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The Seeds Of Death


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Old 22-06-2012, 09:16
daveyboy7472
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Though not as good as their debut story, this is still a really good Ice Warrior story nonetheless. What I love about it is that whizzes along at a frenetic pace, something I always approve of, though it does suffer a slight dip mid-story in the episode Troughton is missing. Thankfully this would be the last Doctor-lite episode until the New Series.

I think the story also benefits from some really strong characters. We have the usual authority figure in Commander Radnor, assisted by the quite gorgeous Miss Kelly(Phoooaaaar, she so should have been a companion!) Then there is Sir James and Eldred and on The Moonbase, there is Commander Slaar, who rules over everything with a calm but terrifying authority. Jamie and Zoe have lots more to than usual and as CHJ has said previously, The Doctor spends lots of time fiddling with wires etc! And he gets to say his most infamous line...'You leaders will be angry if you destroy me...I'm a Genius!'

I really love the last two episodes in particular where there is foam everywhere and all the stuff at the Weather Bureau Centre. If only we could really control the weather like that....

I really like this story, though, it's definitely one of the best from this Season, second only behind The War Games for me.

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Old 22-06-2012, 10:52
chuffnobbler
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Old 22-06-2012, 11:22
CoalHillJanitor
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Love this one also.

Slight continuity issue though (and we know how rare those are! ): By the late 21st century the T-Mat is so commonplace on Earth that it has completely replaced travel by rocketship. Yet we saw in The Daleks' Master Plan that the first experiments of this nature were being performed in the year 4000.
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Old 22-06-2012, 11:30
daveyboy7472
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love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it
Something tells me that you like this story, Chuff. Can't think why.........
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Old 22-06-2012, 11:47
Larry1971
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I first watched this story when the VHS un-editted version was released back in the 1980's and having no breaks for each episode made it a very hard going story. For the most I found it very dull and slow going with little excitement my opinin of it hasn't really changed much even watching the dvd release. Having the propper episode brealkdown helped but not much I generally like the Ice Warriors but Seeds of Dath is by far my least favorite.
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Old 22-06-2012, 12:15
meglosmurmurs
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This was one of the first stories I ever got on video for myself. So I have a certain soft spot for it.

I've always liked the Ice Warriors, especially in this story (and in Curse of Peladon).
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Old 22-06-2012, 14:37
chuffnobbler
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Something tells me that you like this story, Chuff. Can't think why.........
Sometimes, it just pays to be concise.
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Old 17-06-2014, 23:31
doublefour
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love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it
Surprised to see so few posting on this story thread. Do I like it as much as this post though Well not quite, but its a good solid entry in the Troughton era.
It has the Ice Warriors in which are developed on from their debut story, with Slaar and later the Grand Marshal highlighting the effort to give them a hierarchy.
I do like a bit of innovation and the first episode where the camera gives you the view from Slaar's perspective is a nice touch. There is a high body count as lots of T-Mat staff and later soldiers getting blasted off the Ice Warrior sent to Earth. Which I suppose is on keeping with the ruthless nature of the Ice Warriors as seen in their previous story.
It is a decent plot with some fantastical ideas such as T-Mat and the Weather Control Stations, which are central to the Ice Warrior plot to conquer Earth. I like the space museum scenes and the idea that all of the previous exploits in space travel are now redundant with the advance of T-Mat.
Less good I find are the guest cast which are not very engaging, Phipps is okay and particularly his scene with Zoe portraying mental exhaustion and claustrophobia.
Nevertheless, a decent set of performances from the regulars, with the Rocket scenes are all good. Jamie's line of "Oh no this is worse than the Tardis" when one of the rockets panels burns out is amusing.
The scenes at the Weather Control Station are good, the Doctor's comical reaction to the foam bubble about to go off in his face is typical Second Doctor characterisation given by Patrick. Also I do love laugh at Patrick's comical running style seen here like in The Invasion, his running on the spot while he is deciding which way to run next always makes me chuckle.
My favourite moment of the whole story I think is the start of episode six, as at the end of episode five you see the Doctor outside the door in the fungus foam with the bubble about to go off in his face. The start of episode six has extra footage of Zoe and Jamie working together to distract the Ice Warrior from the door and open it to let the Doctor in, hence the extra footage not seen originally in episode five is unusual and innovative in seeing how the cliffhanger is resolved to that episode.
So, I do believe it is a solid story maybe lackind a bit of punch in its storytelling and action scenes all round. In comparison I preferred The Ice Warriors debut story, with there being better characters and ideas played out. However the Ice Warriors are built upon and added to and overall The Seeds of Death is an entertaining and easy to watch six-parter.
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Old 18-06-2014, 00:19
Face Of Jack
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Nicely said Doublefour!

A well done six-parter in my opinion. It wasn't dragged out (like a lot were in some years!) and had a fun aspect to it as well as the serious bits. The Doctor was mostly serious in this one.....well sometimes!
I remember watching it as a kid (7 years old) and was scared to death by those Ice Warriors. Loved the way they killed people with that wibbly-wobbly mirror effect!
Classic TV!! It was also strange having the whole story start 10 minutes before the Doctor & Co arrive!!
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Old 10-12-2016, 11:48
Lady of Traken
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Though not as good as their debut story, this is still a really good Ice Warrior story nonetheless. What I love about it is that whizzes along at a frenetic pace, something I always approve of, though it does suffer a slight dip mid-story in the episode Troughton is missing. Thankfully this would be the last Doctor-lite episode until the New Series.

