Doctor Who: Planet of Giants
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| Susan's panicking again! |
But, enough of me complaining! This serial is supposed to be set on contemporary Earth (1964), but I'm not sure how they're going to pull that off because most of the production still of the episode have giant ants. Did the TARDIS materialize smaller than usual? Are there mutated bug creatures? What's going on?
Let's see!
An Hour and a Half Later...
So... the better title of this episodes is "How to Make a Bomb Out of Insecticide with The Doctor". Why? Because that's what The Doctor and company do at the end of this episode.
Well, once again, something is amiss within the TARDIS and we land somewhere very similar to Earth. Even though the TARDIS has indicated some sort of fault and the TARDIS doors did open for no reason and the scanner screen broke when they tried to look outside, the Doctor claims that everything is perfectly safe and nothing is wrong whatsoever.
Rule #1: The Doctor always lies.
So, they split up to investigate, Barbara and the Doctor go one way. Ian and Susan go the other way. They come across many large and dead insects, but there is no indication of why the insects are so incredibly huge and even less of an explanation as to why they're all dead. Eventually, Barbara and the Doctor come across a used matchstick while Ian and Susan come across an old matchbox. This leads to our travelers realizing that they have shrunk to the size of about an inch.
So this is the typical "Shrunken" episode that many different television series have included at one time or another. Charmed even did it twice!
Well, Ian is picked up in the matchbox by a guy who is smoking causing Susan to panic. This summons the Doctor and Barbara who proceed to have a somewhat panicked pow-wow.
The man with the matchbox with Ian in it is a scientist named Farrow who talks to his boss about how their new insecticide, DN6, needs further testing because it may be deadly to everyone and everything given enough amounts and it doesn't chemically breakdown over time. So, continued use will cause it to build in the environment until not even humans are safe. His boss and investor, Forrester, is so upset by the revelation; he shoots and kills Farrow in cold blood to prevent losing money.
Barbara, the Doctor, and Susan hear the gunshot and go to investigate where they meet up with Ian. They quickly realize it was cold-blooded murder and before anything useful can be done to further the plot, they are split up again when a cat attacks them. Barbara and Ian hide in a briefcase. The Doctor and Susan hide elsewhere.
Forrester re-enters the scene, picks up the briefcase and carries it into the laboratory where he meets with his aide, Smithers. Smithers suspects the murder, but Forrester explains it away with complete and utter bullshit that anyone should smell a mile a way. It takes Smithers a bit to catch on though. Aides have contractual stupidity. So, he helps Forrester dispose of Farrows body, covering up the murder and even helps to clean up after them.
Meanwhile, Barbara and Ian exit the briefcase and have a look around the laboratory. They come upon a pile of grain seeds, in the laboratory, and picks one up. On one hand I want to call her an idiot because you never touch some strange thing you come across in a laboratory unless you know what it is and why it's there. However, I would've done the same thing; so, I'll cut her some slack. Of course, the fly that dies after landing on the oats shortly after she puts the seed back down proves that they're coated in DN6 and Barbara is now poisoned. Barbara and Ian then start to search for a way off the lab table/counter thing they're on.
While all this is happening, Susan and the Doctor find a drain pipe and climb up it, into the sink which is also located in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, Smithers has come to realize something smells rotten in Denmark along with the local telephone operator and her husband who just happens to be a police officer. This is when shit gets done.
First, the Doctor and company reunite (AGAIN!) and realize that this insecticide is dangerous, especially when they realize that is doesn't break down naturally. So, they decide to try to alert the police by using corks to make a phone call. Well, the telephone operator and her husband see the engaged call and become more suspicious. This is when Barbara faints and everyone realizes she's gone and poisoned herself while Ian's back was turned.
Though, honestly, she asked for Ian's handkerchief and he wasn't the least bit curious why? I know being small is distracting, but he's supposed to be the hero of the group! The Doctor is the distracted one!
Anyhow, the TARDIS crew have a choice between doing something about the insecticide or going back to the TARDIS to save Barbara. Barbara chooses to do something about the insecticide because death is fun! The merry band of fools then use an aerosol can and a lab bench gas jet as a bomb. Just as it explodes the telephone operator's husband arrives to investigate and arrests the murderer and his accomplice.
There was a bit more that happened but it was pretty stupid and Forrester was so obviously evil I kind of wanted to bean him in the head with a shovel. Oh! If only the Doctor had been the proper size!
I did like certain parts of the episode and most the of characters were... in character. I also liked how fast-paced this episode was compared to last season's episodes. However, they're still doing silly things like splitting up and haring of looking for each other and deciding to interfere with something they don't even really help in the end. Yeah, the bomb blew up in Forrester's face making him lose his gun, but a policeman catching you by surprise when you've shot the second person in a day isn't going to further your career as a businessman. You'll have three murders on your hands and a lot of evidence once the investigation is underway.
Next Episode: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
Well, once again, something is amiss within the TARDIS and we land somewhere very similar to Earth. Even though the TARDIS has indicated some sort of fault and the TARDIS doors did open for no reason and the scanner screen broke when they tried to look outside, the Doctor claims that everything is perfectly safe and nothing is wrong whatsoever.
Rule #1: The Doctor always lies.
So, they split up to investigate, Barbara and the Doctor go one way. Ian and Susan go the other way. They come across many large and dead insects, but there is no indication of why the insects are so incredibly huge and even less of an explanation as to why they're all dead. Eventually, Barbara and the Doctor come across a used matchstick while Ian and Susan come across an old matchbox. This leads to our travelers realizing that they have shrunk to the size of about an inch.
So this is the typical "Shrunken" episode that many different television series have included at one time or another. Charmed even did it twice!
Well, Ian is picked up in the matchbox by a guy who is smoking causing Susan to panic. This summons the Doctor and Barbara who proceed to have a somewhat panicked pow-wow.
The man with the matchbox with Ian in it is a scientist named Farrow who talks to his boss about how their new insecticide, DN6, needs further testing because it may be deadly to everyone and everything given enough amounts and it doesn't chemically breakdown over time. So, continued use will cause it to build in the environment until not even humans are safe. His boss and investor, Forrester, is so upset by the revelation; he shoots and kills Farrow in cold blood to prevent losing money.
Barbara, the Doctor, and Susan hear the gunshot and go to investigate where they meet up with Ian. They quickly realize it was cold-blooded murder and before anything useful can be done to further the plot, they are split up again when a cat attacks them. Barbara and Ian hide in a briefcase. The Doctor and Susan hide elsewhere.
Forrester re-enters the scene, picks up the briefcase and carries it into the laboratory where he meets with his aide, Smithers. Smithers suspects the murder, but Forrester explains it away with complete and utter bullshit that anyone should smell a mile a way. It takes Smithers a bit to catch on though. Aides have contractual stupidity. So, he helps Forrester dispose of Farrows body, covering up the murder and even helps to clean up after them.
Meanwhile, Barbara and Ian exit the briefcase and have a look around the laboratory. They come upon a pile of grain seeds, in the laboratory, and picks one up. On one hand I want to call her an idiot because you never touch some strange thing you come across in a laboratory unless you know what it is and why it's there. However, I would've done the same thing; so, I'll cut her some slack. Of course, the fly that dies after landing on the oats shortly after she puts the seed back down proves that they're coated in DN6 and Barbara is now poisoned. Barbara and Ian then start to search for a way off the lab table/counter thing they're on.
While all this is happening, Susan and the Doctor find a drain pipe and climb up it, into the sink which is also located in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, Smithers has come to realize something smells rotten in Denmark along with the local telephone operator and her husband who just happens to be a police officer. This is when shit gets done.
First, the Doctor and company reunite (AGAIN!) and realize that this insecticide is dangerous, especially when they realize that is doesn't break down naturally. So, they decide to try to alert the police by using corks to make a phone call. Well, the telephone operator and her husband see the engaged call and become more suspicious. This is when Barbara faints and everyone realizes she's gone and poisoned herself while Ian's back was turned.
Though, honestly, she asked for Ian's handkerchief and he wasn't the least bit curious why? I know being small is distracting, but he's supposed to be the hero of the group! The Doctor is the distracted one!
Anyhow, the TARDIS crew have a choice between doing something about the insecticide or going back to the TARDIS to save Barbara. Barbara chooses to do something about the insecticide because death is fun! The merry band of fools then use an aerosol can and a lab bench gas jet as a bomb. Just as it explodes the telephone operator's husband arrives to investigate and arrests the murderer and his accomplice.
There was a bit more that happened but it was pretty stupid and Forrester was so obviously evil I kind of wanted to bean him in the head with a shovel. Oh! If only the Doctor had been the proper size!
I did like certain parts of the episode and most the of characters were... in character. I also liked how fast-paced this episode was compared to last season's episodes. However, they're still doing silly things like splitting up and haring of looking for each other and deciding to interfere with something they don't even really help in the end. Yeah, the bomb blew up in Forrester's face making him lose his gun, but a policeman catching you by surprise when you've shot the second person in a day isn't going to further your career as a businessman. You'll have three murders on your hands and a lot of evidence once the investigation is underway.
Next Episode: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
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