... in which Carter attempts to uncover the identity of “Captain Eureka,” the town’s new superhero.Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space
by
Mark Greig
“We deal with the odd, the unexplained, anything on Earth... or beyond.”
After six years of monochrome adventuring through time and space ‘Spearhead from Space’ saw Doctor Who undergo a complete transformation.
After six years of monochrome adventuring through time and space ‘Spearhead from Space’ saw Doctor Who undergo a complete transformation.
Twin Peaks: Traces to Nowhere
by
Josie Kafka
“Who has the other half of this heart?”The focus of this episode is, quite reasonably, the people closest to Laura. James Hurley, Bobby and Mike, Donna, even Josie: these are the most logical people for Cooper to be interested in, as the average teenager is likely closest to the people in her peer group. They’re also the people most likely for us to be interested in, as armchair detectives—which is why this episode reveals more to us about these kiddos than even Cooper discovers.
Eureka: Show Me the Mummy!
by
Jess Lynde
... in which an ancient mummy queen and the scientists studying her go missing, as Allison struggles on her first day back at work.True Blood: She's Not There
by
Billie Doux
Eric: "Who would you rather trust? A vampire or a politician?"Everything felt different. Maybe because everyone had different hair.
The Killing: Orpheus Descending
by
Mark Greig
“Every piece of this place hurts me.”
Look on the season finale of The Killing, ye Mighty, and despair!
Look on the season finale of The Killing, ye Mighty, and despair!
Twin Peaks: Pilot
by
Josie Kafka
“Mr. Cooper, you didn’t know Laura Palmer.”Twin Peaks is both cultish enough and popular enough that there’s a thrill every time one fan meets another—and those thrills aren’t too far between. When it premiered in early 1990, people went wild. Remember when we were all so excited about Lost? Move those conversations to the water coolers instead of the internet, add some hairspray, and that’s about it.
Interview with the Vampire
by
Billie Doux
[This review includes spoilers.]Lestat: "God kills indiscriminately. And so shall we."
I was a huge fan of Anne Rice's vampire books back in the day, and when this movie was released, I expected the worst. I was wrong. Interview is an excellent adaptation of Anne Rice's novel. Everything I loved in the book is also in the movie.
Doctor Who: The War Games
by
Mark Greig
"NO!!!! Stop! You're making me giddy! No, you can't do this to me! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!"
Epic in both length and content ‘The War Games’ is, in this humble fan’s opinion, the best Patrick Troughton story that still exists in its entirety. Bringing to an end one era of the show while neatly setting the stage for the next, this would be the final story in black and white, the last story of the 1960s and the final regular appearance of Second Doctor and his ever faithful companions, Jamie and Zoe.
Epic in both length and content ‘The War Games’ is, in this humble fan’s opinion, the best Patrick Troughton story that still exists in its entirety. Bringing to an end one era of the show while neatly setting the stage for the next, this would be the final story in black and white, the last story of the 1960s and the final regular appearance of Second Doctor and his ever faithful companions, Jamie and Zoe.
Yes, It's Vampire Month
by
Billie Doux
Welcome to our second annual Vampire Month!This July, we'll be observing Vampire Month with reviews of the fourth season of True Blood premiering tomorrow, and my review of my favorite vampire movie, which will be posted this weekend. (Aren't you curious?) Since we won't be doing retro reviews of two other vampire shows like we did last summer, we've come up with several vampire-related polls (below). What's the greatest human/vampire romance? Which vampire has the weirdest eyebrows? Inquiring minds want to know!
Die Hard
by
Billie Doux
Eureka: What About Bob?
by
Jess Lynde
... in which Carter is tasked with finding a researcher who’s gone missing after 11 years living in Global’s top secret underground biosphere.Haven: Harmony
by
drnanamom
“The patients have taken over the asylum.”This week’s brand of crazy (pun intended) was a little more interesting than last week, although just as out there. I’m beginning to realize that I like my supernatural stuff on the traditional side. I think the over-the-top weirdness of some recent shows has left me a bit overdone. However, this week’s mini mystery was fun and I’m getting hooked by the larger story. I’m also starting to really like the characters, which is always a good sign.
This week the patients at Haven’s psychiatric facility, “the Freddy” have an unusual reaction to what we first believe is a drug spill. They get better. Unfortunately, the previously “sane” doctor becomes violent and compulsive, a comment, which I appreciate, on how we are all very close to “crazy.”
The patients that are chosen for this story are a bit odd, if stereotypical. The focus is on Lily, a talented composer before she was submerged in cold water for more than 8 minutes because of a car accident (cars in the water are a theme for this show). Now Lily is compulsive and sometimes violent. The other two patients in focus are severe catatonics, Mr. Sperry and William. The patients are interesting because true catatonics are rare: to have two in this particular little hospital is, well, weird (I know I use this word too much, but it is so appropriate). It is also rare for psychiatric patients to be violent, especially as violent as Lily. I’m not sure if the choice of mental health issues was purposeful or just lazy.
