Episode 2: "Small Prophet, Quick Return"
(Using Loose Cannon Recon on Dailymotion)So, we have lost Hartnell's facial reaction to the disappearance of the TARDIS, but that is one pregnant pause. Surely now though we know him well enough to picture what he did. Eye-rolling disbelief. I think, unlike Troughton, he had a certain set bag of acting tricks that he called on and he seemed as consistent in acting out disbelief as in his every other reaction? With Hartnell, I feel we don't need always to see him to know what he is most likely doing?
The wobbly, drunken music is back again. Never smuggle hip flasks into a recording session is the sobering lesson to be learned from this debacle.
The audio suggest a studio set for the "looking for the TARDIS on the plain" scene?
This is quite heavy stuff. The Doctor and Steven are about to be butchered with swords on a plain in ancient history (with their bodies left to rot "as an example to their fellows") and I really can't see a way out from them. This is something a 'Carry On' film would never have done, so it feels as if the story isn't sure what it wants to be; a comedy or a hard-hitting historical? It's a strange beast, this "Myth Makers".
The only way that Steven and the Doctor can be saved now is through some unconvincing excuse about why they shouldn't actually be killed - or some other person interrupts to stop the execution (either an enemy - or an ally with a reason why they shouldn't die). I wonder which the story will go with. Either way it's likely to be lame?
How odd! The guy who ordered their execution - in his very next line - decides instead to give them one last chance to tell the truth. I think this is a sign that the writer painted himself into a corner and didn't even bother with the usual cliched interruption while also being unable to think of a clever way for the Doctor and Steven to save themselves, so just had their execution cancelled for no reason whatsoever. Clearly this is a rush-written tale that's making itself up as it goes along? Not surprising with the demands of telly back then. But it seems an odd moment, nonetheless.
Back at one of the bases and the call at 3:00 for "SOUND THE TRUMPETS!" goes out - leading to an hilariously sloshed band of trumpeteers to wobble their way through a salute - and we are clearly in for a scene of broadly played stage comedy now. Clearly this is a comedy writer who relishes having a laugh and is uncomfortable with writing all the darker stuff, but who does his best to be serious per the requirements of the job and then ultimately backs away from it?
I think that the actress playing Cassandra is impressively, intensely unpleasant in her convictions, wanting anything that doesn't fit into her viewpoint killed. So far as I recall she remains so throughout the story. They had some good actors back then.
Vicki alone in the TARDIS at 7:00 - and what must Maureen O Brien have been thinking as she filmed this tale. Supposedly ousted from the show for daring to voice criticisms of the "Galaxy 4" script and only informed that this was her last tale when she returned refreshed from her holiday when she could have been instead looking for work. What a miserable time this must have been for her.
Followed by one of those 8mm snippets of the Doctor and Steven chatting on the plain which reminds us that we do have clips from this story, albeit brief and shot so obliquely. Am glad that efforts continue to try and bring these snippets up to the standard where they can be compared to the quality of genuine clips from the original broadcasts.
Ah, so the Doctor and Steven have come clean that they are time travellers and the guy ordering their execution decides to believe them due to their sheer "credulity" in telling him such a tale. Ah - and he is going to spare their lives, so long as they use their "supernatural knowledge" to help him scheme against his enemies. I take it back about the writer, this is quite well done to be fair, imo, as a get out of execution ploy.
9:45 and they are going to burn the TARDIS with a pile of twigs around it's base. Good luck with that one.
Vicki emerges before a match can be struck and immediately Cassandra is threatened and hissing venom at poor Vicki for encroaching on her "knowing stuff about the future" turf. The contrast between hate-filled Cassandra and gentle, friendly Vicki - speaking her truth as best she can - is nicely highlighted.
12:35 and a rubbish bit of the script is about to be foisted on us. Vicki gives her name and the beardy bloke in charge thinks it "too outlandish" and decides there and then with little logic to rename her Cressida, with everyone calling her it from now on. How clever, ha ha. Clearly there is going to be a Troilus turning up, but this doesn't even make historical sense anyway as I gather that Troilus and Cressida was a later fictional invention by storytellers long after the events of this tale. Just a writer trying to be clever at the expense of credibility. Hammering an idea into the script that should have been discarded by a script editor. Yes, have the romance, but nay, nay and thrice nay to the stupid Troilus and Cressida idea?
14:35 and Steven suggests that the Doctor give them the wooden horse idea, with the Doctor dismissing it as likely an invention of Homer.
15:38 - and the acting legend known as Jon Luxton enters and has a slight stumble ("... against my L....Lord Achilles") in his few lines as a messenger. A quick look at his resume shows that he had only 5 total acting credits to his name.
IMDB.... most likely all wiped as with this. Perhaps he had seen Billy raging away between scenes and was understandably nervous when his big moment arrived. One more credit after this as a Russian in the "An Enemy of the State" series (aired almost exactly a month after this episode, on 24th November) and then clearly decided that acting wasn't for him.
And now Steven is doing an Ian Chesterton, a la "The Crusade" and volunteering to go and rescue Vicki. Maybe he hasn't been keeping up on current events (pal), but she is now Cressida.
18:00 and Steven is carrying out his rescue plan by confronting Paris on the official BBC Trojan plain. And even Steven is changing his name now to Diomini (sic). What is this name altering obsession?
A lame, drunken orchestra swordfight ensues.
The writer is clearly enjoying himself with all this Steven praising a vain Paris to the skies malarkey.
21:00 and Vicki is making herself nicely at home, having just enjoyed a lovely meal. She then mulls over the legend of the Trojan Horse in front of her captor and then enquires after Troilus who must have been shown clearing away the plates or something. Or maybe he wasn't shown in this episode but they are mentioning him anyway, without having to pay the actor. Blimey they are not wasting time in setting up this legendary romance.
Paris bursts in, bringing Steven with him. Vicki blurts out her recognition, as does Steven of her, leading Cassandra to have all the excuse she needs for a "kill her!!!!!" ending.
I rather like this episode. If it turned up as a representative segment of this story, I wouldn't complain. But suspect that episode 4 will remain the one I would most like to see back.
Wonder what episode 3 will be like though?