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Post by matthewsee on May 18, 2013 21:12:34 GMT -5
A Land of Fear:
Episode 1.
The Doctor takes Ian and Barbara home in 20th century England only for it to turn out to be France during the French Revolution.
The overall story title refers to the period in the French Revolution they landed in.
Quite a good opening to the story set during this particular point in history.
The fact that the French Revolution is the setting of the story brings the first season full circle since Susan was reading a book on the French Revolution in the series very first episode.
D'Argenson and Rouvray sure got disposed off quickly.
Good cliffhanger with the Doctor trapped in a house on fire while his companions have been taken away.
In the DVD commentary for this episode Carole Ann Ford (Susan) said about the TARDIS translating for her occupants the language of the world they visit as being an idea that was introduced in the “new” series.
Moderator Toby Hadoke apparently did not had the heart to correct her by saying that idea was introduced much earlier in the season 14 opener Masque of Mandragora.
In the DVD info text for this episode the info text writer used the phrase “bargain of necessity” and it was obviously meant to be a pun to the fact that it is the name of the fifth episode of the story.
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Post by matthewsee on Jun 26, 2013 23:00:13 GMT -5
Guests of Madame Guillotine:
Episode 2.
Good structure of an episode in which the Doctor is separated from his companions and among the companions themselves Ian is separated from Barbara and Susan. This was due to the fact that William Russell (Ian) had taken a couple of weeks holiday and therefore had to shoot scenes that did not involve the other regulars around him.
Brian Proudfoot gets to be the Doctor when he walked in for him as William Hartnell’s double.
On his way to Paris the Doctor was forced to join a work crew but it was quite fun the trick he played on the overseer of the crew.
I agree with the DVD info text writer about Susan’s whining when she and Barbara were in the cell together. It was quite a confidence killer.
The unfortunate guests of the episode title are that of Ian, Barbara and Susan. Ian fortunately has been spared after meeting with Lemaitre but not so with Barbara and Susan which is where the cliffhanger came in.
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Post by matthewsee on Jul 28, 2013 20:58:06 GMT -5
A Change of Identity:
Episode 3.
The episode title refers to the Doctor doing just that as he goes in the guise of a Regional Officer in order to find his friends but gets caught up with the situation of this guise when he meets Lemaitre.
Lemaitre was sure cunning in allowing Ian to escape and the jailer sure got a knockout in the process of Ian’s escape.
Barbara and Susan have fortunately been rescued. Unfortunately for their rescuers they discover a traitor in their ranks.
Leon sure put on the charms on Barbara.
Oh no the cliffhanger has the tailor that the Doctor got his new clothes from goes to the jailer to present evidence against the Doctor.
Appearing in this episode is Caroline Hunt (Danielle). She is in the DVD commentary for this episode and it was mentioned her return to Doctor Who as a different character in Frontier In Space and it was mentioned that her character there got blown up. I however do not think that is what to her character in Frontier In Space.
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Post by matthewsee on Aug 22, 2013 22:42:34 GMT -5
The Tyrant of France:
Episode 4.
This episode is missing and instead represented on the DVD release with an animated version accompanied by the existing soundtrack.
Found out at the end credits that Big Finish took part in this animation.
Overall the animation was not bad in not spectacular.
Not a bad way to start this episode with the Doctor along with Lemaitre talking to Robespierre.
What a pleasant surprise on the way Barbara is reunited with Ian.
The Doctor sure tried his best to no avail to get out of that jail.
The physician that tended Susan sure was deplorable reporting her and Barbara to the jailer.
I got the sense that something was not quite right about Leon and that was sure confirmed when he met with Ian at the cliffhanger.
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Post by matthewsee on Sept 11, 2013 1:54:43 GMT -5
A Bargain of Necessity:
Penultimate episode of the story.
Second of the two missing episodes of this story and thus this episode has been animated for the DVD release.
Pretty good episode in which Leon’s treachery is fully talked about here.
Well played that despite Leon being the traitor how upset Barbara was on learning of his death.
Both the animated episodes of this story does not have the DVD information text and the info text had revealed in the preceding episodes that The Reign of Terror writer Dennis Spooner was influenced by James Bond when he wrote this story. It is therefore curious to note that in A Bargain of Necessity the Doctor has Susan pretend that she had escaped by hiding in the trick. This same trick was also employed by Bond in Goldfinger.
However A Bargain of Necessity was originally broadcast on September 5 1964 and Goldfinger was released later in the same month. Perhaps Spooner got the idea from the already Goldfinger novel.
Quite intriguing cliffhanger of Ian, Barbara and Jules seeing entering the house the Doctor and Lemaitre.
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Post by matthewsee on Oct 12, 2013 22:26:55 GMT -5
Prisoners of Conciergerie:
Season 1 finale.
Conclusion to The Reign of Terror.
Quite interesting on just who Lemaitre turned out to be.
Interesting inserting Napoleon briefly in this episode. As the DVD info text the meeting that Napoleon had with Paul Barras was a fictional one.
What the Napoleon scene certainly achieved is that within the narrative of this story that France will eventually have Napoleon as its ruler something that certainly got helped along by the genuine depiction of Robespierre’s downfall.
Prisoners of Conciergerie certainly brought a well done conclusion to The Reign of Terror not to mention a good wrap-up of the first season.
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