must pool our resources" and Nyssa interrupts "That creature killed my father!" and the Doctor annoyed says "I can't choose the company I keep!".  So, the Master smiles and says "An alliance with you, Doctor?" and the Doctor says "In the circumstances, yes" and the Master tells the Doctor "If we do cooperate, there will be no question of you ever returning to Gallifrey" and the Doctor reminds the Master "If we don't cooperate, there will be no question of Gallifrey!". 

Nyssa then objects again to the Doctor "But Doctor!" and the Doctor interrupts her and says angrily "I've never chosen my own company. Nyssa, it was you who contacted me and begged me to help you find your father. Tegan, it's your own curiosity that got you into this. And Adric, a stowaway!".  So after, Adric, Tegan and Nyssa depart in the TARDIS with the Watcher, the Master approaches the Doctor, he extends his hand out for him to shake it, saying "Together?" and the Doctor says "One last hope" and he reluctantly shakes hands with the Master.

And last of all is the scene where the Doctor (SPOILER!!!) manages to finally foil the Master's evil plans at a cost of his own life as he falls from the Antenna of the Pharos project to the ground where his surrounded by his companions.  And the Doctor thinks of his old companions and enemies throughout his 4th incarnation and he then looks up at his friends and says his last words "Its the end, but the moment has been prepared for..." and we then see the Watcher walk towards the Doctor and merge with him, which sees the Doctor begin to regenerate.

Matthew Waterhouse next up does fairly well in his role as Adric although it has to be said he never really looks that comfortable onscreen as he spends alot of time fidgeting about not knowing what to do with his hands!

And Matthew has some good moments here and there although I will only mention a couple such as the scene where the Doctor is detained by a police detective (Tom Georgeson) after they find the miniaturised corpses of Tegan's aunt and a policeman.  So the Doctor calls out for Adric to devise a ruse so he can get away from the police and in the scene Adric spots a bike and he uses it to pretend he has fallen off it.  And Adric yells "Help me!  Help me, please!  Quickly!  Help!!" and the Doctor then flees to the TARDIS and as the policemen approach Adric, he pushes the bicycle into them and he runs into the TARDIS too. 

And once they are back in the TARDIS, they both notice the police box that was previously inside the control room has gone and Adric says "The box has gone!" and the Doctor suggests "It could be anywhere in the TARDIS!" and Adric asks "Battlestations?" and the Doctor replies "Absolutely!".

Then there is the scene where Adric reunites with Nyssa on Logopolis, who calls out to him "Adric!" and Adric smiles and greets her "Nyssa!" and rushes up to her "How did you get here?" and Nyssa tells him "A friend of the Doctor's brought me here.  He's here somewhere".  Then Adric and the Monitor both watch as the TARDIS begins to shrink and Adric asks "What's the matter?" and the Monitor says "Transfer instability.  It may only be temporary".  But the TARDIS continues to shrink and Adric says "Something's wrong!" and the Monitor says "Yes, you're right" and Adric asks "Can't you do something?!" but the Monitor is lost for an answer "I don't understand.  I simply don't understand!".  And as the TARDIS shrinks even more, Adric looks in horror and says "But the Doctor's in there!".

Next is Janet Fielding, who is pretty good in her debut role as the airline stewardess, Tegan Jovanka, who ends up getting lost in the TARDIS, mistaking it for a real police telephone box before she meets the Doctor and Adric.

And Janet has a few scenes worth a mention such as her first one where Tegan get's in her car, wearing her stewardess uniform, along with her Aunt Vanessa (Dolore Whiteman).  And in the scene, Tegan's Aunt can't get the car started, so Tegan tells her "Okay, Aunty Vanessa, let's go. More choke. Easy on the throttle as you turn her over" and Aunt Vanessa tells her "While I do that, dear, I wonder if you'd mind shutting the front door!" and we see Tegan's house front door is left open.  And after Tegan comes back to the car, having closed the door, she swaps seats and get's in the driving seat instead and manages to start the car first time and she smiles at her Aunt and says "I've got the knack!". 

And just as Tegan is about to drive she goes through her little airline stewardess speech as if speaking to passengers onboard a flight "Ladies and gentlemen. Although the fasten seatbelt sign is now off, we suggest that you keep your seatbelt fastened when seated. If necessary, you may move about the cabin. Smoking is now permitted!". 

Then there is the scene where atfer Tegan has continually wandered hopelessly around the TARDIS's maze of corridors she finally ends up in the main console room to see the Doctor and Adric, who both look on in surprise.  And Tegan angrily says to them "I demand to see whoever's in charge of this ship!!" leaving the Doctor and Adric speechless.  Tegan then angrily says to the Doctor "You can take me right back where you found me, Doctor whoever you are! My aunt's waiting in the car to take me to the airport!".  This then sparks the Doctor's interest as he asks "You're aunt?  Woman in the white hat, red sports car?" and Tegan asks "You've seen her?" and the Doctor plays it down and says "Well, a little of her!".

Lastly there is the scene where the Doctor having sent Adric, Tegan and Nyssa off with the Watcher in the Doctor's TARDIS, we see Tegan come back out the TARDIS as she wants to find the Doctor to take her back home.  And Adric protests to her "Look, we all want to help the Doctor, but we've got to do as he says!" but Tegan tells him "Listen.  The Doctor's my ticket back to London airport, so I'm going after him!" and as Tegan is about to go, Adric calls out "Tegan!" but she turns to Adric and says "Have a nice trip!" and heads off.

Sarah Sutton is also pretty good (and looks rather cute in that outfit of hers!) as Nyssa, the young aristocrat from the planet Traken, who's father Tremas, was killed by the Master, who inhabits his body.

And Sarah's most notable scene comes when the Watcher having taken Adric and Nyssa out of time and space itself on the TARDIS, Adric get's back to the control room with Nyssa and sets the TARDIS co-ordinates for the Pharos project on Earth.  And Nyssa in the scene, flicks a switch that brings on a displays of a cluster of stars on the monitor screen and Nyssa says "Adric, the scanner" and Adric looks at it and says "The whole universe.  Of course.  We're beyond space and time!".  And after they spot Earth on the scanner, Nyssa looks closer at it and suddenly becomes a little emotional and tells Adric "Adric I can't see Traken".  And Adric has a look to see and says "Traken should be..." and Nyssa continues "I can't even see Metulla Orionsis. The Master killed my stepmother, and then my father, and now the world that I grew up in, blotted out forever!".

Then we have Anthony Ainley, who made his debut here as the Master, although he previously appeared as Tremas in the story prior to this one, "The Keeper of Traken".  And it has to be said that Ainley really seems to enjoy hamming things up here in his role as the Master as he always plays the Master with a rather cheesy evil grin on his face and has him often laugh out loud!  Despite this though I've always quite enjoyed Ainley's portrayal of the Master even if it can be a bit pantomine-esque and his debut here is still fairly solid.

And Ainley has his share of good moments too that include the scene where we finally see the Master in person on Logopolis (prior to that we just hear him do a lot of wicked laughter off camera!) just after the TARDIS has shrink, as a result of the Master killing a few of the Logopolitans, it sabotaged the dimensional calculations for the TARDIS's restructuring.  And in the scene as we see some of the Logopolitans carry the TARDIS off to the central register to try and restore it, we see the Master hiding in one of the doorways and he laughs saying "At last, Doctor.  At last I've cut you down to size!".

Then there is the scene where Nyssa first meets the Master on Logopolis and she thinks he is still her father, Tremas.  And Nyssa says to the Master "But what is this mission of yours, father?  You're so changed by it.  You look younger, but so cold!".  And the Master says to her "Logopolis is a cold place. A cold, high place overlooking the universe. It holds a single great secret, Nyssa, which you and I must discover together!".  And in the scene, the Master tells Nyssa she should return to the Doctor and Nyssa says "Father, I don't want to be parted from you" and the Master says to her "No need to, my dear.  Here, wear this" and he givs Nyssa a gold bracelet to wear, which he places on her wrist.  And the Master tells Nyssa "It will keep us in mind of one another. Remember to tell no one that you've seen me, yet!".

And lastly there is the scene where the Master and the Doctor, having pooled their resources to try and activate the one last remaining CVE at the Pharos project (which would in effect save the universe from being wiped out due to the catastrophic effects of entropy caused by the destruction of  Logopolis).

However in the scene, the Master plans to blackmail the universe by controlling the CVE and threatening to deactivate it unless they bend to his demands.  And in the scene the Master tells the Doctor "And now I think it's time for you to go and explain the presence of your friends. There's quite a hubbub outside" and the Doctor says "You're quite right.  One mistake now could ruin everything" and the Master tells him "I know that, Doctor, and it could happen so easily".  And the Doctor, suspiciously asks "What do you mean?" and the Master says "The universe is hanging on a thread. A single recursive pulse down that cable and the CVE would close forever. Even a humble assistant could do it!" and the Doctor looks shocked and says "You're mad!".

So, the Master then plays a recorded message of his blackmail to the universe over the Antenna control room's speaker system, leaving the Doctor appalled and he says to him "Blackmail" and the Master says "No, Doctor, I'm merely reporting the state of affairs. I have it in my power now to save them or destroy them!".  And the Doctor looks at the Master in disgust and tells him "You're utterly mad!!" and the Master holds his gun up to him and warns "Back, Doctor. The proceedings must not be interrupted!" and he looks at the control room and laughs to himself "It's mine. The CVE. It's all mine!".

