The Monster of Peladon
Previous: Death to the Daleks
The Monster of Peladon
It was a dark and stormy Peladon night...or day...I can't really tell in this place. Either way, looks like as we left it last time.
Everyone's hairstyles seem to've changed quite a bit, though.
Yikes. Looks like the vengeful spirit of Aggedor doesn't just kill you, it completely disappears you.
ALPHA CENTAURI! Good to see you again!
Ortron...he was the aide from Curse who wasn't Hepesh, right?
"Galaxy 5"...any relation to Galaxy 4?
"The citadel of Peladon, Sarah! One of the most interesting and..."
"...Oh no it isn't."
Seems like nearly every opening so far this season has been the TARDIS landing and Sarah Jane being unimpressed.
Wow. That drill works so well it's messing up the DVD.
Looks like Peladon hasn't abandoned the Roman Centurion look for their guards. Although I don't remember the animal-hide throne plinth...
Okay, I guess Ortron wasn't in Curse, otherwise he should've recognized Three.
But Alpha Centauri does! Aww.
"She is of no importance"? I can feel Sarah Jane's done-ness radiating off the screen.
You know, I had the impression that Queen Thalira was supposed to be kind of a pushover from the "only a girl" scene, but she seems pretty in control so far.
Warring factions, rebelling underlings, audiences with the queen, ambushes...this is starting to feel like a Wayfinder game.
Case on point: only one dude in the room has a sword. Respect his status!
Unless you're the Doctor, then you Time Fu your way out of pretty much anything.
"You see the dangers we face, Doctor? Peladon is still a barbarous and primitive planet!"
"When miners have to take up arms to protect their rights, they probably have their reasons. I'd like to know what those reasons are."
Seems we have a new Champion! Ah, that's right, poor Grun was a casualty of Big Finish.
(and I say that with the utmost respect. I loved Prisoner of Peladon)
"Well, I'll say one thing for your friend the Doctor: he's got quite a knack for talking himself out of trouble."
"Hmm. Just as long as he hasn't talked himself into a whole lot more." #thatsit #thatstheshow
*insert Boom Goes the Dynamite joke here*
Wow. Poor Champion didn't even survive the first episode.
The Third Doctor: can fight of swarms of guards, but can he dig his way out of a cave-in with his bare hands?
Answer: no. But at least he had help out before the spirit of Aggedor came to vaporize him.
Regardless: Sarah Jane, leather jacket on, to the rescue!
"For the good of Peladon. You see, I have a special interest in this planet." I do hope he'll go back there in New Who at some point.
Can't say I was expecting a spearfight here.
Actually wait, it's not spears, it's swords vs. sticks. And rocks.
Wow okay. Sticks and rocks: 1. Swords: 0.
Sarah Jane, I know you're a bit frantic, but sometimes banging on mysterious doors in caves gets you zapped by rainbow waves.
Campfire Story Time with Peladon miners!
Ettis seems to be our main Disgruntled Rebel for this story. What's the betting he'll pull some more sabotage later on to get his way?
"I say we attack again!" Yup, there we go.
"There's nobody in there." #paynoattentiontothemanbehindthecurtain
Seems Peladon has kept a few trends: dudes in mini-skirts, purple velvet, and royal advisers who are suspicious of All the Things.
"It's no good, Sarah. The only thing these people understand is..." *STAB*
Um, Alpha Centauri, I love you but degrading the locals like that is reaaaally not a great idea.
We'll befriend you...befriend you with our SPACE GUNS! (ah, good ol' camp references from 2007)
Manhandling Sarah Jane seems to be a new pastime in this episode.
"I think I could've faced death myself for an honorable cause!" Sorry Alpha Centauri, but somehow I doubt that.
But I will certainly give you credit for bringing Queen Thalira around on the whole saving-Three-and-Sarah-Jane issue.
If Aggedor is still alive and in that cave of punishment...why? Didn't they learn last time that he was basically a giant lap dog?
S'up Aggedor.
"Come on, Aggedor, that's no way to greet an old friend!" I thought so.
Ah yes, time for a rousing round of Venusian lullabies derived from Christmas carols.
(No seriously, listen to Voyage to Venus. It was Pertwee's idea, but Big Finish basically made it canon.)
Well, that solves that problem. And is it just me, or is something smoking just outside the control room?
"What 'advice' did the Doctor mean?"
"Well it's going to be rather difficult to explain, but I think he was referring to Women's Lib."
Odd conclusion to come to, since I don't think we've touched on gender politics at all yet in this story. On the other hand...
"It would be different if I was a man, but I'm only a girl!"
"Now just a minute! There's nothing 'only' about being a girl, your majesty!"
Ah, there WAS something smoking just outside the control room: a torch. Of course.
I was already relatively confident in Thalira's skills of argument, but Sarah Jane's pep talk really seems to've given her a boost.
Gebbek seems to be becoming gradually less moderate as the story progresses. This...could be a problem.
Sarah Jane, I'm not sure if you're proposing to pretend that everything's going fine, or if you're about to solve this whole crisis alone.
"A most excellent scheme, Sarah! Worthy of the Doctor himself!" Wow, that's quite a high compliment. Wonder what she's got planned...
The sad conclusion of the epic saga of Three and His Glass of Water.
