DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 45th MEET-UP - THE SEEDS OF DEATH

Sunday 12th October 2015

Sowing the Seeds of Death, Seeds of Death, Sowing the Seeds....
 
Yup we're back again with the Ice Warriors!  They were a little annoying last time and so is writing these reviews and trying to describe the story I've just seen!  So I broke with tradition this time and decided to record our thoughts on audio (using my nice phone that Leigh gave me).  The following is a transcript of what happened when we gathered around Leigh's house......

AFTER FIRST EPISODE:

MJ: "I liked that."
Jason: "Yes I was very taken with the first episode - art direction was superb.  Generally nice, good story - it'll probably all go downhill from here now."
MJ: "It had rockets in didn't it Shaun?"
Shaun: "Yeah it had rockets, lots of rockets.  I like rockets - they look like winkies."
MJ: "And Mark and Leigh are also here!"

 Photo 1:

Leigh, Mark, Shaun (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason (holding the sign) around Leigh's house. 

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TWO EPISODES IN:

MJ: "What do you think of that so far?"
Jason: "Same as first episode, I'm enjoying it so far."
MJ: "I'm not overly keen on the story (as I've seen it before) but, yeah, I'm enjoying it so far."
Shaun: "I tell you what, from the construction of this and the previous one, I can't see ANY difference between the Ice Warriors as a threat and the Cybermen.  Except the Cybermen look cool and the Ice Warriors look kind of silly!  They don't really get much done - but then I suppose the Cybermen don't really get much done either.  The Ice Warriors are going to have to pull some bad-ass shit out of their arse to convince me that they're a threat!"
MJ: "At least the other Ice Warrior, who isn't like the ones from the previous serial, is a bit more moveable - he's not just a great hulk with a huge bump."
Shaun: "He's still tremendously slow and un-threatening."
MJ: "I don't know if I find the hissy-panting a bit annoying.  How about you Leigh, what do you think of the new ice Warriors?"
Leigh: "Well I can't remember the old ones!" *Laughs*
MJ: "They've got big booties and they know how to shake them!  I do like the pessimistic old guy (Professor Eldred) who's like 'Oh the rocket won't work - even though I've designed it!'  I think grumpy guys are great in Doctor Who - that's why I'm always pleased when we have one in it!"
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors in this one need some kind of goal - 'cos in the last one they were just trying to get home.  They'd been stuck in ice and they wanted to commandeer the space station to get home - this time they appear to be more in a conquering mode - they want to take over the Earth!  So why's that changed?  Why not just use the Cybermen?!"  AGAIN!  I wish there was just one alien" -
Leigh: - "Called Justin!"
MJ: "What about you Mark, what do think of the story so far?"
Mark: "It's alright..."
Shaun: "There's been a distinct lack of seeds!"
Leigh: "There has been Death though!"
Shaun: "I'm hoping the seeds is for the evil seaweed and we get the foam back!"
Leigh: "Oh God..."
MJ: "WELL, you heard it here first he hopes to see foam - I wonder what's going to come up - stay tuned kids!"

 Photo 2:

Leigh, Mark (holding the sign), MJ (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason around Leigh's house. 

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AFTER EPISODES THREE AND FOUR:
 

MJ: "There's been a lot of foam - so that's good!  Well episode 4 has been the foam party one - hooray!"