And last of all is, John Fraser, who is very good in his role as the chief mathematician on Logopolis, the Monitor.

But to save time I will just mention one of Fraser's scenes as the Monitor and its the one where the Master turns on a device that acts as a sound canceller that temporarily will disable the Logopolitans from their calculations, however this leads to disastrous consequences.  And in the scene, the Monitor warns the Master "You're destroying everything!  It may already be too late!" and the Master says "You exaggerate, Monitor.  Logopolis is not the universe" and the Monitor shouts back "But it is! Logopolis is the keystone. If you destroy Logopolis, you unravel the whole causal nexus!".

And the Master says to the others "I can demonstrate the continued functioning of Logopolis from here. This device only creates temporary silence and can be switched off!" as he switches off the device but there is nothing but silence.  And as they run outside they see the Logopolitans having indeed decayed to dust and the Monitor dispairs "You will hear nothing. Local disruption of structure is now irreversible. Logopolis is dead!".

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC

As for the direction, Peter Grimwade does a fine job here with the story as he paces it out at a nice leisurely speed and it rarely ever lags and he also allows for the injection of some fun into the story with the arrival of Tegan and the Doctor and Adric trying to flush out the Master from the TARDIS.  Grimwade himself was already a member of the show's production crew prior to becoming a director of several serials (including "Earthshock" during the Peter Davison era) and so it remains that this is easily one of his better directorial efforts for the show.

Lastly we move onto the music score, which is by Paddy Kingsland, who was around that time already a member of the BBC Radiophonic workshop and he has prior to writing scores for Doctor Who also did the music score for the sci-fi radio show "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy".  Kingsland would also go on to score other TV shows in the future such as Michael Palin's "Around the world in 80 days".   

As for Paddy's actual score here, its actually not too bad and it is purely electronic synthesizer based (although I think it does feature a guitar in there somewhere!) as were all the other scores were during the 1980's era of the show.  The score however is not that memorable in itself and it is better served simply to listen to while watching the story rather listen to it by itself as an isolated soundtrack but it is still fit for purpose and is pretty decent.

FLAWS (Warning: this section may also contain spoilers!)

Now flaws....does Logopolis have some???  Yes it does have some albeit nothing too drastic.

And to kick off it has to be said that with this story, Christopher Bidmead's script is at times just a bit too convoluted to follow as the whole plot can be quite difficult to follow.  And even though its an enjoyable story for adults I could easily see it quickly being a bore for children as it would most likely just confuse them!  

As for one of the big plotholes of the story, the biggest one for me was the Master's ignorance as to what the consequences would be if he tampered with the operation of Logopolis, as it really never occurs to him by doing this that he would potentially cause irriversible damange to the universe!  Yet the Master in the scene where he enables his signal cancelling device at the central register on Logopolis, he is totally oblivious to the results it will have, yet even the Doctor is aware!  It makes you think at times, the Master really isn't as bright as he would like to make himself out to be!

Another issue I had with the story was the silly scene where the Doctor and Adric decide to try and flush out the Master's TARDIS from the TARDIS by materialising it underwater in the Thames.  I mean its a pretty stupid idea and ultimately it never works because the Doctor lands the TARDIS on a pier instead!  Also the Master could have easily dematerialised his TARDIS before the Doctor even managed to try the manouvere in the first place. 

Then there are one or two continuity issues in the story itself with the main one being the scene where Adric creates a diversion so the Doctor can escape from the police, who have detained him, so Adric uses a nearby bike to pretend he has fallen off it and he lies down on the wet grass and when he get's up, his outfit is all damp and a bit muddy at the back.  However once we cut to the Doctor and Adric back in the TARDIS we can see that Adric's outfit is now completely clean and there is no damp or mud on it at all!  So its a pretty silly continuity error that obviously went unmissed.

There are also one or two laughable moments in the story too, such as the one where we see the Monitor lead the Doctor and the others through the corridors of the office on Logopolis, where we see the Logopolitans seated at work.  However as the Monitor goes through the next door we see a cardboard cutout of the previous room, which evidently exposes the show's rather modest budget at the time!

And then there is the laughable moment near the end where the Doctor tries to make his way out onto the Pharos project's radio antenna walkway but the Master has activated the dish, which makes the walkway start to spin around and leave the Doctor clinging on for dear life.  However in this scene we can also see another cardboard cutout of the Master in the background as the Doctor desparately tries to cling on to the walkway and again it just looks as fake as anything and laughable!   

And last of all is the whole concept of the Watcher in the story, which is a strange one in itself as we later discover that (SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!) the Watcher was in fact the Doctor all along.  Now that would suggest to me that if you hold to the theory in the Jon Pertwee story "The Three Doctors" if the Doctor's other selves co-exist together at the same time then this would transgress the first law of time itself.  So this means that yet again, the first law of time here had indeed been transgressed once more, and you also never get to the find out just where did the Watcher come from and who, if at all, sent him???     

Anyway that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum it all up, "Logopolis" is an enjoyable and worthy send-off for Tom Baker as the Doctor, even if the story itself isn't a bona-fide classic, it still has plenty to commend it with its intelligent (albeit overly complex) script, fairly solid performances and decent direction.  The story however is of course a bit too complex at times to follow with its convoluted plotlines and the story isn't really a classic as such and yes arguably, Tom Baker could have recieved a better send-off than this one.

However despite these flaws, "Logopolis" is still well worth a look and as far as swansong stories, it does nothing to disgrace the Tom Baker era and it sees one of the show's most popular incarnations get a decent finale.

Right and that's it for now and I will be back soon with the 2nd part of my look at my Top 10 favourite scenes from The Sopranos (once I can decide on which scenes to do!).

So until the next one, its bye for now!    

The Sopranos - Top 10 Favourite Scenes Part 1 - No's 10-6

Right, well I've covered my top 10 favourite episodes of The Sopranos, so this time I figured I'd do a post on my top 10 favourite moments from the show.  This could be either full scenes or indeed just smaller moments within the show itself and let's face it the show its share, so it will be tough to narrow done but I'll give it a go.

And just as a warning there will be some....

PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

And also some strong language!

Right anyway so let's start!

10. Episode - Where's Johnny? 

Scene - Junior upsets Tony at dinner - "Your father never had the makings of a Varsity athlete!"

This hilarious scene is from the 3rd episode of the 5th season, "Where's Johnny?" which deals with Junior's dementia as it is steadily becoming more apparent as he is seen wandering the streets aimlessly as the episode progresses.  However before this, Junior unwittingly offends Tony (Soprano) during a Sunday dinner at Tony's sister's house (Janice) by saying to A.J. (Tony's son) "Your father never had the makings of a Varsity athlete!".

And in the scene, Tony angrily says to Junior "What the...?! What the hell's with you?! Its not true.  I lettered in football" and Junio looks at Tony and says "You never played college ball" which prompts Tony to say "College?!  Those guys from Seton Hall were seven foot tall some of them!".  And Tony then asks Junior "What is it your obssession with this Varsity crap?!  The other day you said it.  When I was a kid you told the girl cousins the same thing, it was very hurtful!".  Janice then tries to appease Tony by saying "Tony, relax, its not a big deal" but Tony angrily says "Its undermining!  And its the kinda thing I'm teaching my kids not to do.  So, I don't wanna hear it again!  End of subject!".

So an awkward silence falls on the table and not long after, Tony's other sister, Barbara arrives with her husband and children for dinner also.  However as they start talking about football again, this prompts Junior again to say of Tony "All I know is he never had the makings of a Varsity athlete" which enrages Tony, who throws down his cutlery and shout "SON OF A BITCH!! DID I JUST TELL YOU NOT TO SAY THAT?!!".  However, Junior unfazed says "If you don't like the way I talk, get outta my house!" so Tony get's up and tells A.J. to get ready to leave and as Barbara asks "What's going on?" Tony says "Its my last Sunday dinner here, that's what's goin on!!".

Its another great example of Tony's outbursts but its also one of the funniest moments in the show, too as Junior's dementia provides moments of comedy gold, so I decided its worth a spot on the list.

9. Episode - For All Debts Public and Private 

Scene - Tony berates his crew - "Where's the fuckin money??!!"

At No.9 is a more dramatic scene from the 4th season opener "For All Debts Public and Private" where Tony angrily confronts his caporegimes about the poor income they are making for the New Jersey family.

So Tony storms into the meeting and angrily says to the men "I wanna know why there's zero growth in this family's receipts?!  Where the's fuckin money??!! You're supposed to be earners.  That's why you got the top tier positions.  So everyone, go out to your people on the streets, crack some fuckin heads and CREATE SOME FUCKIN EARNERS OUT THERE!!!".

And the capos awkwardly sit in silence with only Carlo offering a humble "We hear you, Tone" and Tony continues "My uncle, the boss of this family is on trial for his life and what you people are kicking up to him is a fucking disgrace!  I should not have to be coming here hat in my hand reminding about your duty to that man!".   

Then just as one of the other capos, Raymond Curto (who was actually an FBI informant, who at the time of meeting was wearing a wire!) is about to speak about the recession of the times, Tony yells at him "AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE FUCKIN ECONOMY EITHER!!".  So, Tony turns to Sil and says "Sil, break it down for them.  What businesses have been recession proof since time immemorial?" and Sil says "Certain aspects of showbiz and our thing" and this prompts Tony to finish by saying "Now, that's it!  That's all I've got to say.  Frankly, I'm depressed and ashamed!".

