Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace

That guy in the corner looks like the creature
I saw the last time I got really drunk.

The Underwater Menace is the fifth serial of the fourth episode of Doctor Who and it is half-missing. The episodes originally aired between January 14 and February 4, 1967. This is Jamie's first journey in the TARDIS so hopefully we'll get his reactin to being in a time-travelling spaceship.

Otherwise, I really don't have much hope for this episode. When I was looking up the picture to use above, there were a lot of production stills with very hokey-looking monsters. And this is apparently one of three episodes containing three completely different explanations for the sinking of Atlantis so... if they had to explain it two more times, it must not be great or memorable.

Maybe I'll be surprised.

Two Hours Later...

Sooo.... Doctor Who has a formula and I'm ashamed it took me this long to see it. Basically, Doctor and company show up somewhere where things are about to happen. There's a genuinely helpful character and a character that at first seems helpful, but is really evil. Then there's an obviously evil character as well who's also pretty stupid. Usually the initially helpful but actually evil character is crazy in some way and wants power or is a scientist or whatever. Either way, they wander into this situation, events unfold. The initially helpful person betrays them and shows their true colors. The Doctor tries to warn those in authority that things are not good and, in fact, will soon be horrible. Authority figure does not listen. The Doctor's companions are kidnapped, knocked out or otherwise endangered during this period and the Doctor usually has something bad happen to him. Then, the genuinely evil character reveals their true colors to authority figure and probably hurts, kills, or just has a coup of some sort, taking authority from the authority figure who suddenly realizes the Doctor was right all along. Luckily, the Doctor and company already have a plan to fix things which they implement. Some things go awry, but quick-thinking saves the day and then the Doctor and company take off, leaving the other people (natives) behind to clean up the mess.

It's really annoying and made watching this episode so painful because it played out in a similar fashion. Granted, there were some twists and turns that I didn't expect.

For example: That creature in a costume on the DVD cover? That's supposed to be a human who has been physically modified into a fish-person slave. They get food for the Atlanteans. Great, huh?

Unfortunately, I can see why they had to do this two more times this episode isn't great or memorable. It compares Earth to a teapot. It also just does a lot of oddball or silly things. I mean, the fish people thing is monstrous and I was really shocked when they addressed it, but it's just sort of another detail like the human sacrifice storyline that is also in this episode. They're plot elements that are sort of glossed over so easily, I just feel sad. Also, there's an island that is Atlantis which is sunk beneath the sea... and the people have access to the surface from an island which they can climb to the surface of whenever they want... yet they remain in their under-the-sea quarters...

And they want to raise Atlantis.

COME ONE!!!

You have all these people adapting to living under the sea and you have a way to the surface. You are capturing fishermen and anyone else who happens to land on the island to turn into slaves. Use a form of radio communications and contact some country and have them come discover this whole society. You're people will get to the surface and what's left of the civilization can remain preserved underground, no problem. Hell, someone who wrecks on the shore of this place could do that when they wreck before checking things out.

So... this plot didn't have to happen and the whole episode is a waste of my time.

Great!

Let's hope The Moonbase is better. Although, I really do love Jamie.