The Randomiser: Enlightenment
Somewhat to our surprise the DVD for Enlightenment came with a 75 minute "special" version with updated special effects. After a little debate we opted to watch this version, because why not?
Enlightenment is an odd story. It should be one of Doctor Who's strange jaunts into the surreal. It is, after all, the tale of eternal creatures who live outside time itself, having a race around the solar system in space ships that are made up to appear as Earth sailing ships from miscellaneous points in history. The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough find themselves aboard the Edwardian vessel where the first mate Marriner takes an unsettling interest in Tegan. Meanwhile the Black Guardian continues to manipulate matters behind the scenes. Yet somehow, in spite of all the visual strangeness, the juxtapositions of space suits and climbing the rigging, Enlightenment feels much more like business as normal than one would expect. That may be the passage of time and the onset of familiarity of course. I vaguely recall being a little non-plussed by it at the time, but I think the acting helps. We are not encouraged to view this as a whimsical piece, but as something which is, in fact, deadly serious.
( More Under the Cut )
Enlightenment is a surprisingly successful story, given its somewhat way out premise. I would suggest its one of the occasions where Doctor Who has attempted something ambitious and successfully pulled it off, managing to make the concept of sailing ships racing through space seem entirely reasonable. The generally high production quality and good acting, from a period when both could be distinctly variable, definitely helps. One of Davison's better stories.
Enlightenment is an odd story. It should be one of Doctor Who's strange jaunts into the surreal. It is, after all, the tale of eternal creatures who live outside time itself, having a race around the solar system in space ships that are made up to appear as Earth sailing ships from miscellaneous points in history. The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough find themselves aboard the Edwardian vessel where the first mate Marriner takes an unsettling interest in Tegan. Meanwhile the Black Guardian continues to manipulate matters behind the scenes. Yet somehow, in spite of all the visual strangeness, the juxtapositions of space suits and climbing the rigging, Enlightenment feels much more like business as normal than one would expect. That may be the passage of time and the onset of familiarity of course. I vaguely recall being a little non-plussed by it at the time, but I think the acting helps. We are not encouraged to view this as a whimsical piece, but as something which is, in fact, deadly serious.
( More Under the Cut )
Enlightenment is a surprisingly successful story, given its somewhat way out premise. I would suggest its one of the occasions where Doctor Who has attempted something ambitious and successfully pulled it off, managing to make the concept of sailing ships racing through space seem entirely reasonable. The generally high production quality and good acting, from a period when both could be distinctly variable, definitely helps. One of Davison's better stories.