![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Well that settles it. I don't know what all the bally hoo has been about all these years. Episode four of "The Gunfighters" is as good as the other three, which makes four perfectly entertaining episodes, and a lot of silly fuss. Why is it always referred to in such scathing terms, for heavens sakes? Surely it can't all be down to the ballad? Doesn't make an ounce of sense to me. It is all a bit daft, I'll grant you, but that doesn't make the danger any less real, or the gunfight any less violent. And besides, I've seen much sillier. Much sillier, and especially during the Tom Baker era. No, there's nothing wrong with this at all. Maybe it's a bit too knowingly silly, but everybody seems to be enjoying themselves so much, so who really cares?
It's quite an action packed episode. Wyatt Earp's brother Virgil turns up, in time to find that their youngest brother has been murdered by the Clanton Gang. They decide it's time to take down the Clantons, and with Doc Holliday to boost their numbers, issue their challenge right away. The Clantons, supported by Johnny Ringo - who has magically transported himself and Steven back from whichever other town it was they went to in the previous episode - accept the challenge. They figure that with a bit of skulduggery, they can't lose. Steven wants to leave to join the Earps, but isn't allowed to go. Declaring your loyalty to the other side isn't generally considered a good way to get yourself released, Steven. Just saying. The two groups clash, in a battle of fluctuating accents and decidedly dodgy gunfire. Johnny in particular falls victim to both these threats, turning unexpectedly Lancastrian, before meeting his end from an amazing Ringo-seeking bullet. Given that the gun was pointing in entirely the wrong direction when it went off, it must have been something in that line, anyway. Still, it served him right for trying to hold Dodo hostage. Although she deserved that for being a pillock.
The Clantons fall one by one, with the last being blasted down in cold blood after he's lost his own weapon, which caught me a bit by surprise. As did Doc Holliday telling Dodo to "Get the hell out of here." Hell? In 1966? Even years later they were saying "Heck" instead. Maybe he gets special dispensation for being a rough, tough cowboy. Or maybe nobody had decided to declare it a naughty-ish word as yet.
And that's that, really, which is a shame, as it was a lovely story. Whatever the rest of fandom thinks, I really enjoyed that one, and wouldn't have objected any to an extra episode. In fact I think I might write to the BBC, and ask if Steven and his shirt can have their own spin-off series. Granted I may have left it a bit late (by about forty-one years), but I still think it might be worth it. It's a great shirt, as any fool can see.
The Doctor is temporarily deputised, for no particular reason.
Steven and his shirt think about escape.
Doc Holliday's girlfriend fails to be of any assistance.
The Earp Brothers and Holliday talk tactics.
The Doctor and Dodo discuss what to do next.
Steven's shirt looks gratuitously groovy.
Re-deputised, for no better reason than the last time, the Doctor
goes to Enemy HQ to check up on Steven. And his shirt, obviously.
Johnny Ringo gives the Clantons a pep talk before the battle.
Then attempts to take Dodo hostage in order to get the drop on Holliday.
The back of Steven's shirt.
Just because it's there.
Back in civvies, the gang look to their next adventure in a particularly nice group pose.
So the Doctor and his crew are about to set off on another adventure, which is always a nice place to leave an episode. Not in this case, though, as the next adventure is "The Savages", which is an evil story. Steven leaves. This means that "The Savages" is filed under "Stories Never To Watch, Whether They Still Exist Or Not", alongside "The Chase" (Ian and Barbara leave), and possibly "The War Games", 'cause of poor Jamie. Bad episodes. Bad bad bad. *Nods* Somewhere in the TARDIS, they all still lurk, Ian, Barbara and Steven. And Jamie, if Two can be there with him. That's much better than going back to 1965, or departing to inexplicably lead a band of Savages for no good reason at all.
It is it is it is.
It's quite an action packed episode. Wyatt Earp's brother Virgil turns up, in time to find that their youngest brother has been murdered by the Clanton Gang. They decide it's time to take down the Clantons, and with Doc Holliday to boost their numbers, issue their challenge right away. The Clantons, supported by Johnny Ringo - who has magically transported himself and Steven back from whichever other town it was they went to in the previous episode - accept the challenge. They figure that with a bit of skulduggery, they can't lose. Steven wants to leave to join the Earps, but isn't allowed to go. Declaring your loyalty to the other side isn't generally considered a good way to get yourself released, Steven. Just saying. The two groups clash, in a battle of fluctuating accents and decidedly dodgy gunfire. Johnny in particular falls victim to both these threats, turning unexpectedly Lancastrian, before meeting his end from an amazing Ringo-seeking bullet. Given that the gun was pointing in entirely the wrong direction when it went off, it must have been something in that line, anyway. Still, it served him right for trying to hold Dodo hostage. Although she deserved that for being a pillock.
The Clantons fall one by one, with the last being blasted down in cold blood after he's lost his own weapon, which caught me a bit by surprise. As did Doc Holliday telling Dodo to "Get the hell out of here." Hell? In 1966? Even years later they were saying "Heck" instead. Maybe he gets special dispensation for being a rough, tough cowboy. Or maybe nobody had decided to declare it a naughty-ish word as yet.
And that's that, really, which is a shame, as it was a lovely story. Whatever the rest of fandom thinks, I really enjoyed that one, and wouldn't have objected any to an extra episode. In fact I think I might write to the BBC, and ask if Steven and his shirt can have their own spin-off series. Granted I may have left it a bit late (by about forty-one years), but I still think it might be worth it. It's a great shirt, as any fool can see.
The Doctor is temporarily deputised, for no particular reason.
Steven and his shirt think about escape.
Doc Holliday's girlfriend fails to be of any assistance.
The Earp Brothers and Holliday talk tactics.
The Doctor and Dodo discuss what to do next.
Steven's shirt looks gratuitously groovy.
Re-deputised, for no better reason than the last time, the Doctor
goes to Enemy HQ to check up on Steven. And his shirt, obviously.
Johnny Ringo gives the Clantons a pep talk before the battle.
Then attempts to take Dodo hostage in order to get the drop on Holliday.
The back of Steven's shirt.
Just because it's there.
Back in civvies, the gang look to their next adventure in a particularly nice group pose.
So the Doctor and his crew are about to set off on another adventure, which is always a nice place to leave an episode. Not in this case, though, as the next adventure is "The Savages", which is an evil story. Steven leaves. This means that "The Savages" is filed under "Stories Never To Watch, Whether They Still Exist Or Not", alongside "The Chase" (Ian and Barbara leave), and possibly "The War Games", 'cause of poor Jamie. Bad episodes. Bad bad bad. *Nods* Somewhere in the TARDIS, they all still lurk, Ian, Barbara and Steven. And Jamie, if Two can be there with him. That's much better than going back to 1965, or departing to inexplicably lead a band of Savages for no good reason at all.
It is it is it is.
Tags: