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From: cs2532aa@unm-cvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho
Subject: On Violence in Dr. Who (22nd Season Spoilers!)
Message-ID: <344@unm-cvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 16:31:38 EST
Article-I.D.: unm-cvax.344
Posted: Fri Apr 19 16:31:38 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Apr-85 07:34:33 EST
Reply-To: cs2532aa@unm-cvax.UUCP (Ernie Longmire)
Organization: The People Your Parents Warned You About, Inc.
Lines: 41

The increase in various states of Companion Undressedness in the Peter Davison
years doesn't bother me nearly as much as the (apparent) trend towards more
graphic violence in Season 22 with Colin Baker.  I have seen two stories from
this season -- "Mark of the Rani" and "The Two Doctors" -- and there seemed to
me to be more violence in these two stories (especially in "Two Doctors") than
in any complete season I'd seen before.  Some examples include (spoiler warning
in effect here):

Two Doctors: * Doctor gets stabbed in leg, bleeds all over the place.
             * Minor (but likable) character gets stabbed in chest, more
               blood, and no real reason for the killing from a plot
               standpoint.
             * Sontaran gets blown up, but his (disconnected!) leg is 
               carried around for the duration of one scene.
             * Doctor murders (I think the term is appropriate here) the
               character who killed the aforementioned "Minor (but likable)
               character".  This seemed TOTALLY out of character!

Mark of the Rani:  * Doctor seems more violent in general
                   * Master gets kicked in the groin (actually I thought
                     that part was pretty funny!)
                   * Doctor and Peri are almost killed by Mustard Gas (this
                     was more disturbing than graphic, but seemed out of place)

I'm not really offended by the increase in violence, just disappointed in
the writers as they seem to be making the show much more "action-adventure"
than it used to be, and are also giving Mary Whitehouse and her ilk more to
complain about with no real benefit to the program.  

Other than that, I really enjoyed the two stories -- Troughton has a field
day in "Two Doctors" and Colin Baker's Doctor is quite likable, just a bit
sadistic.  Peri is one of the better companions, although hearing the 'R'
in 'TARDIS' and "DOCTOR" take some getting used to.

         .rne.

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Real World . . Ernie Longmire / 311 Don St. SE / Los Lunas, NM  87031-9405
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Greatness is attainable only when it is not sought.   --B. Banzai