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Back to post-Revolutionary France, then, where our heroes are up to their eyeballs in intrigue, double-crossing, and all sorts of other shenanigans. Episode five is missing in action, and it's a damned shame. It sounds terrific! Action-packed and exciting, and as well-paced as the rest of this adventure. Bloody BBC. I mean for goodness sakes, who in their right mind makes a show this good, and then deletes it? You can quote 'reasons' and 'attitudes' and 'contemporary viewpoints' at me until you're blue in the face, but it's still vandalism, it's still thoughtless, and it's still bloody criminal. But that's a different subject, and I'd rather wax lyrical about the good stuff. And it is good stuff. Happily episode six not only exists, but it's in lovely quality. Really clean and crisp, save for some wobbles about two thirds of the way through. I do hope that they decide to give this one a go with the animationy bits, like they did with "The Invasion". The audio on those two missing episodes is plenty good enough, BBC bods. Honest it is. I don't know what you're worried about. And it would be a crime not to try. Quite genuinely, this is one of the best Doctor Who adventures I've ever seen, with perfect pacing, terrific plotting, great performances and beautiful staging throughout. It's as good quality an historical drama as any other that you'd find the BBC doing, then or now, and I miss them in Who. Nowt wrong with a pure historical, RTD. Especially when it's this good.
But enough gushing praise. On to the plot. Ian has been trapped by the dastardly Mr Meaker, and is swiftly chained to bits of scenery, and menaced by men in uniform. With bayonets! Golly! It certainly sounds threatening. *Grumbles at lack of nice shiny picture* Mr Meaker demands the truth from Ian, which Ian cheerfully supplies - he's from England, he says. England, 1963. The uniforms and their bayonets are not impressed, and do an advancing thing, or so I'm told. At this point, though, the heroic Jules, who has spent the last three episodes periodically rescuing our time-travelling heroes, bursts in, and battles with assorted enemies. He pretty much kills everybody except Ian, and the pair of them then run off. They find Barbara waiting for them, as the Doctor has managed to stage her escape, and she's not at all happy to hear that Leon/Mr Meaker is dead. Poor Barbara finds the more violent part of adventuring rather hard to take, and is uncomfortable with the political situation that she's found herself in. So is the Doctor, as he's caught right in the middle of one himself just at the moment. Bad boy magistrate Lemaitre demands that the Doctor take him to Jules' hideout, in return for Susan's release from prison. Despite never having been there before, the Doctor takes him straight there, which is very clever. Lemaitre then reveals that he's Stirling, the man that Ian is supposed to be delivering his dead cellmate's message to. Ian duly delivers it, only to be roped into a bit of espionage with Barbara. Lemaitre/Stirling tells them that he'll get them out of Paris if they'll help him, so they all go beetling off to listen in on a secret meeting concerning the future of France. Ian and Barbara play at being an innkeeper and his wife, which Ian seems to really enjoy, and they discover that plans are afoot to topple Robespierre. Gosh! Odd moment when a secret guest arrives at the meeting, all wrapped up in a scarf, and Barbara asks Ian if he saw who it was. How's he supposed to know?! Later on, though, it turns out that it's Napoleon. Fearing for the stability of France, Stirling rushes back to Paris to try to prevent the arrest of Robespierre, but he's too late, and history continues to take its course. Keeping his promise, though, he helps the gang to be off on their way again, before heading back to England himself. Robespierre of course wound up going to the guillotine, though not before the episode ends. I suppose you could call it poetic justice, but I still feel sorry for the poor sod.
So that's that, then. Our heroes return to the TARDIS, change out of their eighteenth century French clobber, and head off back on their travels. "Our destiny lies in the stars, my boy," the Doctor tells Ian. "Let's go and search for it." Hurrah!
Pretty pictures:
Ian and Barbara are stunned to see Lemaitre arrive at Jules' house with the Doctor.
Lemaitre/Stirling discusses tactics with Ian, the Doctor and the rather splendid hat.
Ian and Barbara play at innkeepers.
