I'll be honest and say I was tempted to watch the 30 minute BBC recon of this story included on The Edge of Destruction DVD but I did say I'd watch every episode. And there are full episode recons on daily motion so I decided to watch them. These are the first Dr Who recons I've 'watched', as well as it being the first time I've watched Marco Polo (the only things I knew going into the story was that it featured Marco Polo and Kublai Khan-who I know nothing about anyway- and that a lot of fans think it's really good). I know that there's going to be quite a few more recons down the line for Hartnell's stories and for quite a lot of Patrick Troughton's first stories. Having watched these recons I'm a lot less worried about having to struggle through more. The only complaint I have for the recons I was watching is that they were in colour. And that's not really a complaint, I'm just used to seeing Barbara and Ian and everybody in black and white. The use of colour was actually quite interesting. Whilst watching the recons I sometimes found myself imaging the characters doing the actions, though I always imagined them in black and white, especially whenever Susan was screaming, that image came far too easily to mind. But anyway enough about recons and on to the actual story.
After watching each episode of this story I read Will Brooks' review of it on the 50 Year Diary and he mentions how there isn't much that actually happens in this story. There is a lot of talking and arguing between the TARDIS crew and Marco Polo. They keep trying to persuade him to give them the TARDIS back and he keeps getting angry at them every time they try to get back into it. Meanwhile Tegana keeps getting in the way of the group, trying to persuade Marco that they are up to no good and should be killed. There are some actions scenes throughout but otherwise there is a lot of talking. Will mentions that despite this he rather liked the story. And I am very much of the same boat; I did enjoy the story, I was never bored with it. I think one of the big factors is the character of Marco Polo, he is written and realised very well.
Marco has a hard time of it all and we can understand his trouble. He wants to help these strangers as best he can, but they keep going against him and accusing Tegana. Tegana he knows and trusts and he just can't understand why they are so against each other. In the last episode Marco ends up getting a lot of blame from Kublai Khan as he admits he took the TARDIS to appeal to him. I felt rather sorry for him and was glad how it all turned out well for him in the end.
What also works well in this story is Tegana and his manipulating. At first Tegana just seems like a simple villain there as something for the crew to fight in a sense. But as the story develops we see Tegana actually starts manipulating events to show Marco Polo that the crew really aren't to be trusted. In episode six (Mighty Kublai Khan) when Ian goes to search for Ping-Cho and Tegana uses the opportunity to paint the TARDIS crew in a bad light once again, telling Polo that they are all opposed to Ping-Cho's arranged marriage it seemed to me almost Shakespearean. Especially when Barbara and Susan arrive and he asks them their opinion on the marriage, twisting their opinion to work against them. Brilliant stuff.
At the start of the story, and in some of the later episodes, we really get to see Barbara and Ian's background as teachers coming to the fore here. Barbara as a history teacher knows all about the time period and Marco's travels and it works as a nice way to add some character to her as well as fulfilling the historical educative mandate that Doctor Who was initially going for. Ian gets to show off some of his scientific mind here as well, which works in much the same way.
We really get to see Susan a her most youthful here I think. She gets paired of with Ping-Cho as they are of the same age. It's nice to see her interacting with a different character and a great way to show that childish side to her that we've had snippets of before. Unfortunately we do get some more of her screaming but that's to be expected now really!
The Doctor is very interesting in this story as well. In the first episode (The Roof of the World-I think the episode names of this story are rather good) he see him laughing at Marco Polo's statement that he will take the TARDIS, it's a side to him that we've only seen hits of before now. We do still get to see him being stubborn and shouting throughout but here it's not directed at Ian and Barbara but Marco Polo, and we understand his annoyance. The Doctor is no longer that rather unpleasant man we met in An Unearthly Child but someone who the audience actually sides with in this story. I love him playing backgammon for the TARDIS against the Khan in the last episode as well.
Some other notes:
- The whole TARDIS condensation thing is a bit iffy I must say. I don't really buy it at all, the interior is supposed to be another dimension from the exterior. When they mentioned it it also made me thing that surely the food dispenser would have water in it? Or was that broke after last episode?
- It's interesting that, like in the Daleks before it, there is nearly a chance for them to finally escape, if only Susan hadn't of gone to see Ping-Cho off. Ping-Cho did keep asking her to do so though.
- It's set in China (or what would later be called China) yet they all speak English? I know the whole TARDIS translates thing but it never crops up here. You think Ian or Barbara might notice? I can buy Marco Polo speaking English and some of the others but the Khan not so much. I can get past it, just it was something I noticed.
- Bamboo explodes on fire? That's news to me
- It's a shame that the reconstructions just aren't up to the fight sequences in this. It's completely understandable, just a shame. The sword fight between Marco and Tegana seems to last quite long and it would have been nice to see. And to see if it was done well or not. The same is true of the brief battle with the bandits. At least with the sword fight we can imagine what it happening and there is only two people involved but with the fight at the camp we don't really know what it going on.
- From the tele-snaps the outfit and costumes seem rather good, I'm not sure how well the different places are done though, they tend to look similar.
- The sand storm is an interesting idea but again we don't get to see it which is a shame. But don't half hear it though! I think watching it would't have been so bad, it would have helped to realise it, but with just the sounds and some images it means we can't always understand what it going on or what people are saying. We don't have the opportunity to lip read
Each episode score:
Episode 1: The Roof of the World: 7.5/10
2. The Singing Sands (Ep 2): 6.5/10
3. Five Hundred Eyes: 7.5/10
4. The Wall of Lies: 7/10
5. Rider from Shang-Tu:7/10
6. Mighty Kublai Khan: 7/10
7. Assassin at Peking: 7.5/10
The average score rounded down is 7/10.
As I said at the start this recon has given me hope that the rest will be entertaining as well and not as much of a chore as I imagined. I really appreciate how long it must have taken to make as well. I can only begin to imagine. Loose Cannon have done a great job.
Next The Keys of Marinus.
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