I've decided that I like it better when they start and end with the real footage. Everything is introduced in the beginning, and everything reaches a climax in the last episode. Usually the second and third are the slowest, plot-wise. Of course, I have absolutely no control over this, but I can still state my preference. It's odd because I think I've actually adapted to the reconstructions. They don't irritate me as much as they used to. No, I don't think I've suffered a concussion. This time around the non-recons were in the middle, which is not my preference. Well, what I really prefer of course is that they not be recons at all, but I can't do anything about that.
In my last review of the Highlanders, I forgot to mention the recent addition of Jamie to the motley crew. After watching him in this episode, I don't like he is the same age of Polly and Ben. I believe that I'm getting my 'young factor' from Polly and Ben, and adding another young character is not doing much for me. I don't know if they are really trying to drag in the younger audience, but it isn't working for me. I still think the greatest mix of companions were Ian, Barbara and Vicki. I can relate to Ian and Barbara because I'm an old stuffy person, and I could enjoy the young Vicki because she was just a child. So having three young people with Troughton doesn't seem like a harmonious balance. Polly and Ben remind me a bit of Amy and Rory, former companions of Matt Smith. Have I become a rigid old fogey?
Jamie is Scottish; I get that is why he is running around in a kilt. But when he's doing all that jumping around, and falling and tripping, there's a little too much kilt for me. Does he really have to wear that?
I'm a little confused about the Fish People. In the first episode, they seemed to put great emphasis on the fact that they are humans who have been physically altered to dive around and collect seaweed for everyone. They try to give Polly a shot that will give her gills so that she can swim in the sea. Apparently there are no such things as tin cans and vending machines. But then I got the impression that the Fish People were aliens, and treated as such. You would think part of the plot would include finding a way to reverse the damage they've done to the humans, but no. Everyone seemed more concerned about Earth blowing up. I guess in the whole scheme of things it would be better to worry about the existence of Earth more.
The whole story revolves around the lost city of Atlantis. The mad scientist's plot is to raise Atlantis by draining the ocean into the center of the Earth. Actually, this is only half his purpose. He's really draining the water into the Earth's hot core so that the pressure of the steam generated form the water will blow apart the planet. Ah. Now that's the plot we were looking for.
We had a most unusual experience in our house, the moment I saw Lolem, played by Peter Stephens.
"Oh my gosh, that's Cyril!" I exclaimed.
"What? Who?" My expert viewer was startled.
"You know, Cyril from the Celestial Toymaker," I said. "Really, try to keep up."
"You're such a nerd now," my viewer said with a smug look.
"Such blasphemy."
It was an embarrassing moment. I've become worse than my expert viewer. Then again, I can barely keep my mouth shut when I should. Of course he knew who Cyril was. "You do know that all you did was scream, 'OMG that's Cyril' right?" he laughed.
What I didn't like about the setting is that there is an entire civilization of Atlanteans in this city. This was really hard to believe. Has no one a desire to get out of Atlantis and head up north? The sole purpose of the fish people is to feed everyone. It seems like a dreadful misuse of man power, but that's just me. Surely someone would have invented a better way to get food by now.
All the costumes in the episode were hilarious.
I'm not really sure why the mad scientist wants to blow up Earth. Perhaps he doesn't get enough sunshine each day? Does he have a brain tumor? Is he suffering post traumatic stress syndrome? Does he have a vitamin deficiency? Or is he just another James Bond villain, who gets a kick out of blowing up an entire planet? Apparently it's the latter.
Are we having a funny moment?
No one down in Atlantis seems to understand the ramification of the mad scientist's plan, until the Doctor comes long and creates an experiment for the 4th graders about what happens when you drain water into the Earth's core. So we're really implying that no one down there has a modicum of intelligence.
They dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy into filming the Fish People. They were not underwater and you could tell they were hanging on fishing line, pretending to swim about. Yeah, we get that they can swim underwater. In smaller scenes, they did show the people swimming about in real water. It must have been very cold and uncomfortable.
Why does the Doctor sign his name as Dr. W.?
The Doctor gets to disguise himself a couple times. He's really into that.
Next up: The Moonbase
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