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laurawanco
Reviews
The Selling (2011)
I don't know what to put here.
Whenever I watch a movie where a family buys a haunted house I always wonder what an ordeal the real estate agent went through behind the scenes. Words can not express how happy I was to find a movie about exactly that, and that it's actually good. It would have been so easy for this to be an unfunny mess with a good premise, but there's a good amount of heart mixed in with some fun jokes.
Side note: Evie Barret from Stan Against Evil was in this and I was going nuts the whole movie trying to remember what I knew her from.
X-Men (2011)
Storm deserves better, but the show itself is okay
This is a fairly standard anime, just with some X-Men flair. This wasn't really the type of anime I'm into though, I like ones with a sarcastic sense of humor or ones that are usually about someone nerdy going through something weird or messed up. Something like Inuyasha or Death Note is more my speed and this isn't really like those, but I'm an X-Men nerd and noticed that a couple of episode descriptions mentioned Charles's son (I'm a huge Legion fan) so I said what the hell and gave it a shot. At first it seemed pretty cliché ridden, but after an episode or two it tones it down a bit which was appreciated. The plot is fine, you can see a good amount of the twists coming, but it still manages to be engaging enough. It kinda annoys me that they used some comic characters, but renamed them for no real reason. They also depowered Storm a lot which annoyed me because she's one of my favorite X-Men, but doing one lightning attack weakened her so much she could barley fight for a few episodes. She gets pushed to the sidelines a lot too and it just got irritating after a while, she's a badass, let her be one! The rest of the team are in character though and get some good chances to shine (Beast makes a super smart squid which is pretty great). Scott is a bit of a jerk though, which is unfortunately how he's characterized a lot so I won't hold it against them. The only character that really annoyed me was Takeo, he's practically David Haller just with all the interesting parts removed. He barely says a word and his DID (which is a big part of what makes him so interesting) is nonexistent, he's a deus ex machina if anything which was such a let down. As is though it's fine, there's nothing in it that'll really irritate fans, the animation and action are good, and while the plot is nothing new it's still entertaining. It might not be my ideal type of anime, but I still had a good time with it for the most part.
Doctor Who: Inferno: Episode 1 (1970)
This one blew me away!
This is by far the best Classic Who story I've seen so far! It's a fairly standard parallel dimension story, but it's executed perfectly. 3 hours fly by like they're nothing. The stakes are clearly set up right out the gate and escalate the further it goes on. Things get very dark near the end as the parallel world devolves into chaos and the only thing left to those that live there is the chance of saving at least 1 person. It's incredibly compelling, I started off multitasking while watching it (I do that a lot since I'm trying to power through 26 seasons) but by episode 2 it had my full attention. This is going right up there with the Aztecs, the Time Meddler, the Enemy of the World, and the Mind Robber as (in my opinion) the best this has to offer up to this point.
Doctor Who: The Wheel in Space: Episode 1 (1968)
Ominous space music - One of the most descriptive and legendary subtitles I've ever read.
I don't really have much to say about this one (hell I was gonna just not review it, but the completionist in me is too strong). This story would be nothing more than forgettable if not for a few things showing up for the first time and some fun interactions. Like Jamie not understanding recordings, or much of anything for that matter, he's great. Again some of the one off side characters are getting more personality, but I found some of them genuinely funny which was a nice surprise. The Cybermats get a lot more to do here, and more of an explanation of what they do. There's also some nice moments where Jamie and the Doctor just talk about Victoria leaving that I really enjoyed and wish they went into a bit more. As for the first time for things the Doctor is called John Smith for the first time, I always love seeing where things like that start and learning that Jamie came up with it makes it even better. Then of course there's Zoe, I like her, but I don't think as much as most do. Don't get me wrong, she's awesome, but I honestly think I like all 3 TARDIS teams from this era. She's smart, independent, while still acknowledging she has a lot to learn about people which sets up her arc really well. She mostly works off of Jamie here and I love the dynamic of her being a genius and Jamie not having a clue about anything. Have I mentioned that I love Jamie enough yet? As her time in the TARDIS goes on she really starts to bond with the Doctor due to her really matching wits with him on some things. Overall this is still a pretty forgettable story that's yet another case of this show stretching out plot more than necessary, but there are some redeeming aspects to it.
