Terror of the Autons

July 18th, 2008 7:18pm by rusty-halo | 22 Comments »

I’m mostly rolling my eyes at “Journey’s End” fix-it fic (because, y’know, I thought it was brilliant and doesn’t need to be “fixed”) but I have been enjoying dwseason5. Mostly because it’s got the Doctor, the Master, and subtext, and what could be better than that? (Well, to be written well, which this is also.)

I finally started watching some of the old Doctor/Master episodes. I don’t think I’ll have anything new to say about a serial that aired over 35 years ago, but I’ll give you my reactions to “Terror of the Autons” anyway. I’ll warn in advance that this is filtered through my RABID and largely tongue-in-cheek Doctor/Master filter.

There is nothing in this episode to convince me that the Doctor and the Master aren’t playing one long convoluted intergalactic sex game.

First of all, if you assume he’s in it for his stated goals, the Master’s plan is ludicrous. Why would he think banding together with the Autons is a good idea? (Obvious betrayal is obvious, and he doesn’t even seem that surprised by it–and hey, he gets to work with the Doctor because of it!) And why would he even give a crap about random-backwater-planet Earth? He’s clearly just there to play with the Doctor.

The two of them can’t stop talking about each other; they’re both a bit obsessed. And it’s not even like they’re all hateful and bitter; they act more like maybe they’re in the midst of a little tiff. (I know they get more serious later, but this? Is a game from both sides.) Plus they’re so familiar with each other, and have obviously known each other for ages. Tell me there’s not affectionate frustration underlying these insults: “unimaginative plodder,” “late developer,” “vanity is his weakness,” “curiosity is his weakness,” “too conceited to give up,” blah blah blah.

And they can’t help complementing each other, even when they’re trying to be nasty. They respect each others’ intelligence, and look at how perfectly they fit as soon as they start working together. Their lines and scenes are paralleled from the beginning. They’re two sides of the same coin, the rogues from Gallifrey.

The Master is asked if he still intends to destroy the Doctor, and he says yes and “The more he struggles to postpone the moment, the greater the ultimate satisfaction.” I AM NOT MAKING UP THE INNUENDO. And he says it in the most seductive tone of voice you can imagine. That line is so not about death death. And as if to rub this in, his attempt to “kill” the Doctor is the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. Seriously, he calls him on the phone, flirts with him, and then uses Auton power to WRAP THE PHONE CORD AROUND THE DOCTOR. You’re telling me he knows the Doctor that well and he thinks he can kill him with a phone cord? I DON’T THINK SO.

“It’s a shame that you can’t be here to enjoy the chaos and destruction with me.” Listen to the way Delgado speaks these lines. You’ll never convince me that this thing isn’t one long attempt at seduction.

The Doctor is pleased that the Master is trapped on Earth with him. I mean, okay, you can say it’s because he’s so fucking bored out of his mind that he’ll take any entertainment he can get, but look at how he specifically relishes having the Master to clash against. Jo calls him out about being pleased and the Doctor replies “As a matter of fact I’m rather looking forward to it.” It’s canon that the Doctor is glad the Master’s stuck with him. They love each other so much!

New thoughts on Simm!Master after seeing this:

* Simm!Master totally copied Three’s coat! I thought that must be a reference to an earlier Master outfit, but no way. He’s dressing like Three! It’s so adorable! They copy each others’ clothing styles!

* Delgado!Master is basically a pastiche of a “hypnotist.” Notice how he shows up at a circus? And how he loves to play with disguises? I was wondering why they didn’t keep these traits with Simm!Master, but then I realized they did, just on an epic scale. Simm!Master uses bigger and better versions of Delgado!Master’s methods; he disguises himself as the Prime Minister and instead of hypnotizing minions one at a time, he hypnotizes the entire world. >:)

And people complain that Simm!Master was too goofy? Look at Delgado!Master! I mean, maybe he carries himself with more dignity, but did you notice the ridiculous bomb he rigged behind the door? Or the fact that the Tissue Compression Eliminator is a completely unnecessary way to kill people? The only purpose it serves is LOLZ. The Master is totally in this for fun. JUST LIKE THE DOCTOR. The only difference is that the Master treats everyone else like a toy, while the Doctor actually cares about other peoples’ lives. (Which I guess is why this gets less goofy and more serious as the situations escalate.)

Other thoughts on the episode:

* I like Three. He’s so cranky; he reminds me a bit of Nine. Without the EPIC TIME WAR ANGST, obviously, but he’s certainly got plenty to be bitchy about, what with being stuck on Earth and losing Jamie and Zoe.

* And he’s such a dick to Jo. Seriously, people thought the Doctor being insensitive to Martha was new? I don’t think Ten was ever as flat-out nasty to Martha as Three is to Jo in this episode alone. (Though of course he does have a heart and can’t bear to fire her. Awww.)

* Whoa, blood! How come we got to see that in the seventies but now it’s too disturbing for the kiddies?

* Even stranded on earth, the characters end up in a quarry.

* The Doctor constantly rips on UNIT for defaulting to violence. WTF are the new Who haters whining about? RTD didn’t come up with that as a way to attack UNIT; it’s entirely consistent with what we see here.

* This was so much more watchable than the other old Who episodes I’ve seen so far. It actually had distinct characters and a narrative flow that enabled me to get absorbed. The fact that it was only four episodes helped–yay for appropriate pacing. And color! (I love black and white when its strengths are used to its advantage, but blurry old black and white Who is just blah. I know, it’s not the show’s fault that the BBC was stupid.)

* The guy getting eaten by the chair sent me into a fit of hysterical giggles. Just… kids in my high school managed to be more convincing.

Now I’m part of the way through “The Mind of Evil.” The Master just tied the Doctor to a chair and felt him up. C’mon, they’re barely even trying to keep this in the subtext.

Current Mood: amused