Classic Who "Ghost Light" Parts 1&2 Full Reaction!
Added 2025-11-14 15:19:09 +0000 UTC
Comments
Following up how this final season started with the Brigadier Bang, as you put it, we have the one that’s rather well known for being confusing. Sort of feels like Upstairs, Downstairs decided to have a big Hallloween crossover with Doctor Who. With shades of both House on Haunted Hill, The Haunting, and Stephen King’s It all wrapped up in a Hammer Horror aesthetic for spooky seasoning. The story is rather infamously confusing to the fans. The plot, and confusion you have, addressing that: Let me explain. ...No. There is too much. Let me sum up. ...No. Still too much. I refer you to the titles referenced in my comment. Your own thought about these aliens landing on earth, the words on that, as I recall, you’re roughly in the ballpark. There is also the heavy theme of evolution. Or was it evilution? I’m all for the latter. Rather horrifying when the Deadlights, er, uh, ghost light is in play. One huge highlight of this is the big Doctor and Ace scene. How Ace recalls something that happened when she was younger, she told the Doctor about it, and then how he springs the return to the place as a surprise. Sylvester and Sophie are such marvelous scene partners, and Sophie sells the hurt that she has when the Doctor manipulated her. The scene with Seven and Ace, it’s like how we saw Twelve and Clara ran into similar scenes, which made me so happy, so naturally this is right up my alley. You speak of looking forward to how it all ties together in the future events. (That strictly speaking happen in the past.) Answering the question of is this the most confused you have ever been with at least a Whovian reaction: Well, it would probably be in the running for that, if not number one. You ask if this is a letdown of a reaction. It isn’t. You know, I don’t think you’ve ever really had a letdown of a reaction, Jess. I’m not just saying that; I seriously fail to recall any reaction that was a letdown. You highlight one of the big reasons that you are the best: the reactions are genuine. Even in the occasion where something is tremendously confusing as it is here, you are your genuine self, and it is a large reason why you are the best. Plus, you still have your wonderful snappy lines that are always a delight. For instance: The random shit room comment was great. Made me make my own comment, “Yeah, like the junk drawer in your kitchen expanded to an entire room.” Then there was the remarks about Ace’s outfits. I loved Ace’s outfits. The sentiment was clearly not shared by the men in this story as it caused all their monocles to fall off in shock. Leads to your humorous comment saying that some of your outfits would make them faint. And we both loved her dress. Figured too that you would have words about the constant hair pulling in this. Great reaction this week. Looking forward to your reaction to the conclusion of this story. Supposing that the confusion persists, well, that’s just the way it crumbles, cookie-wise. Thanks for the fun reaction, Jess.
Thomas Corp
2025-11-14 18:10:14 +0000 UTC"This isn't a haunted house, is it, Professor? I told you I've got this thing about haunted houses.", Ace, "Ghost Light" By the end of the first part of this story, with the many weird and wonderful characters that have been introduced, ... can anyone be expected to actually understand what this story is about? "It was all falling down last time I saw it in 1983. You tricked me! This is Perivale!", Ace, "Ghost Light" And by the end of part two, everyone is absolutely certain ... they have no idea what this story is about. Good luck. Most of the cast found the plot baffling too. "Excuse my young friend. She comes from a less civilised clime.", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" Echoes of Leela, perhaps, when she visited in the 19th century (and was pursued by a giant rat). "Quiet, Eliza. Now be a good girl.", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" An Eliza Doolittle reference! "I came here to find Redvers Fenn-Cooper, one of the finest explorers in the Empire.", Redvers Fenn-Cooper, "Ghost Light" Redvers is played by Michael Cochrane who we previously saw in "Black Orchid". BTW: His brother, Martin, played the General in "The Caves of Androzani." "That wouldn't be a Chinese fowling piece, would it by any chance?", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" A Chinese fowling piece? That rings a bell! The Doctor used a Chinese fowling piece in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" to shoot a giant rat. "The fang of a cave bear! A totem of great power.", Nimrod, "Ghost Light" Nimrod is played by Carl Forgione who had played one of the residents at the mediation center in "Planet of the Spiders". "Beetles and bluebottles.", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" Well, I mean, doesn't everyone keep a Police Inspector in the bottom drawer of their specimen collection? Inspector Mackenzie is played by Frank Windsor who we last saw in "The King's Demons". But he was much more famous for the more than 200 episodes of the various British TV police series he was in from "Softly, Softly" to "Z-Cars". He was cast as the Inspector specifically for this association. BTW: I note he had also been in "This Sporting Life", famous in Doctor Who-lore for having William Hartnell in the cast. "Uncle Josiah knows as much about its secrets as a hamburger knows about the Amazon desert.", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" That's an echo of a line from "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy." There's another, more obvious one, next time. "It's been a hard day's night.", The Doctor, "Ghost Light" Doctor ... Beatles fan? "What are you laughing at? Devil take you, why are you laughing?", The Reverend Ernest Matthews, "Ghost Light" The Reverend Ernest Matthews is played by John Nettleton whom I mostly recall from his role in the "Yes, Minister" TV series. "At the season when the ice floods swamp the pasture lands, we herded the mammoths sunwards to find new grazing.", "Tricky things, mammoths.", Nimrod and Inspector Mackenzie, "Ghost Light" Funny. "Don't you have things you hate?", "I can't stand burnt toast. I loathe bus stations. Terrible places, full of lost luggage and lost souls.", Ace and the Doctor, "Ghost Light"
Andrew Vignaux
2025-11-14 15:23:51 +0000 UTC