Doctor Who: The Web of Fear: Episode 1 (1968)
Review for the whole serial
Due to a lot of the missing episodes not being on Britbox I often feel like I'm missing something, no where is that more problematic than here. This is a sequel any episode (I don't know how many there were before this) with the Great Intelligence (a character I really wanted to know more about since he only appears once in the revival and they never really say what his deal is), and a lot of it they expect you to already know. On the one hand they seem to be setting up more interconnected stories which is awesome, on the other I haven't seen the previous stories so I had no idea what they were talking about half the time. That won't be a problem most people watching this story will have I'm sure, but it definitely was for me as this was the first time I had to turn to the internet for context. It really is annoying when you know a lot of these serials have been reconstructed in one way or another so I don't know why Britbox just doesn't include them. All that aside this is still a pretty strong story, I noticed they're using the length of these serials to breath a bit more. In peculiar with some of the one-off side characters, it's a trend I hope they keep up as it excuses the length somewhat and adds a lot more tension to the situation if you care about even the least important character. This is also the first appearance of Lethbridge Stewart and I can't wait to see more of him. He immediately picks up on what's going on in this situation and gets to work getting it under control. On a totally unrelated note Professor Travers swears a lot, I respect that.
Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World: Episode 1 (1967)
Review for the whole serial
Things start off great with the Doctor simply wanting to have a fun time at the beach, I'd like to imagine it's been a few hundred years since the TARDIS last dropped him off at one so it's a real treat for him. The first part keeps up the pace pretty well, but I found the middle section kinda boring as the travelers aren't in it that much and a lot of it is about political plots and another revolution. They tackle it a bit differently here though which is nice, the head of it (Giles, who looks nothing like Anthony Head) clearly has ulterior motives making how far he wants to go questionable by the travelers and his followers. The ending makes the slower parts worth it though as things get pretty dark after we find out how Salamander has been causing natural disasters. From there it goes further with it. Patrick Troughton is great in a duel role, by the end Salamander is legitimately intimidating. We're also slowly getting a bit more diversity in this show with Fariah being one of their more interesting attempts at it thus far. I honestly wish she was in this episode a bit more as I found her really compelling. The soundtrack here adds a lot to the serial, it has a very Hitchcockion feel to it.
Jekyll and Hyde (2015)
This show is crazy, I love it!
I'm a big Jekyll and Hyde fan. I think it's safe to say I'm not the only one because it's got tons of adaptations. Steven Moffat has taken a crack at it, there's been 2 musicals (one of which David Hasselhoff was in at one point, he actually makes a good Hyde), sometimes the change is caused by cocaine, it's been animated, heck they've been retelling this tale since the silent film era. All that said this it probably the most insane version I've ever seen. Let's get into why. Also fair warning this is gonna be a long one.
The story is pretty hard to describe because there's a lot of moving parts, but I'll do my best. Dr. Robert Jekyll has spent most of his life living in India with his adopted family, working as a small town doctor, and taking pills for a hormonal imbalance. Everything changes when he gets a letter from Max Utterson requesting him in London to attend to his grandfather's estate. Once he gets there his condition worsens and starts bringing out a darker side to him. This is something both MIO (a monster hunting organization) and Tenebrae (an origination for monsters) have been preparing for as he's either the key to ending the world or saving it. That's just the basic premise, which is already kinda weird, but trust me when I say that is the tip of the iceberg. I spent a majority of my first time watching it (I've seen it in full like 5 times now) with my jaw firmly on the floor. This show wastes no time getting to the strange stuff, by the second scene a truck has crashed into a doctor's office because it was trying to avoid an elephant (I couldn't make this up if I tried). It eases you into none of this and refuses to hold any idea back, because of this it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, after getting past the initial wtf is going on there's a lot to appreciate. It's oddities quickly became my biggest draw to the show and is what kept me coming back. It's helped by all this ridiculousness being played as straight as possible by about half the cast. The other half ham it up as much as they can, which is great fun as well. So for the story overall there's a lot going on, but it manges to use all it's plot threads to take full advantage of every crazy idea the writers could come up with. If you're willing to embrace it's craziness you'll end up with a show unlike any other.