What isn’t unusual is for psychiatrists to develop mental health issues themselves, but this is Haven so it isn’t just the psychiatrist, but lots of other people--including everyone in a bar that Lily happens to go to while she is coming out of one of her sane periods. I enjoyed this bit of the episode. The patrons of the bar shoving cars and ripping off doors, a woman throwing darts at a man who doesn't seem perturbed to be a dart board (would we all be violent if we suddenly developed mental health issues?)--but my favourite thing is that Audrey walks in and out of the bar, as do others, and totally ignores the man full of darts. Just another day in Haven. My other favourite bit in this section of the episode is that we get to see the dark side of Nathan as he burns his arm with a lighter and lunges after Duke, who is charged with babysitting him until the “crazy” wears off. Duke gives us a clue that a darker side of Nathan might have already been evident when he says “Does she (Audrey) know you’re not a real boy? I mean, does she know about the things you’ve done?”
Eventually we find out that the source of these happenings is Lily’s husband, Ray, whose “trouble” seems to be the music he makes and the effect it has on people. When he plays an instrument people who have mental health issues get better and “sane” people lose their minds. So he can save his Lily, but at the cost of damaging others. The solution is for Ray, Lily, and some other patients (William and Mr. Sperry) to go off on a boat where they are away from other people. Again, I may be a person who likes the science in science fiction but I would like some explanation for why this works. The weekly “troubles” don’t seem to have much depth to them and they mostly become vehicles for the larger story arc and getting to know the characters. I feel a bit cheated by this as each “trouble” could be better expressed and given more depth.
I am enjoying the larger story arc and the characters. We are getting a better idea of the troubles, how they play themselves out, and what havoc they can create. We are also learning about Haven and the capacity of the townsfolk to tolerate weirdness. Audrey fits right in. She actually enjoys the mystery of the town. Her relationship with Nathan is deepening as a partner, and now they have a third Muskateer in Duke, who is just as interested in finding out what is going on. This week we also got a name for the woman who might be Audrey’s mom - Lucy. Mr. Sperry used to sell her flowers.
Bits and Pieces
Crazy Nathan is much hotter than sane Nathan - just saying. Duke walking around with his shirt off doesn’t hurt the show either (of course this is just my perspective). Only Haven would have two bars called the Rust Bucket and the Shiny Scupper, oh and a psychiatric hospital called “the Freddy”. And this week we had another man with a New England accent. They seem to just throw them in randomly.
Quotes
Nathan: “Nice work on the cat lady call this morning.”
Audrey: “Who knew I had such talent with drunken women in housecoats.”
Nathan: “I think they laughed their fourth grade asses off.”
Nathan: “We can’t shoot the doctor?”
Audrey: “No.”
Nathan: “And we can’t go in that room, so why are we sneaking up on him?”
Audrey: “Because Haven doesn’t have a SWAT team. It has a dispatch lady that calls you 'hun' so we’re following FBI protocol.”
Duke to “Crazy” Nathan: “You may want to consider switching to decaf.”
Nathan: “Maybe you’ll fix me some day.”
Audrey: “I don’t think so, nobody can fix you.”
I am particularly enjoying the fact that Audrey is not interested in being a romantic partner for either Nathan or Duke. She is totally straightforward and her own woman. Shirts off and vulnerability don’t seem to have much effect on her.
Game of Thrones: Reviewer Melee
by
Josie Kafka
In the week between “Baelor” and "Fire and Blood" I found myself checking the blog more than usual. I kept returning to the quotes at the top of the “Baelor” review, the way I might return to a lovely image or poem. Those paired snippets of conversations are stark, simple, and completely in character for the speakers. But what I loved most was that they disagreed.Eureka: Bad to the Drone
by
Jess Lynde
... in which the latest Department of Defense liaison, a “corporate killer,” arrives to conduct a performance review of Global, just as an artificially intelligent military attack drone goes rogue.Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death
by
Mark Greig
“Run!”
The Patrick Troughton years were the beginning of the monster boom on Doctor Who. The historical episodes, a regular fixture of the previous era, had been phase out and replaced by numerous ‘base under siege’ stories as the Doctor frequently battled Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti, Macra, Quarks, Krotons, Cybermen again and the Ice Warriors.
The Patrick Troughton years were the beginning of the monster boom on Doctor Who. The historical episodes, a regular fixture of the previous era, had been phase out and replaced by numerous ‘base under siege’ stories as the Doctor frequently battled Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti, Macra, Quarks, Krotons, Cybermen again and the Ice Warriors.
