We'll always have Metebelis Three

[promethia_tenk]

I've polished off the Third Doctor era. A weirdly black and white era, for me: so much to love, so much to barely survive watching.

Winners:

1) Earth-based episodes. It's shocking how neatly my list of favorite and least favorite episodes in this era is sorted by the ones set on earth vs. the ones set in space.

2) The UNIT family. Two genres I am super easy for are spy families and campy humor, so this was basically the Doctor Who as workplace sitcom era of my heart. And I've always liked the Brig, but god, the Brig is fabulous, isn't he?

3) The Master. Delgado was the last chance for somebody to make me a fan of the Master and not just Michelle Gomez/Missy, and . . . well, he failed. But I had a great time watching him do it.

4) Liz Shaw. Queen. Though we deserved so much more of Spearhead from Space Liz and not the watered down, be-wigged version they gave us for the rest of the season.

5) Pertwee's costumes, especially the late-stage ones. Surely one of the best-dressed Doctors ever. I want to do obscene things to the plum velvet blazer from Planet of the Daleks. Not to Pertwee in the blazer. Just to the blazer.

6) Sarah Jane. Confession: I do like Sarah more towards the end of her time with the Doctor, which fandom informs me is the wrong opinion. But her sheer tenacity and savvy in season 11 is undeniably great.

7) Spearhead from Space, Ambassadors of Death, Mind of Evil, The Daemons, The Sea Devils, The Green Death, The Time Warrior. And special shout out to both Invasion of the Dinosaurs and The Time Monster, omgomgomg for being the best things ever. Just the best. All the hearts.


Losers:

1) Space. Space, why are you so stupid? Why are you so full of boring things I care so little about? Why do you always take the Doctor away from the UNIT family where he belongs and mire him in a really inferior Tom Baker story without Tom Baker and therefore 1000% less interesting to watch? By the last seasons I was hard tuning out as soon as they left earth.

2) Three, kinda. Now, I don't hate Three and I enjoyed watching him quite a lot almost always when he was on earth where he belonged. But . . . are we sure he's actually the Doctor? Because I'm not really convinced. This is a surprising outcome for me because back when I was trying random Classic Who serials as suggested by popular opinion instead of watching whole eras in order like I should have, Three was the only Doctor who really grabbed me. And now he's my least favorite Doctor I've seen. Sorry, Three. You should have just been your own character.

3) Jo, kinda. I want to like Jo far more than I do. I liked her best when they did the best job of playing up the dichotomy between her slightly ditzy, sweet persona and her actually quite impressive spy skillz. I basically just rode a slightly confused rolled coaster with her for her whole three seasons. And her writing was obviously horribly uneven: a story that really knows how to use her followed by one that reduces her to all her most annoying and feeble qualities. Bleah, she goes way down the totem pole of favored companions.

4) Six and seven-parters. No. Just. No.

5) Season seven. I actually made an attempt, several years ago now, at watching the Pertwee era through, and back then I rather liked season seven and got turned off by season eight. This time it was basically the opposite. There are aspects of the season I really like but, man, it is a real concentrated dose of boring people in grey control rooms, isn't it?

6) Doctor Who and the Silurians (though points for the title), Colony in Space, Peladon and Peladon, The Mutants . . . god I can't even be bothered. If it was in space, it was bad.

--------------------

And now I only have two Doctors left, eep!

Comments

[st_aurafina]

I didn't mind Peladon, but mostly because of the wacky alien ambassadors.

Liz was so great though.

[promethia_tenk]

Liiiiiiizzzzzzz <3

The wacky alien ambassadors were fun for about five minutes, I'll give you. And then I just felt like I was in an inferior Star Trek story. Leave the diplomacy to Star Trek; it does it better.

[nostalgia]

this was basically the Doctor Who as workplace sitcom era of my heart.

Sometimes people slag off UNIT for being so cosy, but I *like* them being cosy, dammit. This era is a comfort-watch for me at times. I don't even really rate Three as a Doctor but his entourage are charming.


Delgado was the last chance for somebody to make me a fan of the Master and not just Michelle Gomez/Missy, and . . . well, he failed.

OMG HOW CAN YOU.


2) Three, kinda. Now, I don't hate Three and I enjoyed watching him quite a lot almost always when he was on earth where he belonged. But . . . are we sure he's actually the Doctor?

Long ago in the before-time, when we had never heard of Davies-v-Moffat, the big ongoing flamewar on r.a.dw was Pertwee-v-McCoy. So Pertwee has always been divisive, really.

4) Six and seven-parters. No. Just. No.

I AGREE SO MUCH. Almost no Dr Who needs to be more than 4 episodes long.