Its a great scene from James Gandolfini as Tony and its one of the scenes that stands out and also is indeed a reflection of the real life times of the economic crisis of the period.  So for me it deserves its place here at No.9.

8. Episode - The Knight in Satin White Armor 

Scene  - Richie get's more than he bargains for from Janice - "You gonna cry now?"

Next up is this scene from the penultimate episode of the 2nd season, "The Knight in Satin White Armor" where the volatile New Jersey capo, Richie Aprile is ready to make a move on Tony but at the same time he is also engaged to Tony's sister, Janice.  However as the scene unfolds things take a rather drastic turn as Richie get's more from Janice than what he bargained for.

So the scene starts with Janice trying run by some wedding arragements with Richie as they are about to get ready to eat but then Janice asks if Richie's son is coming to the wedding.  And Janice asks "Little Ricky is still coming to the wedding right?" but this irritates Richie, who snaps at her "Rick.  Rick!  Richard!  How many fuckin times have I gotta tell you?!  It was "Ricky" when he was 12 years old!".  And Janice says "Jesus!  Alright!  He's still coming, right?" and Richie tells her "He wouldn't miss an opportunity to foxtrot and tango infront of everybody!".

And Janice tries to defend Richie's choice of career as a ballroom dancer "Ballroom dancing is a legitmate art form" but Richie is far from impressed with his son and says "He carries my name, Richard.  Fuckin disgraziata!  My nephew Jackie, why couldn't I have a son like that?!".  However Janice by this time has become annoyed with Richie's moaning and tells him "You know you came home with a fucking attitude today!  You know I've been in this house, cooking your fucking dinner and looking after that black hole (meaning Livia, Tony and Janice's mother) all day!".  But Richie says to her quietly "Keep your fuckin voice down.  She hears everything" and Janice tells him "Not tonight.  I gave her two nembutols, I thought maybe we'd like to have sex?  But not likely!".  Then this pisses off Richie who tells Janice "Put my fucking dinner on the table and keep your mouth shut!" but Janice spits back "No, YOU shut up!".

Then Janice says to Richie of his son "Just because your son was a ballroom dancer you think that makes him gay?  What if he was gay?  What difference does it make?!" however this suddenly prompts Richie to punch Janice in the mouth, who reels back stunned, while Richie calmly goes and get's his plate of food and he sits down to eat.  And Richie then looks up at a shocked Janice, who holds her hand to her mouth, which is bleeding and Richie says to her "What are you looking at?  You gonna cry now?" and we see Janice walk away for a moment, however she soon comes back with a gun in her hands as she approaches Richie.

And Richie looks at her incredulously and says "Get the fuck out of here, I'm in no mood for your drama...." but then Janice in a fit of rage suddenly shoots Richie twice in the chest as he goes down dead.  This leaves Janice no other choice but to call up Tony, so he can take "care" of Richie's body.......

Well this seen certainly is one of the best from the show as it comes right out of the blue and you never expect it and we get to see more evidence of the famous Soprano family temper only this time from Janice rather than Tony.  And its really bizarre how in a life of crime that a mob guy can suddenly go from being alive one minute, getting ready to eat and the next being a corpse that is getting sliced up in a meat factory!

Anyway its a great scene and as such easily warrants its spot at No.8.

7. Episode - To save us all from Satan's power

Scene  - Tony gives Jackie Jr a telling off - "You bottomed out!"

Next up is this scene from the 10th episode of the third sesaon "To save us all from Satan's power" where Jackie Jr (who is the son of a deceased and much respected former Jersey mob boss, Jackie Aprile) is spotted in a strip bar by Tony.  However by this time, Jackie Jr has been dating Tony's daughter, Meadow, so Tony is understandably miffed when he sees Jackie Jr getting a rowdy lapdance from a stripper, and Tony decides to gatecrash it and have words with the young Jackie.

So in the scene, Tony approaches Jackie just as the topless dancer rides in Jackie's lap but Jackie shows instant fear when he sees Tony and he says "Tony!" and Tony feigns a smile and says "Hey, what's goin on?  You gettin a little lovin?" and Jackie Jr says "Its not what you think" and the stripper scarpers.  So, Tony ushers for Jackie Jr to get up and he says "C'mon" but he sees how scared Jackie Jr looks, so Tony tries to reassure him "Its OK, I just wanna talk to you" so Jackie Jr get's up and Tony puts his arm around him and leads him toward the bathroom while Jackie makes his excuse "Its a bachelor party, my frat brothers".

However in the next moment we see Jackie being violently pushed into the men's toilets by Tony, who grabs Jackie and hurls him against the wall and the punches him in the face.  And Tony then furiously puts his hands up as if ready to fight and he yells at Jackie "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!  PUT YOUR HANDS UP!!" but Jackie Jr tearfully says "No, please...".  Then Tony hits Jackie Jr again and shouts "COME ON, YOU FUCK!!" and he grabs Jackie and slams him against the wall again and shouts "You fucking pussy piece of shit!! All I ever did was tell your old man what a good kid you are, and you all do is fuckin hurt me!".

Tony then grabs Jackie Jr and slams him against the wall on the right side and Jackie Jr tearfully says "I'm sorry!" but Tony then feels something inside Jackie Jr's jacket and he reaches inside and takes out Jackie's gun (given to him by one of Tony's capos, Ralph Cifaretto).  And Tony looks at it and says "What's this?  Nice!" and Jackie Jr can only say "I'm sorry.  I'm sorry!" and Tony looks at Jackie Jr and tells him "You bottomed out".  However Jackie Jr looks puzzled and asks "What do you mean?" and Tony takes a moment then knees Jackie in the groin and leaves him in a crumpled heap on the floor and tells him again "You bottomed out!" and he then exits the bathroom to end the scene.

Its another great albeit short scene that shows the intensity of Tony's temper once again but there are times where it is justified and this is one of them when Tony feels betrayed by Jackie Jr's insistance to walk on the wild side aswell as cheat on Meadow.  So its a great moment to see someone as arrogant and foolish as Jackie Jr get his comeuppance from Tony and it takes 7th place.

6. Episode - Irregular around the margins

Scene - Christopher's life hangs in the balance - "You pushed me to this!!"

So to finish off the first part of this list is this scene from "Irregular around the margins" which is the 5th episode from the 5th season of the show, which is one of my favourite episodes.


And the scene in question comes just after Christopher arrives at the Bing, drunk and furious after he hears of the rumours of Tony and Adrianna being together in Tony's car one night while Christopher was away on business and it was rumoured that Adrianne gave Tony head, although nothing happened but they were involved in a car accident.  So, suffice to say Christopher doesn't take it too well and he unloads his gun into Tony's SUV before storming into the club yelling at Tony "WHERE ARE YA, YA FUCK??!!" and Tony and his crew then drive Christopher out into the sticks where Tony decides his nephew's fate.

So the scene starts with Tony and his crew driving out into the sticks and they drag Christopher out and put him on his knees and Tony angrily walks up to him and says "You draw upon the boss of a family???!" and he kicks Christopher to the ground.  And Christopher shouts "You lied to me!! You were scoring coke with her!  She even admitted it!!" andTony yells back "SO WHAT?!! I CAN'T RELIEVE STRESS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE??!!  I DON'T GOT ENOUGH FUCKIN PROBLEMS???!!".

And Christopher disgusted yells back "You sent me out to North Carolina so you could fuck my girlfriend!" and Tony shocked says to Chris "What kind of fucking animal you think I am, huh? THE THOUGHT NEVER EVEN ENTERED MY HEAD!!!".  And Christopher yells "You're a man!  You're alone with her in the car!" and Tony exasperated grabs Christopher by the throat and shouts "YOU FUCKING PUSHED ME TO THIS!  YOU PUSHED ME TO THIS!!!".  And Tony then holds Christopher and says "Either you tell me right now that you can take it into your heart that I did not do this shit or this is as far as we go!".  And Christopher says nothing and stares defiantly at Tony, who suddenly takes out his gun and presses it against Chris's cheek and he shouts "Motherfucker!!".

However at this point, Tony Blundetto (Tony's cousin) steps in and "Tony, come on!  Listen to somebody else for a change!" but Tony is in no mood and says "Fuck him!" but Tony B pleads with Tony "Tony, try it my way!  Listen to me!".  And after a tense pause, Tony puts his gun down and in the next scene they go to the hospital where Tony and Adrianna were treated and Tony then summons the doctor that treated him and Ade that night to try and convince Christopher nothing was going on in the car.

So, its a great dramatic scene that nearly saw the end of Christopher but in the end its Tony B that steps in and saves the day and as such it deserves it place at No.6.

Right, so that's it for now and I will be back soon with the 2nd part of this list.

So till then its bye for now!

Doctor Who - The Robots of Death "Nine times out of ten!"

Right, its time for a new post (with new content that is an not a revisit!) and this is yet another Doctor Who one and it will cover a story from the Tom Baker era this time and the story in question is The Robots of Death.  This story has often been considered a fan favourite and one of the standouts of the Baker era, but is it????  Well let's take a look....

Oh and the usual warning is coming...

SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!

STORY

OK, so the story is set onboard a large sandmining vehicle, which is manned by a human crew of nine as well as a number of servant robots, whom are classed in three categories, dumbs, who are mute and carry out simply tasks, Vocs, which can speak and Super Vocs, who control all the robots.  Most of the humans onboard however are accepting of the robots, apart from one, Chub (Rob Edwards) a meteorologist, who not too long after is found murdered in a storage room. 

