The Romans (Story #12, 1965)
and
The War Games (Story #50, 1969)
Viewed 28 May 2012
Doctor/Companion: One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki / Two, Jamie, Zoë
Stars: William Hartnell, William Russell, Jacqueline Hill, Maureen O’Brien /
Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury
Preceding Story: The Rescue (One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki) /
The Space Pirates (Two, Jamie, Zoë)
Succeeding Story: The Web Planet (One, Ian, Barbara, Vicki) /
Spearhead from Space (Three, Liz Shaw)
Notable Aspects:
- Two’s final story
So far, G and I seem to be averaging about 3 episodes a session. That could make things “interesting” in the long term. For now, though, it just means we finished The Romans and barely scratched the surface of The War Games (the story that got the most votes in the what-should-we-watch poll). We also tossed in the surviving footage of the first regeneration (and the resolution of the Episode 1 cliffhanger – G’s not one for too much suspense) for good measure.
After a brief recap from last time, we jumped right back into the middle of The Romans. Right off the bat, we get Nero’s first sight of Barbara. G’s immediate reaction: “You old letch!” She proceeds to giggle at Nero’s antics, chuckle at our heroes’ repeated near misses, and chortle at the (very bad) stage fighting between a pair of gladiators. She’s thoroughly enjoying herself, and I’m enjoying that. Then she proceeds to put her finger on one reason I like this story so much: “every cliché possible is in this thing!”
Another thing I find so refreshing about watching with G is that she seems to adore the things that put off some folks, like the ’60s production values. When she notes that “their set must’ve been about 10×10” during Ian’s gladiator fight, it’s said with glee and amusement rather than a roll of the eyes. Her bursts of “this is great!” are not infrequent, and give me that warm, fuzzy we’ve-hooked-another-one! feeling.
As The Romans wraps up, and before we move onto Two, I ask G for her general impressions of One. “He definitely changed over time…” she begins, before talking about how his character is still in flux as the show gets its footing. But “I didn’t care for him much,” she admits. The words “supercilious” and “arrogant” crop up, but she liked the character’s evolution toward friendship with his Companions. In the end, though, she’s not overly impressed with Hartnell. It seems Maureen O’Brien’s Vicki was the acting highlight for G.
So with One (at least for now) behind us, we move on to Two. As I get out the next disk, I explain that our viewing material has been decided by the readers here. G is delighted, nearly clapping her hands with her exuberance. (So it looks like you’re all going to have to keep participating in my polls, now.)
When the opening credits roll, G lets out a slow “ohhhh…” Troughton’s face has appeared, and it looks familiar. Once the crew steps out of the TARDIS, she’s sure. “I do remember that guy.” Then we get engrossed in the developing story. Knowing the extent of intrigue coming, it’s a bit hard to keep my mouth shut, especially when G posits things like, “is he an E.T.?” after General Smythe has made his first request for reinforcements. I think my favorite moment of the whole evening, though, was the court martial. “This is like Alice in Wonderland,” she says with a delighted grin, and I can’t help but grin back.
Oh, just you wait, dear G. We’re barely to the edge of the rabbit hole.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Looking ahead: More of The War Games