Doctor Who/Recap/S24/E01 Time and the Rani: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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{{quote|''"I've had enough of this drivel!"''<br />So have we, '''Mel'''. So have we.}}
{{quote|''"I've had enough of this drivel!"''<br />So have we, '''Mel'''. So have we.}}


Without even an opening credits sequence to kick things off, this sequence features an impressive ''(for the time)'' CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant: the TARDIS is being zapped and we're supposed to care. The TARDIS is then forced to land on an [[BBC Quarry|exotic alien planet]] as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The TARDIS is then opened up and [[Doctor Who (TV)/Recap/S22 E3 The Mark of the Rani|the Rani]] steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing [[Fake Shemp|a guy in a wig]] who then [[The Nth Doctor|regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes<ref>That's right, no fantastic ending to Colin Baker's Doctor, just... [[Dropped a Bridge On Him|a nasty bump on the head]].</ref>
Without even an opening credits sequence to kick things off, this sequence features an impressive ''(for the time)'' CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant: the TARDIS is being zapped and we're supposed to care. The TARDIS is then forced to land on an [[BBC Quarry|exotic alien planet]] as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The TARDIS is then opened up and [[Doctor Who/Recap/S22 E3 The Mark of the Rani|the Rani]] steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing [[Fake Shemp|a guy in a wig]] who then [[The Nth Doctor|regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes<ref>That's right, no fantastic ending to Colin Baker's Doctor, just... [[Dropped a Bridge On Him|a nasty bump on the head]].</ref>


The Rani then takes the Doctor off to her secret laboratory while leaving the companion Mel back in the TARDIS to stumble around the exotic alien landscape with that day-glo lizard we saw earlier. The Doctor awakens to see the Rani disguising herself as Mel, acting like Mel and generally being Mel's somewhat annoying self for... um... we're never really told why. Maybe the Rani simply wanted to be the Doctor's companion for a while.
The Rani then takes the Doctor off to her secret laboratory while leaving the companion Mel back in the TARDIS to stumble around the exotic alien landscape with that day-glo lizard we saw earlier. The Doctor awakens to see the Rani disguising herself as Mel, acting like Mel and generally being Mel's somewhat annoying self for... um... we're never really told why. Maybe the Rani simply wanted to be the Doctor's companion for a while.
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* [[Bat Out of Hell]]: the Rani's Tetrap Mooks
* [[Bat Out of Hell]]: the Rani's Tetrap Mooks
* [[BBC Quarry]]: About 2/3rds of the episode is about meandering over one.
* [[BBC Quarry]]: About 2/3rds of the episode is about meandering over one.
* [[Bee Bee Gun]]: Those bug spheres.
* [[Bee-Bee Gun]]: Those bug spheres.
* [[The Cast Showoff]]: McCoy was good at doing pratfalls and mugging. See the [[Characterization Marches On]] example below.
* [[The Cast Showoff]]: McCoy was good at doing pratfalls and mugging. See the [[Characterization Marches On]] example below.
* [[Characterization Marches On]]: McCoy's performance as the Doctor is different, to say the least, to the way fans like to remember him. [[Justified Trope|However,]] this ''is'' [[The Nth Doctor|his regeneration story]].
* [[Characterization Marches On]]: McCoy's performance as the Doctor is different, to say the least, to the way fans like to remember him. [[Justified Trope|However,]] this ''is'' [[The Nth Doctor|his regeneration story]].

Revision as of 11:28, 25 January 2014


"I've had enough of this drivel!"
So have we, Mel. So have we.

Without even an opening credits sequence to kick things off, this sequence features an impressive (for the time) CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant: the TARDIS is being zapped and we're supposed to care. The TARDIS is then forced to land on an exotic alien planet as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The TARDIS is then opened up and the Rani steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing a guy in a wig who then regenerates into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes[1]

The Rani then takes the Doctor off to her secret laboratory while leaving the companion Mel back in the TARDIS to stumble around the exotic alien landscape with that day-glo lizard we saw earlier. The Doctor awakens to see the Rani disguising herself as Mel, acting like Mel and generally being Mel's somewhat annoying self for... um... we're never really told why. Maybe the Rani simply wanted to be the Doctor's companion for a while.

Eventually, the Rani's diabolical scheme is revealed: she's been kidnapping the smartest people throughout space and time in order to create a gigantic artificial brain to... do more vague things. Evil vague things. So the Doctor decides to throw a wrench into everything by sabotaging the brain, rescuing the people the Rani kidnapped and finally running off for more adventures with Mel in the TARDIS. As for the Rani, she's left (literally) hanging with bat-people as she vows her revenge. She's still not very good at her job.


It's worth noting that this story was originally intended for Colin Baker's 6th Doctor by Pip and Jane Baker (old hands at writing for him by this point) , but was sent through the re-write cycles once Colin was fired. It's notable for the final appearance of the Rani in the series, as well as the first appearance of the 7th Doctor.

Watch it here.

Tropes

  1. That's right, no fantastic ending to Colin Baker's Doctor, just... a nasty bump on the head.