Meanwhile, the TARDIS materialises inside one of the scoops of the sandminer and the Doctor and his companion, Leela (Louise Jameson) look around.  However as they do so, the crew of the sandminer remove the TARDIS from inside the scoop as it was blocking it and the Doctor and Leela are soon found by the robots, who take them to a room where they are to wait.  The Doctor then uses his sonic screwdriver to unlock the door and he looks for the TARDIS and Leela wanders off and watches some robots take away Chub's dead body.

The human crew in the meantime suspect the Doctor and Leela, since they are stowaways, are responsible for the murder and by the time they are recaptured, the Doctor finds the body of another crew member, Keril and Leela finds a third dead man, Cass aswell as a Dum robot, which can speak.  The ship's commander, Uvanov (Russell Hunter) decides that the Doctor and Leela are locked up inside the ship's robot storage bay.  However, the Doctor and Leela are soon released by one of the other crew, Poul (David Collings) who believes that they were not responsible for the murders. Poul then shows the Doctor and Leela where Chub was murdered and the Doctor suggests that Chub may have been murdered by a robot.  

Meanwhile, one of the female crew members, Zilda (Tania Rogers) heads to Uvanov's quarters where she breaks down crying and over the tannoy system accuses Uvanov of being the murderer, however she herself is soon killed by one of the robots.  And to make matters, the controls onboard the sandminer are soon sabotaged as the controller for the sandminer's motors, Borg (Brian Croucher) is also murdered, which causes the sandminer's engines to run out of control.  However the Doctor soon steps in and saves the sandminer from being destroyed by cutting the motor power and one of the remaining crew, Dask (David Bailie) repairs the motors.  Leela also at this point helps tend to one of the senior crewmembers, Toos (Pamela Salem) who is wounded during the encounter. 

The Doctor not long after goes to visit the Dum robot that can speak, D84 (Gregory de Polnay) who reveals that itself and Poul are in fact undercover agents for the sandminer's company, who were sent as a precaution in case a robot uprising took place as there are rumours of such an uprising occuring at the hands of a renegade scientist, Taren Capel.  And the Doctor soon suspects that Taren Capel himself is onoard and he has been tampering with the programming of the robots in order to make them kill.  

And from here the Doctor must try and find a way to stop the malicious robots from killing the remaining crew and save humanity from the prospect of the robot uprising......

THOUGHTS

It has to be said that while The Robots of Death is often regarded as one of the classics of the Tom Baker era, for myself I think its actually a bit overrated although it is still a pretty good story, which is very enjoyable and has alot going for it.  However I would have to say though the story itself is no more than an Agatha Christie-esque "Whodunnit" or in this case a "Doctor-whodunnit!".

Regardless of this though the story does have some excellent visuals effects with the exterior shots of the sandminer, imaginative costume designs for the crewmembers and the robot costumes are also excellent.  And the robots themselves also make for pretty creepy and effective enemies, despite their benevolent tone of voice.  And to the story's credit it also does a fine job at continuing to develop Leela's character as she just joined the Doctor in the previous story (The Face of Evil) and to the story's credit they also work well together here.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)

As for the performances, well they are all very good with both the regular and supporting case in fine form.

Starting with Tom Baker, who is great once again as the Doctor and he has his share of good moments here and great lines.  

And I will mention a few scenes of his such as the one at the start where the TARDIS has just materialised in the sandminer scoop and just before they go outside, Leela picks up one of her Sevateem warrior weapons and the Doctor tells her she won't need it.  And he says to her "You won't need that" and Leela asks "How do you know?" and the Doctor tells her "I never carry weapons. If people see you mean them no harm, they never hurt you. Nine times out of ten!".

Then there is the scene where the Doctor is captured and taken to the human crew members and as he waits around to be spoken to, he offers one of the crewmembers, Borg, a jellybaby.  And the Doctor says to Borg "Would you like a jelly baby?" but Borg angrily knocks the Doctor's bag of jelly babies out his hand and he shouts "SHUT UP!!" and the Doctor then quietly says "A simple no thank you, would have been sufficient".  

And in the next moment, the Doctor is questioned by Uvanov, who asks the Doctor "What are you doing here?" and the Doctor grins and says "Just standing here, talking to you!".  Then after this, Uvanov suggests either one of the crew murdered the others or the Doctor and Leela did, but then the Doctor offers "There is one other possibility you seem to have overlooked".  And Borg angrily says to the Doc "We've heard quite enough out of you!" and the Doctor then says "You know, you're a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain!".

Then there is the scene where the Doctor tells Leela about the mental disorder, Robophobia, which one of the crew, Poul suffers from later on.  And the Doctor says to Leela "Its an unreasoning dread of robots. You see, most living creatures use non-verbal signals. Body movement, eye contact, facial expression, that sort of thing".  And the Doctor continues, saying "It undermines a certain type of personality, causes identity crisis, paranoia, sometimes even personality disintegration. Robophobia".   And as Leela continues to ask the Doctor more questions as he takes apart the remains of the inoperative robot's head, he suddenly snaps at Leela "Do you have to talk so much?!" and Leela sheepishly says "Sorry". 

And lastly there is the scene near the end (SPOILER!!!) where the Doctor is strapped to a bench by the villainous Taren Capel (OK I won't at this stage give away who he is!).  And the Doctor looks at him and tells him "You look ridiculous in that outfit.  You're not half the robot your father was!" and Capel shouts "You insolent animal!" and then proceeds to torture the Doctor with a laser probe device. 

However the day is soon won as the Doctor overcomes Capel (SPOILER!!) by giving Leela a canister of helium to alter Capel's voice so he won't be recognised by the robots and they won't obey his orders.  And after the menace is done, Leela's voice is squeaky from the helium and the Doctor on hearing voice says "Ah, a mouse in the wainscoting!" and he opens the cubby hole where she hides and says "Well squeaked, mouse!".

Louise Jameson is also pretty good (and pretty sexy it has to be said in that leather skin outfit of hers!) as Leela, the Doctor's new companion at this stage and she shares some good scenes with Tom throughout the story.

And I will mention a few of Louise's scenes such as the one near the start where Leela plays with the Doctor's yo-yo, but she thinks it to be a magical device and cautiously keep the yo-yo going.  And Leela asks the Doctor "Doctor?  Can I stop now?" and the Doctor says "If you want to" and Leela asks "It will not affect this?" and the Doctor says "No, its a yo-yo.  Its a game.  I thought you were enjoying it".  And Leela all of a sudden drops the yo-yo, annoyed, she says "Enjoying it?! You said I had to keep it going up and down. I thought it was part of the magic!" and the Doctor asks her "Magic, Leela. Magic?" and she sighs and says "I know, I know.  There's no such thing as magic".

And then the Doctor tries to explain to Leela how the TARDIS is bigger inside than out and the Doctor uses two boxes, one big and one small to explain and how "If you could keep that exactly that distance away and have it here, the large one would fit inside the small one" and Leela simply looks at the Doctor and says "That's silly!".

Then we have the scene where Leela is found and captured by Uvanov after she has discovered one of the murdered crew.  And Uvanov asks Leela "Can you think of any good reason why I should not have you executed on the spot?" and Leela tells him "No, but you can, otherwise you would have done it!".  And then Poul enters and looks surprised at Leela and says to her "You must be stronger than you look!" and Leela almost smiles and says "You must stupider than you look if you think I did that!" and Leela is soon taken out the room and she shouts "I didn't kill him!  I DIDN'T KILL HIM!!".

And lastly there is the scene where the Doctor and Leela are visited by Poul, while they are held captive onboard the sandminer.  However, Leela is wary of Poul's motives for being on the ship and she says to the Doctor "Be careful of him, Doctor.  He's not what he seems" and Poul, surprised asks "Well, you move like a hunter.  Watch all the time".  And as Poul unlocks the Doctor's restraints, Leela catches Poul's attention to unlock hers and he does so and she says in a rather uncharacterstically posh way "Thank you!".  This is most likely a touch added by Louise herself and it works pretty well in the story.

As for the supporting cast members Russell Hunter is very good as Commander Uvanov, who's character is entirely motivated by money as he commands the sandminer in its search for ore minerals.  However Uvanov (SPOILER!) soon turns his way of thinking around as he helps the Doctor and Leela fight against the robot uprising.  

And he has his moments but to keep things short I will mention only mention a couple of his scenes such as where Uvanov tells the Doctor what Poul is suffering from, i.e. Robophobia.  And the Doctor asks Uvanov "Do you know what's wrong with Poul, Uvanov?" and Uvanov grimly says "Yes.  Robophobia" and the Doctor says "Yes, that's right.  The Loid called it Grimwade syndrome".  And Uvanov continues to tell a story of how one of his former crewmates suffered from it "I have seen it, Doctor, once before. My very first command. A young kid just ran outside the mine. I tried to save him, but I couldn't. I'll never, ever, forget the look on his face". 

And lastly there is the scene where Uvanov manages to destroy one of the robots with a makeshift explosive and he says to Toos as they leave the command deck to find other robots "Do you know what I think, Toos? I think it's high time we went on the offensive!!" but Toos warns him "We might not be so lucky a second time!". 