Falling Skies: Pilot
by
Billie Doux
"Retreat, regroup, return... revenge."Falling Skies is about a world where insect-like aliens have invaded. They've taken out most of the population, the military and the infrastructure, and they're occupying cities. The tattered remnants of the human race (can I get the word "rag-tag" in there, too?) are in pretty much a permanent state of retreat and scrounge as they try their best to survive, as well as organize a resistance against a too-powerful unknown enemy.
Outcasts: Premiere
by
Billie Doux
"What's the weather like on Carpathia?"Outcasts is a new sci-fi series airing on BBC America. I saw the premiere last night. And mostly, I was confused. I felt like I didn't quite "get it." I kept feeling like there was a pilot that aired earlier that I missed. (I checked. There wasn't.)
Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood
by
Josie Kafka
“When dead men, and worse, come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits on the Iron Throne?”Westeros—like our modern shared culture, regardless of country—has pushed magic to the margins. The Westerosi gods are as silent as ours, and the magical or miraculous has been moved to Beyond the Wall, to the distant eastern kingdom of Asshai, and to the memories of desiccated women like Old Nan. Dragons have died out. No one believes in the zombies Beyond the Wall. For all its faux-medieval trappings, Westeros has a thoroughly modern lack of wonder, awe, and faith in the inexplicable. It’s a fantasy with very few fantastic elements.
Doctor Who: The Krotons
by
Mark Greig
“The Doctor’s almost as clever as I am.”
Robert Holmes isn’t just my favourite Doctor Who writer, he is without a shadow of a doubt the finest writer this show has ever had (past, present or future) and I will gladly fight anyone, to the death, who says differently.
Wait, what was that? Russell T. Davies? Right, you, outside now!
Robert Holmes isn’t just my favourite Doctor Who writer, he is without a shadow of a doubt the finest writer this show has ever had (past, present or future) and I will gladly fight anyone, to the death, who says differently.
Wait, what was that? Russell T. Davies? Right, you, outside now!
Eureka: A Night at Global Dynamics
by
Jess Lynde
... in which Stark, Carter, and Taggart brave a biological threat and the GD defense protocols to save Allison and Kevin.The Killing: Beau Soleil
by
Mark Greig
“Nothing beats dead Indians. Didn't you see Poltergeist?”
My friends, last week The Killing had never risen higher. And now it has fallen so much further.
My friends, last week The Killing had never risen higher. And now it has fallen so much further.
The Princess Bride
by
Billie Doux
Doctor Who: The Invasion
by
Mark Greig
"My body may be cybernetic but my mind stays human!"
Playing out like the world’s longest and cheapest Bond movie, ‘The Invasion’ is probably the most iconic and well-loved Cybermen story. As far as I’m concerned it’s unquestionably their finest hour, made all the better by the fact the cybernetic dullards from Mondas are hardly in it.
Playing out like the world’s longest and cheapest Bond movie, ‘The Invasion’ is probably the most iconic and well-loved Cybermen story. As far as I’m concerned it’s unquestionably their finest hour, made all the better by the fact the cybernetic dullards from Mondas are hardly in it.
Star Trek: Return to Tomorrow
by
Billie Doux
Thalassa: "'Beloved.' What will that word mean to a machine?"
Sargon: "Our thoughts will intertwine."
Another outing with God-Like Aliens. Even so, I'm fond of this one.
Sargon: "Our thoughts will intertwine."
Another outing with God-Like Aliens. Even so, I'm fond of this one.
Eureka: Maneater
by
Jess Lynde
... in which the town’s public works system goes on the fritz as Carter suddenly becomes an irresistible chick magnet.Doctor Who: The Mind Robber
by
Mark Greig
“Well, we’re nowhere. It’s as simple as that.”When I first saw ‘The Mind Robber’ at the wee age of very small I thought it was absolutely brilliant. An atmospheric and fantastical tale filled with some unforgettable imagery. But I eventually grew up and with age comes cynicism. Now I can’t help seeing ‘The Mind Robber’ for what it really is; a load of old surrealist nonsense that could’ve only ever been produced in the 1960s.
Game of Thrones: Baelor
by
Josie Kafka
Tyrion: “If I die, weep for me.”Shae: “You will be dead. How will you know?”
Tyrion: “I’ll know.”
Robb: “I sent 2000 men to their graves to day.”
Theon: “Bards will sing songs of their sacrifice.”
Robb: “Aye, but the dead won’t hear them.”
Haven: Butterfly
by
drnanamom
"Every town’s got a few skeletons in the closet. Well, this is a big freakin’ closet."The second episode of Haven was not as interesting as the first. It seemed to act mostly as a vehicle to provide us with information about the larger story.
