The Church and the Crown
The Doctor is trying to take Erimem to the Braxiatel Collection where she can make a contribution to its section on Earth history when the TARDIS lands in 17th century France instead. At Peri's insistence the travellers leave the ship to show Erimem some of her future, and almost immediately Peri is kidnapped by forces unknown. Musketeers and Church guards clash in the streets as the Church and the Crown struggle for power, but a third force is watching from the sidelines waiting for the right moment to attack and carry out its own plans against France - plans which are complicated by the fact that Peri and Queen Anne are dead ringers for each other.
The Church and the Crown is pretty much a historical comedy about mistaken identities, bickering spouses and wry commentary made while flicking a sword about, almost in the same vein as Donald Cotton's The Romans back in 1964. As with The Romans, the travellers become unwilling pawns in the games being played out around them but not taking any of it very seriously. The musketeers are pretty much played up as a farce, and Peri kicks a lot of men in the balls. Erimem yells at the Royal couple when their bickering gets on her nerves. The Doctor just wants her cat to behave. Yes, I found myself grinning at times while I listened to this on the TTC as I headed to work. Or from work. Either way, the TTC was involved.
This one is just one of many tales that show that Doctor Who does not have to take itself seriously every time, especially every time the action moves to France. Well hang on... City of Death was in France. But the first two times the Doctor and companions went to France (The Reign of Terror, The Massacre) their straits were dire indeed with death waiting around every corner. This time... not so much. Not such a bad thing, really; we should be allowed to have a lighter adventure every now and again. Something to make the listener grin or giggle. I have a feeling that somewhere out there are legions of fans who have the exact opposite opinion of this one, but that's the risk one runs in having an opinion.
How's Erimem doing as a companion? Quite well, really; she's resourceful and very clever when it comes to dealing with royalty, which we all know can sometimes be the Doctor's stumbling block depending on the royalty he meets, so travelling with some is a good plan. Still, it's a bit odd that he was going to take her and have Irving Braxiatel add her to the collection (the collection that has been alluded to before by Romana in The City of Death and will come up again in the future... in a while) but maybe I just didn't get what was really going on.
And it wouldn't be the first time.
NEXT EPISODE : NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Church and the Crown is pretty much a historical comedy about mistaken identities, bickering spouses and wry commentary made while flicking a sword about, almost in the same vein as Donald Cotton's The Romans back in 1964. As with The Romans, the travellers become unwilling pawns in the games being played out around them but not taking any of it very seriously. The musketeers are pretty much played up as a farce, and Peri kicks a lot of men in the balls. Erimem yells at the Royal couple when their bickering gets on her nerves. The Doctor just wants her cat to behave. Yes, I found myself grinning at times while I listened to this on the TTC as I headed to work. Or from work. Either way, the TTC was involved.
This one is just one of many tales that show that Doctor Who does not have to take itself seriously every time, especially every time the action moves to France. Well hang on... City of Death was in France. But the first two times the Doctor and companions went to France (The Reign of Terror, The Massacre) their straits were dire indeed with death waiting around every corner. This time... not so much. Not such a bad thing, really; we should be allowed to have a lighter adventure every now and again. Something to make the listener grin or giggle. I have a feeling that somewhere out there are legions of fans who have the exact opposite opinion of this one, but that's the risk one runs in having an opinion.
How's Erimem doing as a companion? Quite well, really; she's resourceful and very clever when it comes to dealing with royalty, which we all know can sometimes be the Doctor's stumbling block depending on the royalty he meets, so travelling with some is a good plan. Still, it's a bit odd that he was going to take her and have Irving Braxiatel add her to the collection (the collection that has been alluded to before by Romana in The City of Death and will come up again in the future... in a while) but maybe I just didn't get what was really going on.
And it wouldn't be the first time.
NEXT EPISODE : NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Labels: Erimem, Peri Brown, The 5th Doctor
posted by Sean Hoover @ 3:58 PM
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