Pamela Salem also does pretty well in her role as Toos, the ship's second in command, who later helps the Doctor and Leela in their struggle against the robots and of course the mysterious Taren Capel.  

And I will just mention one scene for Pamela, which is the one where Toos rests in her quarters, however SV-7, quietly sneaks into her quarters, seemingly with the intent to kill her but SV-7 draws back just as she wakens.  And as SV-7 updates her on the situation, Toos then says "You may go now, but keep me informed. Oh, and find the girl Leela and bring her to me. Tell her my arm hurts" but SV-7 offers "The commander is in pain?  I will take her to sickbay".  However Toos says "No, no, no.  Just bring her to me" but SV-7 does not appear to hear her and Toos again says "Well, do, as I say!" and SV-7 obeys "Yes, Commander". 

David Bailie is also pretty good in his role as Dask, one of the crew, who is not all he seems to be at first in the story.  And yes OK (SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!) as it turns out, Dask is indeed Taren Capel and Bailie has some good moments in the story. 

And these include the scene where Dask sneaks around the robot storage bay and looks at a badly damage robot and he says "Irreparable!" and places a corpse marker on it (a circular red sticker device used to mark a deactivated robot).  And as Dask leaves the storage bay, he meets Poul, who looks at him suspiciously and asks "What are you doing?" and Dask replies "My job" and walks off.

Then there is the scene where Dask is revealed to be the main villain, Taren Capel as he pretends to be plead with Uvanov and Toos to open the command deck doors.  And we cut to Dask outside, now with his face painted to resemble a robot and he shouts "LET ME IN!!!!" and he turns to the robots and says "All right, my brothers.  The doors.  Force them open!!".  

And lastly there is the scene where Dask has captured the Doctor and straps him to a bench and prepares to use a laser probe to torture him.  And the Doctor mockingly asks Dask "Are you going to tell me your plan for running the universe???" and Dask says "No, Doctor. I'm going to burn out your brain.  Very, very slowly!".  And the Doctor insults Dask's outfit as being ridiculous, which angers Dask who shouts "Insolent animal!" and he proceeds to use the laser probe to torture the Doctor.  And after the Doctor asks Dask of his robot upbringing and Dask says to him "Yes, Doctor.  I was brought up a superior being. Brought up to realise my brothers should live as free beings, and not as slaves to human dross!".

David Collings is excellent as Poul, the undercover company agent, who is sent onboard with D84 as a precautionary measure against any risk of a robot uprising.

And Collings has some good moments also that include the scene where Poul meets with the Doctor and Leela after they have been captured and restrained in the robot storage bay as he believes they might be innocent of the murders they have been accused of. And Poul says to the Doctor "Never mind about me. What matters to you is Commander Uvanov. I know him, and I know it's only a matter of time before he decides that it's a waste of food, water and labour keeping you alive". And the Doctor asks "Does that concern you?" and Poul says "I didn't think you did it. I know she (Leela) couldn't have strangled Cass, not without knocking him out first, and there's no sign of that. So tell me what you know and I'll try to help you".

And in the next scene, Poul takes the Doctor and Leela to the storage area where Chub was killed and the Doctor asks Poul what Chub was doing there. And Poul tells the Doctor of Chub "Oh, we were on a run up to a storm. He came to get an instrument package to send up in one of his weather ballons". And the Doctor points to one of the packages on a storage shelf "Is that one of his packages?" and Poul says "Yes, I think it is" and the Doctor says "Good. Imagine you're Chub, pass me one of those packages". So, Poul tries to grab one of the boxes but it won't move and he says "Its jammed, it won't move" and the Doctor hurriedly says "Come on, come on! In those circumstances you'd be in a hurry. What would you do?" and it dawns on Poul what the Doctor means "Well, I'd...I'd call for a robot".

Gregory de Polnay is also pretty good as the voice of D84, a robot who is secretly an undercover agent on boartd, and D84 remains one of the stories more sympathetic and likeable characters in the story.  

And I will only mention one scene for Gregory and its the one where Leela discovers a dead body in a crew quarters and D84 springs up behind her and he says "Please do not cry out.  It is important that I am not found here".  And Leela says "Obviously" and D84 tells her "If I had killed him, would I have not killed you, too?".  

Brian Croucher is also worth a mention here in his role as Borg, one of the crew onboard the sandminer, who is soon to fall victim of the robot uprising.  So for time (again!) I will mention just one scene from Brian and that's the one where, Borg is briefly suspected of murdering Chub as he appeared to harbour a grudge against him.  But Borg protests and says "Now look, I had nothing against Chub.  OK, he talked too much but...".  And as the crew continue to discuss the situation, Borg says "Not just a murderer, then. Seems like one one of us is a maniac!".  However one of the crew, Cass tells Borg "Use your brain, Borg. We would know, wouldn't we?" and Borg approaches Casa and says "But we don't" and he places the corpse marker found form Chub's body on Cass's hand and Borg adds "Do we?".

And last of all Miles Fothergil also does well in providing the calm, soothing voice of the Super Voc robot, SV-7, who controls all the other robots, but SV-7 also falls foul to Taren Capel's evil plans.  And again Forthergil's calm voice is nicely at odds with SV-7's altered, violent behaviour later on in the story.

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC

Finally getting onto the show's director, Michael E. Briant does a fine job here with the story and he paces it out pretty for the most part and provides quite a few moments of tension and suspense off and on throughout.  Briant also previously directed two serials during the Jon Pertwee era of the show, namely The Sea Devils and The Green Death, so this is another fine effort from Briant here once again.

As for the music duties, once again they belong to the show's then regular composer, Dudley Simpson, who once more provides another good score for the show and it features nice moments of grandiose sounding melodrama.  But the score also has some unsettling moments of the quiet that work well during the scenes where we see the robots point of view as they walk the corridors, looking for their prey.  So overall its what you'd come to expect from Dudley and there's nothing much wrong with that.

FLAWS (Warning: this section may also contain spoilers!)

As for flaws....yes, The Robots of Death is not a perfect story, so there are some to be found.

And to start off one of the problems with the story is just like with The Deadly Assassin, they give away the identity of the villain a bit too soon as in episode three when we see SV-7 given his secret orders to presumably kill, we see the distorted image on a large video screen that looks suspiciously like Dask!  And if you listen to the voice at that point you can even tell that its Dask, although it is a bit more subtle than The Deadly Assassin was in that regard.  But it still stands that you know too early on who the real villain of the story is! 

I also felt that the story also lacked much in the way of interesting characters as they are all mainly pretty cynical, spoilt or in Uvanov's case, greedy money grubbers!  The exception to the rule here is D84, who is the most unique character in the story and the only one with which you can really empathise given that he is secret robot agent, who helps out the Doctor and later (SPOILER!) sacrifices himself. 

Then there is the whole idea of Dask's masterplan, or rather an inherent lack of it, as it would appear that Dask would intend to take control of all the robots in the known civilisation and have them rule the world.  However Dask never really reveals any more other than this, so you are just left to wonder what he intended beyond this one simple statement and this remains one of the weaker aspects of this story, because basically Dask is a pretty weak villain and not well written.

And on a side issue, which is more a technical issue with the story that had always bugged me about this story, is the scene where Chub is killed we hear his scream off camera but the scream itself is horribly dubbed over and it sounds awful.  In fact whenever I see that scene it kind of makes me cringe and wonder why in the hell didn't they just have him scream properly off camera than use a bloody awful sounding dub.  

And lastly I think it is also safe to say that the story's ending is wrapped up just a little too quickly and the Doctor and Leela sneak off in the TARDIS without even bothering to say goodbye to Uvanov and Toos, which makes you think that they had somewhat rushed the writing of this story.

Anyway that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So to sum up, The Robots of Death is a very enjoyable story from the Tom Baker era of the show even though it has to be said it is somewhat overrated.  And given that this story was chosen to represent the Baker era as part of the show's 50th anniversary by the British Film Institute, it makes you really think that they could have chosen a better one than this as there are plenty of other classic stories that would have better fit the bill.

Anyway regardless of this, the story is still worth checking out despite any of its flaws and The Robots of Death has worn well after 40 years and its visuals, set design and good performances commend it well enough as a solid, if not classic entry from the Tom Baker era.

Right, so that's it for now and I'll be back again in the near future with yet another post.

Till then, its bye fer now! 

Doctor Who - The Daemons "As my will, so mote it be!!"

OK, well its time for yet another post and this one is actually another revisitation of an old post I did on this blog, which is indeed one of the oldest I've ever done on the blog and the post in question is on the classic Doctor Who story - The Daemons from the Jon Pertwee era.  But is this story still stand up as a classic???  Well let's find out....

And....yes....the usual warning will be coming right up....

SPOILERS WILL BE AHEAD!!!

STORY

Right, so story starts with one of the residents of Devil's End, a small village in Wiltshire, dying of fright from seeing something in the local graveyard.  The local village doctor says that the man simply died of a heart attack, but the local white witch Miss Hawthorne (Damaris Hayman) insists there is evil afoot.

The BBC are also at this time doing coverage of the excavation of the Devil's hump, an ancient burial ground.  Miss Hawthorne also interrupts the broadcast and warns the archaeologist, Professor Horner (Robin Wentworth) that if he opens the tomb then he will bring death and disaster upon the village.  The Doctor at this time having been watching the live coverage on TV, decides to go to the dig himself with Jo (Katy Manning).

