Classic Doctor Who 5x06 "Fury from the Deep" eps 5-6 full reaction
Added 2022-02-28 07:21:47 +0000 UTCVICTORIA: *screams*
Comments
I agree, I thought Victoria was a wonderful companion, and one that could be easily underestimated. But I really liked her!
Fourth Wall Reactions
2022-03-09 02:12:37 +0000 UTCI’ve heard people say that Classic Who doesn’t do emotional character arcs or story lines, but they clearly haven’t seen stories like this. While they perhaps don’t have the extremes of Rose falling to be trapped in another dimension, or Amy giving herself to a Weeping Angel, they are most assuredly still there. The scene between Jamie and Victoria is heart wrenching, and I think the subtlety of the performances make it all the more impactful. So sad the footage of this story is lost, but I feel they did a great job with the animation on this one none the less.
Lloyd B
2022-03-01 03:49:11 +0000 UTCIt's sad to see Victoria go, I really did like her a lot. Yes, she did fill the damsel in distress role quite a lot during her time on the show, but the monster quotient was greatly increased during her 'era' so to speak. Seriously, there haven't been so many monster stories one after the other in Doctor Who before or since. It was necessary to have a character that would highlight their danger and make them look imposing, but what this also did is expose how dangerous and distressing life with the Doctor could be for someone. This came to a head brilliantly in Fury From the Deep. It's quite a gut punch to see Victoria struggling between wanting to stay with the Doctor and Jamie, but knowing she can't handle all the danger that came along with that anymore. Travelling with the Doctor had always been presented as this fun, magical adventure before this. This is the first time the show truly explores the impact being involved in so many perilous and life-threatening situations could have on someone. This was a first for the show, an important first. Victoria was a pampered young woman from Victorian times who had just lost her father, leaving her all alone in the world. It made complete sense for her to act the way she did. There was always a point to Victoria's screaming and being scared all the time. This wasn't a case like with Susan where the writers didn't have a strong idea of what to do with her character. The reasons why Victoria left in the end show that not everyone is suited to travelling with the Doctor. With all that being said, I love how this isn't used to portray Victoria as weak. It's quite telling that Victoria's screams are what ends up defeating the seaweed monster. A wonderfully absurd idea that only Doctor Who could get away with. Victoria shows a strength of character and a great deal of courage and maturity to walk away from two people that had become her family because she realised the life they led wasn't suitable for her. Some people always talk about how characters like Barbara and Polly should be the norm for female companions because they're a good representation of female empowerment. Well, what the writers did with Victoria is a different kind of female empowerment. They showed how someone like Victoria isn't weak or worth any less than anyone just because they don't have all the answers or can't cope with stress and danger all that well. The writers flipped the damsel in distress trope on its head and turned Victoria's weaknesses into strengths. Victoria walking away from life on the TARDIS for the sake of her sanity is one of the most empowering moments in all of Doctor Who. I also love how all of this is contrasted beautifully with Jamie, who has grown to have absolute trust in the Doctor. He also lives for the thrill of the adventure, just like the Doctor, and he can't understand why Victoria doesn't feel the same way. A lot of his sadness and frustration over her leaving is because of his inability to see why Victoria wants to leave, but I also think that Jamie probably feels some responsibility for Victoria's predicament. He thinks he's lost her because he didn't protect her well enough. It's also very clear that Jamie has feelings for Victoria, but he's never had the courage to tell her until it's too late. You really want him to in their final scene together, which is one of the best scenes in the entire story. Sometimes things that are left unsaid are even more powerful and make for very engaging character drama. Anyway, I hope I've explained well enough why I think Victoria is actually a really good companion. Overall, this story is an absolute classic. There's a great balance between a lot of different plot elements. The conflicts between the human characters at the gas rigs, Victoria's emotional subplot and the horror aspects with the seaweed. Speaking of the horror in this story, I really love how a lot of it is psychological horror and focuses on the effect the weed has on the humans it takes over. It's really disturbing in places. The best example of this is the scene where Megan Jones tries to speak to a delirious Robson. Not only is that scene very unnerving, but it's also actually genuinely sad. A lot of the credit for that has to go to the two actors, who are both incredible. Particularly Victor Madden because by some miracle he makes Robson, a very unlikeable character in the first few parts, a sympathetic figure. Everything this story tries works, it's all handled with ease. One of my favourite Troughton stories, definitely in my top 5for his era.
Azmat Mahmood
2022-02-28 09:19:36 +0000 UTC