The butterfly story was somewhat entertaining, especially the symbolism of the one butterfly with the huge iron ball. All I could think of was the “butterfly effect": that the flap of one butterfly wing can start a chain of reactions that ends with a hurricane. I found it particularly interesting to watch the reaction of the townspeople as a huge metal ball rolled down their main street. It says a lot that they weren’t particularly surprised by it. The butterflies and the metal ball were the product of a young boy's (Bobby’s) dreams. After the traumatic death of his family in a car accident, whenever he sleeps his dreams become reality. This is a bit tricky when he is dreaming about crushing people between cars or electrocuting them in school hallways during the school science fair. I didn’t find this particular mystery very engaging or believable. I was particularly annoyed by the resolution which had Audrey and Nathan interacting with Bobby in his dream. However, it did introduce Bobby’s foster grandfather, the Reverend Driscoll, a mostly ex-alcoholic who is going to be an ongoing piece of the Haven puzzle. Stephen King does have a soft spot for crazy, somewhat evil preachers.
The bigger mystery is moving along.
Audrey is staying in town to find out about the woman in the picture, who she believes is her mother. The chief has offered her a job and help in solving her mystery if she will stay. We found out that “the troubles” have happened before around the time of the murder of the Colorado Kid in 1983. Only certain people have the troubles and they manifest in different ways. Often people don’t know they have a special power/gift/problem. Eleanor didn’t know she could control the weather, Bobby suspects his dreams but doesn’t really understand what is happening, and Nathan only found out he got his (not being able to feel anything) when he was seriously injured in a toboggan accident as a child. Of course, the Reverend sees those with the troubles as the product of the devil--but how could that be when it would put some of our good guys on the wrong side? Something big is up in Haven. It is manifesting itself through the troubles and is linked in some way to the woman in the picture.
Bits and Pieces
Of course a sea town will have a bar called the Rust Bucket. And why wouldn’t a huge metal ball roll into it?
Haven has a moose farm as a tourist attraction. Down east where the show is filmed tourists do like to see the moose but locals see them mostly as a driving hazard.
Nathan used to be a bit of a ladies man - a nerdy ladies man. He asked the Reverend’s daughter to the prom without her father’s permission. When the Reverend found out and forbid her to go, Nathan took her to see a meteor shower instead.
Quotes
Audrey: "That’s it, that all I get, the folksy, local cop brush-off?"
Chief: "I was shooting for civil."
Audrey: "I’m just looking for a little quid, pro quo."
Chief: "Oh, that sounds illicit."
Audrey: "I was shooting for civil."
Audrey: "You don’t mind do you, that I invited myself along?"
Nathan: "It’s a huge metal ball. Who can resist that?"
Audrey: "Exactly."
Nathan: "Meteor showers are better naked."
Audrey: (To the butterfly on her hotel bedspread) "Polyester is so beneath you."
Nathan: "The troubles are back, and I’m afraid they won’t go away this time."
Eureka: God is in the Details
by
Jess Lynde
... in which the town begins experiencing events that could be interpreted as biblical signs of the apocalypse.Aliens
by
Billie Doux
The Killing: Missing
by
Mark Greig
“Everything makes sense, it's about how you perceive it.”
Are you kidding me? We're three episode from the finale, with so many questions left unanswered, and Veena Sud decides that now is a good time to suddenly drop everything so we can follow Linden and Holder around as they go chasing after her missing son? Huh, good call, Veena, because I honestly thought this was the best episode of The Killing to date. Even if it did feel somewhat misplaced.
Are you kidding me? We're three episode from the finale, with so many questions left unanswered, and Veena Sud decides that now is a good time to suddenly drop everything so we can follow Linden and Holder around as they go chasing after her missing son? Huh, good call, Veena, because I honestly thought this was the best episode of The Killing to date. Even if it did feel somewhat misplaced.
Game of Thrones: The Pointy End
by
Josie Kafka
“Not today.”It’s tempting to say that the Stark children are the true heroes of Game of Thrones. Arya, Jon, and Robb are powerful beyond their years, and it’s hard not to root for the three kiddos who exemplify the best of their father’s sense of justice and their mother’s strength. However, it’s not that the Stark children are the heroes. It’s that the children are forced to become adults far, far sooner than is appropriate even in this faux-medieval world.
Doctor Who: The Dominators
by
Mark Greig
“Shall we destroy? Shall we destroy?”
One of the great tragedies of Doctor Who is the loss of so many episodes from the show’s monochrome days. This was all due to the BBC’s insane junking policy during the 1970s. The cheap gits wouldn’t fork out for new tapes so they just recorded over all the old ones in the archive.
One of the great tragedies of Doctor Who is the loss of so many episodes from the show’s monochrome days. This was all due to the BBC’s insane junking policy during the 1970s. The cheap gits wouldn’t fork out for new tapes so they just recorded over all the old ones in the archive.