On arriving at the dig, the Doctor is too late to stop Horner from opening the tomb and there is a freak gust of snow and ice that blows out of the tomb, apparently killing the Doctor and Professor Horner.  The Doctor is soon dug out (or excavated) off the earth and snow and taken to the local pub, the Cloven Hoof, where he lies in a coma.

In the meantime however, a certain familiar looking figure who goes by the name of the Magister, dressed as a Reverend, has been holding ritual ceremonies to try and bring about the appearance of a demon called Azal (Stephen Thorne).  This is of course the Master (Roger Delgado) who has been at work trying to raise the demon Azal, who in actual fact is a creature from another world, who has been lying dormant but has been on Earth for over 100,000 years.

The Doctor soon recovers from his coma, after a freak heat wave hits the village, and he then explains his theory to the locals, and he is accompanied by Sergeant Benton (John Levine) and Captain Mike Yates (Richard Franklin).  The Doctor tells them that Azal is a daemon from the planet Damos, who came to Earth to try and advance the human race and pass on their knowledge as part of an experiment, however, man is in danger of being destroyed if Azal chooses to.

The Master also finally summons Azal and speaks with him, and he asks that Azal pass on his power to him in order to fulfil his desire to rule the Earth.  Azal considers this but says there is another one of the Master's race here, referring to the Doctor, he said he will speak with him also before making up his mind, and that he will appear once more, but he says he will either choose to pass on his power or to destroy the Earth.

And another problem arising from these circumstances is that Azal's awakening causes a heat barrier to be place around the village, preventing anyone from leaving the village or from any one to enter it, as the UNIT commander Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) soon finds out when he tries to get to the village.  The Doctor contacts the Brigadier and tells him there might be a way for him to gain access to the village, but it will involve building heat exchanger energy machine that will help bypass the barrier, and the Doctor soon comes to the Brig (within resonable distance of the barrier) to help them build it.

As this is all going on the Master then through his hypnotic powers of persuasion gets quite a few of the village locals on his side, and to help him with this ritual ceremony in the cavern's of the church, in order to summon Azal once more and so he can control the daemon.  The Master soon successfully summons Azal for the last time, just as he does, Jo and Mike enter the cavern and witness Azal grow to huge size right infront of them.  The Doctor also manages to get into the cavern and past the Master's gargoyle and heavy Bok (Stanley Mason) whom he has been using throughout the story for his own evil ends.  The Doctor once in the cavern confronts the Master and Azal in deciding the fate of the planet......

THOUGHTS 

The Daemons is without a doubt one of Jon Pertwee's best stories, made back in 1971, when the series made the crucial change in tone from the doomish Quatermass style that appeared in Pertwee's first season.  The story, which was penned under the psuedonym of Guy Leopold, was actually written by Barry Letts and Robert Sloman, and its another excellent script.

Letts and Sloman make very clever use of the themes of witchcraft, demonism, religion, faith and duplicity, and I also like how they explain the background of the daemons helping man throughout the ages in advancing their knowledge.  You could almost say that the Daemons were babysitters for mankind and they helped instruct them in how to grow, although the Doctor at one point does state to Azal, that thanks to him now man can blow up the world and probably will, which is something Azal says that the planet smells of failure.  This ultimately points to man being his own downfall, and to Azal the Earth is just a failed experiment which he is in danger of destroying.

The characters in the show are all well catered for, especially the UNIT members, Benton and Yates, who are given more to do here than usual in a Doctor Who story.  Yates and Benton make their way to the village and get tangled up in the choas of what happens there, being beaten, abducted, and giving chase to the baddies.

Benton particularly is given plenty to do in helping out Miss Hawthorne, in the church where he beaten up telekinetically on a marked stone, and staving off an attacker in the pub, as well as finally giving in to having a dance with her at the end!  It also makes a nice change of pace to have the Brigadier separated from his team, as he goes off to a dinner at the start of the show, but later comes into the show when he is informed that his helicopter has been taken by Yates and Benton, and the heat keeps him apart from the Doctor and the others.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)

In terms of the performances, the cast are all on excellent form here from the regulars to the supporting performers.

Starting with Jon Pertwee, well he had wonderfully grown into his part of the Doctor by then and plays him as well in this story as he ever has, and his relationship with Jo has blossomed very nicely by the end of their first season together.  And by then the Doctor and Jo really have formed a great partnership.

As for Jon's notable scenes, as a few examples there is the scene where the Doctor in the first episode appears to magically control his car, Bessie as it drives around and comes back to him in his garage, much to Jo's amazement.  And in the scene the Doctor tells off Jo for being interested in the live TV show of the dig and he says to her "You know, Jo, for a reasonably intelligent young lady, you have the most absurd ideas!" and then we see Bessie drive out the garage by itself.

And when the car returns the Doctor tells off Bessie, saying "Bessie, how dare you go gallivanting around like that!" and Bessie toots the horn and the Doctor says "Are you sorry?" and Bessie toots again and the Doctor says "Very well, I forgive you.  Now go back to your parking place before I changed my mind!".  And as Captain Yates enters, having witnessed Bessie, the Doctor asks Jo to explain how it managed to drive itself and Jo suggests to the Doc "I don't know.  I suppose you did it" and the Doctor smiles and says "Naturally".  And the Doctor tells Jo and Yates "Naturally. Or should I say scientifically. Solenoids and a solar mechanism in Bessie and...." he holds up a remote control "a radio control unit here.  You see how easy it is to be a magician?!".  

Then there is the scene where the Doctor and Jo later re-enter the barrow chamber where Professor Horner was excavating his dig.  But all of a suddeny, the gargoyle, Bok, enters the chamber and screeches at them both and the Doctor takes out a trowel and shouts at Bok "Clokleda partha mennin klatch!!!" and Bok soon flees.  And after, Jo asks "Was that a spell that you said?" and the Doctor says "No, it's the first line of an old Venusian lullaby, as a matter of fact. Roughly translated it goes, 'Close your eyes, my darling. Well, three of them, at least!".

Another good scene is when the Doctor tells off Jo for berating the Brigadier's suggestion to bomb their way through the heat barrier that Azal has created but the Doctor advises that it would be useless and he goes off to help the Brig build a heat exchanger, so they can penetrate the barrier.  And Jo says to the Doc before he goes "Of all the idiotic plans!  As if blowing things up solves anything!" and the Doctor says "Jo, the Brigadier is doing his best to cope with an almost impossible situation. And since he is your superior officer, you might at least show him a little respect!" and he leaves with Jo looking rather hurt. 

Then there is the fun moment where the Doctor, tied to a post, is about to burned alive by the villager, Bert, who is under the Master's control but Miss Hawthorne suddenly interrupts and refers to the Doctor as a powerful wizard named "Qui Quae Quod".  And Bert says to Miss Hawthorne "If he's such a great magician, let's see him untie hiself!" and the Doctor goes along with Miss Hawthorne's ruse and says "You choose to mock the great Qui Quae Quod? Well, I will not!".  

And as Sergeant Benton shoots a lamp and a weathercock on a church tower as the Doctor orders them to shatter and move as if by magic.  The Doctor then gives Bert a warning as he is about to activate Bessie "Let my familiar spirit bring that car to me!".  And then Bessie moves towards Bert and it nearly rolls over him but Bert falls down in between the car.  And Miss Hawthorne looks amazed and says to the Doctor "You really ARE a magician!" and the Doctor tells her
her "I'm sorry to disappoint you, madame, but I were, I'd hardly need your assistance in extricating me from this, this sacrificial gift wrapping!". 

Katy Manning, up next also does very well as Jo Grant and by then she had firmly established her role in the show (and she's at her cutest looking in this show in that outfit she wears!).

Katy also has her moments too in the show such as the scene near the start where Jo debates with the Doctor about the existance of magic.  And Jo says to the Doctor "Yes, but suppose something was to happen and nobody knew the explanation. Well, nobody in the world, in the universe! Well, that would be magic, wouldn't it?".  However the Doctor dismisses the suggestion and says to Jo "You know, Jo, for a reasonably intelligent young lady, you do have the most absurd ideas!" and suddenly Bessie drives off on its own.  And when Bessie comes back, the Doctor reveals his radio control for the car and he says to Jo "You see how easy it is to be a magician" and Jo says "How infuriating can you get?!!".  And the Doctor teasingly asks her "Would you like to see more?" and Jo smiles and says "No, thanks, I've had enough of your knavish tricks!".   

Another good scene is when the Doctor explains to Jo, Benton, Yates and Miss Hawthorne about the Daemons and how they were behind all the goings on at the dig.  And as the Doctor tries to explain how the Daemons influenced man throughout the ages and gave them knowledge, Jo says "Yes, and you say they come from another planet. Well then, what's all this jazz about witchcraft and covens and so on?".  And the Doctor replies "Look, don't you see? All the magical traditions are just remnants of their advanced science, and that is what the Master is using!".  And the Doctor goes on to explain his concern about how the Daemons could choose to pass on his power or destroy the world and Jo asks "What, this Daemon could destroy the world?".  And the Doctor gravely answers "What does any scientist do with an experiment that fails? He chucks it in the rubbish bin!" and Jo ponders a horrible thought "The end of the world!". 

