I saw this one first and given it's based on "The Sign of the Four" I kind of get why it's so painfully racist. Because The Sign of the Four IS painfully racist in that special 19th Century English way that only Doyle manages. I mean TRULY. Knowing that a pygmy is your killer because you can see the outline of his toes in a footprint? That's just all types of... fucked up.
But yeah, your points are all completely valid. The writers should have made more of an effort to make this even vaguely believable.
Oh, you're right!! And they weren't even shown on the ABC here, I should have realised.
I must have watched the Sherlock/Moriarty confrontation from that series about fifty times. "You MUST stand clear Mr Holmes or be trodden underfoot.." SO BLOODY GOOD. I taped them all on VHS and wore the tapes out I watched them so much.
(They're available on DVD now BTW).
Interesting fact, the BBC series of Sherlock Holmes that starred the most gorgeous Jeremy Brett USES THE SAME HOUSE (for 221B Baker Street) as the house that Sherlock and Watson are in in this series (or at least, they've made the set exactly the same layout). I know this because I was obsessed with that show (and the stories) for most of my teenage life. I'm probably the only one who noticed this, but I love that Moffat did it. That adaptation was IMO the best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes ever made (possibly excluding this one, but I'm reserving judgement until the next series comes out).
Also I absolutely ADORED how many references to the original stories they had in this. Best line ever: "I'm not a psychopath, I'm a high functioning sociopath, GET IT RIGHT!"
DAVROS!!! I love Davros so much. It was kind of a massive spoiler for me, though, because the COVER OF THE DVD has Davros on the front of it, so I always knew he'd be in there somewhere, and for someone who adored Davros as a little girl (for some obscure reason, my sister and I used to call him "scone") I was waiting for him IN EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. I adored Sarah Jane's reaction to him - and HIS TO HER. It made my old series heart warm.
And did anyone else GROAN when the Doctor and Rose started running towards each other? That was just as bad as saying "I've got a bad feeling about this." or "What could possibly go wrong?"
Oh.. but Mark? YANP ;).
RIVER SONG IS THE MOST AWESOME EVER. Oh, and so is Donna. Oh. I couldn't WAIT for you to meet River, I really couldn't. And this episode... OMG the data ghost made me cry. YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.
THE ROBOTS OF DEATH. It's a mystery type story arc, Fourth Doctor and a super duper companion you haven't met yet who is awesome and fun. Great acting and EXTREMELY CHEESY MAKEUP AND COSTUMES.
I couldn't get this either, which really bugged me because it has one of Four's best lines ever :(. But The Robots of Death (which I will suggest below) has the same companion and is almost as good.
Yeah, I'm a bit "meh" about this episode, but I'm a rabid anti-doctor-with-anyone shipper. Or at least, I was when I watched this. I don't watch Doctor Who for angsty romance, I play bioware games and read Jane Austen for that.
Um? Am I the only one who isn't certain what is meant by "over arching mythology?" Do mean a theme that runs through all the episodes or do you mean hints at what the big villain in the end will be?
Yeah, this was a "meh" episode for me, despite being a dalek fan. After the revelation of the last episode I was just biding time for more asdkfas;dlkn moments. And there weren't any IMO.
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Thingamajig