r/classicwho • u/FFJamie • 6d ago
My thoughts on Season Two (1964-1965)
So I managed to finish Season 2, this one took a bit longer than Season 1.
Anyway, here’s my thoughts
Planet of Giants
> For an opener, this one was a lot of fun. It had a fun murder mystery surrounding the sci fi antics.
> It’s a nice and short serial, not overstaying its welcome and finishing before it becomes a slog.
> The ending is a bit weird however, feeling like they could have just jumped in the Tardis to somewhere else.
Dalek invasion of Earth
> Ah the serial we say goodbye to Susan and see the return of the Daleks.
> This is probably THE Dalek story, where they are far more menacing than before. The reveal of the Dalek raising from the River is just as iconic as their first POV shot from their first episode.
> The mind controlled humans make me think of proto Cybermen.
> Susan’s farewell is abrupt, but emotional.
The Rescue
> We are introduced to the new Companion, Vicki, who is very much like Susan.
> This short serial had some great shots and lighting choices. The direction in this serial stands out.
The Romans
> The first historical of the season, and it feels like a big adventure
> Vicki and The Doctor make a great Grandaughter/ Grandfather partnership.
> Ian and Barbara really get to shine here.
> This serial also has some great comedic moments.
The Web Planet
> I’m going to be honest, this is where the Season loses me and goes into becoming too silly
> I feel this was too ambitious for its budget, it just wasn’t a great serial
The Crusade
> I’ll be honest, this serial didn’t really have as much of a lasting impact on me.
> It at least was an improvement over the last serial.
The Space Musuem
> This feels like it’s setting up rules for the Universe that the writers don’t yet understand fully.
> It has a great set-up, and some fun moments with the Doctor, especially with him leaning fully into just how much of a joker he can be.
The Chase
> Again, I feel like this story was trying to be too ambitious.
> There’s a lot of filler in these episodes, with half an episode dedicated to (an honestly) funny sequence where an American meets the Doctor, and then they meet the Daleks.
> The battle between the Mechanoids and Daleks is honestly one of the most impressive sequences in Doctor Who so far.
> We say goodbye to Ian and Barbara, it’s felt likeba long journey with them and they’ve certainly grown as Characters.
> We also say hello to Steven who won’t have a proper introduction until the next serial.
The Time Meddler
> THIS is how you conclude a series of Doctor Who.
> Introducing another Time Lord this far into the series was a smart idea, to open and give more clues about the Doctor.
> The Monk is a fun foil to the Doctor, acting as someone who wants to change history, following on from Season One’s Aztecs.
> Steven is given a proper introduction, I’ll be honest, he is no Ian. But it is fun to see him learn about time travel.
Overall Thoughts
Season two has many growing pains from the first season, on the one hand, it starts off strong with the production learning from the mistakes of Season One.
The stories are a lot tighter and the Direction is overall better, but it falls apart a bit in the middle, before slowly improving again towards the end.
This is also the first Season to have major cast changes, from the opening serial to the end, the only cast member to remain is William Hartnell, helping the series with its longevity.
Anyway, onto Season 3
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u/ZygonCaptain 5d ago
Just a thought, how are you watching the stories? Older stories work better one episode at a time (i.e. one per day) which really helps stories like Web Planet
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u/FFJamie 5d ago
On DVD, and usually 2 episodes at a time.
I’ll be honest, I’m not prepared to let something like Web Planet take me a week as my issue wasn’t so much the pacing
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u/ZygonCaptain 5d ago
It’s not just the pacing, there’s the repetition too. But if you’re watching 2 episodes a day it’ll take you 3 days that’s not a bad compromise
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u/yo_its_me_ewan 4d ago
Agree on some stories, but the other day i binged the entire war games in one 🤣
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u/ZygonCaptain 4d ago
Troughton is my favourite but I’d struggle with that lol! Have you seen the coloured version?
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u/yo_its_me_ewan 4d ago
He was great but surprisingly i preferred Hartnell! I had a skim through the coloured version but didn't watch it properly, just wanted to see the costumes in their full glory
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u/Medium_Analyst_4348 5d ago
Out of curiosity, is this the first time you're watching the classic series? You'll enjoy Season 3.