A new adventure for the Second Doctor as told by his companion, Victoria Waterfield.
1 Comment
Styre
on May 9, 2016 at 9:39 PM
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: THE GREAT SPACE ELEVATOR
The second story in the third series of Companion Chronicles, Jonathan Morris’ “The Great Space Elevator” debuts another classic series actor in the range while aiming to recapture the feeling of Patrick Troughton’s second season in the role. It succeeds in both of these goals, but unfortunately it doesn’t really achieve anything more than that.
There’s really no doubt that Morris is trying a season 5 pastiche here, from the near-future Earth setting to the opportunity for interesting location filming to the “base under siege” plot that emerges in the second episode. Coincidentally, I write this review soon after the recovery of 9 missing episodes of “The Enemy of the World” and “The Web of Fear,” and having recently watched “The Ice Warriors,” so season 5 is fresh in my mind. By comparison, “The Great Space Elevator” doesn’t really measure up to its television counterparts. The alien force operating from the Elevator isn’t particularly scary, nor is it at all charismatic – so what, exactly, is memorable about it? Yes, the structure of season 5 gets repetitive, but it remains one of the most beloved seasons because of its villains: the Cybermen, the Ice Warriors, the Great Intelligence, Salamander! “Electricity aliens” doesn’t have the same ring to it, and the relative ease with which the Doctor defeats them doesn’t help their reputation. The story is honestly much more interesting when they’re riding up the Elevator – once they get to the top, it grinds to a halt.
This story marks the debut of Deborah Watling in the Companion Chronicles, and thankfully Morris tries to flesh Victoria out from her television persona. It’s a running gag, but it’s basically true: Victoria was arguably the most useless of Doctor Who companions, finally making a difference in her final story by stumbling across a monster vulnerable to screaming. With Watling narrating and the story told from Victoria’s perspective, we actually get an inside look at her relationships with the Doctor and Jamie and the way she approached her fantastic voyages. It’s easy to believe in the quiet awe Morris gives her, just as it is to understand how much of her father Victoria must have seen in the Doctor. But even these efforts fall somewhat flat, as Victoria still doesn’t really do much of anything in the story – even her featured moment, where she attempts to infiltrate the control room, turns out to be part of a scheme orchestrated by the Doctor!
As narrator, Watling isn’t bad, though the changes in her voice make it difficult to take her seriously as her younger self. But her impressions of Troughton and Hines are shot through with affection – there’s warmth here that’s easy to relate to. Casting needed work, though: Helen Goldwyn is barely in the story, meaning that Watling has to do practically every voice herself. Nigel Fairs directs, and while he obviously works well with his lead, it’s difficult to pump too much excitement into a story like this. David Darlington’s sound design is quietly effective. Overall, while “The Great Space Elevator” is a fine tribute to season 5, it doesn’t stand up particularly well against the actual stories from that era. I enjoyed it, and there’s nothing whatsoever that’s bad about it, but there just isn’t much going on here.
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: THE GREAT SPACE ELEVATOR
The second story in the third series of Companion Chronicles, Jonathan Morris’ “The Great Space Elevator” debuts another classic series actor in the range while aiming to recapture the feeling of Patrick Troughton’s second season in the role. It succeeds in both of these goals, but unfortunately it doesn’t really achieve anything more than that.
There’s really no doubt that Morris is trying a season 5 pastiche here, from the near-future Earth setting to the opportunity for interesting location filming to the “base under siege” plot that emerges in the second episode. Coincidentally, I write this review soon after the recovery of 9 missing episodes of “The Enemy of the World” and “The Web of Fear,” and having recently watched “The Ice Warriors,” so season 5 is fresh in my mind. By comparison, “The Great Space Elevator” doesn’t really measure up to its television counterparts. The alien force operating from the Elevator isn’t particularly scary, nor is it at all charismatic – so what, exactly, is memorable about it? Yes, the structure of season 5 gets repetitive, but it remains one of the most beloved seasons because of its villains: the Cybermen, the Ice Warriors, the Great Intelligence, Salamander! “Electricity aliens” doesn’t have the same ring to it, and the relative ease with which the Doctor defeats them doesn’t help their reputation. The story is honestly much more interesting when they’re riding up the Elevator – once they get to the top, it grinds to a halt.
This story marks the debut of Deborah Watling in the Companion Chronicles, and thankfully Morris tries to flesh Victoria out from her television persona. It’s a running gag, but it’s basically true: Victoria was arguably the most useless of Doctor Who companions, finally making a difference in her final story by stumbling across a monster vulnerable to screaming. With Watling narrating and the story told from Victoria’s perspective, we actually get an inside look at her relationships with the Doctor and Jamie and the way she approached her fantastic voyages. It’s easy to believe in the quiet awe Morris gives her, just as it is to understand how much of her father Victoria must have seen in the Doctor. But even these efforts fall somewhat flat, as Victoria still doesn’t really do much of anything in the story – even her featured moment, where she attempts to infiltrate the control room, turns out to be part of a scheme orchestrated by the Doctor!
As narrator, Watling isn’t bad, though the changes in her voice make it difficult to take her seriously as her younger self. But her impressions of Troughton and Hines are shot through with affection – there’s warmth here that’s easy to relate to. Casting needed work, though: Helen Goldwyn is barely in the story, meaning that Watling has to do practically every voice herself. Nigel Fairs directs, and while he obviously works well with his lead, it’s difficult to pump too much excitement into a story like this. David Darlington’s sound design is quietly effective. Overall, while “The Great Space Elevator” is a fine tribute to season 5, it doesn’t stand up particularly well against the actual stories from that era. I enjoyed it, and there’s nothing whatsoever that’s bad about it, but there just isn’t much going on here.
Decent.
6/10