Alien
by
Billie Doux
Newsflash: Doctor Who Renewed For a Seventh Season
by
Paul Kelly
It's official! According to BBC Exec, Sam Hodges "Doctor Who is returning. Fourteen new episodes have been commissioned with Matt Smith as The Doctor".The news was confirmed minutes later by Lord Moff himself, who tweeted "14 eps and Matt definitely. I've got a plan and I'm not telling you what it is. Now hush or River shoots you with her Spoiler Gun."
No news yet on Karen Gillan or Arthur Darvill. But another full season of Matt Smith is great news indeed. Hurrah for bow ties!
Twitter links here and here.
Eureka: Sight Unseen
by
Jess Lynde
... in which chemicals begin mysteriously disappearing from the pharmacy, the dry cleaner, and the Global Dynamics collection of moon rocks.Doctor Who: A Good Man Goes to War
by
Paul Kelly
River: 'This is the day he finds out who I am.'Tonight's episode was a mid-season finale, which is something of a first for us here in the UK, as our seasons are seldom long enough to cut in two. As such, despite answering some of our questions, it left most of the main plot threads hanging. We now know who River Song is, but the central mystery remains tantalisingly incoherent. Emotionally, tonight's episode had some effective set pieces, but I'm going to start off with what I didn't like. There weren't many things, so bear with me.
The Killing: I'll Let You Know When I Get There
by
Mark Greig
“I thought it was the menopause, it was Belko.”
I don't know why so many fictional detectives even bother doing any sort of detecting. 90% of the time it's happenstance, rather than investigation, that ultimately solves the case. Why bother going through all the hassle of pursuing leads and interviewing suspects when all you have to do is go for a nice morning jog.
I don't know why so many fictional detectives even bother doing any sort of detecting. 90% of the time it's happenstance, rather than investigation, that ultimately solves the case. Why bother going through all the hassle of pursuing leads and interviewing suspects when all you have to do is go for a nice morning jog.
Game of Thrones: You Win or You Die
by
Josie Kafka
“Family.”This episode couldn’t be as good as last week’s. Just not possible. But the joy of last week’s episode lay in the beautiful way it was made, the artistry of the scene-crafting and word-smithing. This week’s episode may not measure up to Espenson’s skill, but it more than made up for it in terms of the tragic arc of one of our favorite characters, and the delightful sense of incipient entropy across Westeros and in King’s Landing.
Planet of the Apes
by
Billie Doux
Taylor: "I can't help thinking that somewhere in the universe, there has to be something better than man. Has to be."[This review includes spoilers.]
If it weren't so utterly cool, Planet of the Apes would be a massive downer. The premise is that human beings are such abysmal failures as a species, so unworthy of the ownership of our planet, that it is inevitable that we will destroy ourselves and something else will take our place.
Eureka: E=MC?
by
Jess Lynde
... in which Global attempts to recruit a new employee and replicate the Big Bang under controlled conditions.Doctor Who - The Classic Series
by
Mark Greig
First Doctor
Second Doctor
Third Doctor
Fourth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
Seventh Doctor
Eighth Doctor
Related Links
Cast Photo
Doctor Who - The Classic Series (1963-1989) chronicles the low budget adventures through time and space of the first eight incarnations of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial mad man with a box, and his ever changing rota of (usually female) companions. The series originally ran for 26 years on the BBC until it was finally cancelled in 1989. It was briefly revived as a TV movie in 1996 before coming back full time in 2005. Despite its cheesy special effects and cardboard sets, Doctor Who has managed to endure for almost half a century thanks to its imaginative and witty scripts, memorable villains and, in the character of the Doctor, the greatest science fiction hero of all time.
The Second through Eighth Doctor reviews, starting with "The Dominators," were written by Mark Greig, a project that began in 2011 and ended in 2018. John Geoffrion joined the effort in 2015 and contributed reviews for the black and white episodes featuring the first two Doctors. We also have reviews for the new Doctor Who, 2005 onwards, here.
John Geoffrion is now tracking the classic Doctor Who titles available on YouTube, here.
