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Am I the only one who doesn't love Inferno?
solarpenguin
Posts: 488
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For some reason, Inferno is widely regarded as a much-loved classic. But, let's face it, it's actually one of the dullest stories ever.
"Stop the drilling." "No." "Stop the drilling." "No." "Stop the drilling." "No." etc. etc. for seven episodes.
Yes, there is the subplot about the parallel universe, which tries to liven things up, but it's obviously just padding. It doesn't affect the main story at all. (e.g. The Doctor doesn't learn anything in the parallel universe to help him stop the drilling back in the main universe.)
Yes, yes, I know it would've been different for viewers back in 1970, who might've thought the Doctor would remain stuck on the parallel world for future stories. (After all, the series had already changed its format with the "exile on Earth" arc, so anything was possible.) Unfortunately, I'm not in 1970, so I'm just left wondering how much longer before they get back to the real story!
And talking of the parallel world, there's the Brigade-Leader. Yes, the eyepatch is a nice gimmick, but the character just plain doesn't work.
He's supposed to be the Brigadier's evil counterpart. However the real Brigadier was calmly ordering genocide less than a couple of months ago. The Brigade-Leader seems much more human in comparison, especially the way he panics when things start getting out of control, just like we would in his shoes. When it's much easier to identify with the evil counterpart, rather than the real character, you know something's wrong!
Finally, there's the moral of the story, that "So free will is not an illusion after all," line. But it doesn't make any sense in context.
The Doctor says it after learning the real Sir Keith Gold survived the crash which killed his parallel self. Does that mean the parallel Sir Keith chose to die of his own free will? If not, this suggests free will really is an illusion after all, since it can always be overridden by events out of our control. (But at least the line appeals to people who don't understand it but just like the fact the Doctor said something clever and philosophical.)
In short, the whole plotting, pacing, characterisation, and philosophy of Inferno is a total mess. It looks good, visually, but there's nothing of substance behind the surface. So why is it so popular?
"Stop the drilling." "No." "Stop the drilling." "No." "Stop the drilling." "No." etc. etc. for seven episodes.
Yes, there is the subplot about the parallel universe, which tries to liven things up, but it's obviously just padding. It doesn't affect the main story at all. (e.g. The Doctor doesn't learn anything in the parallel universe to help him stop the drilling back in the main universe.)
Yes, yes, I know it would've been different for viewers back in 1970, who might've thought the Doctor would remain stuck on the parallel world for future stories. (After all, the series had already changed its format with the "exile on Earth" arc, so anything was possible.) Unfortunately, I'm not in 1970, so I'm just left wondering how much longer before they get back to the real story!
And talking of the parallel world, there's the Brigade-Leader. Yes, the eyepatch is a nice gimmick, but the character just plain doesn't work.
He's supposed to be the Brigadier's evil counterpart. However the real Brigadier was calmly ordering genocide less than a couple of months ago. The Brigade-Leader seems much more human in comparison, especially the way he panics when things start getting out of control, just like we would in his shoes. When it's much easier to identify with the evil counterpart, rather than the real character, you know something's wrong!
Finally, there's the moral of the story, that "So free will is not an illusion after all," line. But it doesn't make any sense in context.
The Doctor says it after learning the real Sir Keith Gold survived the crash which killed his parallel self. Does that mean the parallel Sir Keith chose to die of his own free will? If not, this suggests free will really is an illusion after all, since it can always be overridden by events out of our control. (But at least the line appeals to people who don't understand it but just like the fact the Doctor said something clever and philosophical.)
In short, the whole plotting, pacing, characterisation, and philosophy of Inferno is a total mess. It looks good, visually, but there's nothing of substance behind the surface. So why is it so popular?
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Comments
Of course at the time in weekly installments the sense of padding, especially for a kid, wasn't obvious but in this 'box set' age of thinking nothing of watching 5+ episodes in one sitting, something the classic were never written to do, nor envisaged to do the padding naturally will show more.
No ones fault, just the times.
But Inferno is a good example, a wonderful basic premise stretched out.
I wonder what it would have been like if serials had a 4 episode cap.
As other have said over the years it would be nice to see edited down versions. Davisons 'Enlightenment' worked extremely well when edited down as an extra on its DVD release.
Of course it's all hindsight.:)
One of the many things I've learnt from this forum is that even the most popular stories have their critics. I'm always amazed by the fact The Caves Of Androzani gets such a lot of flack when it was voted the Number 1 story of all time, but on the other hand I find popular stories like The Talons Of Weng-Chiang and Genesis Of The Daleks not to my taste either so it works both ways. In the end it is just about opinion and how people view a story as I've seen in the Planet Of The Spiders thread over the last few days.
As for Inferno itself, I consider it to be a mixed bag. On one hand I don't like the Earthbound nature of the Story, in fact I'm not a fan of Season Seven at all because of that very reason. I think it's overlong at 7 episodes and watching it in one go is very tiring. Liz doesn't get a good send off, the Primords are actually quite hilarious at times and it's very slow moving. You're right about the parallel world, it is padding of the ultimate kind
However, on the other hand it does sort of make for an interesting storyline, seeing the regulars play a different side of their usual characters. I also think it's very well written and acted and as for the Brigadier, I think it was natural to show him without the humour and warmth and just isolate his worst side in the Brigade-Leader. It was also good to see a bit of TARDIS travel, if only via the console.
I think it's the best story of an otherwise overlong set of stories (Spearhead aside)and Earthbound Season so it's really saying it's the best of a bad bunch. IMO it wouldn't have fared so well in other Pertwee Seasons.
But, oddly, Inferno seems to me to be more effective when watched in one go (or perhaps two) - despite the cyclical nature of the chase / capture sequences, despite the clear padding. The reason is that story builds a fantastic doomy mood throughout. There is a gradual build up of panic and despair and the clear sense that events have spiralled horribly out of control. The gradual increase in drilling noise and background rumbling heightens the tension so much that, when split into 25 minute chunks, watched a week (or at least some days) apart, much of the almost unbearable tension is lost. Certainly the last four episodes need to be seen in one go.
And I disagree that the parallel world stuff is merely padding - it actually allows the show to do something that they could never do normally - show major characters panicking and generally behaving like mere mortals (more like us) rather than the heroes that they would normally be, and then the show goes further than it could ever go normally, with the ultimate fate of the parallel world.
It's a story like no other Doctor Who story, bleak, harsh, realistic, with real characters who behave like we would, and it's something a shame, I feel, that Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks decided to make Who considerably cosier in the next season.
Some excellent points there adamms.:)
It is by far the bleakest of Pertwees reign and the parallel world for me is a genuine 'crikey..the s**ts hit the fan' twist.
As you say the constant sound of the drill works a treat setting the impending doom over the course of the episodes.
Although a few nips and tucks here and there wouldn't have gone a miss.
.
Not a huge fan of the Pertwee era compared to others, but Season 7? Oh yes. Obviously fair enough if it doesn't float your boat, but this story and The Silurians get top marks from me. I think they still hold up as brilliant, imaginative television.
Now, Colony in Spaczzzzzz....:)