"From here, we dominate the citadel!" *DUN DUN DUUUUUUN*
Wait...I recognize that voice pattern...do we have incoming Ice Warriors?
Oh wow: a rare occurrence of the sonic screwdriver actually being used as a screwdriver.
Ortron actually talking sense and getting people to agree? Well now, Sarah Jane really does have something brilliant cooked up.
WELP THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT BY "INCOMING ICE WARRIORS" BUT OKAY
"Do not move! You are my prisoners!" Aww, and I though the Ice Warriors were supposed to be good guys now :(
Although I'll admit, it's kinda fascinating to hear the Ice Lord talking with such a range of intonations.
Need to add more complexity to your miners-vs-politicians plot? Throw in a third party!
My attention is a bit split in this scene: on how Peladon unites against the Federation, and how it looks like Three's hair is on fire.
...wow okay I wasn't expecting them to wipe out all but one miner in one go.
"We will be revenged." I wonder if that means Ortron is going to stop being our token Corrupt Official for this story?
It just occurred to me that we're a full eight minutes into this episode and Sarah Jane is only just now getting a line.
Alpha Centauri is whispering and it's adorable.
I don't think I've ever heard the word "cooperation" used that many times in one speech.
Uh oh, our sole survivor Ettis is back and he's not happy...
"You'll be killing our own people!"
"That's riiiiight! Kill them! Kill them all!"
Ah, so we've reached that point, have we?
It kinda feels like the story is wrapping up, but we've still got two more episodes to go?
Whew, good to know that guy Ettis stabbed lived to warn Gebek about what was going on.
"Look after Sarah for me."
"WHA??"
three no
Umm, guys, you can probably stop hitting that Ice Warrior now. I think he's down.
Also, I think Gebek just pulled an "it's dangerous to go alone, take this."
And I'm glad he did because it's time for a SWORDFIIIIIIIGHT.
Commander Azaxyr has really thought this out a lot more thoroughly than I was expecting.
I was about to make a "never bring an aikido hand to a knife fight" joke but then I didn't need to.
OR MAYBE I DID BECAUSE HOW IS ETTIS PUNCHING THE STUFFING OUT OF THREE
An explosion big enough to "kill everyone in the immediate area" apparently means "kills the person operating the switch."
omg poor Eckersley, he just wants to do his job and when Azaxyr tells him to suffocate the miners he just. leaves.
Ah, thank you Gebek, feels like we haven't had a good line fluff in a while.
Oh noooo, how long will Sarah Jane have to think that Three's dead D:
Azaxyr was apparently plotting a full takeover a Peladon the whole time. At this point, I really shouldn't be surprised.
So we've got a human journalist, a queen, a chancellor, and big green phallus teaming up to save the day. This show, you guys.
"Your majesty...do you think you could faint convincingly?" Sarah Jane Smith I love you.
A monarch of Peladon kneels over the fallen body of once-trusted aide turned radical but redeemed in death. And so history repeats itself.
Oh. Forget what I said earlier about "poor Eckersley."
Although I did find it slightly hilarious that he literally has a big red Aggedor button.
Ah good, Sarah Jane knows Three is alive now.
When in doubt, bung a rock at it.
Despite being outted by Alpha Centauri, Eckersley is still being chill as a goddamn cucumber.
If you don't love Queen Thalira at this point, I don't know what to tell you.
Make up your mind, door. Do you have a giant hole melted through you or not?
Also, the Ice Warrior's lips don't seem to move. like...at all.
How have I gone all this time without mentioning Azaxyr's fabulous cape?
Crack the defense mechanism up to RAINBOW LEVELS!
Ah, I'd forgotten that the Ice Warriors are apparently on the Doctor's list of Races He Can Straight Up Murder.
I dunno, maybe it just rubs me a little the wrong way because the Ice Warriors are more humanoid that the Daleks.
How many times has Gebek said "Aggedor fights FOR US!" in the past ten minutes?
"Turn it off!"
"You wouldn't use that."
"Wouldn't I?"
As Snake would say: is this your first time pointing a gun at a person?
"Have a look." Aaaaaand that went exactly where I expected it to.
Usually I don't approve of companions wearing heels, but I'm digging Sarah Jane's boots for some reason.
Ahhh, THERE'S my "never bring a knife to a gunfight" joke!
Azaxyr is finally taken down. Now we just need to take care of Eckersley...
Huh, you'll forgive me for saying so, Sarah Jane, but I didn't know "aw screw it" was a Stage of Grief.
"I shall summon assistance! HEEEELP!!! GUARDS!!!" oh my god alpha centauri I love you
Is it wrong of me that I find Sarah Jane's "HOLY CRAP HE'S ALIVE" face really hilarious?
"Tears? Anyone would think you thought I was dead!" Well, that's totally not an ominous echo of the next serial, that's for sure.
"Come on, quickly!" Didn't...didn't you just go down that tunnel?
Need to track a bad guy through a labyrinth? Just use Aggedor!
oh no nO NO NO YOU DID NOT JUST SHOOT AGGEDOR
Huh, I guess a bear hug from a mythical beast was all it took to save the day. Nice.
"There's nothing 'only' about being a miner, your majesty, anymore than there was about being a girl!"
Doctor, don't grab your companions by the ear, that's rude.
Next: Planet of the Spiders