First Doctor
An Unearthly Child
The Daleks
The Edge of Destruction
Marco Polo
The Keys of Marinus
The Aztecs
The Sensorites
The Reign of Terror
Planet of Giants
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Rescue
The Romans
The Web Planet
The Crusade
The Space Museum
The Chase
The Time Meddler
Galaxy Four
Mission to the Unknown
The Myth Makers
The Daleks' Master Plan
The Massacre (of St Bartholomew's Eve)
The Ark
The Celestial Toymaker
The Gunfighters
The Savages
The War Machines
The Smugglers
The Tenth Planet
Second Doctor
The Power of the Daleks
The Highlanders
The Underwater Menace
The Moonbase
The Macra Terror
The Faceless Ones
The Evil of the Daleks
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Abominable Snowmen
The Ice Warriors
The Enemy of the World
The Web of Fear
Fury from the Deep
The Wheel in Space
The Dominators
The Mind Robber
The Invasion
The Krotons
The Space Pirates
The Seeds of Death
The War Games
Third Doctor
Spearhead from Space
The Silurians
The Ambassadors of Death
Inferno
Terror of the Autons
The Mind of Evil
The Claws of Axos
Colony in Space
The Dæmons
Day of the Daleks
The Curse of Peladon
The Sea Devils
The Mutants
The Time Monster
The Three Doctors
Carnival of Monsters
Frontier in Space
Planet of the Daleks
The Green Death
The Time Warrior
Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Death to the Daleks
The Monster of Peladon
Planet of the Spiders
Fourth Doctor
Robot
The Ark in Space
The Sontaran Experiment
Genesis of the Daleks
Revenge of the Cybermen
Terror of the Zygons
Planet of Evil
Pyramids of Mars
The Android Invasion
The Brain of Morbius
The Seeds of Doom
The Masque of Mandragora
The Hand of Fear
The Deadly Assassin
The Face of Evil
The Robots of Death
The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Horror of Fang Rock
The Invisible Enemy
Image of the Fendahl
The Sun Makers
Underworld
The Invasion of Time
The Ribos Operation (The Key to Time Part One)
The Pirate Planet (The Key to Time Part Two)
The Stones of Blood (The Key to Time Part Three)
The Androids of Tara (The Key to Time Part Four)
The Power of Kroll (The Key to Time Part Five)
The Armageddon Factor (The Key to Time Part Six)
Destiny of the Daleks
City of Death
The Creature from the Pit
Nightmare of Eden
The Horns of Nimon
Shada
The Leisure Hive
Meglos
Full Circle
State of Decay
Warrior's Gate
The Keeper of Traken
Logopolis
Fifth Doctor
Castrovalva
Four to Doomsday
Kinda
The Visitation
Black Orchid
Earthshock
Time-Flight
Arc of Infinity
Snakedance
Mawdryn Undead
Terminus
Enlightenment
The King's Demons
The Five Doctors
Warriors of the Deep
The Awakening
Frontios
Resurrection of the Daleks
Planet of Fire
The Caves of Androzani
Sixth Doctor
The Twin Dilemma
Attack of the Cybermen
Vengeance on Varos
The Mark of the Rani
The Two Doctors
Timelash
Revelation of the Daleks
The Trial of a Time Lord
Seventh Doctor
Time and the Rani
Paradise Towers
Delta and the Bannermen
Dragonfire
Remembrance of the Daleks
The Happiness Patrol
Silver Nemesis
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Battlefield
Ghost Light
The Curse of Fenric
Survival
Eighth Doctor
TV Movie
Doctor Who Reviews (2005-present)
Related Links
Dr Who and the Daleks (1965 movie)
Doux Top Twenty! Number 3: Doctor Who
My Forty Years of Doctor Who Fandom by John Geoffrion
Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS
The Case for Bingeing Doctor Who, the Black-and-White Years by Mikey Heinrich
Cast Photo
Second Doctor
Third Doctor
Fourth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
Seventh Doctor
Eighth Doctor
Related Links
Cast Photo
Doctor Who - The Classic Series (1963-1989) chronicles the low budget adventures through time and space of the first eight incarnations of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial mad man with a box, and his ever changing rota of (usually female) companions. The series originally ran for 26 years on the BBC until it was finally cancelled in 1989. It was briefly revived as a TV movie in 1996 before coming back full time in 2005. Despite its cheesy special effects and cardboard sets, Doctor Who has managed to endure for almost half a century thanks to its imaginative and witty scripts, memorable villains and, in the character of the Doctor, the greatest science fiction hero of all time.
The Second through Eighth Doctor reviews, starting with "The Dominators," were written by Mark Greig, a project that began in 2011 and ended in 2018. John Geoffrion joined the effort in 2015 and contributed reviews for the black and white episodes featuring the first two Doctors. We also have reviews for the new Doctor Who, 2005 onwards, here.
John Geoffrion is now tracking the classic Doctor Who titles available on YouTube, here.
