Classic Doctor Who 14x02 "The Hand of Fear" eps 3-4 full reaction
Added 2023-07-24 00:08:49 +0000 UTCComments
I believe it's one of the most simple reasons. Because they're humans. They didn't want anybody but Galifreians on Galifrey.
Amy Chlebus
2023-07-28 13:56:50 +0000 UTCI think I remember that, but I don't remember if he said why. ;-)
Fourth Wall Reactions
2023-07-28 07:02:01 +0000 UTCAww, I'll miss the stained glass round things ;-)
Fourth Wall Reactions
2023-07-28 07:01:28 +0000 UTCThanks for the link, Jade! It's interesting that the Doctor refers to it as the "second" control room - I guess the first one didn't change, it's a different room. Love Sarah Jane playing the recorder, too! :-)
Fourth Wall Reactions
2023-07-28 07:00:55 +0000 UTCIt's a good if average story although the Doctor's and Sarah's goodbye is an amazing scene. I never really liked this console although I think the interior is good. If you want to see the introduction of this console room here's a link. It doesn't really spoil the previous story in case you ever go back to watch it and it's a nice little scene from the start of that story arc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo4FPNIcy4k
Jade Ellis
2023-07-24 23:02:03 +0000 UTCThe new TARDIS control room made its debut in the previous story, "The Masque of Mandragora". (Coincidentally, a new police box exterior was also unveiled in that story, as the original one which had been used since 1963 had become so decrepit it was literally falling to bits.) The production team felt the old control room set was taking up too much studio space, and the mechanical elements of the console (especially the moving central column) were always prone to breaking down and causing delays. So a smaller, more static set was designed, with a Victorian-influenced wood panelled look. I think the steps down from the entrance work particularly well, giving the feeling of entering a cosy den which is quite different to the previous expansive control room. Unfortunately, it didn't last for very long: during the gap between this season and the next the wooden walls suffered warping while they were in storage, so for Season 15 this set was junked and the normal white control room returned.
Steven Cooper
2023-07-24 06:33:56 +0000 UTCWith all that being said though, the best part of this story is still undoubtedly the final scene with the Doctor and Sarah Jane, which was actually rewritten by Tom Baker and Liz Sladen on the day of filming because they weren't happy with the way it was. You can really tell because the scene is full of emotion and feels like two people, who had become very good friends in the two years they had worked together, saying bye. It feels very real and personal, which is honestly exactly why the pairing of the fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane is so popular and successful in the first place. Their chemistry felt very natural and easygoing, as if they were just two friends travelling the universe together. Most people would have them as their favourite TARDIS team of classic Who, if not the entire show. I do personally like Ten/Donna more and maybe even Two/Jamie. It's very close though, I adore all three. I love how Sarah Jane is fed up and tired of being in danger all the time and tries to make that clear to the Doctor, who doesn't hear a word she says. It's so great because she even goes and packs her bags, threatening to leave and in that time, the Doctor gets the call from Gallifrey. The Doctor asking her how she knew she has to leave is very sweet and says a lot about their relationship, as does Sarah Jane's reaction once she finds out the Doctor is going to Gallifrey. She wasn't serious about leaving and packing her bags was just a ploy to get the Doctor's attention. she desperately wants to see Gallifrey and see the Doctor's home because it would be another great adventure, but it doesn't matter now, she must leave. It's so brilliantly written because it's not just "oh I'm home, bye Doctor", it's a series of misunderstandings that reveal so much about the characters and tragically put them in a situation where they must part ways. This is up there with Jo's departure in The Green Death and Jamie and Zoe's in The War Games for being the best written and most emotional of classic Who, speaking of which.... Some people say it doesn't make sense why the Doctor refuses to take Sarah Jane to Gallifrey, but they seem to forget what happened the last time he took his companions there. SARAH: Don't forget me. DOCTOR: Oh, Sarah. Don't you forget me That exchange is emotional as it is, but viewed in the context of what happened to Jamie and Zoe in The War Games, it takes on a whole new meaning. The Doctor doesn't want the same to happen to Sarah Jane, so he willingly chooses to leave her behind and let her go. As I said, the rest of the story is mostly very good, but it pales in comparison to the final scene. The Hand of Fear is a good story overall, but there's no doubt it's massively helped and propped up by that final scene. The next story is when this season properly kicks into gear though, really looking forward to it!
Azmat Mahmood
2023-07-24 01:48:56 +0000 UTCThe Hand of Fear is a good, solid story with a really inventive and unique villain, especially because of how they're utilised within the plot. The fact that Eldrad is a silicone based lifeform and uses radiation to regenerate is very interesting and adds a lot of jeopardy to the story because of how that puts everyone else in danger. I like how after the initial scene with the Kastrians, which sets up the mystery quite nicely, the story holds back a lot of information and builds up the tension and suspense for the first two and a half episodes in the lead up to Eldrad's reveal halfway through episode 3. It's a clever way to structure the story because instead of rushing it, they delay the big villain's entrance into the story and focus on the mystery and danger they bring, so that when they finally do appear they immediately feel like a big deal and have more weight behind them. Also, since the story holds back so much information, it brings a lot of intrigue to who Eldrad is exactly and by the time they finally appear, you're desperate to know their backstory and it's very interesting. Her backstory of being this great engineer that built barriers to protect her planet from solar winds, who was then betrayed by her own people after a terrible war broke out is very interesting because it makes all her previous actions seem like self-defense and borne out of a desperate attempt to reclaim what was stolen from her. It forces the Doctor into the very unique and uncomfortable position of helping the main threat of the story, if only to protect humans from any more harm. It's also fascinating how after all that build up Eldrad is this beautiful, feminine figure that seems almost as scared as all the humans trying to kill her. However, there's something off about Eldrad's story because she never explains why the Kastrian's turned on her and once we get to Kastria and Eldrad's assumes HIS true form, it becomes clear why. His story was a total lie and a manipulation to get the Doctor to help him. Btw, it's interesting how she became a beautiful, charming women to gain the trust of others, but once she got what she wanted, she disposed of that form and became a masculine, overbearing bully. Quite an interesting statement on gender roles I'd say...... Anyway, turns out Eldrad was just a typical megalomaniac, who wanted to takeover and rule Kastria and invade other worlds. His fellow Kastrians disagreed with him and in retaliation he destroyed the barriers that protected the planet from solar winds, which is why he was sentenced to obliteration. Tragically, the damage Eldrad caused was far too much to overcome and the Kastrian's chose to die rather than carry on living in the miserable conditions Eldrad had afflicted on them, and they took the race banks with them in case Eldrad ever returned. Ensuring the Kastrian race is dead forever. Thy'd rather go extinct than their race be reborn in the image of Eldrad and be ruled by him to wreak havoc on other planets. They want to die and be remembered for being peaceful and honourable people, rather than their reputation being dragged through the mud and twisted into something else. Quite a powerful and interesting philosophical statement. The line "Hail, Eldrad, King of nothing" is a great exclamation point to his story and a satisfying blow to the ego of a person that got their just deserts. There's some really interesting ideas and concepts being explored here, it's a very good story.
Azmat Mahmood
2023-07-24 01:48:07 +0000 UTCBack in the day, if you remember what the 10th doctor said, humans weren't allowed on Gallifrey. Because of that, Sarah couldn't go.
Amy Chlebus
2023-07-24 01:37:55 +0000 UTC