And lastly there is the scene near the end (SPOILER!!!!!!) where Jo stands in the way of the Doctor as Azal is about to kill him with lightning from his fingers.  And Jo shouts "NO, HE'S A GOOD MAN!! KILL ME, NOT HIM!!" and this confuses Azal and sends him into turmoil and he shouts for everyone to leave the church.  And afterward, the Doctor says to the others "Well, by a ridiculous and foolhardy act of self-sacrifice, Jo here has managed to save us" and Jo looks surprised and says "I did?".  And the Doctor goes on to explain "You did. You see, Azal couldn't face an act as irrational and as illogical as her being prepared to give up her life for me" and he lookws at Jo's cowal and says  "Look, Jo, why don't you go and get out of that ridiculous garb?!" and she smiles and says "OK".

Roger Delgado once again is also great as the Master, who poses as the village vicar, named the Magister but is in fact trying to summon the Daemon, Azal for his own purposes.  

Roger has plenty of his own highlights but I will try and mention only a few such as his first scene where Miss Hawthorne demands to see the Magister and she threatens to use violence if she doesn't get to see him.  And the Master suddenly appears and says "Dear me, I hope violence will not be necessary.  Good evening, Miss Hawthorne, what can I do for you?".

Then in the following scene with the Master, Miss Hawthorne argues with the Master "Have you no concern for the souls in your care?" and The Master says "The soul as such is a very dated concept.  Viewing the matter existentially...." and Miss Hawthorne gives up and says "Existentially?!! You're a blockhead!".  But then the Master takes off his glasses and says to her "Miss Hawthorne, one moment. You're very distressed, I can see that. You know, you really are worrying unduly.  There's nothing to worry about...." and he tries to hypnotise her but fails.

And then we have the Master's regular chanting as he tries to summon Azal during his ritual ceremonies at the church.  And Roger as the Master get's to deliver that immortal line "As my will so mote it be!" as he throws incense at the altar.  And during his summoning he also utters the lines "By the power of earth, by the power of air, by the power of fire eternal and the waters of the deep, I conjure thee and charge thee Azal. Arise, arise at my command, Azal!  AZAL!!!". 

Another good scene is when the Master addresses the villagers at a meeting at the vicarage where he tries to win them over but instead he delivers an ultimatum to them.  And the Master says "Now please, as I was telling you, the whole world can be ours. I only need two things. Your submission and your obedience to my will!".  However the villager Squire defiantly says to the Master "What's all this about obedience and submission?!  I thought you said we were going to rule!". And the Master boldly says to the Squire "You rule?! Ha!  You're all less than dust beneath my feet!  and the Squire says "Preposterous!".  However this really angers the Master, who shouts "You choose to question me, do you? Very well, I'll give you another choice. Obey me or I shall destroy you!".  And as the Squire says "I'm getting out of here" the Master summons Bok, who kills the Squire and the Master then says to the shocked villagers "Right, does anybody else agree with the Squire? Thank you. It does my heart good to know I have such a willing band of followers".  

Then we have the scene where the Master has summoned Azal to appear in person and the Doctor has also managed to get into the church to state his case but the Master demands Azal destroy the Doc.  And the Master says to Azal "Well?!  You waste time!  I order you to kill him Azal!" but Azal says "I command!  I do not obey!" and the Master looks surprised "But I called you here and you came".  And Azal explains he came because it is time to decide the fate of the Earth as his experiment and the Master then insists "Then fulfill your mission by granting the ultimate power to me. Who else is there strong enough to give these humans the leadership they need?!!".  And as the Doctor makes his own case for how although Azal gave knowledge to man, he has devised weapons that could destroy the world.  And Azal asks "Is man such a failure then?!  Shall I destroy him?!" and the Master shouts "No!  A strong leader can force him to learn!".

And lastly there is the scene where (SPOILER!!!!!!!) the Master is finally captured by UNIT and he his held at gunpoint and the Doctor says to the Master "And look after him.  I want to deal with him later!".  And the Master looks at the Doctor and says "Do you, Doctor?  You always were an optimist, weren't you?" and the Doctor smiles and says "Thank you for the compliment!".

Nicholas Courtney next up is great once again here as the Brigadier and he get's some of the best lines in the story and indeed moments as the Brig.

And for starters there is the scene where the Brigadier, who is in bed after having attended a dinner party, is on the phone to UNIT.  And the Brig asks on the phone "I suppose it wouldn't do any good to ask for Captain Yates or Sergeant Benton? MY HELICOPTER???!  WHERE TO???!! Devil's End. Yes, yes, I see. Get my car here right away. Yes, and if they do contact you, tell them to stay put!" and he hangs up.

Then there is the scene where the Doctor meets with the Brigadier at the opposite side of the heat barrier at Devil's end.  And in the scene the Brig complains about how one of the UNIT helicopters was destroyed by the heat barrier and he says "Twenty thousand pounds of UNIT money gone up in a puff of smoke!" and the Doctor says "You have the mind of an accountant, Lethbridge Stewart!".  And the Doctor tries throwing a rock at the heat barrier, which disintegrates it and the Doc says "Even rock!" and the Brigadier tells him "Wood, rock, four inch armour plate. You name it, we've tried it. It's impenetrable!" but the Doctor corrects him saying "A hasty and innaccurate assessment, Brigadier!".

Another good scene comes after the Doctor has drawn a circuit diagram for Sergeant Osgood, who is given the task to built the heat exchanger but Osgood is still not quite certain about how it works.  And the Doctor exasperated says "Good grief, man!  Its as simple as Einstein's special theory of relativity!" but the Brigadier says "We'll manage, Doctor" and the Doctor tells them to get it ready as soon as they can and drives off.  And the Brigadier looks on at the Doctor as he drives away and he turns to Osgood and says "Do you know, Osgood?  I sometimes wish I worked in a bank!". 

And then there is the classic scene where the Brigadier finally arrives at the village in Devil's End and he meets with Captain Yates, who warns him of Bok, who stands in their way.  And the Brigadier looks at Bok and says "What the blazes is that?!  Some kind of ornament?" and Yates says "Not exactly, sir" and he picks up a rock and says "Watch" and he throws the rock at Bok, who blasts it into atoms with a flash of lightning from his fingertips.  And the Brigadier says "Yes, I see what you mean.  Never mind we'll soon fix him!" and he calls to one of his men "Jenkins!" and the soldier arrives, carrying a rifle and the Brig utters the classic line "Chap with the wings there, five rounds rapid!" and Jenkins fires five shots off but they have no effect on Bok whatsoever.

And last of all there is scene where at the end of the story with everything wrapped in and a Mayday dance in progress.  And Yates asks the Brigadier "Fancy a dance, Brigadier?" and the Brigadier smiles and says "That's kind of you, Captain Yates.  I think I'd rather have a pint!" and they both smile and make for the pub.

John Levine and Richard Franklin are also both very good in their respective roles of Sergeant Benton and Captain Yates, as they too have comfortably grown into their roles, and they share a nice bit of banter with each other.  And Levine has a fun moment where the Brigadier goes off to his dinner party and Benton complains to Yates "It's all right for some, isn't it, sir? And we're stuck here with a television and a plate of corned beef sandwiches!".

Then we have the scene where Benton moans while watching the TV that his rugby team lost in the first episode, and he flicks a coin he lost in a bet to Yates.  And Yates grins at Benton, saying "Thirteen nil" and Benton says "They're lucky it wasn't a hundred and thirteen nil! Useless lot!".  

As for Franklin's own scenes worth noting, there is the one where Yates tells the Brigadier over the radio about the events that have been happening up at the village.  And Yates says to the Brigadier "

Yes, sir. I know it sounds a bit wild" and the Brig says "It does indeed, Yates.  Let me talk to the Doctor, over".  However Yates tells the Brig "I'm afraid you can't, sir.  He's gone up to the dig with Jo" and the Brigadier asks "I see.  Yes, well, Yates, any further revelations?" and Yates tells the Brig "Just one, sir.  We've found out who's at the bottom of all this.  Its the Master.  Over and out!".  

And getting back to Levine there is the scene where Bert near the end of the 4th episode tries to make a run for it but Benton pounces on him and points his gun at him and says "Oh, no, you don't, chummie. We've all got a date with the Master, haven't we!". 

As for the guest cast of the show, Damaris Hayman does a fine job with her character of Miss Hawthorne, the headstrong and stubborn white witch who forecasts doom and disaster on the village, although her performance is also a tad cheesy.

Regardless of this, Damaris has some good scenes also such as the one where Miss Hawthorne meets with the Master early on and she protests over his lack of concern for the excavation of the dig.  And Miss Hawthorne says to the Master "We are all in mortal peril, Vicar! Have you no concern for the souls in your care?!".  And the Master tells her that the concept of the soul is very dated and he prefers to view the matter existentially and she interrupts him saying "Existentially?!  Oh, you're a blockhead, sir!".  But as the Master tries to hypnotise her, she manages to resist it and she tells him "

Must believe. Oh, why should I believe you? A rationalist, existentialist priest indeed!".  And the Master, furious, shouts "Listen to me!" and Miss Hawthorne defiantly tells him "You're a fool, sir. If you won't help me, I must find someone who will!".

Then there is the scene where Miss Hawthorne and Benton are attacked by one of the Mayday dancers in the local pub and Miss Hawthorne knocks out the man with her crystal ball.  And Benton, all bruised from the attack asks "What happened?" and Miss Hawthorne tells him "I hit him with my reticule.  On these occassions, the outcome is a certainty!".  And as Benton is about to go outside, Miss Hawthorne stops him and says "No, Sergeant, wait. Look, I know these people. They're not wicked. Well, most of them anyway".  And Benton asks "So?" and Miss Hawthorne says "So, it's up to us to explain to them how mistaken they are. Now, listen carefully!". 

