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FishyFish

By FishyFish
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Sprite Machine

Sprite Machine

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The Hand of Fear

(Blog has pictures)

So, I figured the "Hand of Fear" would be some metaphorical thing, but no, it's an actual hand, running around, possessing people and causing... well, fear. Neato! Actually, it's quite a creepy scenario at first and the visual effects are pretty good.

[Picture: In the reactor, the hand absorbs radiation and slowly regenerates from a fossil into a living creature. Chucking nukes at it probably didn't help, admittedly.]

Set primarily in a nuclear power facility, this serial makes good use of an actual nuclear power station, thereby adding a touch of classy realism. The hand uses the radiation to grow its silicon-crystalline form back into a millennia-old alien ruler from the planet Kastria, called Eldrad. Although Eldrad has unsavoury goals, expectations are subverted when the Doctor and Sarah elect to actually help her. Expectations are subverted again when the her turns out to be a he and Eldrad reveals the truth of his past, his exile and destruction at the hands of his now deceased people, with a minor twist thrown in for good measure.

[Picture: Eldrad, in female form, attempts to use her mind-reading power.]

It's quite a clever ending, really. It takes a while to get there, mind you, and the set up in the power station is perhaps longer than it needs to be, but on the whole it's rather good. There are some funny moments too, like when they first arrive in a quarry and the Doctor says he can't possibly know every single quarry they end up in. It's disappointing that Sarah Jane gets possessed again as it's a bit of a lazy trope now, particularly since this appears to be her final appearance. The closing scene aboard the Tardis is touching and natural, a perfect way to... well, part ways. It doesn't feel forced or contrived; the Doctor simply needs to answer the call of the Time Lords... alone.

[Picture: Talk to the hand, 'cos the face ain't listening.]

I've enjoyed Sarah Jane Smith as a travelling companion. I don't think she's the best (that title still goes to Ian Chesterton!) but, certainly with this incarnation of the Doctor, there is a rapport and a good-natured humour to their scenes. I think she could have been used more effectively, perhaps made better use of her background as a journalist (which is practically forgotten about), however I am sorry to see her go.

[Picture: In a fitting conclusion, the Doctor attempts to drop Sarah Jane off in South Croydon and fails.]

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Davros sock drawer

Davros sock drawer

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I think you've summed up Sarah Jane pretty well there. Everyone likes her, but she could have been served better by the scripts. In overall Who terms though, she's in the top 3 female companions. That's partly damning with faint praise, as you'll find Dr Who generally didn't do women very well throughout its original run, with notable exceptions.

The great thing for you is that The Hand of Fear is generally considered to be the worst story of the season. Personally I hate it when they spend excessive amounts of time in real life places, as it makes it look like some sort of educational film from my school days. Also the male version of Eldrad (Stephen Thorne from The Daemons bellowing again) is a twat. But the female version is good.

A major story next, in terms of popularity and Who lore - The Deadly Assassin!

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NEG

NEG

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I think you've summed up Sarah Jane pretty well there. Everyone likes her, but she could have been served better by the scripts. In overall Who terms though, she's in the top 3 female companions. That's partly damning with faint praise, as you'll find Dr Who generally didn't do women very well throughout its original run, with notable exceptions.

The great thing for you is that The Hand of Fear is generally considered to be the worst story of the season. Personally I hate it when they spend excessive amounts of time in real life places, as it makes it look like some sort of educational film from my school days. Also the male version of Eldrad (Stephen Thorne from The Daemons bellowing again) is a twat. But the female version is good.

A major story next, in terms of popularity and Who lore - The Deadly Assassin!

Yeah, he only started snogging them in New Who

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Meh

Meh

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Can someone clear something up for me? I want to know what the fuck sense any of that episode made. I'm just fucking sick of these season finales being universally terrible throughout nu-Who. It's a guarantee they'll be absolutely bat-shit insane in the worst possible way. Good god, I was so bored.

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Sprite Machine

Sprite Machine

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Can someone clear something up for me? I want to know what the fuck sense any of that episode made. I'm just fucking sick of these season finales being universally terrible throughout nu-Who. It's a guarantee they'll be absolutely bat-shit insane in the worst possible way. Good god, I was so bored.

What bit didn't make sense?
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sprite

sprite

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I've got most of this season still sitting on my Sky Planner. I watched the episode with the singing girl and got bored to tears, I started the submarine one and thought that was dross, and not watched since. Is there any point me going back, is any of it worth watching?

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Meh

Meh

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You may have to be more specific.

How about why did time gradually change? Dr. Who seems to do this quite a lot, to be honest - but it's still grating. If time was really starting to change, then why was everyone pretty much exactly where they were beforehand?
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El Pibe

El Pibe

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I've got most of this season still sitting on my Sky Planner. I watched the episode with the singing girl and got bored to tears, I started the submarine one and thought that was dross, and not watched since. Is there any point me going back, is any of it worth watching?

Probably not by the sounds of it. I quite enjoyed a couple of the later ones.

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Garwoofoo

Garwoofoo

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I've got most of this season still sitting on my Sky Planner. I watched the episode with the singing girl and got bored to tears, I started the submarine one and thought that was dross, and not watched since. Is there any point me going back, is any of it worth watching?

That's exactly where I gave up. I relented and watched the final episode this week on iPlayer - it's not much better, but feels like it'll be important for Who going forward, so you might want to watch that one at least.
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Sprite Machine

Sprite Machine

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How about why did time gradually change? Dr. Who seems to do this quite a lot, to be honest - but it's still grating. If time was really starting to change, then why was everyone pretty much exactly where they were beforehand?

The same reason Marty McFly's hand starts to disappear when his parents don't get together, or why the Starship Enterprise disappears but the crew don't when Bones jumps through the Guardian of Forever. Dramatic license in the time travel genre! There may be no sequence of events that could logically create that exact situation, but it's an easy to understand way of presenting the necessary information that history is changing.

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scottcr

scottcr

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First episode I've watched since giving up on the series after the awful opener. Crimson Horrors.

It was rubbish.

Even the wife who is usually much more tolerant of mediocre Who than I am was asking why it's so bad now.

Carla is rubbish.

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Flub

Flub

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I liked it. I still like Clara. I liked that the idea behind the Doctor's web of time seems to be pulled from the idea of "Biodata" that the 8th Doctor novels used extensively and the idea of past Doctors being active inside him is straight from the 7th Doctor Virgin books. Could have been executed much better but that's a failing of the 45-50 minute format they've locked themselves into for the US market. Really needs to be sorted.

Overall? 7 Flubs out of 10. I may change that score after I see the special.

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sweetdaddyg

sweetdaddyg

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First episode I've watched since giving up on the series after the awful opener. Crimson Horrors.

It was rubbish.

Even the wife who is usually much more tolerant of mediocre Who than I am was asking why it's so bad now.

Carla is rubbish.

Clara

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kensei

kensei

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The Crimson Tide is worse than the Wasps and the Unicorn? Or Fear her? Or the Doctors Daughter? Or any other middling to bad RTD ep? Nah, you've all got massive rose tinted specs on. It was an average episode illuminated by a great performance by Diane Rigg, no more, no less.

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