Welcome back everyone to Sci-Fi Reflections!! Today, I’ll be discussing Doctor Who (of course, that goes without saying) episode 064 The Time Monster, a rather unusual story involving The Master, a time eating monster, an Atlantian queen, and Minotaurs. I’ve got quite a bit to discuss so let’s dive in, shall we?
For the second straight episode in a row, I haven’t been too impressed with what I’ve seen, although this does seem a slight step-up from The Mutants. In fact, simply replacing the Marshall with The Master and a seductive Queen of Atlantis as the antagonists has been a major improvement in the plot. However, even these positives can’t straighten out some of the plot absurdities, not to mention that this is the second time Atlantis has been destroyed, the first being under the Second Doctor’s guidance in The Underwater Menace.
It should first be pointed out that very shortly into this one we get another brilliant Third Doctor’s “reverse the polarity” solution. For those of you who are unaware of what this is; it has been noted by previous Doctor Who watchers, that Pertwee’s classical solution to solving problems is to simply reverse the polarity of whatever is the difficulty. Toaster isn’t working? Try reversing the polarity. Roast beef always comes out too dry? Try reversing the polarity to the crock-pot. Need to save the world from a massive extraterrestrial invasion? Well, you get the idea. Having this phrase worked particularly well in this story, considering how a similar device is used to save the Doctor from the confines of an out-of-time-and-space nothingness later on. This is achieved apparently by Jo Grant simply pulling the TARDIS’ emergency button. What is that all about? I wonder why the Doctor hasn’t used it before.
Also, did anyone else think the Minotaur was completely lame? I mean, he is supposed to be this horrendous terrible monster, and he spends half of his time playing hide-and-seek with Ms. Grant, and then he is undone by a simple matador trick. You’d think he’d be able to stop before he crashed through a stone wall ten yards later. The only notable thing he did was throwing that character that nobody cared about through a window, and the writers did that only to prove that the situation was serious. I got quite a good laugh out of this one.
I will conclude by giving some final thoughts concerning the time monster himself, Cronos. I think this story would actually be acceptable if he, or is it she, didn’t have mood swings that showed up near the end of the story. He goes from a terrifying god to a peaceful female who allows Jo and the Doctor (and The Master, for that matter) to go free. Is this a sudden change of character, or did it have something to do with the crystal? We’ll never know. Overall, this story was ok, but not as good as it could have been.
Just to let you know, it might take me a bit longer to write the next blog; partially because I will be extremely busy for about the next two weeks, and secondly I want to be able to concentrate and enjoy the next episode. I’m sure it’s a cracking story, and I want to be in a position to really enjoy, and I might not have enough time for a while. I am a very big Patrick Troughton fan (Second Doctor), and it will be good to see him back in action again. Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment, contact me if you have questions, and I will see you next time.
For the second straight episode in a row, I haven’t been too impressed with what I’ve seen, although this does seem a slight step-up from The Mutants. In fact, simply replacing the Marshall with The Master and a seductive Queen of Atlantis as the antagonists has been a major improvement in the plot. However, even these positives can’t straighten out some of the plot absurdities, not to mention that this is the second time Atlantis has been destroyed, the first being under the Second Doctor’s guidance in The Underwater Menace.
It should first be pointed out that very shortly into this one we get another brilliant Third Doctor’s “reverse the polarity” solution. For those of you who are unaware of what this is; it has been noted by previous Doctor Who watchers, that Pertwee’s classical solution to solving problems is to simply reverse the polarity of whatever is the difficulty. Toaster isn’t working? Try reversing the polarity. Roast beef always comes out too dry? Try reversing the polarity to the crock-pot. Need to save the world from a massive extraterrestrial invasion? Well, you get the idea. Having this phrase worked particularly well in this story, considering how a similar device is used to save the Doctor from the confines of an out-of-time-and-space nothingness later on. This is achieved apparently by Jo Grant simply pulling the TARDIS’ emergency button. What is that all about? I wonder why the Doctor hasn’t used it before.
Also, did anyone else think the Minotaur was completely lame? I mean, he is supposed to be this horrendous terrible monster, and he spends half of his time playing hide-and-seek with Ms. Grant, and then he is undone by a simple matador trick. You’d think he’d be able to stop before he crashed through a stone wall ten yards later. The only notable thing he did was throwing that character that nobody cared about through a window, and the writers did that only to prove that the situation was serious. I got quite a good laugh out of this one.
I will conclude by giving some final thoughts concerning the time monster himself, Cronos. I think this story would actually be acceptable if he, or is it she, didn’t have mood swings that showed up near the end of the story. He goes from a terrifying god to a peaceful female who allows Jo and the Doctor (and The Master, for that matter) to go free. Is this a sudden change of character, or did it have something to do with the crystal? We’ll never know. Overall, this story was ok, but not as good as it could have been.
Just to let you know, it might take me a bit longer to write the next blog; partially because I will be extremely busy for about the next two weeks, and secondly I want to be able to concentrate and enjoy the next episode. I’m sure it’s a cracking story, and I want to be in a position to really enjoy, and I might not have enough time for a while. I am a very big Patrick Troughton fan (Second Doctor), and it will be good to see him back in action again. Thanks for visiting, please leave a comment, contact me if you have questions, and I will see you next time.