And lastly there is the scene where Miss Hawthorne prevents the Doctor from being burned by the villagers for being percieved to be a "black witch".  And Miss Hawthorne protests "Stop! You will bring a terrible retribution upon yourselves if you persist!" and the leader of the bad villagers, Bert shouts "Shut up, you silly old fool!".  And Miss Hawthorne says "You would dare to harm the great Wizard Qui Quae Quod?! You wouldn't listen to me before and now you're in the power of the Magister. You know I speak the truth!".  And as Bert insists that the villager, Thrope get on with burning the Doctor, Miss Hawthorne interrupts again "No, wait, listen to me. Under the Magister you have been frightened, injured, your property destroyed!! Serve the great Qui Quae Quod. In him lies peace and great joy!!". 

As for the other supporting cast members, Don McKillop does very well in his role as the local pub landlord, Bert, who is under the control of the Master.  And McKillop's best line comes when Bert talks to a few customers in the pub about the possibility of the devil making an appearance up at the dig that Professor Horner is about to excavate.  And Bert says to the customers "Well, I'll tell you. if the Old'un does come along here tonight, he can have my best room. My bread and butter, he is!".

Rollo Gamble is also pretty good as the Squire Winstanley, who ends up defying the Master, which costs him very dearly indeed in the end and you actually end up feeling sorry for his character as he is sceptical of the supernatural events at the village but soon comes under the hammer from the Master. 

And this is especially notable in the scene where Winstanley meets with the Master, who tells him he wants Winstaley to call a village meeting.  And the Master further says "I control the forces that have been released in Devil's End over the last few hours" and Winstanley "All that fuss up at the dig?  You're trying to tell me it was you?!".  And the Master says "Exactly" but Winstanley refuses to accept it and says "That's ridiculous!" and the Master angrily says "You need proof, do you?!  Very well you shall have it!" and he concentrates and suddenly a strong wind blows things about the room".  And this panics Winstanley who pleads with the Master "Stop it!  Stop it!" and the Master stops and the wind subsides and he says "Well?" and Winstanley says "I'll do anything you say".

Alec Linstead next also does well in his role as the UNIT solider, Sergeant Osgood, who builds the heat exchanger for the Doctor, so that the UNIT soldiers can penetrate the heat barrier.  

And Linstead has a good moment where he get's the heat exchanger working and he is quite excited that it works.  However the Brigadier is fed up with the noise it makes and tells him to switch if off but Osgood say "I'm sorry, sir, I can't. I must finish the tests".  And the Brig impatiently asks "Well, how long are you going to be?!" and Osgood says "About a minute, sir.  I've got the hang of it now" but then there is a puff of smoke and Osgood looks up with his face covered in soot and he says "Half an hour, sir.  At least!".  

Then we have Stanley Mason as Bok, the Master's gargoyle, which he uses to bump off the villagers that oppose him, as he prances around in the white lycra suit, and the face make-up for Bok appears to have his tounge sticking out for some strange reason!  Mason does well enough with the role but he isn't given much more to do that prance around and point to evapourate things with his hands. 

And last of all Stephen Thorne is excellent in his role as the Daemon, Azal although his appearance is rather brief as you only really see him in the last episode, but the effects and make-up for his character are actually very good, and yes those are tights he is wearing in the scenes where you see his hooves!

Thorne also makes great use of his booming voice for the part and he has a couple of good scenes, starting with the one where Azal makes his first appearance to the Master.  And the Master asks Azal "Give me your knowledge and your power!" and Azal asks "Why?" and the Master says "So that I may rule these primitives on Earth here, and help them to fulfill your plan!".  And Azal says "You are not one of their kind" and the Master says "No, I am superior to them.  That's why I should be their leader!".  However, Azal says "There is another here of your race.  I would speak to him" and the Master boldly says "I think not!" and Azal warns him "Take care, creature! With your few pitiful grains of knowledge, you have summoned me here, but I am not your slave and you are not immortal!".

And Azal tells the Master "I am the last of the Daemons. This planet smells to me of failure. It may be that I shall destroy it. You still wish me to come once more?!" and the Master says "I do!" and Azal tells him "Very well.  Now go!" and he Master leaves as Azal shrinks again and heat haze surrounds the cavern. 

And lastly (BIG PLOT SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!) there is the scene where the Doctor speaks with Azal as the Daemon makes his final appearance.  And Azal tells them "I have decided.  I shall pass on my power!" and the Master delighted says "O might, Azal, I thank you!" but Azal says "But not to you!" and he points at the Doctor instead and says "To him!".  However this frightens the Doctor, who suddenly shouts out "NO!  No, I don't want it!!".  So this leaves Azal with no choice but to pass his power to the Master, who asks what he will do with the Doctor and Azal says "He is not rational. He is disruptive. He must be eliminated!".  

But as Azal starts to zap the Doctor with electric bolts from his fingertips, Jo steps infront of the Doctor and shouts out that she be sacrificed instead, which sends Azal into a fury of confusion and he puts his hands to his head, sending the electrical surge through his body and he stumbles.  And Azal shouts out "THIS ACTION DOES NOT RELATE!!  IT HAS NO DATA!!  IT DOES NOT RELATE!!  GO!! LEAVE ME!! ALL OF YOU!!!" and everyone flees the church just before it blows up.

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC

As I finally move onto the director and music paragraphs, starting with the direction, Christopher Barry does an excellent job here with the story and given its unusual five episode length (only three stories in the show's history were that length) it is actually very well paced and rarely ever lags.  Barry already was one of the stalwart directors of the show as his involvement in Doctor Who goes all the way back to the first ever Dalek story during the William Hartnell era.  So overall this is one of Barry's best serials that he directed for the series.  

As for the music score, Dudley Simpson once again provides the fully electronic score for the serial and its another fine one, which fits the story's tone very nicely with its moody, creepy passages aswell.  And Simpson's music is also nicely backed up by some great sound effects from the show's sound effects designer, Brian Hodgson, who provided the sounds effects for the show from its beginning until 1972. 

FLAWS (Warning this section may contain the odd spoiler!) 

As for the story's flaws.....well yeah OK, The Daemons does have some here and there.

And my main problem with the story is where (SPOILER ONCE AGAIN!!) Azal cannot understand Jo's decision to save the Doctor from being killed by him, by offering herself as a sacrifice instead.  The decision seems to totally baffle Azal and send him into self destruct mode, but I suppose that Azal is a creature that only deals in absolutes and can't handle the notion of such an intervention of selfless-ness.

However, you can't help but think, wait a minute, in order to defeat this guy all we had to do is just confuse him?????  And that's it????  Surely we should have thought of that sooner!  The resolution of ridding the world of Azal seems just a bit pat and convenient that all it takes is one action to confuse him and that's him taken care of!

Another issue I had with the story was to do with the way the Doctor put down Jo in the scene where she says "of all the idiotic things, as if blowing things up solves anything!" regarding the Brigadier's decision to try and bomb their way through the barrier.  So, the Doctor tells off Jo saying that he is doing his best to cope with the situation and she should show the Brig more respect, yet he was only reprimanding the Brigadier for making that very suggestion a minute ago himself!  So basically this makes the Doctor a big of a hypocrite!

I also thought the idea of Benton shooting the lamp and the weather cock were a bit daft as he does shout out for the lamp shatter, fair enough, but he doesn't really shout out Benton should do with the weathercock.  So, Benton basically assumes he has to shoot it and nothing else really!  I felt basically Benton wouldn't have really been able to pick up the Doctor's voice from that distance when he wasn't shouting.

Then there is the issue with Bok, the seemingly indestructable gargoyle under the Master and Azal's command and how the UNIT soldiers fail to cope with it.  Yet you think all they need to do is get the UNIT soldiers to distract Bok, while others could sneak past it and infiltrate the church if that's what they wanted to do!  Although in the end there isn't much the UNIT soldiers could have done against the towering 20 feet high Azal once they got in right enough!

Its also another one of the stories where you think the Time Lords could have gotten involved for once as they could have let the Doctor use the TARDIS to land outside the heat barrier and take the Brig and his men and then travel inside the village itself!  But again I guess that would be too easy and the Time Lords would rather that the Doctor figured it out himself and they only interrupt anyway when there's something of interest in it for them.

And last of all by this time surely to God the Doctor and UNIT should have guessed that the Master might have been behind the goings on in the village as he was the main antagonist for the other four stories in that season, so why not this one!  So when the Doctor works out that the Master has been using the latin term "Magister" instead of the Master, the Doc should surely be thinking "Well its no bloody surprise, he's been behind all the other troubles we've had of late!!".  

Anyway that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So to sum up, The Daemons is indeed a bona-fide classic Doctor Who story and its one that's got all the elements that make a great one with a fine cast, great script, a towering monster, not to mention another appearance of the Master, although at this point they had overused him just a bit much.  And any of the stories flaws are greatly outweight by its plusses and it also is the story where the UNIT family were operating at its peak and each of the UNIT regulars were given the most to do with Benton and Yates getting plenty of time to shine onscreen. 

So after 46 years, The Daemons is still very much worth checking out and it remains one of the great classics of the original series.

Right, so that's it for now and I will return again soon with yet another post in the near future.  In the meantime however, I might aswell take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Easter weekend and I'll catch you's soon.

Till then have a good one!