Full Notes: The Reign of Terror
Full Notes: The Reign of Terror
You say you want a revolution?
Plot Summary
The Doctor accidentally returns Ian and Barbara to Earth during the darkest parts of the French Revolution, where history seems to actively want them dead.
Notable for:
Last story of Season 1; third pure historical.
Writer Dennis Spooner also wrote The Romans and The Time Meddler.
First time (!) the show filmed outdoors (episode 2); the Doctor walking isn’t William Hartnell (Brian Proudfoot).
Pete commentary:
Have to get off my chest my frustration — which I think is reflected in almost all fans — that the BBC won’t include partially animated stories in their standard lineup on streaming services. Would it really be so jarring for people, especially considering there are fully animated stories now on BritBox et al.? Incomplete stories — fine, leave them out (though there’s a case to be made here as well). But if the story is complete, certainly it’s better to have them then not?
That said, I am grateful for the internet and this podcast that give me the chance to experience stories I never did because they were missing. Revisiting this era and seeing the episode I never watched before is a delight.
I like how the story makes zero reference to the fact that everyone’s speaking English. This is obviously long before there was any explanation for why everyone in the universe speaks English — that the TARDIS translates everything, including writing. Since Doctor Who is essentially a taped stage play at this point, there’s simply an assumed agreement between audience and show, that we’re doing this in your native language because otherwise, practically, we don’t have a show.
Amusingly, the novel continually reminds about this: it just so happens that Ian and Barbara can speak passable French, while the Doctor and Susan are superb at it.
You can see why Carole Ann Ford was getting frustrated with her role. She does very little here, simply getting captured, thrown in jail, and fainting/getting sick. Barbara, who is with her for most of the story, has a much better part: she gets to express revulsion at the jailer’s advances, reflect on the meaning of everything with regard to history, help execute the plan with Napoleon at the end, and even gets a love interest.
The story is essentially a “tour” of revolutionary France and the Terror. While the direct involvement of Robespierre and Napoleon to the action is a bit nuts, the story gets across the fear and violence of the period quite well. The prison is ugly, the characters default to cruelty and betrayal out of self-preservation, and there is some ugly violence (Robespierre getting shot)
The peasant-soldiers that initially capture Ian, Barbara and Susan is a good scene: you definitely get the sense they’re untrained and quickly thrown into these roles. I like the bit where their commander essentially has to persuade them to follow orders.
The jailer is a memorable character, and is arguably the one that comes out on top at the end. He provides a good counterbalance to the overall feeling of dread. The novel has a very creative spelling of this role: gaoler, which isn’t even the title in the credits.
The novel has some nice detail about how disgusting the clothes are… giving an even greater sense of a society decaying under the corrosive cloud of violence and fear.
Barbara reflecting on the patriotism of Leon is a magical scene. She’s able to see both sides of the conflict from her arm’s-length perspective as a history teacher.
I also liked when Jules reveals he isn’t part of the aristocracy, that he’s just a guy who hates what France has become.
I like that the script remembers that guns could only be fired once in this period (the rescue of Ian).
After the team gets to Paris, there are a few too many characters, and not enough variation on their performance, to really follow what’s happening that closely. It’s also clear they were rewriting on the fly: The Chien Gris stuff is all Webster says to Ian, but by the time they’re doing episode 6, they need another bar and another meeting to introduce the Napoleon stuff. Barras is barely mentioned until the last episode. Again, it’s all contrivances to make the “tour” more interesting, but it is more interesting, but they are contrivances.
Fair question: The conversation at the beginning seems to imply the Doctor is better at steering the TARDIS than later adventures would imply, and even say. You also get the sense this isn’t the first time the Doctor and Susan have been in this period. Susan says in An Unearthly Child that Barbara’s history book got things wrong.
The final scene where Ian and Barbara are speculating what will happen if they really tried to alter history is interesting given The Aztecs and what we see subsequently. We now know time can be rewritten, so thinking they couldn’t actually change things by shooting Napoleon is wrong. Exactly what would happen if they tried is unclear, but it’s interesting to see the show reflecting on its own “rules” so early, suggesting they can be revisited. And they have been.
What did Pete’s family think?
Grace enjoyed learning about history, but even she could tell it was padded.
Four Questions to Doomsday - Pete
Why did the Randomizer take us here? It’s on a Hartnell kick, for sure. I like the reminder that you don’t need some kind of ancient creature to make humans turn evil – that there’s plenty of brutality and cruelty in history… you don’t have to look very hard.
What if the evil plot had succeeded? The evil plot being… Robespierre’s to hang onto power? If it succeeds, history is altered, so we get into an alternate timeline. Presumably Stirling is exposed and executed, though the Doctor might still be able to save himself and the TARDIS team with his rank.