Mark: "I liked the grumpy old man - he's still good, he's still grumpy and old - so that's good!"
MJ: "I think it's dragging a bit - a lot of six parters do."
Mark: "Yeah they could have done a lot of that in 1 episode I think."
MJ: "How about the foam?"
Mark: "I'm enjoying the foam - I'm just waiting for the party to start."
MJ: (chanting) "There ain't no party like a Doctor Who foam party!  Jason's nodding over there.  What are you thinking, Jason?"
Jason: "Still okay - lots of vents, lots of getting lost.  I quite like the characters - there's a bit more personality - personality goes a long way!"
MJ: "That's right."
Jason: "I like the Glockenspiely, Xylophoney music!"
MJ: "Glockenspiely, Xylophoney music is damn good!  And there's lots of dum-dum-dum-dum on the Kettle drums!"
Mark: "There's some very dramatic music whilst wandering past plumbing!"
MJ: "I'm pleased they're not using the older style Ice Warriors as much - they're a bit rubbish with their mouths!"
Mark: "Yeah."
MJ: "They're using the new Ice Lord - he's a bit better?"
Mark: "He's an Ice Lord?  Are they still called Ice Warriors because they were found in ice in the last story?"
MJ: "I believe so.  It doesn't make sense."
Mark: "No they should call them Martian Warriors."
MJ: "I guess so - they are from an icy planet but I don't know - we just don't know!"
Shaun: "Maybe they're from the ice?"
Leigh: "Yeah they are that's why they referred to them as the Ice Warriors."
MJ: "Yeah but they were called that because they were found in ice back in the day but in this one there's been no ice."
Leigh: "They still call them Ice Warriors."
MJ: "Because of one event, back in the day?  That would be like calling me Chicken Eating Man because I ate chicken once?"
Shaun: "To be fair they're evil monsters, the Doctor didn't go up to them and say 'Would you mind introducing yourselves and telling me what your ACTUAL species name is?'  And they speak English and they seem to be cool with when the Doctor's called them Ice Warriors."
MJ: "That's true.  The Doctor's not racist - he hates all aliens.  Except for Earthlings - that's good!
There was a lot in that episode that could have been cut."
Leigh: "Yes like in forgetting the way to the heating controls - what did that serve except to extend the episode?"
Shaun: "I quite like the almost post traumatic stress thing that the guy was going through - nice opposite to the cowardly guy who's clearly slowly getting a backbone - even though he's apparently already murdered the Earth!"
MJ: *Impression of Cowardly guy* "I'm not going to do it!"
*Impression of Ice Warrior* "You will do it!"
*Impression of Cowardly guy* "Alright I'll do it!  Whatever you want - or don't want, I'll do it.  Now can I have my biscuits back?"
*Impression of Ice Warrior* "Nooooo we want Hob-Nobssssssssssssss!!"
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors are still a bit rubbish though - they're quite silly - they should have just been Cybermen who look cool!  Although they are equally tricky to understand!"
MJ: "They are but these are a bit more understandable - I don't find myself thinking 'What are they saying?'"
Shaun: "I'm not very good with whispering!  I also ACTUALLY hate it as well - it's grating on my nerves!"
MJ: "Hah!  Well they're going to take over the Earth now - with foam!"
Shaun: "I'll give it this for once it's got a nice group of very interesting characters - the four of five we're seeing a lot!"
MJ: "Leigh's making tea and then we're onto our next episode!"

Photo 3:

Leigh, Mark (holding the sign) and MJ (holding the DVD Cover)

around Leigh's house.

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AFTER EPISODE FIVE:

Jason: "They keep changing the order of the credits!  Jamie's fourth this time!  There was a non-regular before him!"
MJ: "Wow - a "Non-regular?"
Jason: "An irregular!"
MJ: *reading credits* "Terrence Dicks - does he?!  Oooo so the Doctor could get covered in foam and big bubbles. The blowing bubbles remind me of a snotty kid who should blow his nose but keeps blowing snot bubbles!
So what do we think about the solution to getting rid of the foam - water or rain?"

Jason: "So is it just going to HAPPEN to rain and that's it?"
MJ: "Well they DO have a weather control unit don't they?"
Jason: "Nah it'll just rain!"
MJ: "They'll make it rain - dammit!  That's why The Doctor was going over to the weather control unit - or running on the spot!"
Mark: "It's the same stupid plot as the film "Signs".
Shaun: "Starring famous racist Mel Gibson!"