I think the story also benefits from some really strong characters. We have the usual authority figure in Commander Radnor, assisted by the quite gorgeous Miss Kelly(Phoooaaaar, she so should have been a companion!) Then there is Sir James and Eldred and on The Moonbase, there is Commander Slaar, who rules over everything with a calm but terrifying authority. Jamie and Zoe have lots more to than usual and as CHJ has said previously, The Doctor spends lots of time fiddling with wires etc! And he gets to say his most infamous line...'You leaders will be angry if you destroy me...I'm a Genius!'

I really love the last two episodes in particular where there is foam everywhere and all the stuff at the Weather Bureau Centre. If only we could really control the weather like that....

I really like this story, though, it's definitely one of the best from this Season, second only behind The War Games for me.
Its really strange I watched tis story randomly a few years and only really remembered the foam and didn't think that much of it. However watching it again this week I realised I forgot how good it is. I cant say I absolutely love it like you Daveyboy but it is very good for a lot of the story. Unlike you I think the later story where the Ice warrior is at the weather station is probably the weakest bit dramatically ( not logically) as he doesn't do much except kill the staff and change the control settings. The earlier bits with getting to the moon, the scenes on the moon as Slaar directs the human technicians is excellent.

I agree with your comment about controlling the weather. If only !. I remember years ago watching an X files episode where this guy controlled the weather through his mind I think. That episode stayed in my mind..

It is clearly a story of three parts- the attempt to get to the moon, what happens at the moon and coming back to earth which does keep it moving really nicely.
This story being six parts does what Nu Who cant unfortunately and which I miss sometimes, It establishes the supporting characters beautifully and I love that. I haven't heard all the commentary yet but I gather Terrance Dicks rewrote quite a bit of it. Well done Mr T

Love Radnor, Eldred ( the glimpses into their past relationship) , The formula of a commander onside with the Doctor is common by now but works ) Miss Kelly ( yes very beautiful) Fewsham, ( his cowardice and redemption) Phipps ( helping the doctor.

The actor who plays Slaar, Alan Bennion is particularly menacing throughout and his death where the doctor pushes him and he gets the full Ice Warrior ray is probably what he deserves although it felt a bit rushed and that's that villain dead,. considering how effective he was throughout.

Loved the regulars in this. Zoe in her element in the rocket. The doctor rigging up apparatus, fixing equipment, the controlled quiet confrontation with Slaar.



Surprised to see so few posting on this story thread. Do I like it as much as this post though Well not quite, but its a good solid entry in the Troughton era.
It has the Ice Warriors in which are developed on from their debut story, with Slaar and later the Grand Marshal highlighting the effort to give them a hierarchy.
I do like a bit of innovation and the first episode where the camera gives you the view from Slaar's perspective is a nice touch. There is a high body count as lots of T-Mat staff and later soldiers getting blasted off the Ice Warrior sent to Earth. Which I suppose is on keeping with the ruthless nature of the Ice Warriors as seen in their previous story.
It is a decent plot with some fantastical ideas such as T-Mat and the Weather Control Stations, which are central to the Ice Warrior plot to conquer Earth. I like the space museum scenes and the idea that all of the previous exploits in space travel are now redundant with the advance of T-Mat.
........... snip.......The scenes at the Weather Control Station are good, the Doctor's comical reaction to the foam bubble about to go off in his face is typical Second Doctor characterisation given by Patrick. Also I do love laugh at Patrick's comical running style seen here like in The Invasion, his running on the spot while he is deciding which way to run next always makes me chuckle.
My favourite moment of the whole story I think is the start of episode six, as at the end of episode five you see the Doctor outside the door in the fungus foam with the bubble about to go off in his face. The start of episode six has extra footage of Zoe and Jamie working together to distract the Ice Warrior from the door and open it to let the Doctor in, hence the extra footage not seen originally in episode five is unusual and innovative in seeing how the cliffhanger is resolved to that episode................overall The Seeds of Death is an entertaining and easy to watch six-parter.
Agree very much with all the above doublefour especially bit in bold . The direction of the story by Michael Ferguson is very solid and interesting with the angles and POV shots except when you get the back view of the guard Ice warriors. Those balloon hips make me laugh !
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Old 10-12-2016, 11:58
Thamwet
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love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it love it
Now stop sitting on the fence, and be a man about sharing your opinions.

Do you like it, or do you not?
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Old 10-12-2016, 14:08
dave_windows
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This was my first troughton story and I absolutely loved it. A great story.
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Old 10-12-2016, 17:04
Steven_P
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I really like this one, was one of the first DVDs I bought... haven't seen it for a while you might have just inspired me.
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Old 11-12-2016, 10:54
Mr Seta
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Episode 3, 8.03 mins into it, so what exactly is going on there?
Wendy Padbury asks very much the same question when switching on the commentary over the episode, hmm
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