Where's the Clara splinter? Continually refilling the jailer’s cognac. Or maybe there’s two: Clara may rewrite history to ensure Ian remembers The Sinking Ship even though Webster never mentions it.
Dalek, Ogron, Professor Hayter, Viscount Banger, Fixed Point in Time, or Lady Cassandra? Le Dalek! It’s 2 episodes too long (the Doctor’s journey to Paris is painful, and getting pulled into a chain gang is totally extraneous), but The Reign of Terror does a great job of getting the audience to experience a historical period most only learned about in school.
Chris commentary:
Love that the Doctor is swayed by Ian's invitation of a drink. Let's revisit whether the First Doctor is a lush! He does later refuse wine from the jailer …
Susan says "it" is the Doctor's "favorite period in the history of Earth." In the entire history of Earth! This has been smoothed over to suggest she's referring to the Revolution itself. But no, the "it" is very specific: the Reign of Terror. A year or so within the revolution. So … The Doctor loves the guillotine? He loves revolutionary chaos? The death of kings? What exactly about this blood-soaked and paranoid period does he love? (Or perhaps … is Susan exaggerating?)
"They remain peasants underneath" – not a very smart statement on Rouvray's part.
Barbara propositioned by the jailer and seduced by Leon! Will Ian get jealous one of these days?
The Doctor vs the Overseer – again, not very smart, but suggestive of the fact that he really doesn't like brute-force authority … which, ironically, is what his "favorite period" is all about. And pretty ironic that he ends up beating the overseer with a shovel.
Really not a good episode for Susan – digging out of the cell she hits herself.
"Christian names only" – really not smart spycraft, Jules, how about assumed names? Likewise, "James Stirling" isn't exactly The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Doctor to Robespierre: "what can this reign of terror possibly gain?" is a bit on the nose.
Robespierre, likewise, doesn't talk like a real human. He lists the number of executions in the last 9 days: "what a memory I shall leave if this thing lasts." And listing the date is especially dumb given they weren't using that calendar. It wasn't 27 of July 1794, it was 8 Thermidor year 2. (the start of his 3 day downfall)
Strong ep for the Doctor, running rings around the jailer and even attempting to do so with Rob. "it's a pity we talked for so long about Paris."
Even Barbara is getting a bit tyrannical, Ian thinks: "sounded like an order" that he talk to Jules.
"No doubt we'll get the whole story several times" – Barbara getting sassy about the Doctor!
A stunning, Aztecs-worthy exchange:
BARBARA: The revolution isn't all bad, and neither are the people who support it. It changed things for the whole world, and good, honest people gave their lives for that change.
IAN: Well, he got what he deserved.
BARBARA: You check your history books, Ian, before you decide what people deserve.
And later: I'm so sick and tired of death, Ian. We never seem able to get away from it.
JULES: There is no way, Barbara.
And later, she references the Aztecs, and complains of the story's main weakness: "Robespierre will be guillotined no matter what we do." The Doctor: "We can't stem the tide. But at least we can stop being carried away with the flood!
Robespierre allegedly tried to shoot himself, hence the mouthful of blood. The executioner ripped off the bandage.
"I can't decide if you're a rogue or a halfwit or both." Doctor Sassy Little Bitch to the jailer.
That weird ending to season 1, extremely on the nose. Could have been the last Doctor Who ever! Wasn't officially renewed until this aired.
No, Napoleon was nowhere near Paris. He was in Italy, just been given command of the artillery, and had been arrested on suspicion of being too close to the Robespierre brothers – Augustin, the younger, had met him and recommended him to Max. (He also wanted to renovate the bastilles in Marseilles)
History corner: Robespierre the "incorruptible" and the sad fate of paranoid progressives/revolutionaries who institute purity tests and take away due process.
The Reign of Terror lasted barely a year. And it wasn't theoretical. Terror was literally "the order of the day." The Great Terror was within it. Mostly an attempt to deal with the now less-radical factions that had put the terror in motion in the first place.
The Scarlet Pimpernel was a big influence on Spooner. The first superhero/alter ego?
Original idea was the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Terry Nation was supposed to write it! That might have been a disaster … then David Whitaker was suppos
Four Questions to Doomsday - Chris
Why did the Randomizer take us here? Hartnell historicals, it can't get enough of 'em! Only 2 left, the Massacre and the Crusade (or 3 if you count 100000BC)
What if the evil plot had succeeded? TK
Where's the Clara splinter? Giving Ian the real name of the Sinking Ship? All Webster talks about is Chien Gris.
Dalek, Ogron, Professor Hayter, Viscount Banger, Fixed Point in Time, or Lady Cassandra? Citizen Hayter, arise! (And see if you can keep your head …)