1)Here we have the story of a "failed companion". It might've been nice if Adam had been allowed to develop a bit, but at least he saves some time by going wrong almost immediately. Of course, Rose and the Doctor seem to be somewhat against him from the start, with the Doctor priming Rose so that she can show off what an experienced time traveler she is at the start. "He's your boyfriend. Not anymore." On the other hand, Rose seems to trust Adam pretty quickly, giving him her TARDIS key and all. Still and all, I guess if they were going to do this kind of storyline, best to get it over with, though one longs for a scene in which Turlough and the Ghost of Adric beat him up and take his lunch money. I do question the wisdom of leaving him on 21st Century Earth with all that far future tech - maybe they'll bring him back long enough to kill him off, some day.
2)I thought Simon Pegg was quite good as the Editor. The affable, amused heels are much more entertaining than the mustache-twirlers. We've had Shaun's mum, and now Shaun - when's Nick Frost coming in for a turn, eh?
3)After watching the episode, I went back and listened to it with the commentary track on - featuring the director, and the actors who played Adam and Cathica. The director made much of saying that the episode was a dig at a certain "news magnate" whom he coyly refused to name - doubtless, Rupert Murdoch. I've heard that the libel laws are stricter over in the UK than they are over here, perhaps he was afraid to come out and say it, or had been asked not to.
4)Apropos of nothing, but I confess to finding the actress who played Suki (Anna Maxwell-Martin) a real "Miss Hottiness", to paraphrase the Eleventh Doctor.
5)Here's a question: When they phone back through time, how does the phone know what point in the past to send the call to? Maybe it accesses the TARDIS telepathic circuits to figure out whne they want to call to?
6)I love these names that our Russell comes up with: "The Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire", "The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarosenfoe", and so on.
7)Some Fun Quotes:
- "Look at me, I'm stupid."
- "We all know what happens to nonentities - they get promoted."
- "Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"
- "You're no fun." "Let me out of these manacles, you'll find out how much fun I am."
- "I'll die first." "Die all you like. I don't need you."
Overall:
Not too bad of an episode. Not one I drag out too often to re-watch, but OK in its way. It occurs to me that the show has never been kind to its "boy genius" characters - Adric, Adam, what's-his-monkey from the Sontaran episode.
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