[promethia_tenk]

Sometimes people slag off UNIT for being so cosy, but I *like* them being cosy, dammit. This era is a comfort-watch for me at times. I don't even really rate Three as a Doctor but his entourage are charming.
There hasn't been much of this where I could see myself just watching a random episode for fun (I like me my continuity), but I would totally pick up a random, wacky UNIT story just to watch. I can't think of a stretch of Doctor Who that I've ever found more plainly fun.

OMG HOW CAN YOU.
*IZ CONTROVERSIAL* Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Delgado immensely. But the Master as a character has always been a hard sell for me. Michelle Gomez is magic, is all.

Long ago in the before-time, when we had never heard of Davies-v-Moffat, the big ongoing flamewar on r.a.dw was Pertwee-v-McCoy. So Pertwee has always been divisive, really.
*tilts head* I can see why both of these Doctors might have their raving fans and their detractors, but I'll admit I'm a bit confused about why it should be the one versus the other, particularly?

I really enjoyed Three, I just can't fit him in my Doctor head-model. Even Six at his worst is obviously the Doctor, albeit the asshole version. But Three I'm fairly certain is just a different character entirely. I'll be interested to see how I feel about One when I get to him. He does not feel like the Doctor in the stuff I've watched so far, but there are moments, and I understand he has a mighty character arc.

I AGREE SO MUCH. Almost no Dr Who needs to be more than 4 episodes long.
PRETTY MUCH. Though apparently I'm developing extra-long serial Stockholm syndrome: I watched The Invasion last night (eight episodes, two of them reconstructions) and was absorbed for the whole thing. I think my brain is broken?!?!?!

[nostalgia]

That's fair, the only times the Master really appeals to me are when they're Delgado or Gomez.

*tilts head* I can see why both of these Doctors might have their raving fans and their detractors, but I'll admit I'm a bit confused about why it should be the one versus the other, particularly?

I think I know this one!! At the time (pre most of it coming out on VHS) Pertwee was seen as The Golden Age Of Srs Classic Dr Whom, like how some fanboys are now about Hinchcliffe, and McCoy was in recent memory and people could remember the silly bits and the cheap bits, plus the controversy of the Cartmel Masterplan. So it was a bit of a "trad(itional) v rad(ical)" fight.

Ooh, how do you like Two?

[promethia_tenk]

I think I know this one!! At the time (pre most of it coming out on VHS) Pertwee was seen as The Golden Age Of Srs Classic Dr Whom, like how some fanboys are now about Hinchcliffe, and McCoy was in recent memory and people could remember the silly bits and the cheap bits, plus the controversy of the Cartmel Masterplan. So it was a bit of a "trad(itional) v rad(ical)" fight.
Aahhhh. That makes sense. Thanks for sharing; I love knowing the fandom infighting and received wisdom.

I really don't get why Hinchcliffe is supposed to be the greatest. There's a good amount of solid stories in there, and Four and Sarah are legitimately awesome, but like? I don't think I'd put a single story from that time on a top twenty list. Wait I lie: I forgot Horror of Fang Rock. Is that Hinchcliffe? It's not in the high Hinchcliffe era, for sure.

Ooh, how do you like Two?
I do like him; he's highly likeable, and you can totally see that he's the template for everybody from Four onward, so there's none of that adjustment period where you get used to him. I'm just worried there's not enough of him for me to actually get attached. I'm nearly done now, but I've only just started watching him. I don't feel like I've got a handle on his particular character at all. (I've had similar problems with Six and Seven. I want to like them a lot more than I do, but they've only got a handful of stories each, and it's just not enough time.)

[nostalgia]

Fandom gossip is THE BEST gossip. Also during The Wilderness Years there were the NAs so the people wedded to the Cartmel years were writing "the canon" and it was a very unequal structure for a fandom.

I really don't get why Hinchcliffe is supposed to be the greatest.

My personal theory is that it looks a bit better (bigger budget) and doesn't have as many jokes so it's Srs Bizness DW that fanboys think they can enjoy without having to be ashamed of it.

The burning of Two is a sad :( He was too good for this world.

[promethia_tenk]

Fandom gossip is THE BEST gossip.
I have zero interest in any real gossip, but fandom gossip? I will kick that hornets nest every time.

Also during The Wilderness Years there were the NAs so the people wedded to the Cartmel years were writing "the canon" and it was a very unequal structure for a fandom.
That makes sense. Just on the face of it an epic battle between Pertwee and McCoy fans sounds something like the Rose stans having an epic battle with the Missy stans. Because . . . why?

My personal theory is that it looks a bit better (bigger budget) and doesn't have as many jokes so it's Srs Bizness DW that fanboys think they can enjoy without having to be ashamed of it.
Booooo. Is it Doctor Who if you're not a little bit ashamed of it? That's half the fun. Also I don't know how to break it to them that Arc is Space is boring.