So for the characters let's start with our titular one(s) Robert Jekyll/Hyde. Tom Bateman does a fantastic job here, I'd honestly love to see him play this character again in a more serious setting. I go back and forth on how I view this Jekyll, sometimes I see him as a bit of a pussy, but he does get tougher as the show goes on. The most interesting part of any version of this story is how they tackle the duality of this character and despite all the strange things surrounding it I think they handle it pretty well here. He spends a lot of time afraid of Hyde and what could happen if he completely loses control, he has his uses and is one of the most morally good versions I've seen of this character (more on that in a second), but it's clear he could go over the edge and seeing Hyde as evil and nothing more makes things similar for Jekyll. He goes so far as to essentially willingly drinking poison to suppress him. Then there's Hyde who's very different from most interpretations. Most notably in how he's not really evil, rude sure, but doesn't really get worse than that. It's with this aspect of the character that Bateman really gets to cut loose, making it a lot of fun when Hyde comes out. Jekyll has a tendency to overthink things in this sometimes (he even admits as much in the last episode), so seeing Hyde just not give a crap can be nice. Lilly is weird, there's a reveal with her near the end that explains a lot of her strange behavior, but before that she constantly comes across as slightly off in how nice and forgiving she is. Bella is a far more interesting love interest, she's a con woman with a moral compass mostly focused on protecting those under her employ any way she can. She meets Hyde, not Jekyll first, which frames their relationship in a very different light compared to Lilly. Each of them views the other as useful, they might actually have feeling for each other, but that's not the basis of their relationship. It's more of a business partnership than anything else and a lot of the time they're on the same page making their back and forth more compelling. She also has a sorta father daughter relationship with Garson which shows her more vulnerable side. Speaking of Garson he's very inconsistent. It's most noticeable to me in episode 3 because he's constantly going back and forth between trying to help Jekyll then scolding that he'll end up just like his grandfather (even though that whole episode Robert is doing nothing but trying to not end up like that). His characterization does smooth out over time ending up as a sorta Alfred Pennyworth type character with a bit more snark. There's a lot of characters in MIO so I'm just gonna group them all together here. There's the boss who's very over the top, the tech guy who wears a bowtie all the time, the old timer, a sharpshooter, and a shapeshifter. The last 2 are the most interesting members to me, the sharpshooter serves as an introductory character but quickly his love of poetry defines him and he tends to hold off on some orders if it seems like doing so is a smarter idea in the long term. To put it bluntly he's a lot of fun, as for the shapeshifter he's awesome, but doesn't get a lot to do. Shapeshifting is literally his only character trait which is a shame because a monster working against monsters is a really cool idea and I'd at least like to see his origin story. Tenebrae is a group of monsters trying to unleash Lord Trash and their most valuable asset is a guy named Captain Dance...you have no idea how many times that has made me burst out laughing. Could no one come up with cooler names, these are the main antagonists, surely you can try harder than that! Dance is actually pretty charismatic, I gotta give credit to his actor taking a character this dumb sounding and making it his own. Also in their ranks is a chick named Fedora (because she wears a fedora, how original) who for the life of me I have no idea why she's a part of this group. Not once do they show what kind of monster she really is (which admittedly they're vague about a lot regardless) leaving me to think it's a metaphorical thing and she's a serial killer or something. Again making me wonder why these actual monsters would accept her, but it's all I got. There's also a guy with a frog in his eye, but there's barely anything to him so moving on. Ravi goes on quite the journey, he witnesses his family's murder, gets arrested (for reasons unknown), fights some mummies, travels on his own (the worst thing he's subjected to), gets used as a bargaining chip, then possessed for a short period of time. Through it all though he keeps a smile on his face, what an inspiration. All jokes aside I respect them for at least trying to add some diversity to their cast, and for everything this kid goes through seeing him reunite with his brother after having come into his own so much is satisfying. He also gains a lot of knowledge on monsters because according to him it was the only reading material on his way to London, gotta admire him thinking ahead. A lot of times everyone will just ask him if he knows something about such and such monster making him more than just the annoying young character he could have been. Max/Hils are easily the quirkiest characters on the show right off the bat and they are so fun because of that. Max is a lawyer with a heart of gold (and a heart condition) who only uses exclamation points if absolutely necessary and Hils says and does kinda weird things and is apparently crazy behind the wheel (despite no evidence to suggest that and them constantly letting her drive). Olalla shows up pretty late in the game so a lot of her characterization either happens off screen or is pretty rushed. I can't say much about her given how many twists they give her, but she does have a complete arc and some of their ideas with her are pretty interesting. I don't have much to say on Maggie (in fact I was thinking of leaving her off, but she's kinda important so let's make this quick), she's fine, but not in a lot of the show. She fills some blanks about the Jekyll family tree, has a bit of a relationship with Garson, and has some snark to her. So for the characters there's a lot of them to juggle here, but for the most part they handle it fairly well. They keep as many as they can simple, but at least give them something to keep them unique. For the rest they tend to give them surprisingly compelling arcs even if they don't have much screen time.
