5.12: Enlightenment

In which for the first time women both write and direct a Doctor Who story, and as a result the villain is male entitlement. (Also, bored immortal space pirates.)

Broadcast: March 1983

Watched: December 2020

Enlightenment, Part One

Given how good this story is, its first episode is surprisingly gentle. Until the last 90 seconds, with the wet suits and electronics and the view of the other spaceships, it really does feel like they’re just on a sailing ship. There’s not much plot pulling us forward: questions over why the White Guardian sent the TARDIS here and why the sailors don’t remember anything, sure, but until that ending there’s no big mystery. 

The cliffhanger, of the ships in space, is top though.

The bit where everything in the TARDIS tips, and the chess board falls off the table, is quite an impressive effect for 1983 – how did they do that? Oh right there’s more of it for the ship effects – is everything on a platform or something? [Apparently not, it’s the camera tilting and stuff being pulled on wires.]

Marriner is the creepiest guy we’ve met in a long time – the staring in through the view screen, repeatedly asking “Where are you?”, “I should put you in irons”, etc.

“Jackson’s the name” – is this a reference to ol’ Ben?

Weird how this is never grouped with Toymaker, Mind Robber, Greatest Show etc – it is another oddball one isn’t it? [“Oddball stories” were one of the standard categorisations in fan discourse before the show came back. I’m not sure you’d use it any more.]

Enlightenment, Part Two

I like the way that, in the first story both written and directed by women, there’s a massively creepy character who smiles all the time and drugs Tegan’s drink, and he might not actually be evil but f*cking hell don’t get into a taxi with him, you know what I’m saying?

Anyway. This is a very unusual story isn’t it (is this also a result of its femininity?). The eternals are creepy and other, rather than actually evil. They can read your mind and make things based on your memories (the portrait of Auntie Vanessa!) and don’t care if you live or die but they won’t actively try to harm you. It’s not about monsters or villains, it’s just about people with a different morality.

It’s also quite Hartnell in its stage-iness. There aren’t really many effects, we just see people react to stuff. The rest of the universe is implied by the looks on people’s faces. It’s great.

The long, cold stare of disappointment the Doctor gives Turlough when he betrays Jackson to save his own skin – like he’s finally seen the boy at last – is chilling and heartbreaking. The cliffhanger, which is basically a companion attempting *suicide*, is kind of mind blowing.

Another thought about the Davison era: at its best, like this, it has some of the best scripts in the entire show. But Davison isn’t one for business: Troughton or Pertwee or Tom could carry some of the audience through a slightly rubbish story with their Doctor-ish-ness, Davison has a totally different approach.

Enlightenment, Part Three

“To them, it’s just a game to pass the time.” The eternals are basically the idle rich aren’t they? The bright young things of the 1920s, or the inhabitants of 18th century Versaille.

Turlough’s faux betrayal is basically the same trick Adric often pulled. I like Tegan dressing up, and the Doctor’s complete indifference to the fact. Something I hadn’t appreciated until this run through is the extent to which Tegan is the audience viewpoint figure: we think of her as whiny when actually she’s the sane one, going “my god can you believe this shit”. 

Delighted to learn I am now old enough to find Wrack legitimately hot, rather than just being creeped out by the fact I kind of find her hot. Lynda Baron’s husband is called John M. Lee. Sadly not the same guy as Leee John [normally a soul singer; he plays Mansell, and is pictured above], who is a truly appalling actor. Although Baron got married when he was 8, so.

The “have you ever heard of the expression time standing still” bit is very silly: I do like Wrack talking to the camera, Lovejoy-style, at the cliffhanger though. Maybe the Eternals know that they’re on television.

Enlightenment, Part Four

“I am empty without you. You are life itself. I want you.” Yeah this is definitely about the writer’s experience of creepy men isn’t it.

The Doctor’s eye roll when Turlough betrays him is hilarious. It’s quite nicely done that he doesn’t trust Turlough but would rather assume it’s a clever plan and give him a chance to prove himself than just shout betrayal.

Turlough is quite similar to Adric isn’t he? Cynical rather than innocent and his intelligence is practical rather than academic, but the smugness and the “Oooh is he a traitor” subplot mean he’s functionally very similar. [I would like it on the record that Adric is better so there.]

“Because he didn’t think of it” – love the characterisation of the eternals, they’re not gods, they’re empty vessels.

I do like that the story is resolved by Turlough turning on Wrack and throwing her over board. It’s beautifully done.