Battlefield
Nov. 7th, 2015 07:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiI’m actually on my last Classic Who season, having just watched Battlefield. Which clearly sparked some thought as this got to be a rather longish post.
I thought I had seen it before, as I have very clear memories of Merling having not yet been Merlin, but I must just have read about it, because I had not seen this episode before. it had the Brig in it. I would have remembered that. Which means I haven’t seen any of the episodes in Seven’s last season. I really look forward to Survival as I have heard a lot of good about it and because it has the Master in it. And because I have heard this is Ainley’s best performance. But Battlefield. I liked it, even if a few things jarred and sometimes these were the same things.
Like this being almost 50/50 gender wise. In 1989 this was probably quite revolutionary. I’ve noticed before that Seven’s era do have a lot of female characters, who have active and competent roles (or are villains), but in both HH and The Happiness Patrol those women are mostly presented as a group of rather similar females. In Battlefield we have Ace, Brigadier Winifred, the baddie Morgaine, the Brig’s wife Doris, a young tourist who basically sidekick Ace, a blind woman and at least another female soldier, so they are a lot more diverse. So yay for that. Less yay for Brigadier Winifred being such a stereotypical butch solder type, but I expect she was rather a novelty. And the ending has a bit of a reversed gender roles which may have been a novelty back then too, but feels a bit stale today. Why should any sex get to go away and have fun and the other one stay at home and do chores, after all?
But mostly all these women are a big yay. I guess one really wouldn’t have been able to do an episode with basically no males at all, like in The Zygon Invasion, which I think only had two speaking male character’s, and those very pretty minor. I actually didn’t think about the lack of men until I started to mull over the episode, but apart from the Doctor, ALL the important roles were filled by women. I’d like to think that episodes like Battlefield laid the groundwork.
And yay for Brigadier Winifred to have a bit of a love story without having to go all feminine and dainty! And being a bit of a name nerd I snickered at Winifred and Ancelyn’s name, which actually are versions of Guenevere and Lancelot.
Morgaine was a good villain even if I never really warmed to Jean March. But I do like that she had a moral code, only it was a rather nasty one. I liked her interaction with the Brig, recognizing him as a warrior and giving him due respect, for example. And though she had no qualms killing people, she also repaid debts, even if she did it basically in the same breathe. I also found her reaction on Arthur’s fate quite moving. Mordred was just plain bad, though, in a bad way. His maniacal laughter really could have benefitted for not being there at all. And the scary monster had a really good mask, for once.
But of course, what really made the episode for me was the Brigadier. I love the Brigadier. Doesn’t everyone? I loved that he instantly knew the Doctor, even if he had a new face. And he got to be heroic and for once he actually could blow something up. And though Ace with some right was rather cool with him, I loved that they bonded over their shared love for things that goes BOOM!
I also hugely enjoyed the fact that a future and yet unknown (as far as I know) Doctor was/going to be, Merlin. And I love Seven now when I have got the time to get to know him properly. I wonder why he isn’t more popular? Is it because he isn’t dashing? But I like his blend of comedy and rather startling manipulative darkness. And I like his relation to Ace and I really like Ace herself. So nice to finally have a companion who isn’t first and foremost meant to be eye candy.
I thought I had seen it before, as I have very clear memories of Merling having not yet been Merlin, but I must just have read about it, because I had not seen this episode before. it had the Brig in it. I would have remembered that. Which means I haven’t seen any of the episodes in Seven’s last season. I really look forward to Survival as I have heard a lot of good about it and because it has the Master in it. And because I have heard this is Ainley’s best performance. But Battlefield. I liked it, even if a few things jarred and sometimes these were the same things.
Like this being almost 50/50 gender wise. In 1989 this was probably quite revolutionary. I’ve noticed before that Seven’s era do have a lot of female characters, who have active and competent roles (or are villains), but in both HH and The Happiness Patrol those women are mostly presented as a group of rather similar females. In Battlefield we have Ace, Brigadier Winifred, the baddie Morgaine, the Brig’s wife Doris, a young tourist who basically sidekick Ace, a blind woman and at least another female soldier, so they are a lot more diverse. So yay for that. Less yay for Brigadier Winifred being such a stereotypical butch solder type, but I expect she was rather a novelty. And the ending has a bit of a reversed gender roles which may have been a novelty back then too, but feels a bit stale today. Why should any sex get to go away and have fun and the other one stay at home and do chores, after all?
But mostly all these women are a big yay. I guess one really wouldn’t have been able to do an episode with basically no males at all, like in The Zygon Invasion, which I think only had two speaking male character’s, and those very pretty minor. I actually didn’t think about the lack of men until I started to mull over the episode, but apart from the Doctor, ALL the important roles were filled by women. I’d like to think that episodes like Battlefield laid the groundwork.
And yay for Brigadier Winifred to have a bit of a love story without having to go all feminine and dainty! And being a bit of a name nerd I snickered at Winifred and Ancelyn’s name, which actually are versions of Guenevere and Lancelot.