The burning of Two is a sad :( He was too good for this world.
Pain over missing episodes is not something I was looking forward to sharing in, but now it is my pain too.

[flowsoffire]

LIZ SHAAAAAW! <3

[promethia_tenk]

LIIIIIIZZZZZZZZZZZ <3 <3 <3

[elisi]

Here you go, a vid you have probably seen before, but bears re-watching, especially since you have now seen All The Classic Master (well, all the stuff they use in this vid):

The Master (When You're Evil)

:)

[promethia_tenk]

I don't think I have, actually. Thank you; good fun <3

(I'm pretty sure I've seen all of the Master now, though. What am I missing?)

[elisi]

I don't think I have, actually. Thank you; good fun <3
Yay! Even better. :D

(I'm pretty sure I've seen all of the Master now, though. What am I missing?)
As in, why doesn't he work for you? Maybe he just doesn't. And if people ask, you can always just say that Missy is your favourite, rather then get dragged into arguments.

[promethia_tenk]

No, no, I mean in your original comment you sounded like you thought there were Master episodes I haven't seen, and as far as I know I've seen all of him now.

And the Master not working for me was the expected outcome, so it's not like I'm bothered by it. I was just pleased that I enjoyed watching Delgado as much as I did because Ainley was mostly bleah.

[elisi]

No, no, I mean in your original comment you sounded like you thought there were Master episodes I haven't seen, and as far as I know I've seen all of him now.
There is... *googles* Scream of Shalka (the animated [AU] story where apparently the Master is robot?). And probably other stuff. But I always wanted to watch that one, partly because Eleven refers to it in TotD, making it sort-of-canon. ;)

[promethia_tenk]

Heh. 'There's no easy way to get rid of an android.' I'll have to add it to the list.

I've been meaning to tell you that Amazon apparently has the RiffTrax versions of both Peter Cushing Dalek movies, so . . . that's probably happening at some point.

[elisi]

I've been meaning to tell you that Amazon apparently has the RiffTrax versions of both Peter Cushing Dalek movies, so . . . that's probably happening at some point.
Well, considering the snail's pace I'm watching Four at, it'll be forever before I even think of those... (Although I love that detail from DotD that the Doctor has seen, and loves, those movies.)

[promethia_tenk]

Well, considering the snail's pace I'm watching Four at, it'll be forever before I even think of those...
I mean, you were never going to get through Four in any kind of expedited manner, so you might as well go at a sustainable pace.

(Although I love that detail from DotD that the Doctor has seen, and loves, those movies.
Oh god, I forgot that bit! All hail Moff.

[owlboy]

I don't understand how you can be a Missy fan but not Delgado bc Missy is basically Delgado in a dress. Explain this.

[promethia_tenk]

I see the similarities in them, certainly, and they're both head and shoulders above any of the rest of them, but . . . Michelle Gomez is so amazing. She's just so effortlessly weird. So completely extra. She's fascinating to watch every moment she's on the screen, and then Moff went and gave her an actual emotional arc. There's no competing with that.

Delgado just did a really good job of playing what might otherwise have been a stock character.

[nostalgia]

Did you ever find yourself wishing the Master would win just because Delgado has a certain sexy charisma that Pertwee lacks?

[promethia_tenk]

Ummm, no. I didn't find Delgado sexy. Sorry. He almost seems . . . cuddly? He's so little and polite and his plans are so rubbish. I want to pat him on the head.

Though I did love the bit where Three pretends he's teaming up with the Master and abandoning them all so that he can get off this stupid planet. I think it was in Claws of Axos? That was great. Three's rarely that interesting, and I almost believed he was actually going to do it.

[nostalgia]

Damn I might be perverted.

It's harsh though, he basically proposes marriage and then goes "NOPE, catchin u inna tiem-loop!" What a bastard, Missy should never have got him that Cyberarmy if he's going to behave like that.

[promethia_tenk]

Damn I might be perverted.
Nah, he's a suave GQMF and no mistake. I just . . . find it terribly cute.

The only time I've found the Master hot is with the Rani. Get it. Also I'd probably find Missy hot a bit in season ten, but I'm hella straight.

It's harsh though, he basically proposes marriage and then goes "NOPE, catchin u inna tiem-loop!" What a bastard, Missy should never have got him that Cyberarmy if he's going to behave like that.
I mean, 'should have not' basically sums up their entire relationship.

[promethia_tenk]

Also let's face it: Moff is a better writer of witty dialogue than . . . almost anybody. There's some gems in Delgado's stuff, but the man is working with fundamentally inferior material. Would Delgado with Moff's writing behind him be better than Gomez? Maybe, maybe. But the world will never know.