Napoleon! Golly!
Ian and Barbara try not to let on that they know what happens next.
Meanwhile the hat eavesdrops.
A sweet scene between Barbara and the Doctor. And the hat.
The Doctor is reunited with Susan, who is overcome with emotion at the sight of the hat.
Stirling and his impressive nose ponder the true identity of the gang, after bidding them farewell.
The TARDIS, hiding in a bush.
Back in the TARDIS, the gang unwind.
The hat, wary of becoming obsolete, tries to overpower Susan.
Hurrah for post-Revolutionary France. Next up, flashy seventies action with Doc Three and the UNIT gang in "The Time Monster".
But enough gushing praise. On to the plot. Ian has been trapped by the dastardly Mr Meaker, and is swiftly chained to bits of scenery, and menaced by men in uniform. With bayonets! Golly! It certainly sounds threatening. *Grumbles at lack of nice shiny picture* Mr Meaker demands the truth from Ian, which Ian cheerfully supplies - he's from England, he says. England, 1963. The uniforms and their bayonets are not impressed, and do an advancing thing, or so I'm told. At this point, though, the heroic Jules, who has spent the last three episodes periodically rescuing our time-travelling heroes, bursts in, and battles with assorted enemies. He pretty much kills everybody except Ian, and the pair of them then run off. They find Barbara waiting for them, as the Doctor has managed to stage her escape, and she's not at all happy to hear that Leon/Mr Meaker is dead. Poor Barbara finds the more violent part of adventuring rather hard to take, and is uncomfortable with the political situation that she's found herself in. So is the Doctor, as he's caught right in the middle of one himself just at the moment. Bad boy magistrate Lemaitre demands that the Doctor take him to Jules' hideout, in return for Susan's release from prison. Despite never having been there before, the Doctor takes him straight there, which is very clever. Lemaitre then reveals that he's Stirling, the man that Ian is supposed to be delivering his dead cellmate's message to. Ian duly delivers it, only to be roped into a bit of espionage with Barbara. Lemaitre/Stirling tells them that he'll get them out of Paris if they'll help him, so they all go beetling off to listen in on a secret meeting concerning the future of France. Ian and Barbara play at being an innkeeper and his wife, which Ian seems to really enjoy, and they discover that plans are afoot to topple Robespierre. Gosh! Odd moment when a secret guest arrives at the meeting, all wrapped up in a scarf, and Barbara asks Ian if he saw who it was. How's he supposed to know?! Later on, though, it turns out that it's Napoleon. Fearing for the stability of France, Stirling rushes back to Paris to try to prevent the arrest of Robespierre, but he's too late, and history continues to take its course. Keeping his promise, though, he helps the gang to be off on their way again, before heading back to England himself. Robespierre of course wound up going to the guillotine, though not before the episode ends. I suppose you could call it poetic justice, but I still feel sorry for the poor sod.
So that's that, then. Our heroes return to the TARDIS, change out of their eighteenth century French clobber, and head off back on their travels. "Our destiny lies in the stars, my boy," the Doctor tells Ian. "Let's go and search for it." Hurrah!
Pretty pictures:
Ian and Barbara are stunned to see Lemaitre arrive at Jules' house with the Doctor.
Lemaitre/Stirling discusses tactics with Ian, the Doctor and the rather splendid hat.
Ian and Barbara play at innkeepers.
Napoleon! Golly!
Ian and Barbara try not to let on that they know what happens next.
Meanwhile the hat eavesdrops.
A sweet scene between Barbara and the Doctor. And the hat.
The Doctor is reunited with Susan, who is overcome with emotion at the sight of the hat.
Stirling and his impressive nose ponder the true identity of the gang, after bidding them farewell.
The TARDIS, hiding in a bush.
Back in the TARDIS, the gang unwind.
The hat, wary of becoming obsolete, tries to overpower Susan.
Hurrah for post-Revolutionary France. Next up, flashy seventies action with Doc Three and the UNIT gang in "The Time Monster".
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