First Doctor
An Unearthly Child
The Daleks
The Edge of Destruction
Marco Polo
The Keys of Marinus
The Aztecs
The Sensorites
The Reign of Terror
Planet of Giants
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
The Rescue
The Romans
The Web Planet
The Crusade
The Space Museum
The Chase
The Time Meddler
Galaxy Four
Mission to the Unknown
The Myth Makers
The Daleks' Master Plan
The Massacre (of St Bartholomew's Eve)
The Ark
The Celestial Toymaker
The Gunfighters
The Savages
The War Machines
The Smugglers
The Tenth Planet
Second Doctor
The Power of the Daleks
The Highlanders
The Underwater Menace
The Moonbase
The Macra Terror
The Faceless Ones
The Evil of the Daleks
The Tomb of the Cybermen
The Abominable Snowmen
The Ice Warriors
The Enemy of the World
The Web of Fear
Fury from the Deep
The Wheel in Space
The Dominators
The Mind Robber
The Invasion
The Krotons
The Space Pirates
The Seeds of Death
The War Games
Third Doctor
Spearhead from Space
The Silurians
The Ambassadors of Death
Inferno
Terror of the Autons
The Mind of Evil
The Claws of Axos
Colony in Space
The Dæmons
Day of the Daleks
The Curse of Peladon
The Sea Devils
The Mutants
The Time Monster
The Three Doctors
Carnival of Monsters
Frontier in Space
Planet of the Daleks
The Green Death
The Time Warrior
Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Death to the Daleks
The Monster of Peladon
Planet of the Spiders
Fourth Doctor
Robot
The Ark in Space
The Sontaran Experiment
Genesis of the Daleks
Revenge of the Cybermen
Terror of the Zygons
Planet of Evil
Pyramids of Mars
The Android Invasion
The Brain of Morbius
The Seeds of Doom
The Masque of Mandragora
The Hand of Fear
The Deadly Assassin
The Face of Evil
The Robots of Death
The Talons of Weng-Chiang
Horror of Fang Rock
The Invisible Enemy
Image of the Fendahl
The Sun Makers
Underworld
The Invasion of Time
The Ribos Operation (The Key to Time Part One)
The Pirate Planet (The Key to Time Part Two)
The Stones of Blood (The Key to Time Part Three)
The Androids of Tara (The Key to Time Part Four)
The Power of Kroll (The Key to Time Part Five)
The Armageddon Factor (The Key to Time Part Six)
Destiny of the Daleks
City of Death
The Creature from the Pit
Nightmare of Eden
The Horns of Nimon
Shada
The Leisure Hive
Meglos
Full Circle
State of Decay
Warrior's Gate
The Keeper of Traken
Logopolis
Fifth Doctor
Castrovalva
Four to Doomsday
Kinda
The Visitation
Black Orchid
Earthshock
Time-Flight
Arc of Infinity
Snakedance
Mawdryn Undead
Terminus
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The King's Demons
The Five Doctors
Warriors of the Deep
The Awakening
Frontios
Resurrection of the Daleks
Planet of Fire
The Caves of Androzani
Sixth Doctor
The Twin Dilemma
Attack of the Cybermen
Vengeance on Varos
The Mark of the Rani
The Two Doctors
Timelash
Revelation of the Daleks
The Trial of a Time Lord
Seventh Doctor
Time and the Rani
Paradise Towers
Delta and the Bannermen
Dragonfire
Remembrance of the Daleks
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Silver Nemesis
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
Battlefield
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The Curse of Fenric
Survival
Eighth Doctor
TV Movie
Doctor Who Reviews (2005-present)
Related Links
Dr Who and the Daleks (1965 movie)
Doux Top Twenty! Number 3: Doctor Who
My Forty Years of Doctor Who Fandom by John Geoffrion
Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS
The Case for Bingeing Doctor Who, the Black-and-White Years by Mikey Heinrich
Cast Photo
Twin Peaks
by
Josie Kafka
Season 1 | Season 2 |
The Return (2017) | Cast |
Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, premiered in the spring of 1990 to great fanfare, great acclaim, and great theorization. While the viewing public quickly grew disillusioned with the show's increasingly complicated--and surreal--mythology, the show has influenced contemporary television by a scale out of bounds with its short 30-episode run.
Programming Note, Part I: The Twin Peaks story concludes with the movies Fire Walk With Me, even though that movie is technically a prequel. If you are watching the show for the first time, start with the Pilot and end with the movie. Really.
Programming Note, Part II: Episode titles were added years after the fact for a DVD release. I'll follow those episode titles in the review posts just for the sake of continuity.