For this show overall it's bonkers, I didn't even mention all the really strange stuff. That's part of it's charm though, it tries and succeeds in being it's own thing. Will it be alienating for some, of course, but if you're willing to give it a chance I can at least promise you a fun time.
Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
You wanna rule them by fear, but what do you do with the ones who aren't afraid?
Why don't some of Batman's rogue gallery get the death penalty? It's a long asked question to which the usual answer is a well worded "It'd be too easy, I'd become like them", why the GCPD doesn't do more than throw them in a revolving door is a question for another day, but that answer tends to satisfy people. This is the rare instance that it doesn't, and it makes for one of the greatest deconstructions of the caped crusader to date. There's 3 core players in this game: Batman; the Joker; and the Red Hood. One of the Joker's most despicable acts has come back with a vengeance to haunt those involved. The Red Hood operates like a mirror to Batman, his goal is the same, but his methods are far more drastic. He's okay with getting blood on his hands, which naturally puts him and Batman in conflict. This is where things get interesting, if you're familiar with this story or picked up on why they open things with Death in the Family then you've already got a good idea of what's going on. Bruce catches on quick making most of his part in the story about his guilt. He sees Jason Todd as one of his greatest failures, and this case just brings all that back. He took a kid with potential and did his best to harness it, but it wasn't enough and it lead to tragedy, but that's not what all this is about. At least not to Jason, the crescendo of his plan lays all that out. No one's really in the right by the end, as the Joker says he's the only one who's gonna get what he wants tonight. Bruce uses the same arguments he's made so many times before, but for once it's not enough. Jason should have been the last life the Joker took, but he wasn't, and the reasoning why isn't satisfying. There's so much to be said about this film's ending. The way it looks at both sides of this argument until the only reasonable answer lies somewhere inbetween is brilliant, I find myself siding more with Jason, but both make valid points. It leaves you really wondering if Batman's approach is the right one. I could sing this movie's praises all day, it's easily one of my favorite Batman movies ever. As for negatives the biggest problems with it to me was ironically the more comic book stuff like the Amazo and Fearsome Hand of 4 fights, they're fun and all, but the rest of the story feels a bit more grounded so those elements kinda clash to me. While most of the cast are perfect choices, John DiMaggio just doesn't work as the Joker to me, maybe it's just the voice he chose, but something about him here just doesn't click for me. I'm also not a big fan of Black Mask, he always just feels like a placeholder villian to me. Other than that though it's fantastic, it took an already good story and improved it (did I mention it's better than the comic, because it is).
Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen: Episode 1 (1967)
Well, now I know you're mad. I just wanted to make sure.
It's the first appearance of the cybermats! I still don't really get why the Cybermen need them, but they're cute and Linkara likes them so who cares. Even more importantly the Cybermen have a theme song here, not sure it ever comes back, but I kinda hope it does because I dug it. I really like the dynamic between Jamie and the Doctor, I had heard great things about his time on the show and he hasn't disappointed. Victoria was alright, she's a bit tougher that some of the other female companions have been so she has the going for her. She also gets a nice moment with the Doctor as they both discuss those they've lost and how they deal with it. On a totally unrelated note I love that everyone in the hatch is freezing, then there's Jamie wearing a kilt because he's a Scottish highlander and he's gonna make sure everyone knows it.
Side note: I think my reviews for this show are gonna start being focused more on my observations and less on analyzing. Depending on how much there is to say about the plot of each serial of course, but for ones where I don't have much to say that'll definitely be the case. Otherwise I think they'd just become really repetitive.
Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet: Episode 1 (1966)
Review for the whole serial
It's the introduction of the Cybermen and William Hartnell's swan song, I'm sad to say it didn't live up to my expectations. There's a lot going on in this one, but beyond the Cybermen there's a lot of telling instead of showing going on. Much like the Daleks though a lot of the core ideas of the Cybermen have remained intact. There's also a nice parallel in this story with the Cybermen being emotionless and uncaring and General Cutler slowly becoming more paranoid and aggressive. Ben gets a chance to shine here, I really like how his first method for dealing with a problem is to fight it, then when that doesn't work he resorts to coming up with an actual plan. As for Hartnell it took a while, but at some point he just clicks in the role. He starts off very cold and self-centered, but gradually comes to appreciate those he travels with. He's also very mysterious, never shining a light on his past or where he came from. He's not all serious though as he's got plenty of lighthearted and comedic moments. He'll by no means go down as my favorite Doctor, but that doesn't undermine the importance of his version.