MJ: "I think this is the last foam story for Trout-Man, anyway!"
Mark: "Ahh the last foam story for Trout-Man?"
Shaun: "Good - there's only, like, three stories left anyway!"
Mark: "We'll find that the next stories are ALL foam!"
Jason: "Yup - the Space Pirates are made of foam!"
Shaun "Due to fan demand more foam will be brought into future adventures!"
Leigh: "I'm going to write to the BBC!"
Shaun: "You know what this reboot of Doctor Who is missing?  Foam!"
MJ: "I'd happily see Clara covered in foam!"
Shaun "I don't like her!"
MJ: "Well she's no Zoe!  I must say these Ice Warriors keep going around saying Sssshhh, Shhhhhh!"
Jason: "They're all Librarians!"
MJ: "All Martians are Librarians - I'm getting that put on a t-shirt!...."

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AFTER EPISODE SIX:

MJ: "...So that was another episode - You didn't like the word T-Mat being said too many times?"
Jason: "No."
MJ: "It does sound like a sanitary product."
Leigh: "What do you dislike about T-Mat."
Jason: "Nothing, the tea was lovely - and don't call me Matt!  I keep hearing TK-Maxx - plus I keep thinking of the word TWAT - since you pointed it out.  'Oh can you TWAT us back to Earth?!' "

Leigh: "Or T-Wat!"
Jason: "A lot of these lines are too close together!"
MJ: "Of the titles, Listener!"
Jason: "Jason's referring to the end credits."
MJ: "So did you enjoy that Shaun?"
Shaun: "No I did not enjoy that at all!"
Mark: "It started well!"
Shaun: "Oh yes I liked the first episode with the grumpy old man!  And then it was the usual - well actually, no, it's been a while but I will say that was two episodes too long!"
Mark: "Yeah."
Shaun: "The Ice Warriors are rubbish, I'm sorry they look shit!  They are completely un-functional as a villain - just rubbish!"

MJ: "I have to say this story is not one of my favourites.  I liked the grumpy guy and when I re-watched the first episode again I thought 'Oh perhaps I'm wrong perhaps it IS good 'cos he's good and I like a few of the characters!'"
Shaun: "I liked a lot of the extra characters actually -  I liked the scared guy and his character arc.  I liked the guy who rigged up the device to kill the aliens and then got into the vents and everything.  I think it was a bit repetitive of previous stories - I just think The Ice Warriors are shit!"
MJ: "Mark, do you think the Ice Warriors are shit? Or do you a have a special place in your Bullock heart for them? "

Mark: "I think the Ice Warriors are shit - I wasn't a big fan of that story"
Jason: "Whilst we were outside me and Mark both thought there had been more than one previous Ice Warrior story!  But we checked the book and found out there had only been one!"
Mark: "It feels like more!"
MJ: "And that hissing voice is tiring"
Jason: "I actually like the voice - one of the more successful Alien voices they've had!  It's sinister but you can understand it!"
MJ: "But it's a bit "*PANTING* I'm going to take over the Earth *PANTING* But let me get my breath back - I've been running outside and It's hot!"
Shaun: "They're just constantly incredibly aroused!"
 

Photo 4: 

Leigh, Mark, Shaun (holding the DVD Cover)

 and Jason (holding the sign) around Leigh's house. 

MJ: "So marks out of 10?"

Shaun: "I'm figuring between a 4 and a 5 - and it's going to be a 4."
Mark: "5."

Leigh: "5 - it was fine."
Jason: "5 - there's been worse than that!  Michael you've been building this up as bad for a long time and it was nowhere near as bad as I expected!"
MJ: "I'll give it Foive (there's a reference for all you people from the 60's!)"
 

So that gave us an average of 4.8 out of 10.  Overall, although we weren't keen on the story, we quite liked the sets and a lot of the imaginative filming techniques.  There were some good costumes (nice to see that they still use briefcases in the future!  Shiney jump suits and briefcases!).  Anyhow that's all for now - as an extra note Jason thought it looked liked the outdoor scenes had been filmed on Hampstead Heath - so we checked "The Book" and he was gosh darned right!
Well this has been a fun way of reviewing the story.  If you, faithful reader, wonder what the plot was all about - then go and watch the darned thing yourself!!
Anyhow I must scoot but before I do I'll leave this ponder:
will the Ice Warriors return?
 
We shall ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeee.........!

Until then, I shall return, yes I shall return

MJ - 13-10-15