Season One
1.0 Pilot
1.1 Traces to Nowhere
1.2 Zen, or The Skill to Catch a Killer
1.3 Rest in Pain
1.4 The One-Armed Man
1.5 Cooper's Dream
1.6 Realization Time
1.7 The Last Evening
Season Two
2.1 May the Giant Be With You
2.2 Coma
2.3 The Man Behind the Glass
2.4 Laura's Secret Diary
2.5 The Orchid's Curse
2.6 Demons
2.7 Lonely Souls
2.8 Drive with a Dead Girl
2.9 Arbitrary Law
2.10 Dispute Between Brothers
2.11 Masked Ball
2.12 Black Widow
2.13 Checkmate
2.14 Double Play
2.15 Slaves and Masters
2.16 The Condemned Woman
2.17 Wounds and Scars
2.18 On the Wings of Love
2.19 Variations on Relations
2.20 The Path to the Black Lodge
2.21 Miss Twin Peaks
2.22 Beyond Life and Death
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (not yet reviewed)
The Return (2017)
1.1 Part One
1.2 Part Two
1.3 Part Three
1.4 Part Four
1.5 Part Five
1.6 Part Six
1.7 Part Seven
1.8 Part Eight
1.9 Part Nine
1.10 Part Ten
1.11 Part Eleven
1.12 Part Twelve
1.13 Part Thirteen
1.14 Part Fourteen
1.15 Part Fifteen
1.16 Part Sixteen
1.17 & 1.18 Parts Seventeen and Eighteen
Cast
Kyle MacLachlan (Special Agent Dale Cooper)
Michael Ontkean (Sheriff Harry S. Truman)
Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson)
Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs)
Richard Beymer (Benjamin Horne)
Lara Flynn Boyle (Donna Hayward)
Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne)
Warren Frost (Dr. Will Hayward)
Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings)
James Marshall (James Hurley)
Everett McGill (Big Ed Hurley)
Jack Nance (Pete Martell)
Joan Chen (Jocelyn Packard)
Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran)
Michael Horse (Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill)
Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell)
Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan)
Eric DaRe (Leo Johnson)
Wendy Robie (Nadine Hurley)
Ray Wise (Leland Palmer)
Sheryl Lee (Madeleine 'Maddy' Ferguson)
Russ Tamblyn (Dr. Lawrence Jacoby)
Don S. Davis (Maj. Garland Briggs)
Chris Mulkey (Hank Jennings)
Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson)
Grace Zabriskie (Sarah Palmer)
The Return (2017) | Cast |
Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, premiered in the spring of 1990 to great fanfare, great acclaim, and great theorization. While the viewing public quickly grew disillusioned with the show's increasingly complicated--and surreal--mythology, the show has influenced contemporary television by a scale out of bounds with its short 30-episode run.
Programming Note, Part I: The Twin Peaks story concludes with the movies Fire Walk With Me, even though that movie is technically a prequel. If you are watching the show for the first time, start with the Pilot and end with the movie. Really.
Programming Note, Part II: Episode titles were added years after the fact for a DVD release. I'll follow those episode titles in the review posts just for the sake of continuity.
Season One
1.0 Pilot
1.1 Traces to Nowhere
1.2 Zen, or The Skill to Catch a Killer
1.3 Rest in Pain
1.4 The One-Armed Man
1.5 Cooper's Dream
1.6 Realization Time
1.7 The Last Evening
Season Two
2.1 May the Giant Be With You
2.2 Coma
2.3 The Man Behind the Glass
2.4 Laura's Secret Diary
2.5 The Orchid's Curse
2.6 Demons
2.7 Lonely Souls
2.8 Drive with a Dead Girl
2.9 Arbitrary Law
2.10 Dispute Between Brothers
2.11 Masked Ball
2.12 Black Widow
2.13 Checkmate
2.14 Double Play
2.15 Slaves and Masters
2.16 The Condemned Woman
2.17 Wounds and Scars
2.18 On the Wings of Love
2.19 Variations on Relations
2.20 The Path to the Black Lodge
2.21 Miss Twin Peaks
2.22 Beyond Life and Death
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (not yet reviewed)
The Return (2017)
1.1 Part One
1.2 Part Two
1.3 Part Three
1.4 Part Four
1.5 Part Five
1.6 Part Six
1.7 Part Seven
1.8 Part Eight
1.9 Part Nine
1.10 Part Ten
1.11 Part Eleven
1.12 Part Twelve
1.13 Part Thirteen
1.14 Part Fourteen
1.15 Part Fifteen
1.16 Part Sixteen
1.17 & 1.18 Parts Seventeen and Eighteen
Cast
Kyle MacLachlan (Special Agent Dale Cooper)
Michael Ontkean (Sheriff Harry S. Truman)
Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson)
Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs)
Richard Beymer (Benjamin Horne)
Lara Flynn Boyle (Donna Hayward)
Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne)
Warren Frost (Dr. Will Hayward)
Peggy Lipton (Norma Jennings)
James Marshall (James Hurley)
Everett McGill (Big Ed Hurley)
Jack Nance (Pete Martell)
Joan Chen (Jocelyn Packard)
Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran)
Michael Horse (Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill)
Piper Laurie (Catherine Martell)
Harry Goaz (Deputy Andy Brennan)
Eric DaRe (Leo Johnson)
Wendy Robie (Nadine Hurley)
Ray Wise (Leland Palmer)
Sheryl Lee (Madeleine 'Maddy' Ferguson)
Russ Tamblyn (Dr. Lawrence Jacoby)
Don S. Davis (Maj. Garland Briggs)
Chris Mulkey (Hank Jennings)
Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson)
Grace Zabriskie (Sarah Palmer)
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