Side note: Twice Upon a Time kinda did 1 dirty with all the sexist jokes, he's barley if ever like that (unless it's all in the lost episodes I skipped).
An Adventure in Space and Time (2013)
I don't know what to write in this spot
I really wish I'd looked at this before watching Hartnell's run as the Doctor. It definitely recontextualizes some of those episodes and got me to look into the behind the scenes a bit. I didn't do much research so I don't know how much is a dramatization, but it's a fascinating story from beginning to end. I hope at least some of it is true (in peculiar Hartnell knowing the TARDIS controls). This is going right up there with To Hell and Back as one of the few documentaries I'd have no problem rewatching.
Side note: why the hell did Matt Smith show up at the end, I get it's supposed to be Hartnell seeing the legacy of the show, but it's just so damn random.
Doctor Who: The War Machines: Episode 1 (1966)
Review for the whole serial
I don't have much to say about this one mostly due to the plot being super predictable by today's standards. It might have been an interesting idea at the time, but beyond a machine with hypnotism powers I was able to tell where it was going beat for beat. That's not to say it's horrible or anything, it actually feels very unique compared to the previous episodes somehow and can be compelling. This marks Dodo's departure from the show (oh no, I felt like I barely knew her), I will say she wasn't as annoying as my initial impression made her out to be, but she definitely had her moments. Her time on the show is short lived enough that I can let that slide though. Her exit was so anticlimactic though, it's literally an off-screen phone call that she doesn't even have with the Doctor. It's Ben and Polly's introduction episode though and right off the bat they're an improvement. They're no Steven Taylor, but their characters are well defined and very likable and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them.
Doctor Who: A Holiday for the Doctor (1966)
Review for the whole serial
Whenever Doctor Who does an episode set in the past they usually stick to British history, which is pretty fitting, but every now and again they'll stray from that. This is one of those rare occasions. It feels very different from the serials before it, the travelers kinda take a back seat to the plot and mostly just watch things unfold. That's not to say they're not involved in the events, but they're very passive. It comes across feeling like a completely unrelated western that Doctor Who walked in on. Dodo is far less annoying here though which is appreciated and Steven has some great moments just having fun in the wild west. The Doctor's pacifism is on full display here (although he apparently owns a gun despite not liking them), it's a strange take on it though as he'll constantly say he doesn't approve of violence, but not offer any alternative. They also will not stop playing this stupid song (the Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon), at first it seemed like they were just trying to set the mood, but after the first 10 times it practically just becomes a scene transition. A lot of times it's just the same lyrics over and over, but sometimes they'll come up with new bits that decline in quality as it goes on.
Doctor Who: The Steel Sky (1966)
Dodo is here...yay.
I really like the concept of the travelers visiting a civilization then going back to it some hundreds of years later. It's a really cool idea that I kinda wish they'd try again at some point because I don't feel like they lived up to it's potential here. Sure the civilization has undergone a massive role reversal and hearing the travelers talked about almost as myths is neat, but beyond some details like those it doesn't do anything new with it. This show has already done a curing a plague episode (although they do approach it in a different manner here so I can let that one slide) and there have been so many freaking revolutions at this point I have a hard time caring about them anymore. The Monoids have a really cool design, but the way they go from slaves to basically the very thing they fought for freedom against was pretty disappointing. When I first saw them I really thought they lived equally with the humans (of course things could have gotten worse for them after the Doctor left or maybe it already was just behind closed doors), but after they gained power I would have really liked to see some of them try to work out a balance between them and the humans. Instead they're all just cartoonishly evil.
Steven gets a whole lot less to do here, they really should have kept Vicki in this group because he spends most of his time here practically babysitting Dodo. Its kind of a let down because I still genuinely enjoy his character and Britbox only has 4 serials with him in them so one holds out hope they'd at least be his best ones, but then you get something like this where he kinda fades into the background. Dodo is so annoying, how we went from Vicki to her I'll never know (because those episodes aren't on Britbox so I'll look into them when I'm done with the ones that are). She feels like every kid character shows add to relate to a younger demographic, but they're written by people who don't know anything about kids so they come across as caricatures. Her sense of fashion is good though so she has that going for her.