Morgaine was a good villain even if I never really warmed to Jean March. But I do like that she had a moral code, only it was a rather nasty one. I liked her interaction with the Brig, recognizing him as a warrior and giving him due respect, for example. And though she had no qualms killing people, she also repaid debts, even if she did it basically in the same breathe. I also found her reaction on Arthur’s fate quite moving. Mordred was just plain bad, though, in a bad way. His maniacal laughter really could have benefitted for not being there at all. And the scary monster had a really good mask, for once.
But of course, what really made the episode for me was the Brigadier. I love the Brigadier. Doesn’t everyone? I loved that he instantly knew the Doctor, even if he had a new face. And he got to be heroic and for once he actually could blow something up. And though Ace with some right was rather cool with him, I loved that they bonded over their shared love for things that goes BOOM!
I also hugely enjoyed the fact that a future and yet unknown (as far as I know) Doctor was/going to be, Merlin. And I love Seven now when I have got the time to get to know him properly. I wonder why he isn’t more popular? Is it because he isn’t dashing? But I like his blend of comedy and rather startling manipulative darkness. And I like his relation to Ace and I really like Ace herself. So nice to finally have a companion who isn’t first and foremost meant to be eye candy.
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Date: 2015-11-07 11:19 pm (UTC)*HUGS*
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Date: 2015-11-07 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-08 01:33 pm (UTC)I hope you enjoy the rest of S26 - I was a bit surprised that you were especially looking forward to Survival rather than the infamously weird (but, shh, one of my absolute favourite DW stories of all time) Ghostlight, or The Curse of Fenric. And then you mentioned the Master and I understood! (I don't know what you'll think about Survival, or how well it's dated - these were the stories I saw as a child, and even though I can stand apart from them, a big part of me never really can, so I love them - but, yes, I think it's fair to say that it gives Anthony Ainley a chance to demonstrate that he's definitely more than a pantomime villain. (I don't think he is, but some of the writing is a little, and he also throws himself into that joyously OTT type of role, too.)
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Date: 2015-11-08 06:23 pm (UTC)I enjoyed their romance as well. :)
I was a bit surprised that you were especially looking forward to Survival rather than the infamously weird (but, shh, one of my absolute favourite DW stories of all time) Ghostlight, or The Curse of Fenric. And then you mentioned the Master and I understood!
Yeah, you know- me and the Master. ;)
I do look forward to those episodes too, though! Having a whole season of previously unseen Who feels like a gift!
(I don't know what you'll think about Survival, or how well it's dated - these were the stories I saw as a child, and even though I can stand apart from them, a big part of me never really can, so I love them - but, yes, I think it's fair to say that it gives Anthony Ainley a chance to demonstrate that he's definitely more than a pantomime villain. (I don't think he is, but some of the writing is a little, and he also throws himself into that joyously OTT type of role, too.)
In a way I wish I had seen Who as a child because I’m sure I would have loved it so much. But I still love it, of course.
I never seen Ainley’s Master as a pantomime villain. He’ll do a fair amount of scenery chewing, but I think a good villain should be able to do that. :) But sometimes it feels like he was pushed to play the Master in a certain way and I think his take on the role would have benefited from getting a chance to evolve it his own way. He was a good actor and it’s a big difference from acting OTT because you can’t do anything else, or OTT because you chose to.
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Date: 2015-11-08 07:06 pm (UTC)Enjoy the rest of S26. :-)
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Date: 2015-11-08 07:48 pm (UTC)So true! And I'm sure I will love it!
I sent you my Public Call fic, I hope you still felt it was OK. :)
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Date: 2015-11-08 08:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-08 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-08 04:05 pm (UTC)I think Seven isn't as popular simply because at the time of broadcast DW wasn't popular itself and he wasn't around very long. The Seven era was gaining viewers though.
The main characters in 'The Stones of Blood' were all female with a couple of male characters and some genderless blobs!
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Date: 2015-11-08 07:52 pm (UTC)Yes, even the most independent woman may turn into sap. Annoys me no end! I have no fear for Winifred!
I think Seven isn't as popular simply because at the time of broadcast DW wasn't popular itself and he wasn't around very long. The Seven era was gaining viewers though.
I guess you are right. Six era is filled with hints of showmaker’s desperately trying to find a way to get the show going again, but not daring to follow properly but changing tactics over and over. And though I rather like Peri, I heartily dislike how she was so blatantly exploited as a sex object, not just visually but within the show as well with basically every male character she met lusting for her body one way or the other. Seven feel much more grounded and coherent and I’m not surprised it gained viewers. (I like Six a lot too, actually, but it feels he never got a proper chance.)
The main characters in 'The Stones of Blood' were all female with a couple of male characters and some genderless blobs!
Oh yes, I had forgotten that! And I liked that episode too. shame on me!
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Date: 2015-11-09 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-11-09 06:34 pm (UTC)