The Dominators: Doctor Who: Season 6

Goldby

Grob

Long

The Dominators REVIEWS



Goldby

Man, this is dull. How the very first episodes in a new season look like there's no money spent is a bit strange. The high standard of Season 5 (ok we only got like 8 proper episodes to judge although Web Of Fear 1 and the remaining clips make it look like this one was close to a 10/10, ditto for Fury Of the Deep, not so the other ones) seems to have dropped down a few levels. Yeah the supporting cast are all boring. The sets are cheap and drab and the costumes? Guys running round wearing lamp shades like dresses? Was this some conservative way for showing that all pacifists run around like cross dressing fairies? Now remember the bloke in the picture was actually supposed to be some sort of 'rebel' so why didn't he ditch the dress and get some smart 60's slacks?

The plus side of this story is that Troughton and Hines are in it, so the scenes light up with either of them around. Of course we've got yummy little Zoe running around showing off her wears through a silk nightie and pair of bathers and suddenly realize that didn't really miss that screaming harpy Victoria at all. Yep don't buy the Dominators, how do they conquer planets when constantly bickering like an old married couple? Didn't understand what any quark said at any point in the story but at least it looked different and they were trying to push more new monsters through except giving us the same ones over and over. 4/10



Grob

God, this should have been in the Hartnell era. This one drags like a wet sack of Sensorites. And it was originally gonna be SIX episodes long instead of five. We'd be sticking forks in our eyes to numb the pain through this. Thankfully the tedium is lifted by a number of great comic scenes between Pat Troughton and Frazer Hines, especially in the space ship with the two evil dudes with the chips on their shoulders. Then there are the quarks. They sound like a chipmunk on helium and look like a filing cabinet with a giant pine cone on them but they are sadistic little bastards.

I only saw this when it screened on the ABC a couple of years ago and remember not being too impressed with the model shots of the capsule going to the museum in the ruins and the spaceship that that Rago and his Dominator mate come in. Then there are the supporting cast of locals. All really boring and dull, but I suppose that is cos they are pacifists?

The end of the story when the Doctor has to catch the Dominators bomb when it gets thrown down the hole is a bit iffy too - for a start he yells out at the top of his voice so you would think that the two Dominoes would here him. Plus the fact that the Doctor dug a tunnel with his sonic screwdriver - a tunnel with nice smooth edges and a lovely arch roof. And what did they do with the dirt they took OUT of the tunnel while they were building it? For some reason I remember Zoe looking really hot in this story but the photos of her have her dressed in a curtain. Go figure. Anyway, its a 3 from me.



Long

I don't think this one's as bad as what people make it out to be... although it is a bit clunky and slow in places (would have been better as a 4 parter)... and the Quarks are... well... cardboard boxes.... and they haven't gone to a great deal of effort to dress up the good old quarry.

And is just me, or do the Dominators look like paddlepops?

But in amongst it all there is some good stuff. I quite liked the citadel, and I liked the super speed car thingies that would take them from the city to the quarry... I liked the bit in part 4 I think it was when the Doctor and Jamie were trapped in the Dominator ship.... I can't remember all of it, but there was definitely some good stuff there... and as odd as it looked - Zoe looked hot in that curtain.

I enjoyed it enough to pass it - but can't decide between a 5.5 and a 6... so 5.75/10

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