Classic Who "Battlefield" Parts 1&2 Full Reaction!
Added 2025-10-31 12:45:01 +0000 UTC
Comments
I was looking forward to your reaction to this one, and the Brigadier's return - my only concern was, knowing how quickly he appears, making sure I got the playback synced-up in time to be able to enjoy it properly! Amazing to think you are on season 26 now, and how far away that seemed back at the start. I am sure I even remember you saying in one of the early reactions that this would be going until well into the 2020s... and here we are! In the future ourselves! Fun to see the Christmas bits and bobs starting to appear... especially given, as I watch this now, it's still (just about!) October!
Paul Hayes
2025-10-31 19:42:37 +0000 UTCYes, we are now at the beginning of the end. Deep breath, Jess. Hitting us all right in the heart right out the gate with our dear Brig. Was not ready for the emotions that were had when you see him again. Love how he was set in his retirement, and when he hears the Doctor is involved, he suits up. If I were him, I’d say in response to the Doctor being involved, “Well, you should have led with that.” Winifred is a pretty good brig too. Like how you give the lady her due as well. The Arthurian of it all is great. You asked does this mean that Merlin is the Doctor. That theory has been advanced, yes. I love how you very quickly embrace the idea, and certainly the Doctor is just running with this. Love he and Ace on this adventure. Certainly understand the desire to see Ace meet the Brig. Morgain is a memorable villain. Played by Jean Marsh once again appearing in this series. Good lady, Jean was. We sadly lost her back in April, so this ends up being a nice sort of tribute to her memory as it were. We do jump on her some when she tried to take down the Brig with her acrylics, knew that would bother you. She still gets less hate than when Conrad Clark besmirched our dear Brig. Christ, that was a hell of a thing when he did that and you, me, Kate, all of us really, just matched with the COLD fury on that one. Loved the reactions to the explosion causing Ancelyn to go flying into the air; Junior Birdman he is. We both liked Ace drawing Excalibur, though yeah, the situation gets serious. Nearly killed Sophie too, as I see the other fellas mention. Sylvester noticed the danger she was in, and you hear part of his yelling as the episode ends. It was initially thought that he was ad-libbing, but then he swore, and they recognized the danger and saved Sophie before it was too late. Judging by the setup, you’d not do the scene, I’d imagine. And of course you would not be going into the dark tunnel. Probably, I’d imagine, you’d be at the spa in the TARDIS. Wonderful reaction to the first half of the story, Jess, thanks.
Thomas Corp
2025-10-31 17:22:16 +0000 UTC"Just that, whenever this Doctor turns up. ... All hell breaks loose.", Sergeant Zbrigniev, "Battlefield" This is great fun - with all the Classic Who references and returning actors. "Of course. Sergeant Benton, tree planting party, at the double!", Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, "Battlefield" It's the Brig! It's the Brig!! It's the Brig!!! And we get a Benton reference thrown in! It doesn't get better than this. "Oh fine, if you like it, Doris.", Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, "Battlefield" Of course as we all instantly recall - (joke - I had to look up the details to remind myself) - the ESP experiment that 3 ran in "Planet of the Spiders" revealed details about a watch that was given to the Brig from a young lady called "Doris". So that would be this Doris! BTW the Brig's wife was later mentioned in the SJA story "Enemy of the Bane". "Who's Elizabeth Shaw? I don't even look like her.", Ace, "Battlefield" A Liz Shaw reference - wonderful! And the Doctor just happens to have some old UNIT security passes in his hat. "I'd just like to say three things.", "What?", "Yeti ... Autons ... Daleks. Cybermen and Silurians!", The Doctor and Brigadier Bambera, "Battlefield" Memories! So is the Doctor filling in your "Doctor Who Story Vote" form? "Oh, he has many faces, but in my reckoning, he is Merlin.", Ancelyn, "Battlefield" Oh, I do like the deep history/future that this introduces - gorgeous stuff. "Yes, remember Baden and my mighty arts.", The Doctor, "Battlefield" As so much fun that he's just playing along. "Then, Merlin, let this be our last battlefield.", Morgaine, "Battlefield" Morgaine is played by Jean Marsh - who played Sara Kingdom in "The Daleks' Master Plan". Also, she played the king's sister in "The Crusade". And she had an uncredited cameo in "An Adventure in Space and Time". Oh, and she was married at one point to Jon Pertwee. "I wish you to know that I bear you no malice.", "I understand.", "But when we meet again, I shall kill you.", Morgaine and the Brigadier, "Battlefield" In Classic Who ironic casting for this line, both Jean Marsh and Nicholas Courtney were in "The Daleks' Master Plan". And, if you recall, Sara Kingdom (Jean) did kill Bret Vyon (Nick) in that one. "Every so often I get the strangest feeling about it.", "What kind of feeling?" "Oh, that it's waiting for something.", Elizabeth Rowlinson and the Doctor, "Battlefield" We've seen June Bland who plays Elizabeth, the blind woman, before - she was Berger in 5's "Earthshock" ... Adric - sob! "Not that way!", "Doctor, it's a dead end!", The Doctor and Ace, "Battlefield" This was a really scary incident - potential peril for Sophie. It was the last shot of the day (they always leave these stunts to the last minute) and the tank prop shattered while it was filling with water with Sophie inside acting her heart out - sending broken glass and water out into the studio which was full of electrical cables. Sylvester, himself, noticed and shouted "Someone get her out of there!". You can see shots with the broken glass panel at the start of the following episode. Sylvester remembers this as the time he himself was the hero instead of the Seventh Doctor. "One of these days we're going to have a nice long talk about acceptable safety standards.", The Doctor, "Battlefield"
Andrew Vignaux
2025-10-31 13:46:45 +0000 UTC
