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[icepixie]

So over the past few days, I've watched parts three and four of the Key to Time story, "The Stones of Blood" and "The Androids of Tara."

Oh, such FUN! New Who is perhaps better at sticking themes and symbols and emotional oomph into an episode, but it can't beat the old stuff for sheer glee. Particularly these old ones. And there are a surprising amount of character moments, for all that Old Who is generally criticized for not having much of that kind of thing--I was particularly impressed with Lamia in "Tara," and of course Romana gets lovely moments all the time: the shoes and the very put-out, "Yeah, I got pushed off a cliff and I'm hanging by my fingernails--little help here?" attitude when she, uh, gets pushed off a cliff in "Stones"; the very smug way in which she lands the TARDIS perfectly at the beginning of "Tara," etc.

"Stones" has fantastic trappings with the Celtic mythology, the henge, the dotty old lady professor, etc. And the justice machines! Hah! I loved those little blinking lights. So fun.

And of course "Tara" was just a big ol' ball of silliness, and everyone knew it. HOW funny was K-9's "Master? Maaaster?" closing the episode when he was stuck in the boat? And Mary Tamm gets some fantastic disdainful expressions in when she's captured. Hee. I love how they're all sort of like, "Fourth segment of the Key? Eh, whatever. Logical reason for this society to have electric cattle prods mated with swords, crossbows that shoot laser bolts, and freaking androids, yet apparently still exist in the Middle Ages in every other way? Who cares!" Although at the same time, what we saw of their society was actually really intriguing: Only "peasants" have the knowledge to control the androids, and yet they're an underclass. Hmmm. I smell a revolution, myself...

I've never even heard of The Prisoner of Zenda, but I think I might need to read the book.

If I weren't already hatching a plan to dress up as Charley to elflore's Eighth Doctor and go to a con sometime, somewhere, I'd make myself a copy of that lovely purple outfit Romana wears in this episode and wear it to a con. (I really, really want that hat. Really, really, really. I don't think I can articulate how much I want that hat, actually.)

Also, I thought I recognized the location they were shooting at--particularly the moat, and bridges over it. It was confirmed in the commentary that it was Leeds Castle, and I HAVE TOTALLY BEEN THERE. AWESOME. And heh, commentary. Funny. Lord, I could listen to Mary Tamm read the phone book for hours. She has such a gorgeous voice. Has she been in any of the Big Finish audios, I wonder?

I'm a bit sad that I only have two more Romana I stories left. :( I love Lalla Ward in the role as well, but Romana's first incarnation is just so cool. Smart and prickly and snarky and with a bit of naivete for spice. (Not to mention unusually good fashion sense for the 1970s.) Great character.

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In random news, I found a pair of jeans that fit with a minimum of looking around. Not only do they fit at the top, but they are ALSO in "short" length, which I don't think I've seen for at least three years. Hooray! I don't have to take this pair up by the nearly two inches that "average" length requires!

(Yeah, so I'm about an eighth of an inch under 5'5". I am also not unnaturally sticklike and able to fit in, like, a size 2 or whatever would usually have the inseam of under 30" that I need. This means that the "petite" sizes some stores do, for people 5'4" and under, are just a bit too short, both in the legs and the waist, but EVERYTHING ELSE is too long. I love "short" lengths of things in my size.

And yes, I realize the tall people reading this are rolling their eyes and saying, "At least you have the option of altering them! We have to live with pants that are too short!" Yeah, well, anything that helps me continue to be lazy is nothing but good. ;))

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Question: Am I a very strange person for eating cinnamon raisin bagels with butter and a generous helping of brown sugar sprinkled on top? My mother says that no bagel is meant to be sweet, while I think that any bread product which has a spice like cinnamon and little fruit bits in it damn well better be sweet, or what's the point, really?

Comments

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Charley costume: Another possibility would be to try and put together something like the airship steward's outfit from Storm Warning, maybe? I thought the photoshopped picture someone did of her in that next to Eight was adorable myself. *g*

WhoSpeare: Not online as far as I know. Decalog 2 was a story collection published by Virgin, so quite a while back. You might be able to track a copy down second hand, though. Half Price Books seems to occasionally get them in, even...

[icepixie]

Charley costume: Mmm, yeah, there's that too. I gave it a thought, but wondered if it might not actually be harder than trying to find/make a dress.

WhoSpeare: Ah, "Decalog 2" sounded like a fanzine title, so I just wondered. Might look it up online sometime...

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Charley: Good point, true. Hey, long as you've got a brooch... (And according to a line in Minuet in Hell, Charley's got a brooch with 'Charley' on it, so you can even make it a nametag if ya like! *g*)

Decalog 2: Yeah, does sound fanzine-y. Heh. You should still be able to find copies, though. I checked the Out of Print search at work, and we can get a copy in near-new condition for about $12...

[icepixie]

(And according to a line in Minuet in Hell, Charley's got a brooch with 'Charley' on it, so you can even make it a nametag if ya like! *g*)

Hey. HEY. I could totally do that...