Doctor Who: The Executioners (1965)
Review for the whole serial
This was a pretty fun one, I like the idea of the group on the run from the Daleks. Everywhere they materialize the Daleks aren't far behind, it gives the episode a chance to explore a lot of different locations and keep up a sense of urgency. They visit America (and meet the most southern man they possibly could) which is a first, but my favorite location was the haunted house. I'm a sucker for a creepy old house. The Doctor and Ian go back and forth on what they think it might be, ultimately deciding it's probably a sort of metaphysical realm of combined human fears only for it to end up actually being an amusement park attraction. Sometimes the easiest answers are the right ones. This marks Ian and Barbara's last outing in the TARDIS, it's always weird when such long standing companions leave. The Doctor is a bit of a jerk about it though. They finally have a chance to return to their own time, but he doesn't want to hear another word about it. Sure there's the risk that something will go wrong, but he doesn't seem to want to even try. It's probably that he just didn't want them to leave, but he makes their departure feel soured. When they do get back there's a strange little montage of photos of them, but it's nice to see them finally back home. They never really had a choice in the matter like most companions do, so them finally being able to return to their own time is satisfying. According to the Sarah Jane Adventures they haven't aged a day since they left and I was really hoping that'd be explained here, but maybe it's just meant to imply that they had more adventures without the Doctor. Steven Taylor is taking their place and I'm really looking forward to him. I've heard he's a great companion and judging by my first impressions he seems a bit insane, so naturally I loved it and can't wait to see more.
Doctor Who: The Watcher (1965)
Steven Taylor is awesome!
When I first started this I really thought the historical episodes were going to be the boring ones, but if anything they're more entertaining. I think a lot of that has to do with them working with the budget a lot more. Instead of trying to get these ambitious ideas on the screen, they can focus more on the plot, characters, and just have a good time with it. That's definitely the case here as the Doctor encounters another time lord who's trying to alter history. It's a really compelling story trying to figure out why there's modernish technology in the 10th century and the reveal of another TARDIS puts all the pieces together. It's really neat seeing the Monk and the Doctor debate their polar opposite approaches to time travel (although I'd argue that the Doctor changes history a lot, just not on purpose). They get a chance to expand ever so slightly on the Doctor's origins which is great. The whole episode is definitely helped by the TARDIS team they got now, which is fantastic. Everyone is a bit more sarcastic which leads to some genuinely funny interactions. Vicki and Steven work great off each other, it's really cool that the 2 companions we have right now are both from the future. I noticed that Steven is the first one not to treat Vicki like a child, she can take care of herself and he acknowledges that. Speaking of Steven he's awesome, he's got a comeback for any situation. I brought this up in my previous review, but him saying we in reference to his panda stuffed animal (it might have been a joke, but I get the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't) cemented it, I'm pretty sure he went at least a bit insane after being held prisoner all alone for 2 years. That only serves to add more to his character though, I really wish this group had lasted longer than 2 episodes (the second of which isn't on Britbox) because it's a really strong one. There's also an outro sequence for this one with all the travelers faces in space, I'm not sure if I like it or not yet.
Doctor Who: The Temple of Evil (1964)
Review for the whole serial
Well it took most of season 1, but it seems like they're finally starting to have some fun with the concept of this show. This story may be on the predictable side (and oddly similar to the Road to El Dorado, even down the sacrifice guy's warrior friend being dressed like a cheetah), but against what's come before it it's really entertaining. They're starting to explore the more interesting side of time travel, like if you have the chance to save an entire civilization like the Aztecs isn't it at least worth trying? Barbara is quickly becoming my favorite character from this era of the show, the more she deals with these situations the better adjusted to them she becomes. She's good at keeping her calm and picks up on things really quick. Her history teacher side shows here which is nice to see and in the last episode and here she's given a high social standing and goes with it immediately, she really likes having power I guess and I respect that. Beyond her though the Doctor is a lot more likable here, he only ever lashed out when Susan was in danger and apologized for it after, I'm glad he's actually undergoing character growth. His relationship with Cameca is pretty sweet, they both genuinely enjoy the other's company and I'm a bit disappointed he didn't ask her to join them. As for little things there's a bit where Susan questions regeneration which is pretty funny with context and at this point I think Ian just loves stupid outfits. Also for their "chosen warrior" Ixta sure has an awful hard time defeating a science teacher, no wonder the Aztecs fell.
Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction (1964)
Tell your disappointment to suck it, I'm doing a bottle episode!
A bit early for a bottle episode, but it's short so why am I complaining. The first part has a good amount of creepiness to it and Barbara deserved a chance to shine. It's a real filler story, but it's nice to see them finally have it out. There's been a lot of tension between this group since the beginning and I'm hoping this helped them come to terms with most of it.